Why Some Americans Believe Obama Is a Muslim
According to a first in kind study of smear campaigns out of Michigan State University, via Science Daily:
The research by Spee Kosloff and colleagues suggests people are most likely to accept such falsehoods, both consciously and unconsciously, when subtle clues remind them of ways in which Obama is different from them, whether because of race, social class or other ideological differences.
These judgments, Kosloff argues, are irrational. He also suggests they are fueled by an “irresponsible” media culture that allows political pundits and “talking heads” to perpetuate the lies.
“Careless or biased media outlets are largely responsible for the propagation of these falsehoods, which catch on like wildfire,” said Kosloff, visiting assistant professor of psychology. “And then social differences can motivate acceptance of these lies.”
A Pew Research Center poll in August 2010 found that 18 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim — up from 11 percent in March 2009 — even though he’s a practicing Christian. Kosloff noted that the poll was conducted before Obama’s recent comments supporting the right for Muslims to build a mosque near New York’s Ground Zero.
There’s also the possibility that this 18% are largely comprised of idiots that will believe anything that comes from someone they trust, and that someone they trust has been “inferring” that Obama is a Muslim. Of course, there’s probably a small portion that are utterly clueless and just thing he’s a Muslim because he’s got family roots in an Islamic country. Then there’s people who don’t care, don’t know, and just guessed.
No prize for you people. And really, no one should give a shit what his religion is – I think this should be the important point. Why the hell should we care? But we’re never going to get to that level of understanding, are we? Were we ever once there?
I agree it shouldn’t matter at all (as there is no religious qualification for office) and would love to see religion taken out of the whole election process, but I don’t think that would ever happen any time soon. Hence, we have to understand the psychology and sociology of how these smear campaigns are propagated.