Most Republicans Are Birthers?

[stilicho]

Apparently 58% of Americans are Pangaea deniers. Any possibility that by throwing a question about Africa in there that Kos was trying to seed the issue of where Obama was born?

That question is like a Brandon League sinker. Africa is clearly now a continent but America is not clearly a continent. If they had asked if "the Americas" and Africa were once a part of the same continent then the intent would have been much clearer. As it was, I had to think twice about how I'd answer it. I would definitely wonder whether they were implying that the nation--the USA--had once been located near or perhaps inside the continent of Africa.

 

[stilicho]

The big spike is before the election.

The spike coincides with the allegations levelled by Jerome Corsi. Isn't that right when the MSM started running stories on it?

 

[gtc]

That is an odd question, it makes me wonder if they were going for some sort of education level of the pollee. Did they ask the questions in the order presented on the Daily Kos site?

Is Eurasia considered to be a continent?

We were taught (and Wikipedia uses the same terminology) that Pangaea was a supercontinent like Eurasia is today.

I assume the correct answer is 'yes, they were once part of the same continent,' but if I saw that question on an exam then I would not be surprised if it was a trick question.

I would also be interested to know when Plate Tectonics started to be taught in schools as the theory seems to only have been developed in the 1960s as a way to explain Continental Drift.

So being queasy about a 5-4 decision is the same as having doubts about a case that has either been thrown out of court or unanimously decided against the defendant.

Believing that Bush stole the election is different to being queasy about a 5-4 decision.

Hey, any Republicans have a problem with Roe vs. Wade? That's the same thing as being a birther by gtc logic (actually RvW was 7-2, making them much crazier).

If you believe Bush stole the election then you believe a conspiracy theory as hard as it may be for some to accept that.

 

[dudalb]

Ah.
So what you are saying is that Democratic Party is prone to lying, cheating, and whatever it takes to win.

In other words,just like the GOP.
What has happened since 2004 is that the Dems have become better at it, and the GOP a lot worse.

 

[Brainster]

Believing that Bush stole the election is different to being queasy about a 5-4 decision.

Not to mention that the actual decision in Bush v. Gore was 7-2 on the merits of the case; two of the assenting justices thought the case could be sent back to Florida to try to fix the equal protection problems.

 

[dudalb]

Was Hawaii a state in 1961?????

Hmmmmm....

Yes it was.

 

[dudalb]

Frankly, I would want to see poll results from a more neutral source then The Daily Kos before getting all upset.
A Democratic, Lefty blog produces a poll that shows that The GOP is filled with idiots. Big Surprise.
Confirmation bias much?

 

[Brainster]

Yes it was.

Not to mention that the issue of whether one could be born in a territory that later became a state and still run for president was resolved in 1964, with Barry Goldwater (born in the Arizona Territory).

 

[dudalb]

Not to mention that the issue of whether one could be born in a territory that later became a state and still run for president was resolved in 1964, with Barry Goldwater (born in the Arizona Territory).

Thanks, I should have mentioned that.

 

[Kritikos]

Frankly, I would want to see poll results from a more neutral source then The Daily Kos before getting all upset.
A Democratic, Lefty blog produces a poll that shows that The GOP is filled with idiots. Big Surprise.
Confirmation bias much?

If you are going to raise suspicions of bias, it is irrelevant who commissioned the poll and published the results. What matters is who carried out the poll. In this case, that was Research 2000. Daily Kos described the organization as non-partisan. If you are going to raise doubts about that, you had better furnish some evidence.

 

[Klimax]

If you are going to raise suspicions of bias, it is irrelevant who commissioned the poll and published the results. What matters is who carried out the poll. In this case, that was Research 2000. Daily Kos described the organization as non-partisan. If you are going to raise doubts about that, you had better furnish some evidence.

Described by Daily Kos. Sure,that is enough...

 

[Kritikos]

Described by Daily Kos. Sure,that is enough...

You offer mere suspicion as if it were proof of something. I named the organization and provided a link to its Web site. If it's partisan, it should not be hard to find evidence of the fact -- I mean, other evidence than the fact that you don't like its findings.

 

[Alt+F4]

Happy Birthday President Obama!

For your 48th birthday, The New York Times has featured a story about the deranged racists on page 1 while the Republicans discuss damage control.

Before House Republicans left Washington for their August break, party strategists offered advice for how to handle the situation if it arises during town meetings with constituents. Don’t agree with the conspiracy theory, but show respect and try to broaden the conversation to specific policy disagreements with the Obama administration on health care, taxes or the deficit.

Linky:


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/us/politics/05zeleny.html

 

[Sword_Of_Truth]

I think this is just great news.

GO LEMMINGS! GO!

The more the GOP wraps themselves in this issue, the more certain they are of defeat in 2012 and any election thereafter.

As recently as October 2006, I thought the same of those who believe that the 2000 and/or 2004 elections were "stolen".

I have since had to revise that opinion.

 

[I Ratant]

Why would the Republican Party with all its resources have NOT pointed out the non-citizenship of the Democratic candidate, were it real, before the conventions even?

 

[Dr Adequate]

If you believe Bush stole the election then you believe a conspiracy theory as hard as it may be for some to accept that.

Where's the conspiracy? Surely some element of secrecy is implied by the word?

Bush, quite openly, went to the Supreme Court and demanded that they stop the votes from being counted. Do you deny it? They, non-secretly, acceded to his demand by a one vote margin. Do you deny it?

No? Then we are agreed on the facts. The issue which apparently separates us is the question of whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. If I think that this was a bad thing, that does not make me a conspiracy theorist. It just makes me in agreement with one fewer Supreme Court Judge than you.

It amuses me to see conservatives still whining on about this after all these years. I've heard of sore losers, but ... you guys got exactly what you wanted. You didn't want the votes to be counted, and, oh look! --- they weren't counted. You wanted Bush for President, and that's just what you got. Er ... congratulations? I never hear my liberal friends griping about this any more, but nine years later conservatives still have a deep sense of grievance, because they got everything they wanted but some people complained.

Get over it. Move on.

 

[MattusMaximus]

Frankly, I would want to see poll results from a more neutral source then The Daily Kos before getting all upset.
A Democratic, Lefty blog produces a poll that shows that The GOP is filled with idiots. Big Surprise.
Confirmation bias much?

Exactly. As Dr. A has said, perhaps the best thing that can come out of this is that more independent polling is done in an attempt to get a clearer picture on the issue. Personally, I'm still holding out hope that the majority of Republicans haven't gone too far down the crazy hole...

 

[Caustic Logic]

Where's the conspiracy? Surely some element of secrecy is implied by the word.

Bush, quite openly, went to the Supreme Court and demanded that they stop the votes from being counted. Do you deny it? They, non-secretly, acceded to his demand by a one vote margin. Do you deny it?

Umm, Dr. A, ... there is some serious doubt about whether the re-count would've made a difference. But considering this again, either way, Bush's itention to stop the recount is indicative of a desire to NOT get a clearer picture, clearly because he was ahead which is the time to quit. That's cynical, but nothing like paying plenty money for curiously faulty voter rolls... Got a thread about it. Would you care to comment?

No? Then we are agreed on the facts. The issue which apparently separates us is the question of whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. If I think that this was a bad thing, that does not make me a conspiracy theorist. It just makes me in agreement with one fewer Supreme Court Judge than you.

I like it Agreed either way bad thing. "If you can't just let me win I'll sue you and we'll tke it all the way to the Supreme Court where My Daddy gave me a 5-4 lean, so nyah nyah nyah." (shaking fists)

It amuses me to see conservatives still whining on about this after all these years. I've heard of sore losers, but ... you guys got exactly what you wanted. You didn't want the votes to be counted, and, oh look! --- they weren't counted. You wanted Bush for President, and that's just what you got. Er ... congratulations? I never hear my liberal friends griping about this any more, but nine years later conservatives still have a grievance, because they got everything they wanted but some people complained. Get over it. Move on.

Never thought about it quite like that, but now that I have you've caused me to become angry. It's true that the only whining I hear anymore about the 2000 election IS about how stupid Liberals "keep complaining" even though they don't much.

Then again, I didn't hear THAT whining much either UNTIL Obama's election, so I think we're seeing some projection from the right side of the aisle.

 

[Dr Adequate]

Umm, Dr. A, ... there is some serious doubt about whether the re-count would've made a difference.

Sure. My opinion was well-expressed by those placards saying: "THIS IS AMERICA. COUNT EVERY VOTE". It might have made no difference, but they could have found out, especially since the Constitution leaves a gap of a couple of months between the election and the inauguration.

Never thought about it quite like that, but now that I have you've caused me to become angry. It's true that the only whining I hear anymore about the 2000 election IS about how stupid Liberals "keep complaining" even though they don't much.

Yes. Don't get angry though. Laugh.

If you don't find right-wing paranoia funny it'll drive you as nuts as it's driven them.

 

[Minadin]

Wow. Some people on the left are certainly trying to get as much mileage out of this as possible. And, some people on the right are deserving of this ridicule.

The best thing that the Republicans could do, as a whole, is to make some effort to debunk these ideas - make a statement about exactly how they are loony, and disavow any connection to these myths. You might alienate some of your base, but who are they gonna vote for, Ron Paul?