Barack Obama believed to be a Muslim by one fifth of Americans - Page 2 - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

valo403 · 08-20-2010, 12:34 PM

[Mod edit- NSFW link about how New Yorkers see America]
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/...44b8ee7033.jpg

BlackEleven · 08-20-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

1/5 of the population being stupid sounds about right in any country.

There's a difference between not knowing something and believing something false to be true. And as you can see in the graph someone posted above, this is not about the right percentage for other countries.

I think the important question is why do those people believe he's Muslim? Have they been mislead by someone trying to paint him as a Muslim boogeyman or are they making their own assumptions based on his name or race or some other critera and then passing it off as fact? And if they know enough trivial information about him to form such assumptions about his religion then why don't the actual facts about his religion?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

IMO, people are saying he is Muslim because they're stupid, and because they're frustrated.

Which would be why the number rose from 11% last year.

I don't get what you're saying here. A stupid person thinks "Man, my life sucks. It must be the president's fault. I didn't think he was Mulsim before but now its the only explanation". I don't think I've ever met anyone that stupid.

I think its more likely due to his political enemies trying to imply he's Muslim without coming out and actually saying it -- ie reporting on where he father was born, repeating his middle any chance they get, etc, but never mentioning what his religion actually is.

Yeah, people are stupid for making assumptions based on that, and they're also stupid for assuming his religion even affects his ability to be president, but there seems to be something much more insidious going on to me.

Kybosh · 08-20-2010, 01:13 PM

It is a very American ideology to not trust the president. They never trust their presidents. . .it's in their heritage. The president was always accused of being a British sympathizer, Communist sympathizer and now Muslim sympathizer.

HPLovecraft · 08-20-2010, 01:19 PM

I think he's actually a Taoist.

Locke · 08-20-2010, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

And 5% probably believe that he's a lizard man, sent to earth to enslave us and ensure a smooth transition to slavery and becoming a menu item at the country kitchen buffet.

Personally, I just believe he's in over his head.

I KNEW IT!! Even when it was the Muslims I knew it was the Lizard Men!

Now, I propose a congressional study to determine which is worse.

East Coast Flame · 08-20-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Q_

Americans care about the stupidest stuff. So what if he's Muslim? Does that make him less fit to rule? As a comparison, does anyone know/care what religion Stephen Harper is?

This makes me think of that great speech Colin Powell gave when he endorsed Obama:

"I’m also troubled by…what members of the party say, and is permitted to be said, such things as, ‘Well you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’ Well, the correct answer is, 'He is not a Muslim, he’s a Christian, he’s always been a Christian.'

But the really right answer is, 'What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?'

The answer’s 'No, that’s not America.'

Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion he’s a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America."

Thor · 08-20-2010, 01:26 PM

I can't wait till a day comes that this question of religion for a candidate isn't important to the voter.

HPLovecraft · 08-20-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

I can't wait till a day comes that this question of religion for a candidate isn't important to the voter.

You won't be alive to see it.

MarchHare · 08-20-2010, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Again, because Obama is BIG government, and conservatives would be small government, their frustration with his big government policies would be at an all time high.

Its not surprising that a large number of them want to paint Obama in a negative light.

Bush Jr. expanded the size and power of the federal government more than any previous president since FDR. He was nowhere close to being a "small government" conservative, so where were the Tea Party protesters and the like during his presidency? While a few conservatives "broke ranks" and spoke out against the excesses of his administration (Christopher Buckley and Andrew Sullivan are two notable examples), there certainly wasn't much of a movement to paint Bush in a negative light coming from the right.

So why is Obama attracting so much more anger among conservatives for increasing the size of government when Bush was equally, if not moreso, fiscally irresponsible?

MarchHare · 08-20-2010, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

I can't wait till a day comes that this question of religion for a candidate isn't important to the voter.

Arguably we've already seen that day in Canada and many other Western democracies. If religion is an issue at all in our elections, it's because Canadian voters want to keep the influence of religious beliefs away from politics.

Phanuthier · 08-20-2010, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

Damn too funny... and true...

frinkprof · 08-20-2010, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Again, because Obama is BIG government, and conservatives would be small government, their frustration with his big government policies would be at an all time high.

Its not surprising that a large number of them want to paint Obama in a negative light.

Okay, so could someone explain to me how people (apparently up to 20%) make the leap from frustrated with a person -> that person must be Muslim. That makes about as much sense as:

My neighbour is pissing me off, therefore he's the cookie monster. Unless of course he happens to be stealing my cookies.

troutman · 08-20-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarchHare

Bush Jr. expanded the size and power of the federal government more than any previous president since FDR. He was nowhere close to being a "small government" conservative, so where were the Tea Party protesters and the like during his presidency? While a few conservatives "broke ranks" and spoke out against the excesses of his administration (Christopher Buckley and Andrew Sullivan are two notable examples), there certainly wasn't much of a movement to paint Bush in a negative light coming from the right.

So why is Obama attracting so much more anger among conservatives for increasing the size of government when Bush was equally, if not moreso, fiscally irresponsible?

Jon Stewart nailed a Tea Party guest on his show the other day, suggesting the only thing that Tea Party is really mad about is that Obama (a black Democrat) is president. All the big government and tax stuff is just hot air.

http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows....aspx?sid=3350

Interview with Dick Armey . . .

icarus · 08-20-2010, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

1/5 of the population being stupid sounds about right in any country.

1/5 of young Americans (18-to-24) with up to a high school education cannot locate the Pacific Ocean on a map.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ro...gLitsurvey.pdf

SeeBass · 08-20-2010, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thor

Stephen Harper is a Jew.

So was Ralph Klein a so called redneck province's premier not to mention his wife was native

Circa89 · 08-20-2010, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icarus

1/5 of young Americans (18-to-24) with up to a high school education cannot locate the Pacific Ocean on a map.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ro...gLitsurvey.pdf

That's only because 1/5th of young americans do not have a map like such as...

SeeBass · 08-20-2010, 02:56 PM

The republibots used Kennedy being a Catholic as a wedge issue.
When you dont have any ideas you run on the us vs them ticket

keep em dumb, keep em scared

SeeBass · 08-20-2010, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troutman

Jon Stewart nailed a Tea Party guest on his show the other day, suggesting the only thing that Tea Party is really mad about is that Obama (a black Democrat) is president. All the big government and tax stuff is just hot air.

http://www.thecomedynetwork.ca/shows....aspx?sid=3350

Interview with Dick Armey . . .

I saw that interview he did nail that idiot. Just a rebranded Republibot.

Last nights episode when he used Charlton Heston's words at an NRA rally after Columbine was beautiful (in comparison to the mosque debate)

valo403 · 08-20-2010, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeeBass

The republibots used Kennedy being a Catholic as a wedge issue.
When you dont have any ideas you run on the us vs them ticket

keep em dumb, keep em scared

That's a pretty bang on assessment of the approach that seems to have been adopted by certain factions, including some on the far left. It's scary how effective it is.

PyramidsofMars · 08-20-2010, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

The fact that his full name is Barack Hussein Obama probably doesn't help.

My girlfriend's middle name is Hussein, too, but she claims to be Catholic.

Is it all a conspiracy?! Will she tempt me into growing a beard and stoning adulterers while not depicting my prophet or god?

Oh no!