RSS Feed MenuAccording to Public Policy Polling (PPP), a North Carolina polling firm, only 24% of self-identified Republican voters in the state believe Barack Obama was born in the United States. 47% do not believe that Obama is American born, and 29% of Republicans aren’t sure.
One part of PPP’s data might reassure sentient readers somewhat: 7% of those who voted for John McCain do not believe Hawaii to be a part of the United States. Now perhaps this is just another irrational expression of Obama hatred. But, it may also be older voters who never quite absorbed the news that our 50th state is indeed our 50th state.
Sadly, even if the latter is the case, it doesn’t explain very much. Last November, Obama carried North Carolina by just 14,000 or so votes out of about 4.3 million cast, the second closest state contest in the nation after Missouri. Each candidate received a shade over 49% with minor party candidates picking up the rest. So 7% of the McCain vote is just 3.5% of the total state vote. McCain received about 2.128 million votes. 3.5% of that is–back of the envelope about 74,000 votes.
Ok, now lets look at the official exit polls for the state presidential race. McCain got 95% of the Republican vote, Obama got 4%. McCain also got 95% of the white Republican vote, Obama got 4% of that (probably an almost identical cohort). The GOP identified vote comprised 31% of the whole (Dems 42%, independents 27%).
So McCain got almost all of that 31% of the vote that was self-identified Republican. That comes to about 1.275 million of his 2.128 million total (obviously independents and some Democrats comprised the rest of his vote). So charitably subtract those 74,000 North Carolina McCain voters who claim not to know that Hawaii is an American state (charitably, because let’s assume their view is a sign of ignorance, not malice towards Obama). Now McCain’s GOP voting base is down to 1.2 million GOP voters–of which, according to thePPP poll, 76%, or just over 900,000 Republicans in the state, don’t think the president of the United States is legitimate, or aren’t sure about the matter, needing more proof than the two birth announcements that were placed in Hawaiian newspapers at the time of his birth.
Reminds me of the grim, old joke about Richard Hofstadter’s Anti-Intellectualism in American Life: That it’s amazing he condensed the subject into one volume.
rbottoms // Aug 12, 2009 at 6:57 pm
It’s not snark, it’s a fact. Democrats have ceased doing anything related to gun control, however sensible, because they will be demonized about it come election time.
barker13 // Aug 12, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Re: Rbottoms // Aug 12, 2009 at 6:57 pm (#24) -
ONE
MORE
TIME
Would you care to address my point?
Would you care to address your own thoughts on whether getting caught carrying a loaded unlicensed handgun on public school property should result in only a misdemeanor charge?
And then… if and when you answer that question, here’s another:
Is it REALLY your intent to give Dems who have ceased doing anything related to criminalizing (making it a felony) behavior such as getting caught carrying a loaded unlicensed firearm on school grounds a pass because… er… they don’t want to risk being “demonized…?”
That’s kinda how it comes across…
(*SHRUG*)
BILL
rbottoms // Aug 12, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Would you care to address your own thoughts on whether getting caught carrying a loaded unlicensed handgun on public school property should result in only a misdemeanor charge?
1. It’s stupid
2. I don’t live there, perhaps the people who do should change the law
3. Why are you writing in caps? Does it sound louder to you?
Is it REALLY your intent to give Dems who have ceased doing anything related to criminalizing (making it a felony) behavior such as getting caught carrying a loaded unlicensed firearm on school grounds a pass because… er… they don’t want to risk being “demonized…?”
Darn, that’s a tough one: Let the gun nuts bury all the AR-15’s they want in their back yard so we can get some other things done or not…
Or to put it another way:
Republican control of the White House and minority status in Congress when we push gun control v.s. control of the White House, House of Representatives and Senate when we don’t.
I report, you decide.
Blog de Ford - And They Wonder Why We Think They Are Stupid // Aug 12, 2009 at 11:13 pm
[...] Wow! North Carolina Republicans just explained the idiocy of the birther/deather/ teabagger people: 7% of those who voted for John McCain do not believe Hawaii to be a part of the United States. [...]
Dustin Ferrell // Aug 13, 2009 at 12:07 am
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/08/11/south/index.html
Michael Lind’s essay isn’t a bad read, once the conservatives and liberals alike in here are done indulging themselves on birther-baiting.
Op/Ed: Legitimate opposition from the GOP is needed | Peoria Pundit // Aug 13, 2009 at 7:30 am
[...] came across these statistics and found them disturbing: According to Public Policy Polling (PPP), a North Carolina polling firm, [...]
13 August 09 (am) « blueollie // Aug 13, 2009 at 12:33 pm
[...] test whether conservatives in North Carolina knew if Hawaii was a state or not. Ok, 88 percent did, but the remaining 12 percent either didn’t know or said “no, it wasn’t.” According to Public Policy Polling (PPP), a North Carolina polling firm, only 24% of [...]
palomino // Aug 13, 2009 at 4:22 pm
sinz: “Liberals have been using that argument since Obama was inaugurated: We gotta be nice to Obama, real nice, because otherwise we will “create a climate” in which “the first black President” could possibly be assassinated. I’m not buying it. A number of Presidents have faced assassination attempts: Lincoln, McKinley, FDR, JFK, Ford, Reagan, etc. Nobody talked about “creating a climate” back then. Obama will just have to take his chances like every other President.”
This attitude is both shockingly ignorant and irresponsible. Concern over Obama’s safety is hardly a liberal fantasy. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5967942/Barack-Obama-faces-30-death-threats-a-day-stretching-US-Secret-Service.html
And do you honestly believe there was no awareness of a heightened rhetoric during the American Freakin’ Civil War that could have further endangered Lincoln?
There’s a huge difference between “being real nice” to Obama and propagating the lie that he’s a foreign-born Muslim usurper trojan horse who worships Hitler and wants to literally cause the downfall of America.
links 8/17/09 « Johnsenclan // Aug 17, 2009 at 7:05 pm
[...] to a new poll in North Caronlina, only 24% of Republicans believe President Obama was born in the U.S. Of that same group, 7% don’t believe Hawaii is part of the United [...]