>Oy vey, here we go again. Yet another stupid poll claiming something ridiculous so everyone can call for the fainting couches:
Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim…
This has liberals very upset; I’ve seen it discussed on the blogs and heard it mentioned on various liberal talk radio stations, always with an air of “oh my GOD can you believe this?” No one seems to remember that back in April that is precisely how many Americans said they supported the Tea Party. What a coinky-dinky.
I wonder if people would be so upset if the story were phrased another way. How about:
More than four out five people, or 82 percent, know President Obama is not Muslim…
Not quite as alarming, is it?
Remember when “four out of five” dentists recommended sugar free gum for their patients? You thought that fifth dentist was a crackpot, right? Well, he/she was. If you Google ”4 out of 5” you find out a lot of interesting stuff. Four out of 5 people want solar panels on their homes. Four out of five one-dollar bills in Chicago carried traces of cocaine. Four out of 5 phones will have GPS by the end of next year.
I don’t know why people are so fascinated by any of this crap except that it’s a symptom of that ”procedural voyeurism” I wrote about last month.
C’mon people.
[UPDATE]: FreakOut Nation has a similar perspective on
the media’s reporting of Obama’s approval numbers, which despite “plummeting” are nevertheless the best for this point in a presidential term since Eisenhower. Hmm….
Southern Beale 
>Obama is a Muslim. He used to occasionally attend Churches that had vague links to Christianity… but that was simply to make an image so he would be electable. I don't know why he is so frightened of saying he is a Muslim. I am proud of my faith – he should be, too.Wait – I do know why he's ashamed of his original faith – it is not an "electable trait."Rule #1 of politics – those who gain power are afraid most to lose it.
>I find it hilarious that the best right wingers can do is come up with the narrative that Obama is a Muslim who for 20 years attended a church pastored by the firebrand anti-white Rev. Wright.Cognitive dissonance, much?
>That fifth dentist who wouldn't recommend sugarless gum? S/he wouldn't recommend ANY gum, sugarless or sugared. :-)Btw, I love your blog, and read it every day.
>Thanks, Barbara!
>Jeesuz! I thought Usagi was being sarcastic but the woman's serious! Imagine that.
>And yet more people said they didn't know what his religion was.. so what was that ratio???? Two out of three? I am pretty sure there were several "I don't give damns" in there that weren't reported, aren't you?
>it's not so much that this particular poll, more than any other of its ilk, disturbs and upsets me. it's the fact that *more* people believe it now, than some months ago. that speaks to the power of the SCLM, and american ignorance and gullibility. which in turn bode very poorly for our common future. no, teabaggers aren't "in charge" of anything, but our gutless, feckless dems seem to believe they are. i agree with your previous posts about polls and mostly ignore them, knowing as you do how they are worded to manipulate people's responses. still, it's a disturbing trend. and fuck it, we're bloggers, right? we can whine about whatever catches our eye that day, it's what blogging is for. 🙂
>Yeah but the meme has extended beyond the blog and is now in the Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, etc. etc. It's gone mainstream.And Christ on a cracker but the more the MSM repeats this story the more they reinforce the idea that Obama IS a Muslim and why the fuck should anyone care anyway? Is it a CRIME to be a Muslim? It's stupid.
>thanks for this dose of sanity, sobeale. 🙂
>It's stupid.So's Dick Armey! I cut and pasted a bit from one of your old posts to make mine, re: his recent book/editorial (I provided link and attribution, of course ;)~