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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Obama is not an Arab name, but a Luo (tribal) name. It fits the Luo naming pattern. I know because I have a Luo name also.
Those like yourself who would put out falsehoods, irrelevancies and ignorance mixed in with the truth were part of the problem in counteracting the Obama campaign.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Weren’t we all told that McCain had the uneducated?
With all the interviews I’ve seen it’s the obama people who know nothing and just keep repeating the mantra “change, change, change.” They can’t name one thing he’s done, anything about him, just “change, change, change.”
Bambi on November 18, 2008 at 11:08 AM
And you’re not enthralled by the prospect of a Hussein O presidency?
SaintOlaf on November 18, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Why would I be?
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Complete and udder saddness..and ignorance too!
dorisd on November 18, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Ack, I saw this last night on FOX, then watched the whole thing. Pretty amazing and sad.
4shoes on November 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Why don’t we just give up voting and let the media execs appoint a ruler?
Probably about the same number people don’t know their butts from a hole in the ground now as in 1776 the difference being that the vote was given to people who actually had good reason to pay attention.
Maybe a civics test would be good prerequisite.
Speakup on November 18, 2008 at 11:17 AM
This has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans or even Americans as a whole. This is a true snapshot of the human condition as it is , was and ever shall be. Only around 5% of the population are fairly well informed of what is generally happening around them. The others are too busy trying to get by and squeeze in some fun.
BL@KBIRD on November 18, 2008 at 11:18 AM
The poll was privately commissioned, so Zogby doesn’t have the right to publish the results. However, with the attention that this has gotten, Zogby would certainly have denied it if he were lying.
Some have said, and I would echo, that Ziegler should post his raw data set to be completely convincing, as well as the list of questions.
Though I retain some slight skepticism about Ziegler possibly putting the worst face on the results, I am inclined to believe that the film and posted results are probably pretty much in line with reality. I spend a lot of time looking at both Liberal and Conservative news & info sources, and there’s a difference. Fox may enthusiastically cover news that’s good for conservatives and downplay or rationalize news that’s bad for them; but they do COVER both. MSNBC (other than Joe Scarborough, SOMETIMES) simply pretends the stories that are pro-con/anti-lib do not exist. Neither is perfect, but at least with Fox a thoughtful viewer with healthy skepticism has a chance to get a full picture. With MSNBC, or NYT, or WaPo, etc., there’s just no way to get a full picture.
RegularJoe on November 18, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Let’s find a reasonable middle ground here:
If anyone truly believes that John Ziegler is lying about having paid for Zogby International to conduct a phone survey of likely voters for the documentary, then call the Zogby offices in DC at 1-877-462-7655 and tell them that a Rethuglican website called http://www.howobamagotelected.com is falsifying Zogby data to further their wacky Christianist anti-thinking agenda.
If that accusation holds up, then Zogby (a established and well-respected polling firm that would not allow anyone to use their trademarked name without permission) will immediately issue a press release setting the record straight on their website, Ziegler will be discredited, and everyone on this website that was pumping their fists in anger about his documentary will be exposed as gullible fools.
However, if Zogby doesn’t do that then you who have questioned the polling data that Ziegler paid will be exposed as hive-minded thralls who hide their ignorance behind a reflexive cynicism of any information that doesn’t fit your agenda.
Sounds fair? Great! Thanks and let us know how your call to Zogby goes ASAFP.
ScottMcC on November 18, 2008 at 11:29 AM
This from a member of a political party that spends the bulk of its time and money trying to bring down talk radio.
Or we could talk about the party that screams “f*ck Fox News” and assaults newscasters.
Or we could talk about the party that has a senatorial bid for a tax-evading, incredibly drab comedian who also poorly writes books in an attempt to silence the voice of opposition that he hates.
Which of the 3 listed circumstances would you like to compare and contrast to this instance of targeted polling?
leetpriest on November 18, 2008 at 11:43 AM
So let me get this straight — some obscure Palin critic claims she said something wacky to him and if she doesn’t deny it, it’s true?
Did Obama deny the Larry Sinclair rumours?
I mean, dislike her if you want to, but even a cursory assessment of the credibility of your source material has you coming off badly, friend, especially given the thread topic.
DrSteve on November 18, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Simply amazing. No question they knew what the media wanted them to know about (ie: Sarah Palin), but had no clue about their own candidate.
BruthaMan on November 18, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Of all the ignorance in this World. The One sure has some stupid supporters. This is just eye opening.
sheebe on November 18, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Are you talking about the same wacky Christianists that are currently rioting against peaceful churches and assaulting old ladies?
Oh wait, that’s actually the peace-love, tolerant liberal homosexuals.
leetpriest on November 18, 2008 at 11:51 AM
By the way, do you have Microsoft’s permission to link a Microsoft site to your screen name?
leetpriest on November 18, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Anyone who could watch this video and not feel a sense of sadness mixed with outrage at the cavalier stupidity of these people is simply a fool.
Glynn on November 18, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Maybe the trolls hanging out here should either find or make a video showing some Uncle BO supporters displaying some form of intelligence.
Or even answer the the question of what he’s accomplished in his life.
The rest of us would certainly like to know that is anyways.
Ezra1 on November 18, 2008 at 11:59 AM
The Republican party gets the blame squarely on its shoulders for failing, for the past 2 years, to clearly make the case that the Democrats now control.
Guess what? That 9% approval rating for Congress? The voting public thinks it’s the Republicans’ fault.
No wonder we lost. And we’ll keep losing. You think Pelosi et al are in a hurry to tell the voters that Democrats are in control?
philwynk on November 18, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Conratulations, Tom.
You just won the prize for Making The Stupidest Talkback Comment, Evah!
My kitty says:
Et tu Brute on November 18, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Are you serious??
Acccording to Matt Damon
No but his father was. Hill C. provided the photos of Obama in muslim attire.
All humans started out as a fertilized egg – everyone, including you!
Define descriminate?
Duhhh, yeah, if you’re 18 or over, unless “registered” by ACORN, then you can be one of those fertilized eggs!
Child In Time on November 18, 2008 at 12:04 PM
What this confirms is that the presidential race is about selling the “product.” In this case the young dynamic black man v. the old warhorse. Image is everything. It is akin to an infomercial. That is how the it is done these days.
The real crime here is the media’s failing to do the job of vetting Obama sufficiently. Hopefully, in 2010 and 2012 the nation will react to a massive case of buyers remorse and get rid of the man-child and his cronies.
Mallard T. Drake on November 18, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Sarah Plain was applying for a job, the job of VP.
Instead of trying to convince the prospective employer (the electorate) that she was quallified, she retreated into campaign purdah and blamed media bias for her inability to fill out the job application.
Perhaps two months was insufficiant time to fillout the application, but that was her choice, wasn’t it?
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 12:07 PM
In all fairness, doesn’t the education about what is going on in the congress and the house fall at least in some part to the citizen? This video doesn’t surprise me and while I feel we could have done a lot better in this election, I would expect the average American citizen to at least know who Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are. This level of ignorance is simply not acceptable. You have people getting their information from the BBC, the NYT, CNN and Bill Mahar. Good Lord.
Glynn on November 18, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Are you saying that media bias played no part in this at all? Isn’t it interesting that every one of these people had every point down on Sara Palin and no one else. Where do you think they got this information? Even some of the media are admitting now that they were wrong in how they reported on her.
Glynn on November 18, 2008 at 12:09 PM
It’s getting to the point where some are too lazy to find out even this for one’s self.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:11 PM
How did putting Sarah palin on the ticket work out for you guys?
I told you it was a bad idea.
I said she is an alaskan not a normal person that people could relate to. (sorry Alaskans but you know it’s true..alaskans are NOT normal people).
SaintOlaf on November 18, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Half of your statement is true. Obama’s father was raised as a Muslim. The photo, however, has nothing to do with that fact and is one of the younger Obama dressed in Somali tribal dress during his 2006 visit to Kenya. (Being of the Somali tribe is separate from being of Somalian nationality. One can be either or both; there are dozens of tribes in Kenya and the Kenyas consider white Europeans/Americans, Arabs, Indians, etc. to be separate tribes.)
One of my personal goals is to separate facts about O’s Kenyan heritage–which I share–from his Marxism, which I most certainly do not share.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Obama didn’t win this election– the media did.
Security Mom on November 18, 2008 at 12:20 PM
I am willing to bet that Tito the Builder, who just became a citizen not so long ago, knows more than these people. How sad is that?
Glynn on November 18, 2008 at 12:22 PM
Can any of these people actually SPELL H-O-P-E and C-H-A-N-G-E?
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 12:24 PM
I’d bet ALL new citizens know much more than these people.
.
“Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” – John F. Kennedy
abinitioadinfinitum on November 18, 2008 at 12:28 PM
This video is a waste of money. My opinion of the U.S. electorate couldn’t get any worse, so this was pointless, but at least it confirms what I already knew.
DFCtomm on November 18, 2008 at 12:29 PM
I had to break it to three or four people that Obama was part white, part black and part Arab. I wondered where they thought the names came from, considering they are Arab names.
mjk on November 18, 2008 at 8:18 AM
Obama is not an Arab name, but a Luo (tribal) name. It fits the Luo naming pattern. I know because I have a Luo name also.
Those like yourself who would put out falsehoods, irrelevancies and ignorance mixed in with the truth were part of the problem in counteracting the Obama campaign.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 11:05 AM
baldilocks, did you jump too fast? Are you saying that the names — Barack Hussein Obama — are all Luo?
Gohawgs on November 18, 2008 at 12:32 PM
Indeed. My dentist, a naturalized citizen born in Mexico and a young man in his late thirties, asked me nonchalantly what I thought about Obama’s election. When I saidthat I didn’t vote for him, Doc asked why not? I said point blank “because he’s a socialist.” When I said that, it was like the flood gates opened–in a good way. Doc knew all about the things we talk about here and of special interest to him were O’s tax policies and advocacy of nationalized medicine, for obvious reasons. It was great! We talked so much that we both had to make ourselves shut up so he could take care of my teeth. lol
“If he gets his way, you’ll be waiting two years for dental work and by then I’ll be fitting you with dentures!” he said. Between the tax and medical changes, he said that he would sell his business, if things came to a head. And he said the thing I hear from so many immigrants: that there will be nowhere to run if America falls.
:::sigh:::
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:36 PM
This is what I said:
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:37 PM
So you will be clear on what is being said:
The name ‘Obama’ is not Arabic; it’s Luo (it means ‘bent’ or ‘crooked’–chew on that) and it falls in line with the Luo tradition of naming–surnames that begin with ‘O’ are male and those which begin with ‘A’ are female. Traditional Luos also do not take the name of the father but get their own surname. But because of the mixture of cultures (Islamic in his case, Western in mine) he and I both use our respective fathers’ last names. It’s also why I began using both of my surnames. (I’m a woman.) My “middle” name begins with an ‘A’ and my last name–my father’s last name–begins with an ‘O.’
Clear as mud? :-)
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:43 PM
I’m not the smartest person in the world, but I’ll take a stab at it.
Nope. Dinosaurs went extinct some 65 million years ago. Don’t worry, Matt Damon is only a few MILLION years off.
If we’re judging his religion by what he’s purported, he’s a Christian (denomination unknown). If we’re judging by most recent Church memberships, he’s a Black Liberation Theologist. If we’re judging by voting record, Yes.
You’d think that the president-elect would have a concise agreement between action and word on his religion. I’ve never seen anyone other than hippies have this many facets to their religion.
This question is ill-conceived (pun intended). Not all fertilized eggs are human. Human being classified as a homo sapien, and “being” having the definition of “in existance” would indeed classify a human embryo at all stages of life as a human being. This is not a difficult concept to grasp (except for a feeble mind, poisoned by offbeat ideology).
Although there may be some disagreement as to which stage of birth life begins at, it is commonly accepted and recognized that a human is indeed in existence when labor begins. That being said, is it, or is it not classified as murder in our current legal system to end the life of any human being, regardless of how short that life may have existed?
When “sexual orientation” becomes a concept that can be proven by science, it can be taken into context, until that time, it is a preference. The purpose of sexual intercourse is to reproduce. Since homosexuals cannot reproduce, the word orientation cannot be used in this context.
In this world, it is commonly know and understood that choice comes with consequence. If you make a choice, you must accept the consequences that come with it. You, and people like you are attempting to undermine the natural flow of choice and consequence by distorting the line between a personal choice, and the reality of human sexuality. Please fix your error and return only when you can make an argument without a fallacy-ridden question.
Of course it does. Anyone legally able to vote in this country should have their vote counted should they choose to vote. However, it is the voter’s responsibility and duty to educate themselves of current events, and how the economy, government, and social structure of a FREE-MARKET ECONOMY and DEMOCRATIC government work.
If anyone fails to meet these responsibilities and duties, they have subjected themselves to criticism by their peers. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
Does this satisfy your query?
leetpriest on November 18, 2008 at 12:44 PM
And this is how great nations fall, by not learning or caring what is going on in government related issues…..
DL13 on November 18, 2008 at 12:45 PM
And it’s such an easy fix. Passing a Government 101 course in a community college would lay the basis for it.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Hey Baldi, do you REALLY want a bunch of left-leaning, bomb throwing (Ayers) professors teaching our youth about the government?
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 12:49 PM
I had a mean old fat task master for my Gov’t teacher. I got an A and learned a lot! Also, community college professors seem a little more sane and more intent on doing their jobs.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:53 PM
Yeah, but the point, demonstrated so beautifully by the questions about Palin, is that these people are learning things about the election. It’s just that the only thing they’re learning is about how much money was spent on Palin’s clothing. Obviously, if both facts about Obama and facts about Palin were discussed with equal vigor and equal time on the liberal MSM, they’d know as much about Obama as they would about Palin’s clothing budget.
apollyonbob on November 18, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Well, let’s see…oh yeah, John McCain was not Mondaled.
RightTurnOnly on November 18, 2008 at 12:55 PM
That was mind-staggering
As soon as I get my jaw off of the floor – I’ll read the site and the comments.
kybowexar on November 18, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Yeah, you’re right. One has to be a complete passive tool, however, to let that happen. But we knew that.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 12:59 PM
To let in only what Big Media wants let in, I mean.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:01 PM
It’s a little weird that Republicans are suddenly decrying how stupid people are. It makes earlier charges of elitism seem a little disengenous, but whatever.
I have no doubt that McCain supporters would be able to answer these questions better, but that just proves that people live in an information bubble. People seek out information that confirms their worldview and avoid information that might threaten it.
If you were to change the questions to things like.
Which candidate expressed a willingness to strike at terrorists in Pakistan?
Which candidate’s home state received the highest amount of per capita earmarks in 2008?
Which candidate was criticized by the Senate Ethics Comittee for exercising poor judgment?
In regards to massive oil profits, which candidate stated that “we’re not going to let that happen” if he gets elected?
Which candidate stated that “a society and government takes care of citizens who need our help.”?
Which candidate stated that they would fire the SEC chairman, even though the president doesn’t have that power?
I wouldn’t be surprised if most McCain supporters (that means MOST McCain supporters, and not the political junkies on this site), couldn’t get most of these questions right.
Again, it doesn’t mean that McCain supporters are stupid. It just means that they probably wrapped themselves in an information bubble that protects themselves from learning the answers, like most people do.
justfinethanks on November 18, 2008 at 1:04 PM
Questions for McCain/Palin voters.
Did dinosaurs roam the earth with humans 6000 years ago?
Is Barack Obama a muslim?
Are fertilized eggs human beings?
Is sexual orientation a reason to discriminate against your fellow citizens?
Does the youth vote count?
And also, all the other questions.
Neither side has a lock on ignorance and stupidity.
matoko_chan on November 18, 2008 at 8:33 AM
I’m a bit late, but please oblige me my answers:
1-No. No candidate said they did. At least none, to my knowledge, that made it to the general.
2-I know that he’s not a Muslim. I’d still prefer a Muslim over a longtime adherent of Jeremiah freeking Wright.
3-Fertilized eggs are human life, yes. But you know what? We can disagree about that but are you really defending the Democrats position on abortion? It became more radical this year and FOCA is simply an abomination.
4-That’s a matter of opinion, not fact.
5-Who said the youth vote should really not count, and meant it seriously? I mean, the ignorance of this group is astounding (isn’t that what this thread is all about?) but no one proposed eliminating the youth vote.
Next?
gippergal1984 on November 18, 2008 at 1:05 PM
I think that Janan girl realized what an idiot she had been and was really embarrassed. The others were all too stupid to be embarrassed.
peacenprosperity on November 18, 2008 at 1:05 PM
Forgot to mention: that joyless, toneless “OH BAMA”
dirgechant makes me want to tear my ear drums out.baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:06 PM
How so? There are plenty of stupid elites. A good portion of them voted for Obama.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Anyone that is surprised by the level of ignorance in the electorate, simply hasn’t been paying attention. I see a similar level of ignorance in my own children (BTW, they’ve been living with their mother for the past 10 years, not with me). The educational system in the United States has failed — totally, utterly, completely. It is without ANY redeeming qualities whatsoever. As for the MSM, and their role in this, well they are just plain evil — pure and simple.
My collie says:
CyberCipher on November 18, 2008 at 1:11 PM
I found the moneymaker comment was regarding the question about bankrupting the coal industry and driving the cost of energy up and the gentleman then goes on to say that he “doesn’t have a lot of trust in the media to know where that came from” (7:29-7:42 in the clip)
The irony in his statement becomes a commodity.
Amendment X on November 18, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Not knowing a candidate’s position on every single issue is an infinitely smaller indicator of cluelessness than not even recognizing the name of those already in office for years making policy right now. But what about those suits from Saks? /sarc
What she said.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Those that claim the media had little influence on this election are much like the “Rhodes Scholars” shown in the video and more than likely voted for The Messiah. Obama bibs, drool cups and diapers can be purchased on EBay…enjoy!
Healing We Will Feel
dmann on November 18, 2008 at 1:14 PM
Declaring yourself smarter than most people and saying that some people are not worthy of voting is textbook elitism.
justfinethanks on November 18, 2008 at 1:18 PM
I agree with that. I had a facist for a gov’t teacher. :{
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Yeah, no argument here. I mean, they believe the government can fix all their problems so …
First off, Obama supporters couldn’t answer those questions either. Not only does it not help your point, but you’re missing over the overall point.
The point is the comparison with the Palin questions. The point was not to say, “These people don’t know anything about Obama” the point was to say, “They don’t know anything about Obama, but they know who wore a wardrobe that cost $150K.”
So they’re clearly learning things from the MSM. What are they learning? They’re learning all about Palin’s pregnant teenage daughter and wardrobe. Bill Ayers? Who? Barney Frank? Who?
apollyonbob on November 18, 2008 at 1:21 PM
Hmm. Who did that?
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:23 PM
My domestic shorthair cat says:
She is plotting the demise of the human race and their sloppy companions. She enjoys collies covered with ketchup and a side of fava beans.
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Hey guys,
To a few of you looking for the source confirming Zogby’s affiliation with the project:
http://zogby.com/news/ReadNews.cfm?ID=1641
gippergal1984 on November 18, 2008 at 1:26 PM
BTW, justfinethanks, I think that such people in the video lazy and/or uneducated. Some are stupid also, but those are incapable of absorbing the Palin disinformation also. So don’t use your own prejudgments to come to conclusions about those which you allege others have.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:28 PM
think that such people in the video are lazy and/or uneducated. Some are stupid also, but most of those are incapable of absorbing the Palin disinformation also.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:29 PM
We have to go after the media. That’s the only answer.
This video is breathtakingly sad.
capitalist piglet on November 18, 2008 at 1:32 PM
How about we forget about redistributing the wealth and just redistribute the brains?
bloggless on November 18, 2008 at 1:32 PM
Maybe it’s just the crowd I hang with, but I think they could.
You don’t think a huge chunk of McCain supporters know that Obama went to a “Madrassa” but are unaware of McCain’s invovlement in the Keating 5? This is obviously all totally speculative, and I may be totally off base, but it shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone that people know about more scandals connected to their candidate’s opponent that they know about their own candidate.
I have no doubt that Obama voters are woefully uniformed. But that’s only because I have no doubt that voters generally are woefully uninformed.
This video and this poll do demonstrate that Obama voters don’t know enough. But it doesn’t show whether they are are any more or less informed than McCain voters.
justfinethanks on November 18, 2008 at 1:35 PM
The update confirms that Zogby did run this poll. Thanks Ed!
tneloms on November 18, 2008 at 1:41 PM
The idiots that voted for Obama were “informed” because this is what the MSM and the Colbert, the Daily Show, SNL were talking about. That is why they knew so much about Palin’s “scandals”.
As far as demonstrating if Obama voters knew enough, allow me to inform you:
When asked if they could name ONE THING that their messiah had accomplished….they could not name ONE THING. WHY? Because he accomplished NOTHING! They would mumble something about hope and change and that they wanted something different than Bush. They had NO CLUE what Obama stood for or what he plans to do to this great country.
In any case, the man that handled this poll of Obama idiots offered about $13K if any liberal could find McCain voters that were LESS informed than the Obama idiots. Care to take him up on that?
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 1:43 PM
And these idiots are voting and ruining our once-great nation. Disgusting.
There should be a minimal IQ or current events test in order to vote. Also, voters should have SOME stake in our nation, land-owner, have a job, or rent. Otherwise, they will just vote for give-aways.
Oh, yea, and they should speaka the inglish!
stenwin77 on November 18, 2008 at 1:44 PM
Baldilocks,
I understand that Obama is Luo. From the other poster’s comment, I didn’t come away with the impression that he/she was saying that wasn’t the case. I thought he/she was just pointing out that too many people didn’t know enough about Senator Obama, like his full name, who his parents were, etc. It appeared to me that you jumped on his/her comment to make the Obama/Luo name connection without clarifying that Barack or Hussein may be of Arabic origin.
Nothing more than that…
Gohawgs on November 18, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Careful. Collie hairballs can be lethal.
My collie says:
CyberCipher on November 18, 2008 at 1:48 PM
My cat says:
I have a dust buster AND an airline ticket for said Collie. To Korea.
HornetSting on November 18, 2008 at 1:53 PM
How could I have jumped to an erroneous conclusion when mjk said straight out that Obama’s full name–Barack Hussein Obama–is Arabic? His full name is not Arabic; the part I specified explicitly–Obama–is not Arabic. That’s not open to interpretation.
If mjk did not mean the full name he should not have said full name; he should have said “the give and middle names,” if that’s what he meant and left the family name out explicitly.
It appears to me that you are the one jumping to conclusions without taking these things into account. Not getting mad, just stating the fact.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Hornet, if you read my post, you’ll see that I agree with you that Obama voters are underinformed. But only because voters are underinformed.
And I would like to see the conditions of that $13,000 challenge. If I just have to find a single McCain voter who is less informed, then that money is as good as mine. If I have to pay a pollster to find scientific data, well then, I just don’t have the resources for that.
justfinethanks on November 18, 2008 at 1:59 PM
Just for a point of clarification…
Are Barrak? or Hussein? common names in the Luo tradition?
Its my understanding that these names were given to him by his father at birth… but then were changed at least twice… as he went by Barry Soetero for a number of years.
So, the “blessed” “good looking one” at some point made a choice to go back to his origional name…
Romeo13 on November 18, 2008 at 1:59 PM
give=given
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 1:59 PM
The reason they knew nothing about McCain’s involvement in the Keating 5 is that it did not exist, and rather than clog the blog with facts that you probably wouldn’t read anyway, I’ll refer you to Bob Bennett’s book “In The Ring”. It deals extensively with the subject. Also, Bennett is a life long Dem. who happened to represent Bill Clinton in the Paula Jones fiasco.
thomasaur on November 18, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Remember,the same idiots that claim the media had nothing to do with electing Obama with their activism are the same people that find all kinds of voter fraud when a Republican wins,say Bush/Cheney went to war for Haliburton,Bush lied about pre-war intel,Bush should be impeached for NSA wiretapping(that Obama voted for),Bush did 9/11…on…and..
on…and…on.
No proof needed or facts to back up this drivel,only cut and paste lies from the liberal media and propaganda from,Micheal Moore,John Stewart,and hollywood to confirm their leftist ideology.
But these same “elites” are not smart enough to take information like this:
Most Voters Say News Media Wants Obama to Win
“Joe the Plumber” a Top Campaign Story
http://people-press.org/report/463/media-wants-obama
Summary of Findings
combined with the information in this post to see that there is no “journalism”,only activism coming out of the MSM
now that would even make Pravda embarrassed to be a part of.
Baxter Greene on November 18, 2008 at 2:01 PM
Just for a point of clarification…
‘Barack’ is Swahili (yet another tribe) in origin. ‘Hussein,’ of course, is Arabic. I don’t see the big deal in shedding your step-father’s last name, especially if it wasn’t your choice to change it in the first place.
BTW, many of the naming (and other) traditions get mixed in with each others in that part of the world. Think about it: traditional/tribal plus Islamic plus Western.
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Do you really want to go there?
The proud members of the republican base are going to LOVE Piyush!
benny shakar on November 18, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Many names which are not Luo are common among us. Like ‘Juliette’ for example (my name).
baldilocks on November 18, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Thank you. The people who bleat out “Keating!” usually have no idea that McCain was exonerated by a Democrat, who has actually stated that the Democrats insisted on McCain’s name being included in the charges, because they didn’t want it to be a Democrat-only scandal.
capitalist piglet on November 18, 2008 at 2:12 PM
These people are just regurgitating the “news” they learn from watching Jay Leno and Dave Letterman. The (incorrect) information that many jokes perpetuate then becomes the answers for “man on the street” type interviews, and sadly, the national election.
I am now looking for an island ….
fred5678 on November 18, 2008 at 2:18 PM
Well if Bill Ayers head the education department, probably the electorate will all be radicalized like him and Obama and then we don’t have to worry anymore. Welcome to Obamaland, the utopia of the United Socialist States of America.
mariloubaker on November 18, 2008 at 2:18 PM
baldilocks statement of the day: “don’t use your own prejudgments to come to conclusions”… Here in lies the reality that one confronts when engaged in any discussion with a so-called progressive. There is no honest attempt at intellectual intercourse, there is no room for discovery, there is no consideration of evidence and above all there is no need for objectivity. Their MO is to stick to the talking points, ignore subject matter and make ridiculous analogies fabricated on their alter of relativity. Progressives harbor a closed mind and use fascistic tactics to defend their desire for total control. Up is down, 1+1=3 and Obama is the President.
dmann on November 18, 2008 at 2:19 PM
No, I don’t think McCain supporters would necessarily know more about Obama scandals – because whenever I talk to McCain supporters here in the OC, they don’t know about them.
They’re shocked to learn that Obama kicked off his career by kicking his opponents off the ballot. They’re vaguely familiar with Bill Ayers, but don’t really know details. Barney Frank? Harry Reid? Nancy Pelosi? Forget about it. Especially Barney Frank.
The Community Reinvestment Act? Nope.
I’m telling you, whenever I talk to people about politics, it usually devolves into a history lesson. Regardless of who they support.
But Palin’s wardrobe? Oh they know all about that. Russia from her house? Oh they know all about that.
As for Keating 5, no, most people don’t know about that. It happened twenty years ago.
And Alaska receives a ton of earmarks because over 75% of the state is owned by the Federal Government, and because Don Young and Ted Stevens are pork barrel masters. Neither of these things reflect on the Governor. And I also doubt that Obama supporters would be all up on Alaskan earmarks.
I don’t think McCain supporters are somehow way more informed. I think many of them are feeding off the same general font of information as Obama supporters. They just don’t trust Obama as much because they have assumptions about Democrats. For people that didn’t share those assumptions, Obama was an extremely experienced, competent, stand up guy.
And that’s how Obama won.
apollyonbob on November 18, 2008 at 2:27 PM
I would say that right/left have plenty of “underinformed”
voters.I personally think it would be easy to find a McCain/Palin group that you could trip up on the issues.
My big problem and what I see as the meat of this post is that the Obama voters are overwhelmingly “misinformed”.
This video,like the man on the street that Howard Stern did,and talking to many of my democratic friends is consistent with showing that the electorate is bombarded with the corrupt,war monger,racist,stupid,angle that Republicans are framed in while the vast majority of democratic corruption,lies,and failures are ignored or when they are reported,it is to defend them.
Rev. Wright,Ayers,wrong on the surge,little to no experience or accomplishment,NSA/Campaign finance flip/flop,bankrupt the energy industries,Fannie/Freddie ties
and idiotic policies that brought on the sub prime mess,
were either defended by the MSM as distractions,smears,and
Swift boating or ignored.
Just about everyone of these people knew about how much Palin’s wardrobe was but could not tell you a thing about
Obama’s two thousand dollar suits,5.5 million dollar stage
props and starting his career in the home of a domestic Marxist terrorist who to this day works for the over throw of the US government.
Plain and simple liberal indoctrination.
Pravda could not have done a better job.
Baxter Greene on November 18, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Gee, that sounds really bad. I sure wouldn’t want to meet a progressive.
What baldilocks was referring to was my charge that conservatives are elitist because they think that people are stupid and voting should be restricted. That would be baseless if people on this very thread didn’t say stuff like
And other stuff that appeared earlier.
Now, this may not represent the majority opinion, but I wasn’t using “pre judgement” in making the accusation. I was making a judgement based on the words of conservatives.
On the contrary, you reveal that you have your own extensive list of prejudgements about liberals. Which not only makes you by definition prejudiced, but a hypocrite as well.
justfinethanks on November 18, 2008 at 2:31 PM
Free USA RIP July 4, 1776 – January 20, 2009
bill30097 on November 18, 2008 at 2:38 PM
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