Video: How Obama Got Elected; Update: Zogby confirms poll, denies “push polling”
posted at 7:57 am on November 18, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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I’m sure we’ll all be linking to this video today. John Ziegler interviews Obama voters to gauge their knowledge of various issues that came up during the election, and gets very … entertaining results. His new website, How Obama Got Elected, marries this with a more disturbing report from Zogby that emphasizes a great deal of ignorance in the vote:
Let’s start with Zogby’s numbers. The poll surveyed over 500 self-professed Obama voters and has an MOE of 4.4%, with 55% having a college degree and over 90% having a high-school diploma. It asked 12 multiple-choice questions; only 2.4% got at least 11 correct. Only .5% got all them correct.
- 57.4 could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)
- 81.8 could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)
- 82.6 could NOT correctly say that Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)
- 88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)
- 56.1 % could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).And yet…..
- Only 13.7% failed to identify Palin as the person their party spent $150,000 in clothes on
- Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter
- And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her “house,” even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!
On the last point, though, Palin was the only candidate from Alaska. Palin did state that one could see Russia from the state as an answer to an interview question about her foreign-policy credentials. I don’t believe that the survey gave Fey as a choice, so Palin would have been the obvious answer from those provided.
However, the rest of these results show the abysmal state of media coverage of Barack Obama. It’s not that the voters couldn’t absorb data provided to them by the Tanning Bed Media; these voters quite obviously learned plenty about Sarah Palin. In the video, the subjects demonstrate that by assigning every stupid thing said on the campaign trail to Palin whether she said it or not. Meanwhile, no one can figure out what Barack Obama said, how he conducted his campaign, or his political history.
As for the video, without the Zogby poll, it would be hilarious but without context. Anyone can find fools for “man on the street” interviews; Jay Leno does it as a regular staple for the Tonight Show. Zogby’s poll shows that Ziegler’s video is no anomaly. Wait for the end, where the ignorant endorse their favorite media outlets, which is the real highlight of this project.
Update: Zogby confirms Ziegler’s numbers, and barks back at accusations of push-polling:
“We stand by the results our survey work on behalf of John Ziegler, as we stand by all of our work. We reject the notion that this was a push poll because it very simply wasn’t. It was a legitimate effort to test the knowledge of voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama in the Nov. 4 election. Push polls are a malicious effort to sway public opinion one way or the other, while message and knowledge testing is quite another effort of public opinion research that is legitimate inquiry and has value in the public square. In this case, the respondents were given a full range of responses and were not pressured or influenced to respond in one way or another. This poll was not designed to hurt anyone, which is obvious as it was conducted after the election. The client is free to draw his own conclusions about the research, as are bloggers and other members of society. But Zogby International is a neutral party in this matter. We were hired to test public opinion on a particular subject and with no ax to grind, that’s exactly what we did. We don’t have to agree or disagree with the questions, we simply ask them and provide the client with a fair and accurate set of data reflecting public opinion.” – John Zogby
I know some people wanted to see a link to confirm Zogby’s work, and here it is.
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How do YOU interpret the survey results?
ProfessorMiao on November 18, 2008 at 9:14 AM
You are so right. I have been saying this for years. The Liberals with power actually understand this and like it this way. In fact, totallitarian governments get their initial power by deceiving the masses and keeping them ignorant.
False prophets and religious leaders have done this as well.
shick on November 18, 2008 at 9:14 AM
No…. but the better question is “Is Barak Obama really a Christian?”
beththebaker on November 18, 2008 at 9:16 AM
Do any of these questions seem a bit subjective? With obvious anti-religion undertones? These aren’t anything like “which candidate said…” questions that Obama supporters couldn’t even use logical reasoning to put together an educated guess to answer.
fiscallyconservative on November 18, 2008 at 9:16 AM
I had the opportunity to talk to a few Obama supporters in the months leading up to the election. When I would tell them about his positions on guns, abortion, taxes or government spending, they didn’t care. They didn’t want to hear it. They wanted to vote for Obama and nothing was going to disuade them.
myrenovations on November 18, 2008 at 9:19 AM
The secret to life to finding humor in everything :)
Karen_VA on November 18, 2008 at 9:20 AM
Sad, but not a surprise. Most of the Obama supporters I’ve talked with have absolutely no clue.
And she gets her news from Jon Stewart? yeah, no surprise that Obama won!
dalewalt on November 18, 2008 at 9:21 AM
It warms your heart that conservatives blame the media? You get a good feeling when conservatives do something wrong? That is wicked. I disagree strongly with liberals but I get a warm feeling when they grasp levels of wisdom and stop blaming their problems on others. You need help.
You do have a good point in that we do have problems. We disagree in where the problem lies. Conservatives believe that the republican party has gone to progressive and needs to return to its conservative roots.
A line I remember from the movie Red Dawn, “My hate keeps me warm.”
I hope you really get over your wicked warm hearted feelings.
shick on November 18, 2008 at 9:21 AM
Are you sure this is actually a Zogby poll? I don’t see anything about it on Zogby’s site, or anywhere else that doesn’t link to Ziegler’s article as a source.
tneloms on November 18, 2008 at 9:21 AM
I’m not in a politically correct mood (I seldom am) so I’ll come right out and say it. A good portion of the country is too stupid to have the right to vote. We at least have to pass a test to get a license to drive a vehicle. Shouldn’t we have to show we have some intelligence before electing the President of the most powerful nation in the world (at least today, who knows what we’ll be in 4 years)?
Hammerhead on November 18, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Ah, The One’s faithful are employing the “I’m rubber you’re glue” defense, or is it the “I know you are, but what am I” defense. It’s hard to tell.
This poll simply illustrates the reporting habits of the major news outlets, the late night talk show pundits, comedians, and the general pop-culture of the country.
Not counting my time in the service, I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by liberals – coworkers, neighbors, family members (in-laws mostly), etc.
I can honestly say that I have not had an intelligent debate with a liberal since 1987 (a Politics professor of mine, who was very liberal, yet I had a great deal of respect for her because we would always have very constructive discussions – a very rare thing in a MA college).
Yes, I know every troll here will claim otherwise, offering unrelated, well thought-out arguments such as “Oh yeah!”, but it doesn’t matter. The simple fact remains that I have been unable to find a single liberal in 20 years who I can hold an honest debate with. The funny part is that many of my conservative friends share my experience. I’m not counting “teh internets”, either.
Television is king now, and it has the greatest impact on those who act based on feelings. It’s that simple.
This is where we are now. Unless the GOP figures out a way to spread BS via the idiot box as effectively as the Dems do, I don’t know what will change. There will always be a fresh crop of youth voters who have absolutely no clue what is going on other than, “All the cool people like Obama, like the kids from Gossip Girl, I’m so excited!!!!1!” There is a growing constituency of poor, uneducated voters (kept that way by those proclaiming to save them) who will turn out and vote because they fear losing a handout.
Now I just need to figure out how to institute my own Nigerian Scam.
reaganaut on November 18, 2008 at 9:22 AM
As the electorate gets more and more stupid the Dhimmicrat base just grows and grows.
Mojave Mark on November 18, 2008 at 9:24 AM
How do YOU interpret the survey results?
I think there are a lot of ill-informed people out there. For instance, this beliefnet poll of over 4,000 users of their site:
Obama’s Muslim Ties. Half of McCain voters believe Obama is or was a Muslim, with 31.7% saying “He used to be Muslim and still has too many connections to Islam.” (Full chart here)
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/11/beliefnet-election-survey.html
You’ll find ignorance on either side of the aisle. But if you’re going to say Obama supporters are more ignorant than McCain supporters, I ain’t buying it. Especially if you’re trying to make the case as Ed is that ignorance is why Obama won the election. By the way, Obama won the post-graduate vote by nearly 30%:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/111781/Blacks-Postgrads-Young-Adults-Help-Obama-Prevail.aspx
Tom_Shipley on November 18, 2008 at 9:26 AM
Unfortunately too many Obama supporters had no interest in facts. Once they heard that THEY would get a tax cut and someone else would have to pay for running the government they stopped listening.
katiejane on November 18, 2008 at 9:26 AM
Failure on the part of the McCain campaign and Republican party to educate the public.
And where is the link to the actual Zogby poll mentioned in the article?
albill on November 18, 2008 at 9:27 AM
You would think so. But after watching this video, it appears that the only requirement is a cell phone to Text A for the Democrat and B for the Republican. Sadly, I think we just witnessed several people who thought the Presidential election was just another reality show.
sherry on November 18, 2008 at 9:29 AM
I need to start drinking heavily; and when I’ve killed off a goodly portion of my brain cells, I’ll still be more aware of facts and issues than most Obama voters.
Frozen Tex on November 18, 2008 at 9:29 AM
I hope you really get over your wicked warm hearted feelings.
I was being slightly sarcastic with that remark. But, yes, on a purely political level, I’m glad to watch Republicans grasp as straws like this to explain their deficiencies in the past elections. It means Dems will have a better chance in future elections.
There was a time when I would have been disappointed that Ed would resort to this kind of thing, but he went off the deep end long ago. He used to be a rational political commentator, but since his move to HotAir, he just a right-wing attack dog.
Tom_Shipley on November 18, 2008 at 9:29 AM
voter registration should require the following :
photo id
proof that youve paid a minimum 500 dollars into the federal government within the past 12 months
palefaced on November 18, 2008 at 9:31 AM
McLynn,
I certainly don’t purport to have all the answers.
I think at the local level….declining the matching funds from the feds…very painful but simple.
Property taxes will go through the ceiling though…So you cut back on other services to cover the shortfall in revenue. What ever happened to self- reliance? As far as the NEA goes ….You’re right….they are so entrenched….I don’t have any ideas….I just know they’re bad for education in this country.
jerrytbg on November 18, 2008 at 9:31 AM
And if less-educated voters had chosen him by the same margin, it would have been a resounding victory for McCain.
Thanks for making my point for me.
ProfessorMiao on November 18, 2008 at 9:32 AM
That sounds too much like a poll tax…the dfMSM would have a field day with that.
jerrytbg on November 18, 2008 at 9:33 AM
“What luck for rulers, that men do not think.” -Adolf Hitler
abinitioadinfinitum on November 18, 2008 at 9:34 AM
one can dream cant they ? for now.
palefaced on November 18, 2008 at 9:35 AM
spot on!
And to top that, their factual answers were wrong, ‘republicans control congress’ whereas their opinions on democrat leaders were MIA. They’ve never heard of Reid, or Pelosi?? I’m sure in about 3-4 years time they will say they don’t know Obama either.
neal7 on November 18, 2008 at 9:37 AM
These people are unaware of the political situation because we had a POTUS who never went on the air and spoke to the people. Imagine if ‘W’ had appeared on TV and gone down the list, point-by-point, and explained things to the nation. Fannie Mae….Barney Frank….Bill Ayers….Obama…..Iraq…..
Granted, a lot of people are smart enough to visit numerous news sources and develop intelligent opinions and answers. But, as this clip clearly demonstrates, there are quite a few people who just don’t bother. Think of the reaction from all of the newsgroups and talking heads had ‘W’ addressed the nation as I’d suggested. It would’ve been the top story for days, and these morons would’ve been exposed to the truth behind the stories/rumors they’d believed.
guitarguy on November 18, 2008 at 9:38 AM
And to all of you moronic Obama voters [That's redundant, I know] out there who may have stumbled onto this purely by accident, let me explain why “redistributing the wealth” or Socialism[aka, Marxism, Collectivism, Fascism, Nazism, Leninism.......] Is a really bad Idea:
IT DOESN’T FREAKIN WORK!!!!!!!!!!!
It is a FAILED ideology that has Never, and will Never work.
It has FAILED each and every time it has been tried, and it will FAIL this time!!!
Of course, they probably haven’t gotten down to this part of the comment and are stuck on the meaning of ‘redundant’, oh well.
kelly Tejera on November 18, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Hey McLynn,
I just realized….My first suggestion might weaken the NEA also…got to think long term.
jerrytbg on November 18, 2008 at 9:39 AM
Uh, got an inconvenient little fact for your arguement.
Question is “used to be Muslim”… there is documentary evidence that he was enrolled as a Muslim in Elementary school in Indonesia. He can and has said the Moslem call to prayer PERFECTLY. Therefore, at least at one point in his life he was legaly, and had training in, the Moslem religion, and by Sharia law, by his SAYING the Prayer, IS saying he is Moslem.
So, is he a Moslem now? Evidence does not point that way… but WAS he a Moslem? Probably.
But please, continue making false allegation against the right… it is amusing to watch you spin away.
Romeo13 on November 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM
They’ve been passing themselves off as chickens but I don’t trust em.
jellybelly on November 18, 2008 at 9:41 AM
Still laughing…..
jerrytbg on November 18, 2008 at 9:44 AM
I remember how for 8 years, the Libs were the ones saying voters were stupid for voting for Bush.
Funny how things come full circle again now that Obama is pres-elect.
I guess America is in for at least 4 years of Conservatives telling the 52% how stupid they are for voting for Obama.
cornfedbubba on November 18, 2008 at 9:44 AM
Dave Rywall on November 18, 2008 at 8:47 AM
Yeah right!\sarc
Let’s take 500 McCain supports and ask them who is in control of the Congress and see what they say. I can tell you it wouldn’t be the same idiot answers we got here. GOP voters at least look at the issues and candidates (hence the rejection of McCain by most real conservatives) and actually take the time to find out the facts.
flytier on November 18, 2008 at 9:44 AM
When our schools moved away from teaching discrete subjects like history, civics, and geography, and instead shaped the curriculum around the nebulous, catch-all subject of social studies several decades ago, the die was cast for the dumbing down of the electorate.
Originally shaped at public expense in Puritan times, schools taught reading so that its served community had people literate enough to read the Bible. As time prograssed, public schools were charged with teaching skills so that the citizens could make informed political and economic choices.
From Dewey onward to the foundational influence of “historians” like Howard Zinn determining the narrative of history, schools became laboratories of social engineering.
Examine any scholastic social studies textbook today, and note how superficial is the material and how much material is missing in the content. Scan those books from grade four onward, and you will find redundancies of the thread that America is not a just nation, that its role in the story of humankind has not been honorable. Note the significant, positive swaths of our history that have been deleted in this negative narrative.
Add to these woeful textbooks teachers who themselves are poorly schooled in our history and our governing principles. Put these ignorant (and lazy) teachers who rely on videos produced by equally ignorant creative types, and the formula for dumbing down and propagandizing to generations is complete.
The rot of passivity and stupidity comes from within.
Literacy tests as a measure of one’s ability to vote were stuck down as discriminatory. Besides, what value would they have if all that they would measure is how much propaganda one has absorbed?
If the determinant of representation were a person’s taxation, citizens would have more of a stake in selecting worthy civic leaders. People who only take from government largesse without paying into the system should have limited or no input in selecting our leaders.
onlineanalyst on November 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM
Seriously, can anyone find a source that shows that this poll was actually done by Zogby?
tneloms on November 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM
The left has taken full advantage of America’s ignorance.
I see this all the time. At work or with friends when we’ve discussed the economy the only answer the liberals can come up with is ‘Bush policies’ caused it. When I ask them for specific policies the first response is always ‘Well, Iraq obviously’.
WTF? If Invading Iraq caused this problem then it would be the American government that would be hurting for cash – yet it is the government that is offering up $700B+ in bailouts.
My response is quite different. I can identify a specific piece of legislation (the Community Re-investment Act that Clinton rewrote to force lenders to give questionable loans to people who couldn’t afford the houses they wanted to purchase) and can present a logical course that leads to the situation we are facing today. For good measure – I throw in Bush’s warning in 2003 and the Democrats refusal to acknowledge the problem.
That leaves them speechless and fumbling for for some lame ‘7 degrees of Iraq’ excuse that falls far short of explaining anything related to the issues the economy is now facing.
A large proportion of Americans are genuinely stupid. The do not know basic facts about our government or the candidates they support. Even when you show them the truth their minds remain unchanged.
Mr Purple on November 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM
All the more reason to question his supporters. Some of the biggest knuckleheads I’ve ever known were grad students or holders of advanced degrees. Being misinformed is usually worse than being uninformed.
forest on November 18, 2008 at 9:46 AM
You mean school districts declining federal matching funds? Actually, I think federal funds are a small part of local education funding. Usually it’s local property taxes that go to the schools, supplemented by state funds, and maybe a little federal money (probably via the state). So I don’t think that’s the answer, nor would it weaken the NEA.
No, I think conservatives have got to go into teaching and school administration, in numbers great enough to start affecting the curriculum and to offer alternatives to the NEA. Of course, if localities and states could get voucher legislation passed, that would have a more immediate, and salutory effect. The option of private schools that emphasized traditional civics teaching (and other basics) would be powerfully attractive to many parents.
Get to work on your local School Board and your State Legislature.
MrLynn on November 18, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Wow…just…wow…
This really puts things into perspective for me. Reassuring on the one hand but truly frightening on the other…
I guess it doesn’t matter how much truth there is to your message. Unfortunately, it is all about key words and image.
TightAggressive on November 18, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Does a nation this ignorant deserve to superpower status? Does a nation this ignorant deserve to survive?
ronsfi on November 18, 2008 at 9:52 AM
Conservatives understand why the past two elections have gone the way they have Tom, it’s because conservatism wasn’t on the ballot, unfortunately. I’ll even put it into words you can understand.
When you have moderates or candidates who lean more left than right, the electorate will choose the more left candidate, i.e. the authentic liberal rather than the pretender every single time.
When you have a choice between two candidates, both advocating for universal health care, amnesty, punishing those who achieve, etc., the electorate will choose the real liberal, over the pretend liberal.
Conservatism has triumphed liberalism every single time at the ballot box, IF… it is actually applied. McCain was no such thing.
Unfortunately, when you resort to calling Ed a right-wing attack dog, you lose all credibility on anything you say.
Now, go spread your wealth. (If you actually produce something)
rightside on November 18, 2008 at 9:55 AM
Answers:
No
Yes
No
No
No
No
Typical bigot that you are, you believe that all HotAir.com readers are “conservatives,” or even “social conservatives.”
Hey jerkoff, I would venture to say that at least half of HotAir.commers are libertarians, maybe even more than half, who don’t fit your stereotype of bible-thumping backwoods hicks.
And yes, Obama was/is a Muslim. Stop drinking the Kool-aid and check out the facts:
4 years at a Madrassa in Indonesia
Step-father signed him up for school as a “Muslim”
Attended Louis Farakhan’s Million Man March in 1998
Cited by heart, and with a genuine “Arabic” accent according to the Far Left NY Times, readings from the Koran.
And that’s just for starters.
ericdondero on November 18, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Oops, meant to answer “Youth Vote count” question as Yes.
ericdondero on November 18, 2008 at 9:56 AM
There’s an enormous difference between these demonstrated ignorant voters and those who do know the facts and yet accept them or dance around them like yourself.
It’s called foolishness.
You know of Obama’s radical connections. It doesn’t bother you.
You know of Obama’s tie to marxist professors. Ditto.
You know Obama is the farthest left candidate this nation has ever had. Ditto.
You know Obama hasn’t actually accomplished anything in office. Ditto.
You know Obama wants to place people that are greatly responsible for bankrupting our nation into government positions. Ditto.
Of course your response is, “Republicans are guilty of the same.”
If you had followed reason rather than your warm hearted feelings you would team with conservatives to fight for liberty and freedom. But you won’t.
A few years down the road you may actually join the cause for freedom but it may be too late.
shick on November 18, 2008 at 9:59 AM
ericdondero on November 18, 2008 at 9:56 AM
Romeo13 on November 18, 2008 at 9:40 AM
I love how a thread meant to expose ignorance of the left has actually exposed the ignorance of the right.
Tom_Shipley on November 18, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Gets good at 5:26.
It also ties in to a couple things that lots of people here have been saying.
1) Republicans didn’t get their message out very well.
2) Democrats tend to hide their liberal members while running for election. That’s why nobody knows who Pelosi and Reid are. And of course, even though they’ll be central players in the new government, these voters never WILL know, unless we find a way to get the message to them.
hawksruleva on November 18, 2008 at 10:02 AM
That video made me want to cry and bang my head into the wall. I love my country, but she is filled with some frakking idiots. How can you not know who Nancy Pelosi is? My daughter even knows that ugly mug when she sees it on tv…
Anna on November 18, 2008 at 10:02 AM
A case for raising the voter’s age if I ever saw one. A case for some sort of invested requirement of a voter. Age is only one. But I guess in the end, no matter what your IQ, homeowner status, property status, work status, education status, you can still be a dumba$$ moron.
I’m not shocked by any of this. I hear from the mouths of morons all around me.
It’s quite frightening.
The scariest part of all of that was when the young white chick stated that the redistribution of wealth sounded pretty good.
I am speechless.
Badger40 on November 18, 2008 at 10:03 AM
My wife heard a similar stunt on the radio months before the election, so I’m not sure if it was the local guy or a replay of a national show, but…
They sent their man into the “black community” with a microphone and then asked questions like: “Doesn’t it bother you that Obama picked Sarah Palin for his running mate?” “Oh no, that’s fine with me.” “How about Obama’s record as a hardcore pro-lifer?” “Uh huh, that’s OK with me.” “Obama’s pro-gun stance… doesn’t that bother you?” “Oh no, not at all, I’m good with that.”
saint kansas on November 18, 2008 at 10:04 AM
This is a reflection of the media. The expressions are a direct result of the kind of garbage they put into the mushheads these people wear atop their spines.
drjohn on November 18, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Questions for McCain/Palin voters.
Did dinosaurs roam the earth with humans 6000 years ago?
No, and Palin never said they did.
Is Barack Obama a muslim?
He says he is a Christian but fundamentalist Muslims would say his father was a Muslim so Barak is one too by birth right.
Are fertilized eggs human beings?
Potentialy.
Is sexual orientation a reason to discriminate against your fellow citizens?
No. But traditional sociatal values going back 4000 years say marriage is between a man and a woman.
Does the youth vote count?
Of course. We’re just saying it is uninformed.
And also, all the other questions.
I could answer all the other questions correctly, could you?
Neither side has a lock on ignorance and stupidity.
No. You do. Now go away before I thrash you some more.
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 8:33 AM
Sefton on November 18, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Of course we will have to tell them. They are too stupid to know how stupid they are.
izoneguy on November 18, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Ed… this is a little ridiculous. Where are the actual questions? Where is the poll sample data? Maybe that stuff if available somewhere, but it’s neither here nor at the website that you link to. The poll was commissioned by someone with clear bias, and even the paraphrasing of the questions that they provide reflect that bias, let alone the actual phrasings of the questions themselves. Are you saying you wouldn’t be crying foul if someone on the other side put something forward as shoddy as this (particularly the video… give me three hours and I’ll find a dozen uninformed people who say they support a given cause)?
Yoosaion on November 18, 2008 at 10:09 AM
*Humans & dinosaurs? No.
*Obama = Muslim? I think he’s his own deity.
*Fertilized eggs = human being? Only if it’s implanted in a human womb. Otherwise, could be a fertilized sparrow egg.
*Sexual orientation = discrimination fodder? Your bedroom, your business.
*Yute vote count? My yute vote (I’m 25) counted, but only because I’m a Virginia resident. I won’t speak to the rest of my demographic. My question to you: Does the vote really count if it comes from an uninformed person?
Btw, conservative does not always equal religious voter. Of course, we all know I’m wasting my breath on that one.
Anna on November 18, 2008 at 10:10 AM
And this is why we need to bring right-wing hate speech on the radio under control with the Fairness Doctrine, so that the American people get the full, undistorted spectrum of viewpoints.
/sarc
saint kansas on November 18, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Tragic. Contrast this with the ideals on which our civilization was founded:
-Pericles’ Funeral Oration for Athenians killed in the first year of the Peloponnesian War (Thucydides)
morganfrost on November 18, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Pssst! You might want to check the provenance of that one.
Your point is that a lot of people believe that Obama is a Muslim. And yet he still got elected. Which should warm your heart that we have come so far as a country where a man whom so many believe to be a Muslim can still be elected POTUS. Right?
holygoat on November 18, 2008 at 10:18 AM
No, but you seem to have a healthy inventory…
right2bright on November 18, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Questions for McCain/Palin voters.
Since we all seem to be giving this a shot:
Evidence says no, but I can’t prove it.
This depends on how one defines muslim, but, as christans would define it, no.
Depends on your definition of human being.
Depends on how you define “sexual orientation” and “discriminate.” If you mean “Should various sexual acts between consenting adults be criminal” most would answer no.
If you mean the votes of citizens of age 18 to some number in the twenties, the answer is yest.
I have a question for you. Did you name yourself after a female cartoon character, or a male one?
Count to 10 on November 18, 2008 at 10:20 AM
That’s a lot of common sense from a 25 year old… :)
You don’t have to be religious to vote for less gov’t intrusion, economic growth, more jobs, more general opportunity as opposed to a “nanny state”.
It is like saying everyone who votes for democrats are atheist, marxist pacifists….hmmmmmm.
beththebaker on November 18, 2008 at 10:21 AM
You mean like the teachers…who are overseeing a 30% drop out rate, and a decrease in educational scores over the past decade?
Well, I certainly put my trust in them…
right2bright on November 18, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Keep the masses ignorant so that truth and facts don’t matter.
Brilliant! Not original, but brilliant ploy, Obama.
Princeps on November 18, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Finally someone else actually questions the validity of this poll. Can anyone find evidence that it’s real other than Ziegler’s site?
tneloms on November 18, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Unfortunately most of these voters probably don’t have a clue about the beginnings of our nation and the lessons of the founding fathers– or why this country is supposed to be a constitutional republic, not a mob-rule liberal democracy. Probably some have no idea who Madison or Adams were. How long before we see a video of Americans asking “Thomas who?”
dinobalz on November 18, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Dear Lord…
benrand on November 18, 2008 at 10:28 AM
In case no one’s mentioned it yet, the source for this was an online parody (a la the whole Martin Eisenstadt affair), which was picked up by noted nuclear physicist Matt Damon and spread around the internets.
“It’s amazing how the conservatives don’t get satire.” – Daily Kos, 7/27/2008
saint kansas on November 18, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Trudat, but the socons control the party.
That is how the GOP became the anti-abortion party.
I’m an Obamacan.
I would have said I was a conservative before this election.
Back to the Palin thing, Capn Ed, Obama had 4 years to shape how the electorate percieved him.
Palin simply didn’t have a chance in two months, even if she had given a press conference a day.
And going media dark just compunded the problem.
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Invoking Godwin’s Law here…
newton on November 18, 2008 at 10:29 AM
In the end, the ultimate responsibility lies with the voter. The biggest problem we have in this country is education - and this poll/video is yet another example of that. It really pi@@es me off that America has come to this.
FuriousAmerican on November 18, 2008 at 10:31 AM
“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools…” – Romans 1:22
newton on November 18, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Which means this is the beginning of the end for this country. Great news for our enemies, though.
Secession is sounding better and better every day…
newton on November 18, 2008 at 10:33 AM
Dear Mr. Shipley,
Even on a bad day, with a cold cup of day-old coffee, Ed is more rational than you. He doesn’t weld himself to the talking-points-memo that liberals, such as yourself, still carry in their pocket for quick reference.
The election is over. I would suggest that you need a new memo to cover reversals pending on all the Obama promises that were made to you to garner your vote.
It will be interesting to see how you explain away the fact that there isn’t a chicken clucking in every pot a year from now.
Yoop on November 18, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Proof positive of why we have the EC and every vote doesn’t really count.
redfoxbluestate on November 18, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Why I think The libs are enamored with Obama. Kinda rambling, but stick with it. To me, this is what the liberals see with him.
The liberals wet dream come true. You see, Obama was born to a white mother and a black African father (who left them). His dad was at Harvard, and his mom was a globe trotting anthropologist.
Lived in a Muslim Asian country; Indonesia, and went to Kenya, the birth place of his father. He had no parents after his mother died, so he lived with his grandparents; his grandfather a veteran of World War Two-the noble war.
His story also had the pull yourself up by the bootstrap narrative to it, which gave people the hope of the classical “American Dream”, that anything is possible if you try. His work in community organizing let him see the abject poverty, giving him empathy.
He is an enigma; a cipher, who speaks in vague terms and words that conjure up feelings like “hope” and “change”; not rationality. This allows him to become a blank slate allowing people to project their hopes and dreams upon him because they have not much to live for outside themselves, allowing for the build up of the Cult of Personality to happen
In the end, he is the pinnacle of the new world man, the merging of everything the liberals find good and holy; their messiah.
theboss on November 18, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Thank you. : ) To your last point, it’s something I wish people on both sides of the aisle would think about… there are plenty of atheists on our side, and plenty of religious-minded voters on the Dem side, and more of both in the middle.
It’s a dangerous folly for a party in general to make too many assumptions about its base. Then again, maybe I’m mistaken in thinking the base of the Republican party is all about small gov’t/and fiscal conservatism (as opposed to social conservatism). I’ve been wrong before.
Anna on November 18, 2008 at 10:40 AM
Alvin said Ayers was a “washed-up terrorist”. That was Mac’s description in the last debate.
The Monster on November 18, 2008 at 10:42 AM
To quote the Left:
.
29Victor on November 18, 2008 at 10:42 AM
oh no, Kansas, that isn’t true.
Alaska speaks.
Also, Palin has never denied that she told him this.
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 10:45 AM
The United States, is listed 13th, I believe along with Spain, measuring literacy world wide. So have Americans who have attended public school, and univerisities of any kind been dumbed down enough? Apparently those chickens are finally coming home to roost. That would have been an interesting poll question. What is the meaning of the phrase “chickens coming home to roost” It would have added a flare a touch of irony…Sigh.
The Media puts so much emphasis on the voter’s educational achievements, how many lied on the poll? How many went to Community Colleges, and Vocational Schools?
This country elected a Progressive, in other words a Socialist, and they – these voters, don’t even know what a Socialist or a Progressive stands for. I find Socialism repugnant, and I am repulsed by this trend. The Democrats counted on ignorance, and the ingnorant, and they didn’t let the Dems down.
Dr Evil on November 18, 2008 at 10:45 AM
I’ve long said that if you’re not going to actually learn the details, you shouldn’t bother voting. But what really pisses me off, and is somewhat related, is what these groups like ACORN have been doing for years. If you’re too lazy to get off your butt and get to your local town hall, or wherever it is that you register to vote in your particular county, then you’re probably not motivated enough to learn the facts either. If you’re not motivated enough to register to vote yourself, you probably just shouldn’t vote.
Sir Corky on November 18, 2008 at 10:51 AM
What is interesting, is this video pulled all of the moonbat trolls out of the closet here at HA. I have one thing to say to them, “Can’t Cure Stupid”.
The Obama Media in this country has delivered the electorate into the arms of socialism. The mass of uneducated Americans is astounding. They voted for an idol, not knowing his true character, or his true convictions. They cannot even answer simple questions. I fear Western Civilization is doomed if we ignore these facts and stay uneducated.
Kevin in Washington State on November 18, 2008 at 10:53 AM
really? Please explain where anything I said about Obama is incorrect? Any fact I have wrong? If my interpretation of Sharia law is incorrect (that the son of a Moslem father is automaticly Moslem, and as Obama WAS adopted by Soetero, a Moslem, he is, under Sharia, Moslem by THEIR definition).
But then, I’m sure you aggree with the NASA guy the October WAS the Warmest Obtober in History!!!
I will not argue for anyone else on this site, but everything I said about Barry was true.
Romeo13 on November 18, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Well, Anna, perception is reality.
The Derb’s emailer makes a good point.
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 10:53 AM
That was the one answer included in the video that I thought was accurate.
forest on November 18, 2008 at 10:55 AM
Tom_ShipleyBut, yes, on a purely political level, I’m glad to watch Republicans grasp as straws like this to explain their deficiencies in the past elections. It means Dems will have a better chance in future elections.
Well, if Obama plans to continue his stupid economic policies he talked about during the election, the Dems won’t have a chance at much of anything. His huge government spending plans and tax hikes on those who are the most productive, will be devastating to an already sick economy. We’ll be lucky if we aren’t in a downward spiral toward severe depression at the end of his first term. I think the majority of people who voted for Obama are completely misinformed and uneducated in current events and economic policy. If they were informed, they wouldn’t have even considered voting for him.
This certainly doesn’t warm my heart because I love my country and I hate to see it heading in the direction it’s headed. I will admit though, it’s going to be somewhat gratifying to sit back and say I TOLD YOU SO. And it’s going to be even more gratifying to elect true conservatives who will get this country back on track.
SueM on November 18, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Very interesting video and some good food for thought on how important “packaging” a message really is. Like it or not, any candidate that gets elected President must enjoy the support of voters with a brain as well as those without.
The trouble is that when the media is strictly on the side of one candidate (to the point of malpractice in 2008) most of the brainless vote is going to break just one way!
Beatnik Joe on November 18, 2008 at 10:59 AM
This has got to be fake!
There is no way so many Americans could be brainwashed, braindead, zombies!
This is really disturbing.
SaintOlaf on November 18, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Holy crap…
Bring back poll taxes, civics tests, and property ownership restrictions ASAP!
HYTEAndy on November 18, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Goes to show that the mass media blitz swept Obama to victory (big bucks will do that) and that the majority of Americans have a strong belief in medicine men at carnivals and the new American Idol President. Terrific, huh?
Travis1 on November 18, 2008 at 11:05 AM
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