Now Poll On "Is Obama A Liar?"

Gary Langer of ABC News explains the "Obama is a Muslim"poll results, giving the same explanation as the AllahPundit.  From Langer:

...People in fact may voice an attitude not as an affirmed belief – a statement of perceived factual reality – but rather as what my colleagues and I have taken to calling “expressed belief” – a statement intended to send a message, not claim a known fact.
 
It’s human nature. Some people who strongly oppose a person or proposition will take virtually any opportunity to express that antipathy. Offer a negative attribute, they’ll grab it – not to express their “belief,” in its conventional meaning, but rather to throw verbal stones at that which they so thoroughly dislike.

Or from the AP, with more flair:

Essentially, when polling people who dislike candidate X, the specifics of the questions are almost irrelevant. As long as they’re negatively inclined — e.g., “Is Obama a werewolf?” — you’ll get a certain core percentage willing to say yes. The news in this poll is that as much as 18 percent think being a Muslim is inherently negative.

To which I would say, yes, but... Saying Obama is a Muslim amounts to saying he is a liar.  Hence, one might feel utterly neutral about Muslims and still use it as a club to beat Obama. 

Just to belabor the obvious, folks who walk around saying that Tom Maguire is a Red Sox fan either don't know me or don't trust me (and clearly have far too much free time), but I don't suppose they are making much of a statement about Red Sox Nation.

I would also add this - Mr. Langer might want to reflect on why the media loves this "people think Obama's a Muslim" story so.  I don't recall similar hand-wringing about polls showing support for the absurdly anti-Bush Truther theorizing (with which Howard Dean publicly flirted).

The obvious guess is that the media is comfortable bloviating about ignorant, conspiratorial right-wing nut-jobs, with a quick segue to the perils of Beck, Limbaugh and Palin; similar ruminations about the left take them out of their comfort zone.

Comments

[bgates]

Either find a new source of revenue, or

McArdle is one of those "libertarian types" who has decided her role is to be the Bad Cop for the administration. "With all of these government programs, it would be irresponsible to not raise taxes," she says, and her readers are supposed to look at each other and say, "damn it, she's right. We do have to raise taxes."

[Rick Ballard]

MayBee,

Toss in a demographic hole in the 45-55 yo cohort as well. That's the cohort which increased from the early '80's to the late 90's, making it a very large contributing factor to economic growth for the entire period. Then add in the increase in the percentage of people with FICO scores of less than 600 from 15% to 25%. There's an overlap between those people and the ones who have defaulted and lost their homes so I won't use that one.

Tax deposits indicate an annualized loss in personal income of $500 billion. That's a shade under 3% of the GDP and a reasonable starting point for discussing just how big the hole has become. The good news is that the hole appears to be getting bigger at a much slower rate. The bad news is that it's still getting bigger.

[Melinda Romanoff]

MayBee-

Rick's slant is one of the sticking points, 10 years ago, a 40-something boomer could take a 25% hit in valuations and figure on making it back, now, at age 50-something, it's not looking so easy. Add in "Ricardian Equivalence", from a contemporary of Smith, and nobody wants to spend a dime now.

[The Eqivalence is the subliminal reaction of a free thinking people to increased government spending, in particular ostenatious government spending, KNOWING that they will be punitively taxed to cover the expense.]

[MSM]

"Assume a money tree."

-noted genuis Barack Hussein Obama

[MayBee]

Thanks guys.

On top of what you've mentioned, the 40-50 somethings are the people putting their kids through college right now.
Very tough stuff.

[Old Lurker]

And perhaps helping pay for their aging parents too, MayBee.

[Clarice]

Very tough stuff. If anyone wants bread or pizza making lessons, whistle. I'd teach you all to knit, too, but it's too hard to do over the IT and it's still cheaper to buy stuff made overseas .

Starve the bastards.

Spend only on what you really want and/or really need.

[Neo]

Mr. Loeb’s views, irrespective of their validity, point to a bigger problem for the economy: If business leaders have a such a distrust of government, they won’t invest in the country. And perception is becoming reality.
Just last week, Paul S. Otellini, chief executive of Intel, said at a dinner at the Aspen Forum of the Technology Policy Institute that “the next big thing will not be invented here. Jobs will not be created here.”

I see this every day .. my employer is only hiring in India and China.
I don’t expect this to change while Obama occupies the White House, and by the time he goes off to permanently play golf, it may be extremely difficult to turn around.

[maryrose]

I have cut my spending to the bone since I have retired. Obama is calling Bush to get his facts straight on iraq.{he's {Obama clueless.} Also I hope it is to ask permission to thank him for the surge publicly in his speech. I am sure he won't admit to voting against funding the troops and the surge.

[Janet]

Maybe he is calling Bush to show us he knows one honorable man.

[RichatUF]

Maybee-

I'd also add oil to the mix. Oil dropped to the $30's (Feb 09 seems to be the lowest price) in the first weeks of the Obama administration and he has seen it run up again, doubling by June 09 and putting in a near term peak of $86 in May 10 (a nice 150% run up in 15 months). Stable and low oil prices would seem to be a necessary condition for a recovery to take hold, but Obama is far too deep in the pocket of environmentalists and firm-states to chart a different course.

[Neo]

"there’s one finding on the poll that pretty much sums it up: by a 50-42 margin voters there say they’d rather have George W. Bush in the White House right now than Barack Obama."

[Sue]

Votes from South Anchorage just helped Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski narrow Joe Miller’s lead to 1,294 votes with about half of today’s count of absentee and questioned ballots done.

Miller started off the day with a 1,668 vote lead.

Dang.

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rich-

Check out the commitments of traders report, there's a whole lot of hedge in that trade, trying to recreate the run up to the '07 summer highs. (And are all commodities, BTW)

[Barbara]

Re: the Oval Office redo -

They must have had my brother's ex-wife decorate it. Everything in their house was some version of brown/beige. Boring, boring, boring!

Ditto on the crate. Oh so tacky.

[Stephanie]

If anyone wants something to watch whilst O blabs tonight... you can tune into the US Open (tennis) and see the same visuals (head motion) as teh O without all the lies. I make no guarantees on less blather.

[rse]

I hate monochromatic says the person with Orange marmalade hallway walls at the beach.

(It just absorbs all that bright light and makes you feel relaxed).

[Extraneus]

Is Dick Cheney in any shape to provide some commentary after Obama's speech tonight? I haven't heard much about his health lately.

[narciso]

I was reading on Ace, from Reihl from some source, they 'found' another 497 'uncounted
votes' for Murkowski, from election day. They
mean to win, by hook or by crook

[Extraneus]

At least they seem to have learned how it's done.

[narciso]

Maybe a false alarm, there was also thiey may have already counted those ballots in the original count

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/152974

[Extraneus]

Does anyone have a link to the youtube of vile lefty twitter comments about Beck's rally? (Pardon the redundancy.) Someone posted it earlier today, I thought on this thread, but I'm coming up empty.

[Extraneus]

Hey, PD.

California Senate rejects open-carry gun ban

[Janet]

Here it is Extraneus. I put it on my Facebook page.

[Captain Hate]

you can tune into the US Open (tennis) and see the same visuals (head motion) as teh O without all the lies. I make no guarantees on less blather.

They're not still using that senile a-hole Bud Palmer, are they? If the answer is no, then there'll be less content-free blather.

[Extraneus]

Thanks, Janet!

[Janet]

Where is Jane? Has she been busy setting up her own Tea Party?

[Ignatz]

--If the answer is no, then there'll be less content-free blather.--

Unless that boneheaded baritone with a head and mouth full of marbles, Mary Carillo, is yacking.
A larger dunce with a greater capacity for stating the obvious would be hard to find.

[Melinda Romanoff]

As long as Dick Enberg broadcasts, I will take my sports from cable, thankyouverymuch.

[Captain Hate]

I dunno Iggy; there's something about deep lezzbo voices I find oddly appealing...

The Hot Air commenters on the LUN are just crushing Mega and her gal-pal AllahPinhead. Makes me glad I never got banned. To give Meggy credit (a term I may only use once) it was that twat Steffinotaman who was prompting her for Palin comments like a writer for Tiger Beat thinking about the Jonas Brothers.

[Extraneus]

I'm sure he's a nice person, but am I the only one who can't stand Mark Belling? I'm pretty sure Rush comes here for ideas sometimes, so maybe this is a good place to say:

Hey Rush, the only times I've ever switched channels from your show were when you've let Mark Belling guest-host. Every time I've had the chance, in fact.

I hate to be unkind. Btw, I think Steyn's absence is getting into time-to-start-worrying territory.

[Captain Hate]

Amen Mel; thank God CBS has taken Enberg off the basketball beat (although the farewell segment was as interminable as his Olympics "human interest" snoozers) although I heard he was doing play-by-play for San Diego Padres this year, which should be the most confusing telecasts ever in view of his inability to differentiate between 5 people on a side.

[narciso]

WEll he's better than No Doze, if you have trouble taking a nap in the afternoon, but not be listened to, if you're handling heavy
machinery,

[Janet]

Extraneus, FB says Steyn will be guest hosting Rush tomorrow & Thurs.

[Extraneus]

Great!

Wow, Janet. Glad to hear that. You seem to have all the answers for me tonight.

Did you happen to make anything good for dinner?

[maryrose]

narcisco:
I don't want to hear anymore about so-called "found ballots". They found ballots for Franken in Minn. and also in that race over 300 felons voted illegally and that story was covered for 5 minutes. A truly stolen election. Don't even get me started on the 2004 fiasco with Rossi in Washington stste. Keep recounting until you get the number you want and then swear the illegeal winner Gregorie in. Murray and Rossi Senate match better be watched carefully especially in notorious Kings County.

[Captain Hate]

I dunno Iggy; there's something about deep lezzbo voices I find oddly appealing...

I'd like to correct the above comment to exclude Butch Napolitano and Pat Kagan. *shudder*

[Ann Mongrel]

Lol, Captain

Ex, I totally agree with ya on Mark Belling. The times are to important to have that squish on anyways.

and Janet, I finally returned your mail. Thanks

[Janet]

Did you happen to make anything good for dinner?

Hahah, no..you found my weakness. Cooking & inappropriate humor! I made a chef salad (the only cooking is a boiled egg!). I once had a pin that said "Don't assume I cook".

[centralcal]

Had a mucho busy day at work and am 8 hours behind on the comments here.

Sure not in the mood for Bozo from the Oval Office tonight, but will tune in here when I get home for what I hope is analysis and Class A snark!!!! lol.

[centralcal]

Have Jane and Caro returned yet from travels to meet up with Old Lurker?

[narciso]

I'll be watching a rerun of Warehouse 13, which is more realistic that what is happening
on the other networks

[Danube of Thought]

Enberg is indeed doing Pads tv this year (he lives in LaJolla). But because of their screwed-up tv contracting (their channel does not appear on DirecTV) I am spared.

[Ann Mongrel]

Hillbuzz has this recommendation for decorating the oval office:

You betcha! LOL
****************
Have to run and pick up my daughter, see ya in a litte bit.

[Pofarmer]

Rich-

Check out the commitments of traders report, there's a whole lot of hedge in that trade, trying to recreate the run up to the '07 summer highs. (And are all commodities, BTW)

What is a little unsettling is what thing might look like if all those long hedgehogs unwind.

On Mark Belling, I agree, worse than dead air.

[Captain Hate]

DoT are you a Pads fan? I've always liked Bud Black and am glad for his success so far this season.

[Janet]

You guys shouldn't be too hard on Obama tonight. Remember he has admitted he has half a reptilian brain.

[MayBee]

Ha ha ha. Look at all the family photos behind him. "please like me!"

[Ann Mongrel]

He hasn't addressed Iraq for eighteen months, does anyone believe this love our soldiers carp?

[Bill in AZ sez it's time for Zero to resign]

From Extraneous' link above:

"California law lets gun owners carry a rifle or handgun in a holster if it is not loaded."

wtf?

[PD]

What's that? Find something good to say about Meghan McCain? That's easy!

She hasn't reproduced.

[PD]

Hey, PD.

California Senate rejects open-carry gun ban

What has this to do with me?

[PD]

"California law lets gun owners carry a rifle or handgun in a holster if it is not loaded."

Who loads a holster, anyway?

[hit and run]

PD:
What has this to do with me?

PDinDetroit is an open carry activist...

[PD]

Ah, that wasn't for me, then.

[doc]

The real problem for Obama is not that 18% think he's a Muslim, but that 43% say they don't know if he's a Christian.

If 61% of the public thinks you're a liar, you're toast.

[Acai Max Cleanse]

That's all he does. Even during his campaign, Obama lied about everything and had to admit it when the evidence showed up. People still voted for him. And I bet what Percy Sutton said about him is true as well.
Acai Max Cleanse