Obama is a Muslim?

[TotallyOz]

Hard to believe that 18 percent of American's think he is a Muslim. Another 43 percent doesn't know what his religion is.

How on earth can over 60 percent of Americans be so poorly educated on the President of the USA?

[Lucky]

Hard to believe that 18 percent of American's think he is a Muslim. Another 43 percent doesn't know what his religion is.

How on earth can over 60 percent of Americans be so poorly educated on the President of the USA?

Well, they can't be getting their information from the Politics Forum here.

[TotallyOz]

Well, they can't be getting their information from the Politics Forum here.

Perhaps Fox News?

[MsGuy]

Actually, there's a perfectly respectable, intellectually defensible school of thought that holds that, for a democracy to successfully operate, a voter need only have the minimum information necessary to determine two questions:

1) Am I satisfied (more or less) with how the guys currently running the show are performing.

2) If not, are the alternative folks on offer too horrible/scary/insane to seriously contemplate?

The general argument is that if you can settle those two questions, you know enough, and making the effort to learn more is both unnecessary & a waste of time. Notice how neatly this theory accounts for both the appalling ignorance of the electorate and the otherwise inexplicable success of American democracy.

My gut feeling is that the upcoming election will turn on how folks answer the second question.

[BiBottomBoy]

A better question is "who cares if he's a muslim?"

I mean, seriously, worship any zombie deity you want. Worship Aslan or the giant tree in Avatar. Worship my cock. I don't give a shit as long as the dude isn't an asshat.

[MsGuy]

A better question is "who cares if he's a muslim?"

I mean, seriously, worship any zombie deity you want. Worship Aslan or the giant tree in Avatar. Worship my cock. I don't give a shit as long as the dude isn't an asshat.

Dude, this is America we are talking about. Recall the lyrics of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Muslims? Even Mormons are beyond the pale for lots of folks.

For the record, I tend to agree with you, especially about worshipping my cock.

[BiBottomBoy]

To be fair the Mormons are crazy. Trying to deal with one woman is too much work for the "reward" so anyone who wants to be polygamist and have to deal with several women under the same roof is is out of their fucking mind.

[TampaYankee]

You didn't expect me to let this pass without comment did you?

Actually, there's a perfectly respectable, intellectually defensible school of thought that holds that, for a democracy to successfully operate, a voter need only have the minimum information necessary to determine two questions:

1) Am I satisfied (more or less) with how the guys currently running the show are performing.

2) If not, are the alternative folks on offer too horrible/scary/insane to seriously contemplate?

The general argument is that if you can settle those two questions, you know enough, and making the effort to learn more is both unnecessary & a waste of time.

To answer both of the questions rationally is the reason one needs to know more. The first is the easiest -- I'm fat and happy or I am not. Ok, maybe on a little broader scale -- my family is fat and happy or we are not.

The second is much more difficult. To know the alterantives requires that one have some understanding of why things are bad and what the other guys will do about it. That is where it gets sticky. It actually requires people to pay attention to objective information sources on at least some glancing regularity and maybe undertake a little thoughtful analysis of their own based on said facts.

The citizenry of the post WWI Weimar Republic figured out the answer to question Number One but they blew it on number two.

Notice how neatly this theory accounts for both the appalling ignorance of the electorate and the otherwise inexplicable success of American democracy.

My gut feeling is that the upcoming election will turn on how folks answer the second question.

I agree. I'm just not sure how much more thought we'll put into it beyond what the Weimar citizenry put in. It is easy to know that one is unhappy, not so easy to appreciate the near and long term impacts of policy and policy alternatives. Carville is right again -- It's the economy, stupid!

[AdamSmith]

To answer both of the questions rationally is the reason one needs to know more.

Tocqueville was eloquent in expressing his surprise at how well informed about civic matters people were throughout the early republic, with newspapers common even in the remotest backwoods. And at how important an informed populace is for a republic to thrive over the long haul. Viz., glancing sidewise, Franklin's remark, "A republic, madam, if you can keep it."

[Guest restless]

This is the same country that thought he was born outside the United States... and said that Hawaii was not part of the United States. It's fucking depressing, is what it is.

[MsGuy]

Perhaps Fox News?

Or maybe Rev. Franklin Graham. Who would have guessed Islam is carried on the Y chromosome? Bless his heart, I'm sure the good Rev. is doing his muddled-headed best to clear things up.

The Seed of Islam

[Guest restless]

Or maybe Rev. Franklin Graham. Who would have guessed Islam is carried on the Y chromosome? Bless his heart, I'm sure the good Rev. is doing his muddled-headed best to clear things up.

The Seed of Islam

What an asshole. Should we start an over/under until this title shows up in the porn section?

[BiBottomBoy]

I wonder what percentage of Americans know that Muslims not only believe in Allah, but that they also believe in Jesus?

[MsGuy]

I wonder what percentage of Americans know that Muslims not only believe in Allah, but that they also believe in Jesus?

Better to say the Koran gives Jesus a silver or bronze in the prophet (messenger/servant) category. The Muslim confession of faith runs " there is no god but God and Mohammed is his messenger/servant."