The chain emails and bad journalism are working: 80% don't know Obama is a Christian, survey finds

[antiimperialist]

Talking Points Memo addresses today the fact that Americans were asked about Obama's religion in the latest NBC/WSJ poll and only 17% could indentify him as a protestant, while "2% said he’s Catholic, 8% said he’s a Muslim, and a whopping 70% said they weren’t sure or refused to answer."

60% could accurately describe Mitt Romney's religion.

As you can see, the rumors spread by the Clinton campaign, in the form of chain emails and other statements such as Bob Kerrey's, and smears by the right-wing media with complicity of the mainstream media are working just fine.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/12/poll_seventy_pe.php

[annie1]

1. what are you talking about?...

why does not knowing that obama is a christian name mean chain emails are working? i don't get chain emails, who the hell would know whether obama is a christian name or not? that 's just corney. who gives a crap.

[earthlover]

18. well, in case you have been on vacation, hillaryland is trying to talk about

obama's middle name and his schooling after kindergarden. This is so absurd. Anyhow, they are trying to make a deal about his muslim father. And his atheist mother. And somewhere along the way we don't see he has been a member of a liberal christian church (which marrys gays, by the way) all along.

[JerseygirlCT]

2. This whole nasty part of her campaign really ticks me off

First, they're busy spreading untrue information in an attempt to sideline an opponent. Nasty.

But the level beyond that is the implication that there's some wrong with being a Muslim. That we ought to automatically consider any such person one of "them" -- you know, possible terrorists or the like.

This ought to cost her the nomination, I think. It's very disappointing.

[annie1]

3. what are you talking about "rumors spread by the Clinton campaign"? you're the only...

one spreading rumors. drop it.

[antiimperialist]

5. Didn't an Iowa Clinton person spread a chain email about Obama being a muslim?

He worked for her campaign, didn't he?

[cali]

9. Actually, it was two Clinton volunteers. Not staffers.

And they forwarded a right wing email; they didn't create it. Despicable, but not what you're suggesting.

[annie1]

11. an iowa clinton person? so one person is an ...

a--hole who was volunteering for her campaign, who passed along a chainmail that has been going around for several months, and it's the clinton campaign? your post is just as bad if not worse, b/c it makes you a hyprocrite by spreading negative crap (this idea that "the clinton campaign is spreading this).

[antiimperialist]

14. Sorry, I don't wait for Mark Penn to hit the "send" button to say Clinton's camp is involved

I think you are a bit upset because Clinton's camp has been performing poorly as of late.

[Quixote1818]

4. Well, at least now we know Hillary is just as good as Karl Rove

at pulling off the worst kind of crap in the book. Maybe now we can beat the Republicans and be just like them? :thumbsdown:

[Windy]

13. she is that. she certainly studied the republican play book as she termed it.

[earthlover]

20. No, what she is trying to do is attack Democrats, just like them....

[cali]

6. I doubt it. Americans are not well informed. Obama has

a "foreign" name, and about the same number don't have a clue as to who their congress critter is. Most people don't tune in to politics to begin with. The repukes, btw, are the ones who have been spreading this meme for years now- well before Obama decided to run for president. Lastly, the emails that were forwarded by Clinton volunteers, were right wing creations, not creations of the Clinton camp.

[antiimperialist]

10. They why are they so well informed about Romney?

And I didn't accuse the Clinton camp of creating these rumors. I said "spreading".

[cali]

12. I agree that the rumors factor into it, but that's largely due to repuke efforts

that have been ongoing for years. And there's been a TON of media attention about Romney's Mormonism, not to mention his big speech. Bob Kerrey's comments and 20 or so emails forwarded just can't account for it.

[ClarkUSA]

7. Hardball devoted the latter part of tonight's show segment to exposing Clintonian dirty tricks

They covered this poll finding... I hope Obama addresses this issue soon because the fucking Clintonians are going to keep trying to
swift boat him on this issue.

[NMMNG]

8. Why do people care so much what a candidate's religion is?

And why does it matter so much if people know Obama is a Christian, or if they can accurately describe Romney's religion?

Are we electing a president or a preacher?

[More Than A Feeling]

15. You know the answer as well as I do.

It's both. We are electing the high priest of America's civil religion and the president.

[NMMNG]

16. Sigh

:banghead:

[Occam Bandage]

17. Sounds like most people simply haven't thought about it. Only 8% think he's a Muslim.

[MethuenProgressive]

19. The OP is faking a "quote"

Talking Points Memo addresses today the fact that Americans were asked about Obama's religion in the latest NBC/WSJ poll and only 17% could indentify him as a protestant, while "2% said he’s Catholic, 8% said he’s a Muslim, and a whopping 70% said they weren’t sure or refused to answer."

60% could accurately describe Mitt Romney's religion.

As you can see, the rumors spread by the Clinton campaign, in the form of chain emails and other statements such as Bob Kerrey's, and smears by the right-wing media with complicity of the mainstream media are working just fine.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2007/12/po...

The TPM story does not say anything at all about "rumors spread by the Clinton campaign, in the form of chain emails and other statements such as Bob Kerrey's,".