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Poll Finds 23 Percent of Texans Think Obama is Muslim
A University of Texas poll has found that 23 percent of Texans are convinced that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is a Muslim. Only 45 percent of the people polled correctly identified Obama as a Protestant Christian. Nationwide, the number of people who believe in the "Secret Muslim Conspiracy" is about the same as those who believe that the moon landing was faked (5-10 percent), which makes the high numbers in Texas unusual.
Texas is a whole 'nother country.
They have great ice cream (Blue Bell), great water parks (Schlitterbahn), nice lakes and neat caverns. But they also have a lot of insular communities in the country (I grew up in one...not fun if you disagree with the pack/herd).
Boy, that's easy. Let me count the ways:
Most people agreed with Greenspan that derivatives shouldn't be regulated. Greenspan himself no longer has that view (and he's a staunch libertarian).
Most people (in America) thought there were WMDs in Iraq before the invasion.
Most people opposed the $700 billion bailout. I've yet to find a serious economist or capitalist who believes that no action was a valid alternative--we were a hair away from a complete financial halt in the credit/security market which would have quickly halted our entire economy. But, of course, most people haven't taken basic economic courses (much less advanced ones).
And so on. This is why we don't live in a pure Democracy but elect our peers to lead the rest of us for a number of years--the majority isn't always right.
The tide is turning. I've been a Texan all my life. Conservative talk radio dominates the AM dial and like they say...garbage in...garbage out. I'm constantly amazed how blindly my neighbors follow the party line. Lies and innuendo are accepted as fact. I hate to admit it, but the Christian Conservative movement has turned the whole fight into an us-against-them battle and it's impossible to make rational arguments when it's gotten to that level. There are those of us here that see the absurdity and will be voting for Obama. I don't agree with everything he stands for. Illegal immigration is a huge issue here. We don't really understand why politicians don't stand up for the American worker. Our jobs are being de-valued by workers who come here and will accept a non-living wage for most Americans. Our federal government hands out money hand over fist for welfare, health benefit and education to people that have no legal right to be here. Other than that, I agree with Obama's plans completely. The myth that the market will take care of itself has finally been debunked and hopefully we will get some sane regulation put back in place. I hope we can bring our troops back home and balance the budget. I hope we can do something about health care. I hope we can do something about our reliance on foreign oil. I hope we can help the unfortunate here at home that have slipped through the cracks due to our own selfishness. I believe that Obama is our best hope for a better future...and as a native Texan...he has my vote.
I dream of the day when an atheist/agnostic person can be elected to the presidency; when a candidate's religious orientation does not matter; when we can truly have separation of church and state.
"I don't like the idea that I must submit to Allah. Does this make me hateful? A bigot?"
Which is why the Constitution prohibits a state religion. And at any rate, the President does not legitimately have the power to declare law, only enforce it.
"The President has the ability to veto and make decisions, and these in turn affect me, you and the world. What is his or her ideology? Are they pro women's rights? A Muslim, holding to Sharia law, sees women as less-than-human."
Is this much different from the fundamentalist Christain view that women belong in the home (a view that itself is far more moderate compared to what the Bible says about women's rights)? Just like everyone doesn't agree with the Christain fundamentalists yet still claims to believe in the religion, not everyone who labels themselves as Muslim necessarily has the same strict interpretation. Not to mention that if this kind of thing does happen, the President risks losing his or her re-election because of the small amount of Muslims in the country, many of which might not even agree with his or her specific ideology.
If nothing else, this year's campaigns have shown me how easily manipulated the general public is. It's not just people in Texas, but close friends of mine. I can't even vocalize how shocked I was to have someone I always believed to be an intelligent person confide in me his belief that Barack Obama is a "secret Muslim".
I can't believe how often and with how much confidence I see pundits, news anchors, editors, and journalists make claims about one candidate and simultaneously brush off exactly the same claim about their favored candidate. I mean to watch Bill Kristol essentially say, with a smile on his face, "It's only socialist if a Democrat does it." or "They're only radical associates if we're talking about Barack Obama." and then brush off the entire conversation the moment Palin's associations are mentioned.
It makes me think of one of Dr. Phil's favorite phrases "Right Fighters". They don't want to do what works, they want to be right. 95% of the people in this country wouldn't care if the candidate they've chosen blew up the whole fucking world, they'd never admit to being wrong. They'd just smile as their skin boiled off and say "Yeah, well your guy would have been worse."
I'm ashamed to even participate in this process. I'm ashamed to be saddled with the burden of even having to share a species with Sean Hannity. I don't want the other species of the world to make the mistake of thinking we've got anything in common. More than anything else, I think this election has just made me feel hugely ashamed. It doesn't matter who wins, humanity already lost.
The political interests now directly control the media. Journalists aren't even reporting or investigating anymore, they work for lobbyists and politicians while pretending to be informing the people. It's sad that comedians like Jon Stewart are so much closer to reporting reality than Fox News or CNN. As I'm sure everyone has now watched, they discussed Marsha Brady on CNN like she's a real person. That's what this whole thing is about. People who can't differentiate between reality and fantasy. Of course so many people believe Obama is a secret Muslim, anyone who thinks the Brady Bunch is a documentary is prone to believe anything.
No, he's not Muslim, but his attending a rather radical black theology church with a rather strange pastor combined with other "interesting" seeming Muslim-sympathetic beliefs or actions do seem to point to a non-full disclosure of his beliefs, etc.
Um, you haven't read his book, have you? The first one, titled "Dreams from my Father", describes in detail how he was referred to Rev. Wright's church and what it meant to him, and described his transition from being Christian only in name to acquiring a belief system. The second one, "The Audacity of Hope", was named after the name of the first sermon he heard at Rev Wright's church and discusses the progression of his thinking and approach to government and belief. He may be accused of a lot of things, but lack of full disclosure CAN NOT be one of them. His entire life is, quite literally, an open book available for all to read.
Obama is the type of person who can freely discuss ideas with a great variety of people without adopting them. He especially values differing opinions, which I like as something that will help prevent any "failures of imagination" in his administration. Rev. Wright to him was a focal point for many disparate beliefs and influences, and despite some incendiary language helped him see many issues more clearly. In other words, Rev Wright was more of a lens than the source of light for Obama (at least that's my impression from his books).
I think this is why McCain has rightly shied away from challenging Obama's beliefs. Because they actually are one of Obama's strengths, especially compared to McCain's own.
E pluribus unum
I think you're reading a different New Testament than I am.
How many of the 23% think that him being a Muslim would be a problem? There is difference between being uninformed and being a bigot.
Give me a break. Why is it that any time someone disagrees with someone they call the other person a liar? There is a difference between being wrong and lying you know.
Because his association of austrian economics and flat-earthers was an obvious attempt to deceive. His comment never had an argument based on logic, science or history which could only pass as "wrong", because it wasn't the product of an honest mistake. It was a demonstrably false attempt to ridicule which deserved to be called upon.
I'm not going to tip toe around this matter just for the sake of being politically correct.
I really don't know why everybody is making such an issue over this shit.
Putting your hand over your heart during the PoA isn't a requirement in any manual I've seen. Most of us have just been programmed to do this from when we were young, but if you think about it, it's just a superficial gesture. Some do it, & some don't. Get over it!
As for the lapel pin, that is a republican thing. They thought it up. It also means absolutely nothing. It is almost sacrilege the way they make such an issue over it too. Considering how badly they have fucked the country up over the past 12 years.
I don't wear a lapel pin. I'm sure you don't either. Can we let it all go now and just keep moving forward?
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself." Mark Twain
Perhaps it is time we stop being robots and realize that wearing of a flag or posing in a certain way during a song or some bullshit feel good 'pledge' is nothing more than a motion. If a person not putting their hand over some internal organ makes you wonder about that person's patriotism or 'respect' for traditions, it seems it says more about you than them. Questioning a person's decisions because of that makes you look like a simpleton. But at least you aren't alone. I guess intentional ignorance truly is bliss.
Questioning anyone's patriotism and deciding it isn't as genuine or as true as yours is one of the foundations of fascism.
Sorry, but too many people have died to let ignorant people take us down that road.