Tuesday, March 23, 2010

What People Know ... about Obama

I'm not sure I believe this poll, but here's one lede:
On the heels of health care, a new Harris poll reveals Republican attitudes about Obama: Two-thirds think he's a socialist, 57 percent a Muslim—and 24 percent say "he may be the Antichrist."
I can't find many methodological details of this poll, nor can I find it (yet) picked up by any serious news organizations.  According to the story linked above, 2,230 people participated in the Louis Harris survey conducted during the heat of the health care debate.  The full results are supposedly going to be released tomorrow (Wednesday).

The socialist thing, yeah, I kinda buy that number among Republicans.  The Muslim thing?  About 20 percent of Americans believe that nonsense (while, curiously, also criticizing him for belonging to that Chicago church with the kooky -- yet Christian -- pastor).  But a quarter of GOPers think he's the Antichrist?  Based on what? Everyone knows the Antichrist's name is Damien and he has Gregory Peck as a father.

If ever a nation needs to take a deep breath, we are the one . . . and now is the time.

2 comments:

bethany said...

yeah, I have a hard time believing those numbers are accurate, but perhaps I am an example of the wishful thinking hypothesis?

Hollander said...

n this case, given the odd numbers, I suspect you're being less wishful than practical. They just don't make sense, but I suppose we'll find out tomorrow when the official numbers are released.

If this had been a coupla weeks from now, say around April 1, I would never have blogged about it.