Friday, August 20, 2010

The Dumb America Contest Winners

The Stoat has noted that PT Barnum had it right when he said that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public. With the help of a bunch of upside-downers we have had wonderful examples of the dumb eating their own as they dined on Roy Spencer and Roger Pielke Sr. liver dumplings and Engelbeen Rijstafel.

However, good news, only 20% of the American public thinks that President Obama is a follower of Islam. 80% of us know enough to cross the street safely. Joel Achenbach in the Washington Post asks if Americans are total numbskulls

God help us. Could so many Americans really be that dumb, ill-informed, paranoid, gullible and goofy? It must be tricky being Barack Obama, winding down the U.S. presence in volatile Iraq, trying to keep Afghanistan from degenerating, pondering war with Iran, even as, according to the latest bulletin, one in five Americans thinks he is a Muslim.

Why not just believe he's an alien from outer space? Or a Manchurian Candidate, programmed by, say, the Chinese to bring America to ruin?

Keith Kloor (**), says opinions differ. Aschenbach has a different take
What this shows is that disinformation remains powerful and infectious, and that large elements of the country distrust the official story about anything. People assume, as the starting point on any issue, that they're being lied to. Maybe they want to believe that because it offers an explanation, of sorts, for why the world isn't the way we think it ought to be.
The solution, of course, is study. But that, of course would make you an authoritarian.

**Keith, if you attack people unfairly, don't expect that others will be amused because your heart is pure. Some, not Eli of course, may even differ on the latter.

22 comments:

  1. Obama is not a muslim. What is interesting though in these latest polls that the percentage of Dems, Reps, and Ind that think he is have all gone up in the last year. I remember similar poll numbers for other "stupid" notions; 9/11 was done on purpose by US government, Man did not land on the moon, and so on.

    Sounds to me like the Rabett is making more boxes.



    Celery Eater

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Elie; It must be tricky to be Barak Obama...? Is this a parody?

    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/mclean_we_have_been_conned.pdf

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Establishment has become so discredited that even when it tells the truth, it isn't believed.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shorter Celery Eater: By referring to "20% of the American public", Eli is pigeon-holing people into arbitrary groups.

    Shorter Anonymous 6:01pm: Here's some off-topic inactivist spam.

    * * *

    "What this shows is that disinformation remains powerful and infectious, and that large elements of the country distrust the official story about anything. People assume, as the starting point on any issue, that they're being lied to."

    I don't think so. It just shows that the brains of many Americans are mindlessly rote-learning the talking points that are being shouted the loudest, with no regard for logic or consistency.

    * * *

    "Why not just believe he's [...] a Manchurian Candidate, programmed by, say, the Chinese to bring America to ruin?"

    WorldNutDaily: Yes, Barack Obama really is a Manchurian candidate.

    "Barack Obama was programmed for years by his atheist, Muslim father, by the communist sex pervert Frank Marshall Davis, by con man Tony Rezko, by domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and others -- most of all by black liberation theology screamer Jeremiah Wright. Obama's resume is largely manufactured. There is a total blackout on his college years. His campaign obscures what he did as a 'community organizer.' All his radical associations are denied or minimized.

    [...] America has a choice Tuesday between a genuine war hero and a genuine Manchurian candidate.

    Bwahahahahahahaha! Obama is an atheist, a Muslim, and a black liberation Christian all rolled into one!

    And there's no record of any extraordinary happenings during his college years! EVERYBODY PANIC

    Also, Canada Free Press: Obama Manchurian or Mohammedan Candidate?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous 8:27pm:

    "The Establishment has become so discredited"

    Wrong. "The Establishment" is the right-wing noise machine that is doing the discrediting in the first place. It's way more "established", so to speak, than Obama's 1.5 years in office. Maybe you are a member of this "Establishment".

    ReplyDelete
  6. "right-wing noise machine" LMAO what a simplistic tool.


    Celery Eater

    ReplyDelete
  7. Celery Eater:

    "'right-wing noise machine' LMAO what a simplistic tool."

    Great, someone just showed himself to be just another part of the right-wing noise machine. No logic, no argumentation, just brainless insults and noise.

    ReplyDelete
  8. So guys, what's your 'logic' here?

    Is it this? 'The people you like are stupid for believing Obama is a Muslim, but the people you don't like are also stupid, therefore stupidity is OK!'

    Or is it this? 'The people you like are stupid for believing Obama is a Muslim, but the stupidity is caused by unrelated actions by the people you don't like, therefore stupidity is OK!'

    Or is it this? 'I make a lot of noise, therefore it's not noise, therefore stupidity is OK!'

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous said...
    The Establishment has lied so often, that even when it tells the truth, it is discredited.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It is breathtakingly idiotic that polls are even taken that ask such blather as an opinion of another person's religious status. But, in MY humble opinion, the peak of idiocy, is, until further notice, the classic: "Is Obama the anti-Christ?" !?!

    http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/223/Default.aspx

    (Has Obama's lapel "accessories" been approved or will that "scandal" be exploded closer to election day?)

    What IS interesting, and of actual, justifiable concern, is the report that "(t)he United States has fallen from first to 12th in the share of adults ages 25 to 34 with postsecondary degrees ..."

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/22/AR2010072201250.html

    John Puma

    ReplyDelete
  11. Frank, I thought his mother Stanley, was the atheist; his father was a Muslim believer until his death. Please tell us the truth about Barack's days at Univ. His grades and papers etc. The media folks got us Kerry's and W's...fill us in? Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  12. John Puma; 1st John 2:18-25. Who be you?

    ReplyDelete

  13. Anonymous said...

    Hi Elie; It must be tricky to be Barak Obama...? Is this a parody?

    http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/mclean_we_have_been_conned.pdf


    Would that paper have been authored by the same John McLean who tried to argue that ENSO is responsible for most of the recent global warming based upon analysis of temperature **time-derivative** data?

    **That** John Mclean?

    --wascawwy wabbit

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous 6:56am:

    "The Establishment has lied so often, that even when it tells the truth, it is discredited."

    Ah, I see. Another brainless talking point bot.

    * * *

    wascawwy wabbit:

    That was just another spammer trying to promote McLean's latest opus idioticus, which is coincidentally (?) also being promoted by the International Climate 'Science' Coalition.

    * * *

    Anonymous 7:37am:

    "Please tell us the truth about Barack's days at Univ."

    Right-winger: I want the truth!

    Me: You can't handle the truth!

    Right-winger: Try me!

    Me: OK, here's the truth.

    Me: And the truth is...

    Right-winger: [awaits with eager expectation]

    Me: Obama is not a Manchurian Candidate.

    Right-winger: [stunned]

    Me: I knew you can't handle the truth.

    Right-winger: [brain explodes]

    ReplyDelete
  15. Shorter Frank - It is because I say it is.


    Does that depend on what the definition of is, is?


    lol Talk about ye ole faithful!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh, I get it, Mr. Anon 2:39pm. Obama is a Manchurian Candidate Antichrist Muslim Atheist, because Bill Clinton said something about the definition of the word "is"!

    You know, you shouldn't complain about people calling you stupid, if you insist on using your idiotic 'logic' to promote silly ideas about Obama.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Frank frank frankie,

    I said at the beginning of the post that Obama is not a muslim, do please try to keep up in the rational world. Obama's incompetence explains everything no need to add any fiction to it.



    Celery Eater

    ReplyDelete
  18. Shorter Celery Eater:

    Obama is not a Muslim. But it's reasonable for one to believe that Obama is a Muslim! Anyway, it's Obama's own fault!

    Hey! Why are you attacking me? I said Obama is not a Muslim!

    -- frank

    ReplyDelete
  19. Frank,

    You make zero sense, although your self-admitted attack-dog style is quite revealing. Later crazy man. Have fun in your left / Right world, just watch out for the black helicopters!


    Celery Eater

    ReplyDelete
  20. Shorter Celery Eater:

    People who believe that Obama is a Muslim / Manchurian Candidate / the Antichrist are not crazy! The real crazies are the people who criticize them!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous said... The Establishment has lied so often, that even when it tells the truth, it is discredited.

    ReplyDelete

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