the ignorant!

[Jarod]

Thursday, May 22, 2008
Equal time for the willfully ignorant
In order to temper the giddiness of Obama fans who may assume that victory in November is assured, I wish to discuss the candidate's greatest obstacle:

Voter ignorance.

It's not easy to raise this topic. It seems to be OK in this country to malign educated people, to dismiss them as "eggheads" and "latte-sippers," probably because there is a sizeable anti-intellectual strain in our culture. But I would suggest that stupid people should also be ripe for open discussion - if only because millions of willfully clueless voters may well function as the swing decision-makers in a close '08 presidential election.

And since we're finally talking about ignorance, I offer Exhibit A - the report of a focus group, featuring 12 independent voters, that was conducted earlier this week in swing-state Virginia by the noted Democratic pollster, Peter Hart.

Hart yesterday circulated this report to folks like me. He took pains to point out, in his summary, that his 12 focus-group participants are not close followers of politics. None of them voted in Virginia's Democratic or Republican primaries. All of them feel like "the election has been going on forever," but none of them have bothered to learn anything about it. All they know is what they have heard - or, more significantly, misheard. And these independents are potentially pivotal in November; in Hart's words, they "represent 20 percent of the electorate."

Kind of a big decision, don't you think? Choosing the next president? Yet, as Hart put it, much of what they know, or think they know, is "truly chilling."

For instance, here's Dorita, opining about Obama: "I'm a little concerned. I don't know enough about his Muslim background and their beliefs and how he views everything. I'm a little concerned. I need to check his background."

You do that, Dorita.

Here's Josh on Obama: "He's representing a minority in more than one case. He is African American and he is Muslim. And in light of that...it does feel like we're being judged or pounded down on because we want to carry a gun or we want to wear the American flag pin."

Here's Melinda, clearly the GOP's dream voter: "I just really feel like he's...not a people pleaser as in the Americans, but the other people who don't necessarily need to be pleased, the other, the enemies if you will, I don't know. I'm just not real positive on that."

Hart reports that whenever somebody volunteered that Obama is a Muslim (which he isn't), nobody in the room protested or sought to correct the inaccuracy. Hart writes: "When asked to raise their hands if they think that Obama is a Muslim, seven of the 12 do, including two voters who currently support him over McCain. One person mentions that she has heard something about him and the Pledge of Allegiance" - this would be the lie that he doesn't place his hand over his heart while reciting it - "and another believes that he was sworn in to the Senate with his hand on the Koran," whereas, in factual-reality world, this Christian was sworn in on a Bible.

Hart continues: "The importance is not that they are misinformed, but that there is such a gross lack of awareness about a presidential candidate who has written so fully and completely on his background and his childhood." But Hart is being too kind. These people - and millions like them, by his estimate - are willfully ignorant because they won't take five minutes to educate themselves on the basics.

Granted, they surely lead busy lives, they have every right to assign politics a low priority, and there is no reason to assume that they would like Obama any better if they armed themselves with accurate information. Fine. But at least they would not be so oblivious. All it takes to raise one's political IQ, in this era of instant communications, is a few clicks on the mouse or a few readings of a decent newspaper.

All told, Hart concludes: "For Barack Obama, who is on the verge of becoming the Democratic nominee, this must feel a little bit like the children's game of Chutes and Ladders, where as one climbs the ladder to a new plateau there is a new chute awaiting that sends the player back to the beginning." In other words, "it is time (for Obama) to start all over again in his introduction" to the electorate.

Fortunately for Obama, however, "he has an ample opportunity to tell his story," because these voters are so fed up with the Bush administration that they will strongly entertain a Democratic alternative.

Perhaps...as long as they can learn to distinguish between Obama from McCain on the issues. Because here's Danny, one of your fellow citizens:

"(The race) has gone on so long....They all kind of say the same thing. They're all saying the same thing, so what's to get excited about?"

Really? McCain and Obama are "saying the same thing"? Perhaps the maligned "eggheads" can enlighten Danny about that.

[Jarod]

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/a..._ignorant.html

[Cancel3]

I think it should be more popular to malign the ignorant. But in this country being an intellectual is not a crowd pleaser.

Ignorance is so dangerous, and yet so easily cured. Internet access is so common, and yet more people probably spend their internet time gaming or surfing porn sites than they do trying to learn something that will matter.

Uneducated voters are a menace to our nation.

[cawacko]

I think it should be more popular to malign the ignorant. But in this country being an intellectual is not a crowd pleaser.

Ignorance is so dangerous, and yet so easily cured. Internet access is so common, and yet more people probably spend their internet time gaming or surfing porn sites than they do trying to learn something that will matter.

Uneducated voters are a menace to our nation.

Was there really a need to knock those who surf porn sites? That was uncalled for imo.

[Cancel3]

I didn't mean to knock them. I was just pointing out that the ignorant folks could learn something important if they wanted to.

There would still be time to surf porn. No way would I want anyone to do without internet porn.

[Damocles]

Was there really a need to knock those who surf porn sites? That was uncalled for imo.

I'll bet that they are well educated on almost exactly the same percentage as those who are well educated in the nation...

[Jarod]

I'll bet that they are well educated on almost exactly the same percentage as those who are well educated in the nation...

I am sure of that. Just take 5 min's just before the porn, or inbetween climaxes to google, "Obama-muslam"

[Damocles]

I am sure of that. Just take 5 min's just before the porn, or inbetween climaxes to google, "Obama-muslam"

LOL. I don't have to google that. I'm well-informed.

[Jarod]

LOL. I don't have to google that. I'm well-informed.

But it appears some do need to google that. I have soured on American Politics... Half of those voting against Obama are doing so because they belive he is a Muslam. The other half are complaining about the actions of his former Pastor.

[Damocles]

But it appears some do need to google that. I have soured on American Politics... Half of those voting against Obama are doing so because they belive he is a Muslam. The other half are complaining about the actions of his former Pastor.

I think it is likely there is much overlap. They believe he is a "secret" muslim, that he attended that church to first cover his religion, secondly because he believes in the "message".

The person mentioned porn because they believed that people who view it are ignorant. I don't think they would be any more ignorant than any other cross-section of the population that is so universal.

[evince]

I wish we had a media that would not toy with the truth and would state the known facts strongly and without hesitation.

All it would take is to go after the people who tell these lies and embarras them for their deception.

[Topspin]

this is funny shit, and no dumbasses hold weird views about Mcbush or Hitlary???

Obama wins by a landslide and both candidates will have virtually identicall numbers of near retards voting for them.

[blackascoal]

But it appears some do need to google that. I have soured on American Politics... Half of those voting against Obama are doing so because they belive he is a Muslam. The other half are complaining about the actions of his former Pastor.

"The ignorant" were always factored in Obama's campaign and being one of those Obama supporters the article speaks of who believes this election will end in a LANDSLIDE victory for Obama, I also factor in "the needy", "the awakened", "the foreclosed", "the don't have healthcare", "the lost my son or daughter in Iraq", and "the intellectual."

Just as the right-wing and its influence continues to shrink, so does, and perhaps in equal proportion, the ranks of the completely ignorant. Those who think Obama is a muslim are the exact same people who believe Saddam did 9/11.

We should not assign them more power and influence than they are capable of themselves.

[Good Luck]

What troubles me most is a large number of people who are politically ignorant are otherwise well educated. Even with the resources of the internet available, only a small percentage of voters actively seek out multiple sources of information, actively seek to verify if what they heard on TV or read in the paper is accurate.

And both parties depend on voter ignorance. That is why mud slinging has become the standard of campaign tactics and strategies. They can say anything they want, and if 20% sticks to their opponent, it is a tactical victory. Both parties know the average voter is not going to hear something and go to other sources to verify it. They use that to their advantage, and to the nation's grief.

If more people knew the full truth about both parties we would have kicked the whole sorry bunch out of office years ago.

[cawacko]

this is funny shit, and no dumbasses hold weird views about Mcbush or Hitlary???

Obama wins by a landslide and both candidates will have virtually identicall numbers of near retards voting for them.

LOL. That's what I was thinking as well. This columnist only tells 1/3rd of the story to get Obama voters fired up. What if the same voters who think Obama is a Muslim also think untruths about Hillary and McCain?