Poll: Many incorrectly call Obama a Muslim

gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
edited August 2010 in A Moving Train
it is amazing that our media does not just provide misinformation, but outright disinformation on this subject. and we wonder why the rest of the world thinks americans are stupid when many of us do not even know that obama is not a muslim :evil:


Poll: Many incorrectly call Obama a Muslim
Analysts attribute misperceptions of president's religious beliefs to his limited attendance at religious services

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38766014/ns ... ite_house/

WASHINGTON — Americans increasingly are convinced — incorrectly — that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, and a growing number are thoroughly confused about his religion.

Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 percent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 percent.

The largest share of people, 43 percent, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34 percent who said that in early 2009.

The survey, conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center and its affiliated Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is based on interviews conducted before the controversy over whether Muslims should be permitted to construct a mosque near the World Trade Center site. Obama has said he believes Muslims have the right to build an Islamic center there, though he's also said he won't take a position on whether they should actually build it.

In a separate poll by Time magazine/ABT SRBI conducted Monday and Tuesday — after Obama's comments about the mosque — 24 percent said they think he is Muslim, 47 percent said they think he is Christian and 24 percent didn't know or didn't respond.

In addition, 61 percent opposed building the Muslim center near the Trade Center site and 26 percent said they favor it.

The Pew poll found that about three in 10 of Obama's fiercest political rivals, Republicans and conservatives, say he is a Muslim. That is up significantly from last year and far higher than the share of Democrats and liberals who say so. But even among his supporters, the number saying he is a Christian has fallen since 2009, with just 43 percent of blacks and 46 percent of Democrats saying he is Christian.

Among independents, 18 percent say Obama is Muslim — up from 10 percent last year.

Less public worship
Pew analysts attribute the findings to attacks by his opponents and Obama's limited attendance at religious services, particularly in contrast with Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, whose worship was more public.

Andrew Kohut, the Pew Research Center's director, said the confusion partly reflects "the intensification of negative views about Obama among his critics." Alan Cooperman, the Pew Forum's associate director for research, said that with the public hearing little about Obama's religion, "maybe there's more possibility for other people to make suggestions that the president is this or he's really that or he's really a Muslim."

Obama is the Christian son of a Kenyan Muslim father and a Kansas mother. From age 6 to 10, Obama lived in predominantly Muslim Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. His full name, Barack Hussein Obama, sounds Muslim to many.


White House officials did not provide on-the-record comments on the survey, but they prompted Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell of Houston to call The Associated Press.

Caldwell, who said he has known Obama for years, said the president is a Christian who prays every day. He said he was not sure where the public confusion about the president's religion came from, but he called false media reports about it "a 24-hour noise box committed to presenting the president in a false light."

Six in 10 of those saying Obama is a Muslim said they got the information from the media, with the largest portion — 16 percent — saying it was on television. Eleven percent said they learned it from Obama's behavior and words.

Despite the confusion about Obama's religion, there is noteworthy support for how he uses it to make decisions. Nearly half, or 48 percent, said he relies on his religion the right amount when making policy choices, 21 percent said he uses it too little and 11 percent too much.

Public feels religion playing a diminished role in politics
At the same time, the poll provides broad indications that the public feels religion is playing a diminished role in politics today, with fewer people than in 2008 saying the Democratic and Republican parties are friendly toward religion.

With elections for control of Congress just over two months away, the poll contains optimistic news for Republicans. Half of white non-Hispanic Catholics, plus three in 10 unaffiliated with a religion and a third of Jews support the GOP — all an increase since 2008.

The survey also found:

—The Democratic Party is seen as friendly to religion by 26 percent, while 43 percent say the same about the GOP. That's a 9 percentage point drop for Republicans since 2008, and 12 points lower for Democrats.

—Fifty-two percent say churches should stay away from politics, a reversal of the slim majorities that supported churches' political involvement from 1996 to 2006.

The poll, overseen by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, involved landline and cell phone interviews with 3,003 randomly chosen adults. It was conducted July 21-Aug. 5 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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Comments

  • FlaggFlagg Posts: 5,856
    Why are people so stupid?
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  • Flagg wrote:
    Why are people so stupid?

    Because they get all of their facts from TV.

    q
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    :lol: I was just going to post this.

    Unfuckingbelievable. I think our country is getting dumber.
  • FiveB247xFiveB247x Posts: 2,330
    So much for the "information age" huh? Who else can't wait for the next version of the Iphone so we can be more connected, and more disconnected... oh the irony.
    CONservative governMENt

    Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
  • sabreleafsabreleaf Posts: 310
    Watch Jay-Walking and you can see how stupid Americans are. A teacher said that we defeated the British in the Civil War. We are a huge country so the odds are that we are going to have some dumb asses.
  • FiveB247xFiveB247x Posts: 2,330
    Having some dumb people is not the same as having a majority of dumb people.
    sabreleaf wrote:
    Watch Jay-Walking and you can see how stupid Americans are. A teacher said that we defeated the British in the Civil War. We are a huge country so the odds are that we are going to have some dumb asses.
    CONservative governMENt

    Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
  • sabreleafsabreleaf Posts: 310
    No way we have a majority of dumb people. It's all where you poll. I can take the same poll and come up with different results. Is there a lot. Yes.
  • marcosmarcos Posts: 2,112
    Not surprised, many people voted based on color not the issues, these same people are obviously just assuming he's muslim based on his mixed race, and nobody including the media really even mention that he's of mixed race or culture, like it's a bad thing to be of mixed culture. It's just much easier to assume things when you want to categorize people which is really not neccesary.
  • arqarq Posts: 8,049
    Muslin? I thought he was the antichrist!?!
    "The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it"
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
  • __ Posts: 6,651
    I heard that the increase in people who think he's Muslim is primarily among the group of people who don't like him. I think it just goes to show that people believe what they want to believe. If they don't like Obama, they'll choose to believe he's Muslim (as if that's a bad thing :roll: ).
  • FiveB247xFiveB247x Posts: 2,330
    Well you're just speaking of this poll.. I'm not. Overall and generally speaking, our society and nation is getting dumber and dumber over time. It's in our education (or lack their of) and in just about every other facet of society. Polls like these just reiterate the obvious.
    sabreleaf wrote:
    No way we have a majority of dumb people. It's all where you poll. I can take the same poll and come up with different results. Is there a lot. Yes.
    CONservative governMENt

    Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public. -- Dan Aykroyd in Tommy Boy
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    norm wrote:
    What the American public doesn't know is what makes them the American public. -- Dan Aykroyd in Tommy Boy
    lol...i can't wait until our currency looks like this...

    idiocracy_money.jpg
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    Those people are so stupid... How can he possibly be a Muslim... if he is a Nazi?
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim.

    Is there something wrong with being a muslim in the US?

    i still cling to the hope that the people that think like this are in the minority. i hope i am right.
  • markin ballmarkin ball Posts: 1,075
    FiveB247x wrote:
    So much for the "information age" huh? Who else can't wait for the next version of the Iphone so we can be more connected, and more disconnected... oh the irony.

    It is information overload. I believe when future generations look back they will call this the "misinformation age".
    "First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win ."

    "With our thoughts we make the world"
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    FiveB247x wrote:
    So much for the "information age" huh? Who else can't wait for the next version of the Iphone so we can be more connected, and more disconnected... oh the irony.

    It is information overload. I believe when future generations look back they will call this the "misinformation age".
    or the "disinformation age"....
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    So i have to admit that i am not a american so this might sound really harsh but man i was just watching CNN right now and they were talking about this issue and I just have to say YOUR FUCKED.

    some guy who is Obama spritual advisor was on Tv saying how americans lack information but in reality many americans are really stupid and i think it is about time that people stop being nice to these people and in reality starting makig sure that these people dont have children.
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    perhaps i should have called the thread "poll shows one in five have an iq below 70"....
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • FiveB247xFiveB247x Posts: 2,330
    I mainly disagree because what will change the current trends?? Unless mankind turns over a new leaf completely in staying informed or responsible, or there's worldwide events taking away global connectivity (technology, speed of information, internet, media, etc), what will result in there ever being a time in the future that results in a different outcome??
    FiveB247x wrote:
    So much for the "information age" huh? Who else can't wait for the next version of the Iphone so we can be more connected, and more disconnected... oh the irony.

    It is information overload. I believe when future generations look back they will call this the "misinformation age".
    CONservative governMENt

    Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or for ill, it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a law-breaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. - Louis Brandeis
  • kenny olavkenny olav Posts: 3,319
    What's worse is that in both these polls, the majority could not correctly answer that he is Christian. Not that religion should be important in politics, or in anything for that matter, but it just seems that most people would know such a simple fact about the President. But at some point, I had to stop being shocked at how stupid people are. Representative democracy requires a VERY informed citizenry.... something we've never had in America, and that's why politicians are so successful at scamming us. It's easy, actually. They don't even have to distract us. We do it to ourselves.
  • FlaggFlagg Posts: 5,856
    whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim.

    Is there something wrong with being a muslim in the US?

    i still cling to the hope that the people that think like this are in the minority. i hope i am right.

    Yeah, excellent point.
    DAL-7/5/98,10/17/00,6/9/03,11/15/13
    BOS-9/28/04,9/29/04,6/28/08,6/30/08, 9/5/16, 9/7/16, 9/2/18
    MTL-9/15/05, OTT-9/16/05
    PHL-5/27/06,5/28/06,10/30/09,10/31/09
    CHI-8/2/07,8/5/07,8/23/09,8/24/09
    HTFD-6/27/08
    ATX-10/4/09, 10/12/14
    KC-5/3/2010,STL-5/4/2010
    Bridge School-10/23/2010,10/24/2010
    PJ20-9/3/2011,9/4/2011
    OKC-11/16/13
    SEA-12/6/13
    TUL-10/8/14
  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim.

    Is there something wrong with being a muslim in the US?

    i still cling to the hope that the people that think like this are in the minority. i hope i am right.

    yes there is a problem being Muslim (They kill people) :shock: :roll: not like those good christian who are loving and peaceful. man you should know that by now.

    as for the minority part, I guess we have to wait until 2012. If Palin becomes president then you are wrong.
  • marcosmarcos Posts: 2,112
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.
  • fifefife Posts: 3,327
    marcos wrote:
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.

    what.!. America IMHO doesn't separate religion and politics. sure their leaders are not considered holy men like maybe other countries but i can tell you that i can never see an atheist being president.
  • aerialaerial Posts: 2,319
    marcos wrote:
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.
    but the President bows to a muslim king.....he has a Arabic muslim name....why would people think he is muslim?
    “We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.” Abraham Lincoln
  • gimmesometruth27gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 23,303
    aerial wrote:
    marcos wrote:
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.
    but the President bows to kings.....
    you would not bow if you met that king? as a matter of decorum and protocol and respect i would...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • aerial wrote:
    marcos wrote:
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.
    but the President bows to a muslim king.....he has a Arabic muslim name....why would people think he is muslim?

    because they're stupid and bigots and that's what fox news tells them? i don't know aerial, why don't you tell us?

    and while you're at it maybe you can answer the question that no one else seems to want to answer that i've been asking. i mean it shouldn't be that hard to answer so why doesn't anyone want to answer?

    whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim.

    Is there something wrong with being a muslim in the US Aerial?
  • that is an excellent point, and no, it shouldn't matter, but this is the US we're talking about, the supposed "best country on the planet", yet sports the most socially regressive society in the modern world.

    I was hopeful when we finally saw a black president. Not that race matters, but I really thought that meant something for the progress of that country. All it did was expose it for how racist and stupid many in it actually is. On both sides. Too many people voted for Obama when all they were really doing was voting for Oprah.
    aerial wrote:
    marcos wrote:
    I would like to think most Americans don't care about his religion because many Americans are intelligent enough to separate religion from politics which seems to be different from the rest of the world. And at least we don't bow down before a King or Queen which is really silly when you think about it. But I would in England only out of resect for the Beatles, Stones, and Who.
    but the President bows to a muslim king.....he has a Arabic muslim name....why would people think he is muslim?

    because they're stupid and bigots and that's what fox news tells them? i don't know aerial, why don't you tell us?

    and while you're at it maybe you can answer the question that no one else seems to want to answer that i've been asking. i mean it shouldn't be that hard to answer so why doesn't anyone want to answer?

    whenever this gets raised, the implication is that there is something wrong with being an Arab-American or a Muslim.

    Is there something wrong with being a muslim in the US Aerial?
    Gimli 1993
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  • __ Posts: 6,651
    Paul David wrote:
    Too many people voted for Obama when all they were really doing was voting for Oprah.
    I think Obama's lying about being a man too. I heard he really is Oprah. More lies & deceit from our illegitimate Muslim president!
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