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Is it The Internet's Fault that More and More People Think Obama is Muslim?
Belief Net ^ | 9/23/2008 | Steve Waldman

Posted on 09/23/2008 7:50:34 AM PDT by markomalley

Last March when polls reported that 10% of the population thought Barack Obama was Muslim, I counseled calm: Obama is a new character on the scene. As people get to know him, that percentage will decline.

Instead, it's gone up. The newest poll from the Pew Research Center showed that 13% now believe he's Muslim - and a staggering 19% of McCain supporters believe him to be Muslim. Only 48% of Republicans say Obama is Christian (the balance is unsure).

This is truly frightening - not so much because of the implications for Obama but because of what it says about how we as Americans consume information. With more time, and more information swimming about, the public has become progressively less well informed.

To some extent this is about the politicization of mainstream media. Increasingly, people gravitate to the media sources that confirm their preconceived notions - Fox and Rush and WND.com for conservatives and Olberman and Kos for liberals. If that's true, that represents a searing indictment of conservative media - for either promoting or failing to shoot down a blatant falsehood. (There may be counter examples on the liberal media; please post if you have them).

But this can't be the whole explanation. After all, the percentage of independents who think Obama is Muslim also rose from 8% to 14%.

Then I noticed this: the biggest increase in the percentage who think he's Muslim was among young people. Only 8% of people from 18-29 believed he's Muslim in March. Now, 17% do. By contrast, among those 65 and older, the percentage who thought he was Muslim actually dropped during this period.

What's the biggest differentiator between those groups when it comes to news consumption? The internet. Younger people get their information online. Older people still use print.

As the editor of a website, I hate to even suggest this but is it possible that this Muslim factoid provides chilling proof that web-dependent news consumers end up more poorly informed than in the olden days? Is it possible that all the fuddy-duddy old media people who warned about the internet dumbing us all down were right?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; electionpresident; islam; mohammedanism; muslim; obama; obamabiden; obamatruthfile; stopobama; trojanhorse; trop
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1. Is it possible that this Muslim factoid provides chilling proof that web-dependent news consumers end up more poorly informed than in the olden days?

No. It means that there are more independent sources of news so we don't all end up the mind-numbed liberal idiots that the MSM would have us be.

2. Is it possible that all the fuddy-duddy old media people who warned about the internet dumbing us all down were right?

No. More likely is the fact that they are bemoaning their loss of monopoly on information.

1 posted on 09/23/2008 7:50:34 AM PDT by markomalley
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To: markomalley
Instead, it's gone up. The newest poll from the Pew Research Center showed that 13% now believe he's Muslim - and a staggering 19% of McCain supporters believe him to be Muslim.

Strange that only 19% of McCain supporters know the truth about Barack Hussein Obama.

2 posted on 09/23/2008 7:51:47 AM PDT by Thane_Banquo (You can put lipstick on a donkey, but it's still just a jackass.)
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To: markomalley

Just cause his middle name is hussein, and his first is short for mubarrack.. And he grew up going to a madrassa.. Gee, who would ever think he’s possibly islamic?


3 posted on 09/23/2008 7:52:36 AM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: markomalley

Maybe he really is a Muslim, dumba$$. He more or less said so on live TV.


4 posted on 09/23/2008 7:53:10 AM PDT by ChocChipCookie (Homeschool like your kids' lives depend on it.)
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To: Thane_Banquo

Strange that only 19% of McCain supporters know the truth about Barack Hussein Obama.
::::::::::::
I am not buying that number. It is so OBVIOUS, not only in evidence, but in public announcement by Obama himself. Wake up America, you dolts!!!


5 posted on 09/23/2008 7:54:06 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: EagleUSA
I suggest every FReeper read these editorials...

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/series8.aspx

6 posted on 09/23/2008 7:56:04 AM PDT by Osage Orange (MOLON LABE)
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To: Thane_Banquo

Blaming the internet because we are more informed here than with CNN is = to blaming the spoon because Rosie O’Donnel is fat.


7 posted on 09/23/2008 7:56:44 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: markomalley
...and Olberman and Kos for liberals.

They left out ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, BBC, NPR, NYTIMES, LATIMES, WASHINGTON POST, and many, many more.

8 posted on 09/23/2008 7:57:05 AM PDT by truthluva ("Character is doing the right thing even when no one is looking" - JC Watts)
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To: markomalley

I don’t know if Barack HUSSIEN Obama is a muslim or not. But here is what I do know:

- His church of 20 years has ties with the nation of islam.
- Obama’s father is a muslim, and Barack spent the first 5 years of his life being raised muslim. He attended a madrass.

Here’s what the evidence points to:

- Obama is at the very least, very sympathetic to muslims.

That’s all I need to know. There is more, but that’s enough.


9 posted on 09/23/2008 7:57:19 AM PDT by brownsfan (Algore makes P.T. Barnum look like a piker.)
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To: ridesthemiles

Yeah, talk about a weird argument. I guess he’d rather us just get our news from the New York Times and not ask questions.


10 posted on 09/23/2008 7:57:56 AM PDT by MartinStyles
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To: markomalley

And if Hussein gets elected, 60 percent will decide that he’s a Muslim.


11 posted on 09/23/2008 7:59:07 AM PDT by Malesherbes
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To: EagleUSA

Is it The Internet’s Fault that More and More People Think Obama is Muslim? NO

I got the info from a friends friend who is muslim (just moved to the middle east last week actually) who says he is Muslim. No doubt in her mind. Where do you think she got the info. It must be going through back channels somewhere.....their temple or whatever they call church maybe?


12 posted on 09/23/2008 8:01:52 AM PDT by proudtobeanamerican1 (God Bless Sarah Palin and her Family.)
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To: markomalley
Only 48% of Republicans say Obama is Christian

Actually I'm surprised it is THAT high. They must have a rather loose definition of "Christian". I don't see too much "fruit of the Spirit" coming out of him.

13 posted on 09/23/2008 8:01:56 AM PDT by smokinleroy (How come gas prices spiked only AFTER the democrats won Congress?)
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: markomalley; Osage Orange; EagleUSA; MartinStyles

We aren’t do our job then, the Republican percentage of informed voters, should be much higher. Let’s start ciculating the truth and quadrupple that number of even shoot for 100%!!!
Let’s go team!


15 posted on 09/23/2008 8:05:22 AM PDT by Gemsbok (Pledge to fight voter FRAUD (Acorn & Obama) be a poll worker, watcher, observer:Get in their face.)
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To: markomalley; Osage Orange; EagleUSA; MartinStyles

We aren’t do our job then, the Republican percentage of informed voters, should be much higher. Let’s start ciculating the truth and quadrupple that number of even shoot for 100%!!!
Let’s go team!


16 posted on 09/23/2008 8:05:27 AM PDT by Gemsbok (Pledge to fight voter FRAUD (Acorn & Obama) be a poll worker, watcher, observer:Get in their face.)
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To: markomalley; Osage Orange; EagleUSA; MartinStyles

We aren’t do our job then. The Republican percentage of informed voters, should be much higher. Let’s start circulating the truth and quadrupple that number of even shoot for 100%!!!
Let’s go team!


17 posted on 09/23/2008 8:06:02 AM PDT by Gemsbok (Pledge to fight voter FRAUD (Acorn & Obama) be a poll worker, watcher, observer:Get in their face.)
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To: markomalley

If one takes a respectful, multicultural world view then we can respect Islam’s right to claim Obama as a Muslim.

If we use the Christocentric anti world view, then we can cling to the claim that Obama has renounced Islam and is now a Christian.

Both sides cannot be correct though.


18 posted on 09/23/2008 8:10:36 AM PDT by ansel12 (There will be more than one "October surprise" this time. Count on it.)
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To: markomalley
Younger people get their information online. Older people still use print.

*********************

Wrong.

19 posted on 09/23/2008 8:12:30 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA admitted to Geo S. on this week on ABC he was a Muslim?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgHg6QheTfw


20 posted on 09/23/2008 8:12:31 AM PDT by ncfool ("obsequiousness" Obama "has left no lasting impression on any thing he has done!")
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