CORRECTION: It Turns Out A Lot Of My Fellow Liberals Are Just Flat-Ass Ignorant
November 18th, 2008 by joe
This has become slightly uncomfortable, I must say.
It appears my rapturous sense of brotherhood with my fellow Obama voters last night may have been misplaced.
Zogby today published more details from the survey represented in the video and, cumulatively, I fear many of my liberal brothers and sisters are as dumb as doorknobs and probably should not have been allowed to vote.
The media bears responsibility for apparently being, in general, crooks, but c’mon, it should be each person’s responsibility to have a remote familiarity with what is actually happening in the world. Maybe you don’t have access to NewsBusters, but that doesn’t mean it’s ok to limit your information sources to cereal boxes and gum wrappers.
Click here for complete survey results.
I do not think the unprecedented ignorance of such a massive proportion of those who voted for it taints the Obama presidency or should cause more and more people to view its goals with extreme skepticism, but I do think I will have to exercise better vigilance regarding my fellow progressives because of the rampant mental torpidity in our ranks.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Campaign 2008, Obama files. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 18th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
None of those voters are as dumb as this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg
November 18th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I was viewing its goals with extreme skepticism already, but this data makes me think we’d better have an outpouring of public resistence to anything even remotely socialist this administration attempts to impose.
Informed people voted against Obama in an overwhelming majority. We’d better not stand by and let the morons take over our country.
November 18th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
On Rush Limbaugh today: “Critique Obamaism, Not Obama. Attacking Obama personally will not work, just like it didn’t work against Clinton. If you want to change minds, you’ll have to focus on Obama’s collectivist policies.”
“Obama equals collectivism. When you stop to think about this, it’s really the opportunity of many of our lifetimes, because we haven’t really dealt with full-bore collectivism as an ideology identified with a political party up ’til now.”
November 18th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Joe,
I don’t really think that you are the liberal you pretend to be. You site data from polls that have no meaning and you are rude to the people you to have a fellowship with. Pres. Obama will make good on his promises because he is a highly intelligent and honest individual. I can’t wait till his cabinet is assembled and he takes office so that I can see the egg on your face from being totally wrong.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Sweet Pea, you are a good example of the people who voted for Obama.
Not so smart. Joe is not “pretending” to be a liberal. He is ridiculing the liberal mindset. Kinda like Tina Fey dressed up like Sarah Palin–Tina is not Sarah (even tho people thought Sarah Palin said things that Tina Fey said, in ridicule…) So, think about it, and maybe you will enjoy the posts more.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Sweet Pea
This is about you.
Yes you can !
November 18th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Sally,
Well, I know he is not liberal as he pretends to be. If he is lampooning the liberal mindset I just see it as hatred. Calling me or Pres. Obama voters dumb doesn’t get anything accomplished except to show you people’s contempt and immaturity.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
On the other hand, the intelligent people who voted for McCain rightly understand that Obama is a terrorist muslim socialist, possibly even antichrist, but at least a “thug”. Puhlease.
November 18th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Oh Sweat B,
Are you still here? I missed you. You being the epitomy of Osama-bama voters which is brainless sheep give me great joy in knowing that our country is now in your capable hands. Did you get the jist and spoof in that statement?
November 18th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Kiddin’
Is Sweat B your sister? Will you take her to Denver also (and take away her computer)? Osama-bama ISN’T the anti-christ?
November 18th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Has anyone ever seen Kevin and Sweet Pea in the same room at the same time? Just askin’
November 18th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
wow such breaking news there joe…zzzz..
You are just now finding that the majority of liberals are stupid…WOW…look who just caught up with the bus….OR…Welcome to the part pal…
November 18th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
talk about a bunch of sore losers! Morons? These are the bloggers who jump all over any “liberal” who even thinks about saying someone is being dumb, and then Jack comes along just in time to comment on how, “name calling is the central theme of all liberalism always since the dawn of time” and now you all are engaging in this mass name calling directed at a huge number of American citizens just because you don’t agree with their politics! ?
and what the hell are you talking about, Frank? Obama isn’t even in office yet. Collectivism my ass. I like how you’re going to play the “media pulled the wool over the eyes of idiot liberals” game and then quote Rush Bimbaugh of all …people!
I love you too, Joe
November 18th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Joe, just how much stock should we put in a survey that assesses repondent’s intelligence and awareness in part by whether they shop at Walmart or consider themselves NASCAR fans? The video was pathetic. I have to admit though that I love a good blue light special and the last lap before the checkered flag, but I wonder what relation these factors have on the other data set out in the study and why they were included? Aren’t rednecks, whether liberal, progressive, moderate or conservative always going to be ignorant and easily hyped up by a couple of sound bites here and there?
November 18th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
actually I bet 80+ percent of the voters are stupid/lazy. How else can you explain Obama? People voted for him because they watch CNN and MSNBC and all they have to do is sit there on the couch and watch TV and be told who to vote for. It’s much deeper than a liberal/conservative thing here - it is apathy.
Oh yea - and those weak minded drones bought the “Vote for Change” crap. Yea the change is coming - bailing out every pathetic excuse for a company and charging the middle class for all the socialistic programs he wants…
November 18th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Zimzo: Perhaps you meant to use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_VJrmOBikU
Or, maybe this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxYDnYgQ5MQ
You do realize that you did exactly what the people in those interviews did, right? They didn’t have a good response to many of the questions, so they tended to answer positively for Obama/Biden and negatively for McCain/Palin.
I loved their answers to the “redistribution of wealth” question.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
While I like Palin as a candidate, the seeing Russia comment was pretty stupid. She needs to learn not to ramble, because when she does, she gets off topic, redundant, or Joe Biden like.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
a lot of contempt around here for the voting CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD …remember? You guys are pulling the wool over your own eyes.
bob, what? is it so hard to believe that a bunch of republicans would fail to win a battle of hearts and minds?
November 18th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Wow, 55 percent of those polled were college grads. So much for developing critical reading and thinking skills.
November 18th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Barb, the people conducting the survey were not, as far as I can tell, attempting to say anything about the intelligence of the respondents. I think that was all demographic info meant to place them. The point of the survey was to investigate the role of the news media - the extent to which the media distributed different pieces of information.
The “ignorance” conclusion was contributed by me and me alone, so in this case it is ok to shoot the messenger.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:38 am
now that you have a new found interest in the media and it’s influence on politics, have you seen the documentary called “outfoxed” Joe?
I watched it, and let me tell you, as a life-long conservative, it made me want to close my eyes, plug my ears, and yell “LALALALA-I Can’t Hear You-LALALA!”
November 19th, 2008 at 2:21 am
The survey was commissioned by the right-wing group that made the video you posted. It’s meaningless because they didn’t poll McCain voters who would have been equally if not more moronic. It’s funny how the American people were so smart when they voted for Bush and now their IQs have suddenly plummeted.
November 19th, 2008 at 5:24 am
Joe, I posed the question because election eve I participated in a telephone survey (conducted by another organization) which asked which presidential candidate I intended to vote for and then went on to ask the very same questions posed in this study, including the questions about Walmart and NASCAR. Although I try to pay as little attention to politics as possible, I new the answers. Whew! The caller asked the Walmart/NASCAR questions right after asking whether I considered myself a member of the “investment class.” Admittedly ignorant of what was meant by “investment class” I asked the caller what that meant. She said she had no idea, and even if she knew, she would not be allowed to tell me. My phone being right next to the computer, one Google click later, I was able to answer in the affirmative. How many of us study what Mr. Nader has to say anyway, right. When she posed the questions about Walmart and NASCAR, I had a good laugh and asked the caller why these questions were included in what sounded like a serious assessment of voters’ knowledge of the candidates. Again, she said she could not answer, but she too said she found the inclusion of these questions comical. I was so struck by the inclusion of these two questions in the survey that I mentioned it to my coworkers and to my hair stylist. Everyone I spoke to thought it very odd. Would these questions assess that respondents are getting information and media coverage on issues from the National Inquirer lets say, rather than the NYT or Washington Post because that is what is on the shelves at Walmart? Or that respondents formulated their views on energy/oil gas issues based on whether or not their favorite driver and team will have to retrofit his or her to run on electricity? Having participated in answering the same questions posed in the study you cite, I’m still stumped by exactly what these two questions reveal about people.
November 19th, 2008 at 9:42 am
dans, Governor Palin, due to proximity to Russia and Alaska’s role in homeland security, has the highest national security clearance. Prior to the election, Obama may not have been entitled to any security clearance, due to his relationship with known terrorists (”family friend” according to Ayers, now.) And, neither McCain not Biden have any such national security clearance. Palin is the head of the Alaska National Guard which plays a crucial 24/7 role in national security. Her remark was not “stupid,” only the presentation of her remark–and the attitude that the proximity of Russia to Alaska is “stupid.” Ignorant people, and the press, belittled this extremely important role, and qualification on the part of Palin to understand our national security and foreign policy issues.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
sally, I was not in any way discussing Obama, Biden or McCain, so don’t see how they factor into my comments.
Her remark was what I consider to be rather stupid. If Sarah wishes to run again for national office, she needs to fix the problem she has with rambling.
November 19th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Dan, Palin’s remark did come off as stupid -fairly or unfairly. She should have explained why her State’s proximity to Russia was of concern and value to her candidacy, instead it was used to lampoon her.
I tend to agree on the rambling bit, but I seem to recall quite a few politicians that had the same problem early in their career on the national stage. If you watch Palin’s interviews and debates during the Gov’s race she was much more concise and to the point. People ramble when they are reaching for more information, and they tend to repeat what they just said as if to emphasize.
Look at Obama and his “uhhh” and hiccuped sentences, he still relies on that verbal crutch when he is not sure how to answer something, or plain doesn’t want to.
November 19th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Cathymac,
Well, you know, the stumbling and “uhhh” might give the person a little time to THINK, before answering. I don’t think at all that taking one’s time to answer a question necessarily shows lack of intelligence or knowledge.
How to answer a difficult question is tricky; choice of words important. Those who seem to have a quick answer to everything used to be called “glib”, not always a compliment.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Whatever Lovisa, if you want to think Obama’s verbal stumbling is a sign of intelligence or patience - go for it.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
You bet I will! Any person in an important position ought to think before they speak.
Hope Biden will take a lesson from Obama
November 19th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Atrocious grammar! “Any “personS”. =========
November 19th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Hey Zimzo’s Web site is back online!
Nice work and perseverance there, Sammy!
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/
November 19th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
As I’ve said before…..
My bumperstickers are coming.
They read “The dumbing down of the electorate is now complete, Dear Leader”.
November 19th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Dans: I agree that Governor Palin does not speak well (under certain conditions). I’ve seen interviews with her where she’s spoken very clearly, and others where she’s spoken very haltingly.
She does have a habit of dropping the first couple of words of sentences, especially if they are about herself. For example, instead of saying “I didn’t order those clothes, nor did I ask for them”, she might say “didn’t order the close, didn’t ask”. Her speaking style can be very passive which makes it hard to follow, especially with her slight accent. However, I think it’s a BIG mistake to call someone stupid when it’s really that you just don’t understand their phraseology. Listen more carefully. I once made the mistake of thinking someone pretty important was stupid because he had an accent and spoke in a style that was different than what I was used to. It turned out he was one of the smartest people I’d ever met.
Russia and Alaska _are_ close and there are true economic and national security concerns that exist _because_ of their close proximity (http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2003/tad/russia/russia.htm). What’s wrong with Governor Palin stating that, even if she doesn’t spell it all out for people who should already know that much about the largest state in the Union?