Judaism Discovered - Michael Hoffman - Full Interview
Veritas Vincit Omnia
Published on 8 Feb 2015
~ ✟ Veritas ✟ Vincit ✟ Omnia ✟ ~
Dr. Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist, is one of America’s best-known critics of the War on Terror.
He is Host of Show More
View Latest Posts >>>
By Kevin Barrett, Veterans Today Editor
I was recently interviewed by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network about the new intifada in Occupied Palestine. Below is a link and transcript.
Gradually different dimensions of the Palestinian uprising are revealing themselves. What are the roots of the recent developments in Palestine?
The current outbreak of what looks to become the Third Intifada is rooted in the belligerent, uncompromising, expansionist and genocidal policies of the state of Israel, which have continued regardless of what the Palestinians do. We’ve seen the Israelis “mowing the lawn in Gaza” every few years, killing thousands of innocent civilians. We see ongoing brutalization of the Palestinian population that is clearly designed to make life unlivable for the Palestinians. And this amounts to genocide, as professor Lawrence Davidson of West Chester University has said. He is from a Jewish background himself. And he is far from the only person from a Jewish background who recognizes that the current policies of the Israeli government amount to genocide. So given that there has been absolutely no progress on the political front, and given that the Zionist leadership is under the domination of a certified psychopath, Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the principle authors of the September 11th Zionist coup d’état in the United States, it is clear that the only way the Palestinians have any hope of maintaining their struggle over the long term, which is what is required, is to admit that negotiations currently are not possible – and to opt for military resistance.
The third intifada is supported by Palestinian political groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. How do you evaluate this convergence?
The policies of the Israeli government under Netanyahu and some even more extremist psychopathic elements is so unreasonable that essentially no Palestinian who cares about the interests of the Palestinian people could possibly take any other route. So the Zionists have brought this on themselves, just as they have brought virtually unanimous international condemnation on themselves. They are losing their reputation in the West and around the world. And they are losing their ability to prevent Palestinians from turning to military resistance. So this is a situation in which virtually all Palestinians are going to be coming together and supporting the struggle.
Al- Zahar, one of the leaders of Palestinian intifada, believes that the uprising must enter the military operation phase against Zionist regime. What are the reasons behind such an approach? And to what extent military operation will lead to realization of Palestinian people rights?
The Zionist leadership is dedicated to suppressing the Palestinian people in every possible way. And they do have military superiority in the conventional arena. But if one studies historical conflicts between two groups in which one side has conventional military superiority, or any kind of superiority – one can extend this to sporting contests and other kinds of struggles – the underdog, that is the group that is less likely to win, based on an analysis of conventional military strength, does win about one third of the time. And when they win they always win by refusing to play by the same rules as their opponents. They don’t engage on the conventional military battlefield if they are disadvantaged there. Instead, they would use various unconventional means.
And that is what the Palestinians have been forced to do – with rather great success militarily. Many objective American military analysts have remarked that the Palestinians have actually won the last several conflicts (in which thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed) because they have demonstrated their ability to persist. And the Zionist regime has continued to accelerate its process of discrediting itself. So today we’re seeing a kind of unconventional military resistance, in which rather than organizing an army, which of course is impossible in Occupied Palestine – meaning a conventional army that would have a chance against the Israelis – Palestinians are resorting to a kind of individual armed resistance. And this requires tremendous courage. It requires willingness to sacrifice oneself for a just cause. And this is something that the Palestinians have and the Israelis do not. The Zionists recognize, unconsciously at least, that their cause is unjust. And therefore they have very little willingness to sacrifice themselves in their unjust cause; while the Palestinians know that their cause is just, and therefore they have that willingness to sacrifice themselves.
Ultimately this is the level or dimension of this conflict that is going to lead to a Palestinian victory in the foreseeable future. And by using this kind of completely unconventional military resistance, the Palestinians are demonstrating that they will not go away, they will not surrender. And they are forcing the Zionists into an uncomfortable position in which their increasing brutality is going to backfire in the court of world public opinion. So even though the Zionists control the media today, and therefore dominate the narrative that reaches global public opinion, an ever-growing segment of that public opinion is turning to the alternative media and learning about this conflict between David and Goliath. And they are increasingly sympathizing with David.
The heroic operation of Palestinian young man in Beersheba shaken the Zionist circles and security sectors of this regime to the extent that Netanyahu may cancel his travel to Germany. Why this operation is so significant?
Netanyahu is a quintessential narcissistic psychopath who believes the world revolves around him. And he is a clever politician, let’s grant him that. And clearly when he is forced to cancel his trip to Germany due to the Palestinian resistance, there is a wave of fear in Israel that events are spiraling out of control, and that he is going to have to try to figure out an answer to this. So it is a sign that this heroic resistance of people who are willing to sacrifice themselves in a just cause is shaking the Zionists’ confidence.
The Zionist regime has lost $2.5 billion since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada. What will be the consequences of continuation of this uprising?
The cost of the Zionist occupation of Palestine is getting higher and higher. Here in the United States, more and more Americans are waking up and realizing that since the coup of September 11th, which about one-third of Americans realize was an inside job, the United States has spent trillions of dollars – as much as four or five trillion dollars according to some counts – in wars designed to destabilize Israel’s enemies, and to ultimately work for the interests of Israel, not the United States. So the costs of the Zionist project have reached a ridiculous level. The economy of the United States has been crippled by the 9/11 wars for Israel. This (asymmetry) is perhaps the most important dimension of the asymmetric struggle between the Palestinians and the Zionists. The Zionists have to spend millions of millions of dollars to try to defend against what the Palestinians can do with a two dollar knife or a ten dollar per month internet connection.
The truth is the ultimate force multiplier here. And I think it’s the truth, more than any kind of weapon of violence, that is going to ensure the triumph of the Palestinians.
RACISME INSTITUTIONNEL 100%
ANTI MUSULMAN MADE IN FRANCE!
Salim Laibi - Islamophobie -- Les cas Zemmour/Onfray/Le Pen (26 juin2014)
Published on 29 Jun 2014
L'islamophobie comme fonds de commerce -- Les cas Zemmour/Onfray/Le Pen
Docteur Salim Laïbi - Lelibrepenseur : http://www.lelibrepenseur.org/
Plus d'infos sur http://www.sharp-infoclash.com
Docteur Salim Laïbi - Lelibrepenseur : http://www.lelibrepenseur.org/
Plus d'infos sur http://www.sharp-infoclash.com
Ponérologie politique - Conférence de LLP 2015
Published on 11 Jun 2015
Voici
une vidéo très intéressante qui tente d'expliquer pourquoi le monde va
si mal, pourquoi autant de crimes de grande ampleur se perpétuent sans
qu'aucune sanction sérieuse ne vienne mettre fin au désordre ambiant,
bien au contraire, puisque les criminels et autres pathocrates ne font
que légitimer et renforcer leur pouvoir chaque jour qui passe. Les
décorations et autres légions d'honneur sont décernées aux plus grands
pédocriminels de l'histoire humaine (Jimmy Savile) ; ceci doit avoir une
explication. La répétition des ratages ne peut s'expliquer que par
l'incompétence des autorités. D'autant que ces mêmes autorités
n'essuieront jamais de sanctions pour manque de résultats. Lorsque les
banksters de la Wachovia se feront cueillir la main dans le sac de
cocaïne de Guzman el Chapo, une simple amende de quelques millions de
dollars suffira à leur éviter la prison à vie.
Cette vidéo présente une suite impressionnante de situations semblables à celle de la Wachovia, ce qui confirme la gestion politique des sociétés modernes par une pathocratie criminelle.
Cette vidéo présente une suite impressionnante de situations semblables à celle de la Wachovia, ce qui confirme la gestion politique des sociétés modernes par une pathocratie criminelle.
-
Category
'Warning to the U.K.''
Published on 10 Sep 2014
The Hon. Louis Farrakhan delivered this powerful message at Muhammad Mosque no.32 in Phoenix, Arizona on December 22, 2002.
Dr. Kevin Barrett, a Ph.D. Arabist-Islamologist, is one of America’s best-known critics of the War on Terror.
He is Host of Show More
View Latest Posts >>>
Why Palestinian Davids will defeat the Zionist Goliath
By Kevin Barrett on November 1, 2015
Truth is the ultimate force multiplier
By Kevin Barrett, Veterans Today Editor
I was recently interviewed by the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network about the new intifada in Occupied Palestine. Below is a link and transcript.
Gradually different dimensions of the Palestinian uprising are revealing themselves. What are the roots of the recent developments in Palestine?
The current outbreak of what looks to become the Third Intifada is rooted in the belligerent, uncompromising, expansionist and genocidal policies of the state of Israel, which have continued regardless of what the Palestinians do. We’ve seen the Israelis “mowing the lawn in Gaza” every few years, killing thousands of innocent civilians. We see ongoing brutalization of the Palestinian population that is clearly designed to make life unlivable for the Palestinians. And this amounts to genocide, as professor Lawrence Davidson of West Chester University has said. He is from a Jewish background himself. And he is far from the only person from a Jewish background who recognizes that the current policies of the Israeli government amount to genocide. So given that there has been absolutely no progress on the political front, and given that the Zionist leadership is under the domination of a certified psychopath, Benjamin Netanyahu, one of the principle authors of the September 11th Zionist coup d’état in the United States, it is clear that the only way the Palestinians have any hope of maintaining their struggle over the long term, which is what is required, is to admit that negotiations currently are not possible – and to opt for military resistance.
The third intifada is supported by Palestinian political groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. How do you evaluate this convergence?
The policies of the Israeli government under Netanyahu and some even more extremist psychopathic elements is so unreasonable that essentially no Palestinian who cares about the interests of the Palestinian people could possibly take any other route. So the Zionists have brought this on themselves, just as they have brought virtually unanimous international condemnation on themselves. They are losing their reputation in the West and around the world. And they are losing their ability to prevent Palestinians from turning to military resistance. So this is a situation in which virtually all Palestinians are going to be coming together and supporting the struggle.
Al- Zahar, one of the leaders of Palestinian intifada, believes that the uprising must enter the military operation phase against Zionist regime. What are the reasons behind such an approach? And to what extent military operation will lead to realization of Palestinian people rights?
The Zionist leadership is dedicated to suppressing the Palestinian people in every possible way. And they do have military superiority in the conventional arena. But if one studies historical conflicts between two groups in which one side has conventional military superiority, or any kind of superiority – one can extend this to sporting contests and other kinds of struggles – the underdog, that is the group that is less likely to win, based on an analysis of conventional military strength, does win about one third of the time. And when they win they always win by refusing to play by the same rules as their opponents. They don’t engage on the conventional military battlefield if they are disadvantaged there. Instead, they would use various unconventional means.
And that is what the Palestinians have been forced to do – with rather great success militarily. Many objective American military analysts have remarked that the Palestinians have actually won the last several conflicts (in which thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed) because they have demonstrated their ability to persist. And the Zionist regime has continued to accelerate its process of discrediting itself. So today we’re seeing a kind of unconventional military resistance, in which rather than organizing an army, which of course is impossible in Occupied Palestine – meaning a conventional army that would have a chance against the Israelis – Palestinians are resorting to a kind of individual armed resistance. And this requires tremendous courage. It requires willingness to sacrifice oneself for a just cause. And this is something that the Palestinians have and the Israelis do not. The Zionists recognize, unconsciously at least, that their cause is unjust. And therefore they have very little willingness to sacrifice themselves in their unjust cause; while the Palestinians know that their cause is just, and therefore they have that willingness to sacrifice themselves.
Ultimately this is the level or dimension of this conflict that is going to lead to a Palestinian victory in the foreseeable future. And by using this kind of completely unconventional military resistance, the Palestinians are demonstrating that they will not go away, they will not surrender. And they are forcing the Zionists into an uncomfortable position in which their increasing brutality is going to backfire in the court of world public opinion. So even though the Zionists control the media today, and therefore dominate the narrative that reaches global public opinion, an ever-growing segment of that public opinion is turning to the alternative media and learning about this conflict between David and Goliath. And they are increasingly sympathizing with David.
The heroic operation of Palestinian young man in Beersheba shaken the Zionist circles and security sectors of this regime to the extent that Netanyahu may cancel his travel to Germany. Why this operation is so significant?
Netanyahu is a quintessential narcissistic psychopath who believes the world revolves around him. And he is a clever politician, let’s grant him that. And clearly when he is forced to cancel his trip to Germany due to the Palestinian resistance, there is a wave of fear in Israel that events are spiraling out of control, and that he is going to have to try to figure out an answer to this. So it is a sign that this heroic resistance of people who are willing to sacrifice themselves in a just cause is shaking the Zionists’ confidence.
The Zionist regime has lost $2.5 billion since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada. What will be the consequences of continuation of this uprising?
The cost of the Zionist occupation of Palestine is getting higher and higher. Here in the United States, more and more Americans are waking up and realizing that since the coup of September 11th, which about one-third of Americans realize was an inside job, the United States has spent trillions of dollars – as much as four or five trillion dollars according to some counts – in wars designed to destabilize Israel’s enemies, and to ultimately work for the interests of Israel, not the United States. So the costs of the Zionist project have reached a ridiculous level. The economy of the United States has been crippled by the 9/11 wars for Israel. This (asymmetry) is perhaps the most important dimension of the asymmetric struggle between the Palestinians and the Zionists. The Zionists have to spend millions of millions of dollars to try to defend against what the Palestinians can do with a two dollar knife or a ten dollar per month internet connection.
The truth is the ultimate force multiplier here. And I think it’s the truth, more than any kind of weapon of violence, that is going to ensure the triumph of the Palestinians.
Related Posts:
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- Top Israeli Firster Billionaire Purchases US Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio
- TRUTH JIHAD: “The people in charge are WORSE than Satanists!” – Gordon Duff
- Why a Third Intifada will not take place
- Israel’s Chief Rabbis Oppose Christian Missionaries
20
Dec
07
“Muslim!” Now Available In Insult Form
By Stefan
3 Comments
Categories: Islam, Islamophobia, Religion and Terrorism
Published on Jewcy.com (http://www.jewcy.com)
By Ali Eteraz
“Muslim!” is quickly becoming one of the worse insults to call someone.
When a Presidential candidate—Barack Obama—is so much as (falsely) rumored [1] to be Muslim, it is considered a smear. Mr. Obama, a Christian, and the son of an atheist and a Christian, has to keep five signed letters from Christian clergy in his office, just in case.
Even a Presidential candidate who comes from a marginalized religious background— Mitt Romney—cannot accept the idea [2] of a Muslim in the cabinet.
When a Muslim gets elected to Congress—Keith Ellison [3]—he is asked to prove his loyalty to the United States. Then, people become agitated when some shock-jock tells them that Ellison was planning on giving allegiance to the Quran, when in fact, a Congressman’s preferred holy book is just used for photo-op purposes after the swearing in on the US Constitution.
According to a survey cited by [4] the Washington Post, conducted by the Pew Center for the People and the Press [5], 45 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for any office who is Muslim. Compare this with the 25 percent who said the same about a Mormon candidate and 16 percent who said the same for an Evangelical Christian.
In a 2004 survey [6] by Cornell university, almost half of the national respondents favored curtailing the civil liberties of Muslims. An astonishing 40 percent of Republicans wanted American Muslims to register their whereabouts (24 percent of Democrats).
Average Muslims are routinely asked to condemn terrorism (as if it was their family member that committed 9/11). Yet, a simple Google search reveals that plenty of Muslims have condemned terrorism. The first hit [7] for the query “Muslims condemn terrorism” as well as the query “Muslims do not condemn terrorism” both produce a list with hundreds of Muslim condemnations. It doesn’t get simpler than that.
Every day numerous Americans pretend as if the world is devoid of common, decent Muslims. Just as recently as Friday the New York Times published [8] an op-ed article entitled “Islam’s Silent Moderates” which wonders why Muslims did not speak out against the rape tragedy in Saudi Arabia, the teddy bear fiasco in Sudan, or the persecution of feminist writer Taslima Nasreen in India. Yet, four days prior to the publication of the article, a Muslim writing at a reputable Left magazine condemned the injustice in Saudi Arabia, Sudan and India (among many others), calling his unjust co-religionists “dimwits.” [9] Yet, according to the New York Times op-ed, this Muslim doesn’t exist.
There are some Americans who recognize the demonization for what it is, and how it is comparable to previous instances of American demonization. In an email to me, a very prominent American blogger writes: “We [gays] always used to have to condemn every pedophile, as if we were in charge, and as if we were somehow pedophiles. Same line of attack. I’ve often made this point that the attacks on Muslims and gays are very very similar.”
There is a stubborn resistance among many Americans to the idea that Muslims are a multifarious and diverse group of 1.2 billion humans, living in every nation and culture of the world.
All Muslims do not act the same. Today in Canada one Muslim organization is suing a magazine for publishing what it believes is Islamophobic material, while another Muslim organization is supporting the magazine’s right [10] to publish the offending material. This is just one example of a very self-evident point. To give more examples would simply insult mine and the reader’s intelligence. Yet, perhaps such mutual insults are necessary when some of the world’s most celebrated novelists publicly exclaim [11] that “there is no individual” in Islam.
Muslims are well aware that their co-religionists are being unjust towards women, are using the name of Islam to chase political power, have killed people in the name of Islam. But the fact is: it has been Muslims who have been at the forefront of resisting these injustices, and it will always be that way, so the rest of us can either get to know these Muslims or stop pretending like we know what we are talking about.
Long before 2001 when Islamic reformation became in vogue, Muslims whose teachers were executed and who had to go into exile, were writing books about it [12].
Long before America cared about the rights of women in the Muslim world, Muslim women were launching anti-honor killing jihads [13].
One of the most far reaching attacks against Islamically sanctioned forced marriages has been a film from Pakistan [14], not a vitriolic screed written in a high-end magazine in London.
Whenever there is progress in the Muslim world, it is because of something Muslims themselves accomplish. After witnessing the insane amount of Shia-Sunni killing in Iraq, it was Muslims who were able to get together and reach an accord [15] to stymie the violence. We should not forget that the crushing blow against Soviet Union did not come from the West, it came from inside [16] the Soviet Union, and from behind [17] the Iron Curtain. Even a cursory indulgence [18] in the state of Islamic reform will reveal that the same is occurring in the Muslim world today.
Putting aside what Muslims outside of America are doing, it bears asking why American Muslims are so reviled given that they have been almost model citizens.
An April 2002 survey [19] by Cornell University showed that 26 percent of American Muslim households earn more than $100,000. An astonishing 66 percent of American Muslim households earn more than $50,000. Given that American Muslims number between 3 to 7 million in this country, that is a fair deal of taxes contributed to this country.
Further, Zogby International found [20] that while only 8.6 percent of Americans have advanced degrees, that number is 32 percent for American Muslims.
A free clinic serving underserved areas run by American-Muslims in Los Angeles was recently recognized by Congress [21]. One of my good friends runs another similar clinic in Las Vegas.
Average Americans have to stop and ask ourselves how we allowed “Muslim” to become such an insult and what to do about it. Here are some suggestions:
-
Make a distinction between a “Muslim” and an “American-Muslim.” The former should refer to people of the Islamic faith around the world. The latter should refer to Muslims in the United States. The two words are not interchangeable.
-
Consider that American Muslim organizations that purport to speak for American Muslims do not in fact uniformly do so. American Muslims organize in many ways beyond those of affiliation with national organizations.
-
Consider that Black and Latino Muslims in America are increasingly one of the larger subset of American Muslims. This means that nearly 1/3rd of American Muslims do not, in appearance or language, conform to the usual stereotypes. Of the seven “Best Blogs” nominated this year in an Islamic blog award [22], two are by caucasian-muslims, three by immigrant-muslims, one by a black-muslim, and one by a latino-muslim. The award has been won by a Latina-Muslim woman for two years running.
-
Realize that while most Arabs are Muslims, not all Arabs are Muslim (many are Christian). Further, while some Muslims are Arabs, most Muslims are not Arab. Globally, only 18% of Muslims are Arab.
-
It also might be advisable to make a distinction between a Muslim and an Islamist. A Muslim is someone who adheres to Islam. An Islamist is someone who wants to live under an Islamic theocracy. Most Muslims that live in the West have no interest in Islamism. In fact, most of them came here only to escape theocracies and tyrannies.
Finally, it is worth considering that for Americans to make collective demands on Muslims groups should be deemed completely beyond the pale. If we as a society are going to make collective demands on a group, then we are implying that collective punishment is appropriate as well. It might be worth remembering that the rationale Bin Laden used justify his attacks against innocent American civilians was based on the idea that all Americans are collectively responsible for their country’s policies.
[1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/did-you-know-that-senator_b_74710.html
[2] http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1107/7059.html
[3] http://www.alternet.org/rights/69575/
[4] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/28/AR2007112802757_pf.html
[5] http://people-press.org/reports/
[6] http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec04/Muslim.Poll.bpf.html
[7] http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php
[8] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/opinion/07ali.html
[9] http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=14424
[10] http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ali_eteraz/2007/12/their_own_worst_enemies.html
[11] http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2224136,00.html
[12] http://www.amazon.com/Toward-Islamic-Reformation-International-Contemporary/dp/0815627068
[13] http://ecumene.org/INRFVVP/vision.htm
[14] http://eteraz.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/little-movie-defending-art-and-music-making-big-splash-in-pakistan/
[15] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-eteraz/dissent-is-now-ok-but-on_b_44824.html
[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gulag_Archipelago
[17] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Havel
[18] http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/ali_eteraz/2007/10/muslim_secularism_and_its_allies.html
[19] http://www.allied-media.com/AM/
[20] http://www.allied-media.com/AM/
[21] http://www.pluralism.org/news/article.php?id=13082
[22] http://www.brasscrescent.org/
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Elle détestait l'Islam et le Musulman... jolie histoire ... تكره الإسلام والتاريخ مسلم
Published on 18 May 2014
Hot on the Blog
Did You Know That Senator Obama Is A Terrorist?
Posted:
Updated: Senator Obama is a Muslim extremist who wants to overthrow
the government. That's the rumor I read about on the front page of the Washington Post today. They're evidently in the business of whisper campaigning now.
Yes, the Washington Post has elevated itself to the level of Glenn Beck's awesome question to Congressman Ellison: Prove to me that you're not working for our darkie enemies, you America-hating darkie you.
Any first year journalism student knows that the phrase "despite his denials" implies a certain level of guilt, as if Senator Obama has been forced to repeat that he's not an Islamic terrorist wherever he goes, just as Rudy Giuliani has to deny that he exploits 9/11 for political gain. Everyone knows that Giuliani is guilty of bleeding 9/11 for his own nefarious ends, even though he has repeatedly denied it -- and as recently as in Wednesday's CNN debate in which his 2-minute response to this issue included four mentions of "September 11th, 2001."
So, in other words, whenever it's reported that a politician is denying something, the general assumption is that he or she is lying. And that's one of the reasons why Karl Rove and other GOP operatives are engaged in this brand of ratfucking so often and with such effectiveness. They know the trust angles. They know the fear angles. And they can easily manipulate both with just the right kind of agitprop and rumormongering.
The infamous South Carolina whisper campaign that implied Senator McCain had fathered an illegitimate black child is arguably the most dastardly whisper campaign prior to this current cycle. The phone bank question was, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew that he fathered an illegitimate black child?" The question doesn't outright accuse the senator, but it implies an accusation -- especially when shoved through the filter of bigotry held by certain white Americans.
Remarkably, the Washington Post and Bacon aren't that subtle. In the second paragraph, Bacon uses the phrases: "he is a Muslim" and "he had received training in Islam in Indonesia." Phrases like this, when printed on one of the most important front pages in the world -- and then taken out of context as I have done here -- have the very real potential of aiding the agendas of far-right fearmongers, racists and unapologetically ignorant rednecks.
How easy would it be for a radical right-wing 527 to produce a commercial using these phrases? Really damn easy. Imagine this:
The Swift Boat Liars; the ads showing Senator Cleland next to pictures of Bin Laden and Saddam; that weird "call me" ad two years ago that implied Harold Ford was plotting to use his mighty African power to grab up all the white women in Tennessee... No matter how thoroughly these accusations were debunked, they all seemed to have worked. Senator Kerry, Senator Cleland, Senator McCain and Congressman Ford all came up short when squaring off against the GOP's shameless whisper campaigns. Now, in the case of Senator Obama, the GOP ratfuckers have some tasty quotes to pull.
So you watch. If Senator Obama wins the nomination, and I believe he will, this is the kind of wackaloon insanity his campaign will face every damn day, say nothing of the adversity he'll confront regarding the color of his skin.
Why? Because America has become the Fear Nation. To wit, Bacon quoted an anonymous internet freakdog who wrote:
Speaking of irresponsible journalism, there's a newspaper published locally here in eastern Pennsylvania called The Myerstown Herald. This week's banner headline: "Skid Loader Hits Boy, 2." Other headlines include: "Creepy Losers Swipe Dirt Bike," and "Dorks Damage Window With Rock, Pumpkin." Herald headlines routinely include the words "goons", "thugs" and "punks." Seriously, you have to read this thing. I thought it was a brilliant meta-joke, but it's eerily real.
Myerstown, despite the sensational tone of its headlines, is the home to roughly four people and a diner. Yet the conservative scanner-jockey who writes and publishes the Herald makes you believe that the world is being slowly digested by a Godzilla-sized version of the Hamburglar.
It occurred to me, however, that the Herald is indicative of the American fear pandemic. Be careful! Creepy loser Muslims are out to kill us all! Prove to me that you're not an Islamic goon! The Republican fear factory, which is presently injecting its distortions into the Washington Herald -- I mean, Post, can only survive by successfully producing enough artificial hysteria so as to keep half of America cowering under its security woobies and voting for authoritarians like Rudy Giuliani.
Senator Obama is clearly not a Muslim terrorist "plant." But if enough people believe it, the truth doesn't matter. That's the Republican strategy, and today they have the Washington Post to thank for the assist.
--
I've officially relaunched my personal blog at BobCesca.com. So in between my usual outraged, profanity-laced rants here, I'll be posting shorter profanity-laced rants over at my personal site.
Despite his denials, rumors and e-mails circulating on the Internet continue to allege that Obama (D-Ill.) is a Muslim, a "Muslim plant" in a conspiracy against America, and that, if elected president, he would take the oath of office using a Koran, rather than a Bible, as did Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the only Muslim in Congress, when he was sworn in earlier this year.This appeared on the front page of the very serious Washington Post and was written by Perry Bacon, Jr., whose irresponsible reporting makes frightened, dickless hooples like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Michael Weiner Savage seem Murrow-ish. (Their dickless status is just a rumor from an e-mail circulating the internet, by the way.)
Yes, the Washington Post has elevated itself to the level of Glenn Beck's awesome question to Congressman Ellison: Prove to me that you're not working for our darkie enemies, you America-hating darkie you.
Any first year journalism student knows that the phrase "despite his denials" implies a certain level of guilt, as if Senator Obama has been forced to repeat that he's not an Islamic terrorist wherever he goes, just as Rudy Giuliani has to deny that he exploits 9/11 for political gain. Everyone knows that Giuliani is guilty of bleeding 9/11 for his own nefarious ends, even though he has repeatedly denied it -- and as recently as in Wednesday's CNN debate in which his 2-minute response to this issue included four mentions of "September 11th, 2001."
So, in other words, whenever it's reported that a politician is denying something, the general assumption is that he or she is lying. And that's one of the reasons why Karl Rove and other GOP operatives are engaged in this brand of ratfucking so often and with such effectiveness. They know the trust angles. They know the fear angles. And they can easily manipulate both with just the right kind of agitprop and rumormongering.
The infamous South Carolina whisper campaign that implied Senator McCain had fathered an illegitimate black child is arguably the most dastardly whisper campaign prior to this current cycle. The phone bank question was, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew that he fathered an illegitimate black child?" The question doesn't outright accuse the senator, but it implies an accusation -- especially when shoved through the filter of bigotry held by certain white Americans.
Remarkably, the Washington Post and Bacon aren't that subtle. In the second paragraph, Bacon uses the phrases: "he is a Muslim" and "he had received training in Islam in Indonesia." Phrases like this, when printed on one of the most important front pages in the world -- and then taken out of context as I have done here -- have the very real potential of aiding the agendas of far-right fearmongers, racists and unapologetically ignorant rednecks.
How easy would it be for a radical right-wing 527 to produce a commercial using these phrases? Really damn easy. Imagine this:
DEEP VOICE GUY: Barack Osam--Obama. Is he or is he not working for our enemies?There's nothing technically inaccurate about the wording, even though the implications are way beyond absurd. Yet considering what we've seen before, am I so far off the mark with the concept?
Photo of Obama slowly cross-dissolves into a photo of Bin Laden.
DEEP VOICE GUY: The Washington Post says, "Despite his denials... He is a Muslim," and, "He had received training in Islam in Indonesia."
Photo of Bin Laden with an overlay of the al-Qaeda monkey bars. Slow push-in.
DEEP VOICE GUY: Prove it, Barack Obama. Are you with the terrorists? On second thought... don't prove it.
Smash cut to black. Sound effect of an explosion and people screaming.
TEXT: Paid for by Frightened Dickless Bigots For Truth.
The Swift Boat Liars; the ads showing Senator Cleland next to pictures of Bin Laden and Saddam; that weird "call me" ad two years ago that implied Harold Ford was plotting to use his mighty African power to grab up all the white women in Tennessee... No matter how thoroughly these accusations were debunked, they all seemed to have worked. Senator Kerry, Senator Cleland, Senator McCain and Congressman Ford all came up short when squaring off against the GOP's shameless whisper campaigns. Now, in the case of Senator Obama, the GOP ratfuckers have some tasty quotes to pull.
So you watch. If Senator Obama wins the nomination, and I believe he will, this is the kind of wackaloon insanity his campaign will face every damn day, say nothing of the adversity he'll confront regarding the color of his skin.
Why? Because America has become the Fear Nation. To wit, Bacon quoted an anonymous internet freakdog who wrote:
"Be careful, be very careful."The irresponsibility of printing this anonymous quote confounds reason, and only the quote itself is more outrageous. Give me 10 minutes and I can find anonymous internet quotes saying all sorts of crap on a stick. Why? Because most of the internet is anonymous and therefore unaccountable to the truth. That's why, for example, the Washington Post doesn't print anonymous letters to the editor.
Speaking of irresponsible journalism, there's a newspaper published locally here in eastern Pennsylvania called The Myerstown Herald. This week's banner headline: "Skid Loader Hits Boy, 2." Other headlines include: "Creepy Losers Swipe Dirt Bike," and "Dorks Damage Window With Rock, Pumpkin." Herald headlines routinely include the words "goons", "thugs" and "punks." Seriously, you have to read this thing. I thought it was a brilliant meta-joke, but it's eerily real.
Myerstown, despite the sensational tone of its headlines, is the home to roughly four people and a diner. Yet the conservative scanner-jockey who writes and publishes the Herald makes you believe that the world is being slowly digested by a Godzilla-sized version of the Hamburglar.
It occurred to me, however, that the Herald is indicative of the American fear pandemic. Be careful! Creepy loser Muslims are out to kill us all! Prove to me that you're not an Islamic goon! The Republican fear factory, which is presently injecting its distortions into the Washington Herald -- I mean, Post, can only survive by successfully producing enough artificial hysteria so as to keep half of America cowering under its security woobies and voting for authoritarians like Rudy Giuliani.
Senator Obama is clearly not a Muslim terrorist "plant." But if enough people believe it, the truth doesn't matter. That's the Republican strategy, and today they have the Washington Post to thank for the assist.
--
I've officially relaunched my personal blog at BobCesca.com. So in between my usual outraged, profanity-laced rants here, I'll be posting shorter profanity-laced rants over at my personal site.
More:
Barack Obama Perry Bacon Jr Keith Ellison Obama Muslim Whisper Campaign Glenn Beck Obama Muslim Smear 2008 Election Barack Obama Ratfucking Perry Bacon Jr ObamaRomney: Muslims not needed in Cabinet
Kevin Madden, Romney’s national press secretary, told Politico: “At this point, we're not focused on what Gov. Romney's Cabinet might look like. But the governor does not believe that in order to effectively fight radical jihad you need to have Muslims serving in the Cabinet.”
Mansoor Ijaz, a New York financier and commentator of Pakistani ancestry, says the exchange with Romney occurred at a closed fundraiser in Las Vegas in mid-November. Ijaz describes himself “an American-born citizen of the Islamic faith.”
Fundraisers for Romney’s Republican presidential campaign are generally closed to the press, so the full context of the comment is unavailable.
As Ijaz recounted the exchange in an opinion piece in Tuesday’s Christian Science Monitor, “I asked Mr. Romney whether he would consider including qualified Americans of the Islamic faith in his Cabinet as advisers on national security matters, given his position that ‘jihadism’ is the principal foreign policy threat facing America today.
“He answered, ‘ ... based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a Cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration,’” Ijaz wrote.
Ijaz apparently did not care for the answer. His piece is titled, “A Muslim belongs in the Cabinet.”
Romney told CNN's ''Situation Room'': "Suggesting that we have to fill spots based on checking off boxes of various ethnic groups is really a very inappropriate way to think about how we staff positions. I'm very pleased that, among my Cabinet members, for instance, I had several African-American individuals. I had people of different backgrounds."
Avi Zenilman contributed to this story.
Mike Allen is chief White House correspondent for Politico.
Civil Liberties
Keith Ellison: First Muslim in Congress Makes His Mark
By Ali Eteraz
/ AlterNet
December 6, 2007
Eleven months have passed since America's first Muslim congressman --
Keith Ellison, from Minnesota's fifth district -- was elected to office.
In that time he has exposed bigotry in the media and Congress, and
served as a bridge for American relations with the Muslim world.
Throughout his meteoric rise from an anonymous state legislator, Ellison has had unanimous support among American Muslims. Ellison is now using that goodwill to bring a minority group that has been demonized, politically apathetic and often extremely socially conservative into the American political mainstream (and without being pushy, towards the progressive wing of the Democratic Party).
Ever since Ellison's election, much of the focus has been on the venom that greeted him. He received death threats from what he calls "some crazy right-wingers," and last November, Glenn Beck, who regularly has the lowest ratings of the various CNN commentators, brought Ellison onto his show only to ask him, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." Soon after, Virgil Goode, a Republican congressman from Virginia, tried to turn Ellison's election into a fear-mongering campaign, telling his constituents that, unless "the Virgil Goode position on immigration" was adopted, there would be many more Muslim lawmakers.
On the heels of these two smears came an open case of Islamophobia. Supported by radio host Dennis Prager and WorldNetDaily, members of the far-right, and some conservative bloggers argued that Ellison should not be allowed to take his congressional oath for office on the Quran.
Ellison dealt with these attacks with grace and sensibility. He told Beck that he didn't need to prove his patriotic stripes to anyone. The rebuke caught Beck off guard who clarified, absurdly, that he hadn't really wanted Ellison to prove anything. Ellison told Virgil Goode that he was an African-American who could trace his familial roots to pre-revolutionary America. As far as swearing on the Quran, Ellison clarified that no representative actually swears on any religious book -- the oath is sworn upon the Constitution, and the Bible has traditionally been used only for a photo-op afterward. Then, just to remind his critics about the legacy of religious pluralism in the United States, the Quran he used in his pictures was a 1767 edition that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Finally, after his confirmation, in a move caught on C-SPAN, Ellison offered his hand to congressman Goode.
Over the next eight months, Ellison went with Nancy Pelosi to Syria and Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait and Iraq. Most recently, he returned from Israel-Palestine (his second trip to the troubled area). He endorsed Barack Obama, called for withdrawal from Iraq, supported impeachment against Dick Cheney, and as a former criminal defense lawyer became the co-author of a bill that would restore habeas corpus, repeal warrantless wiretapping and shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay. In short, Ellison had not only survived, but also arrived and, according to his field director in Minnesota, became a "rock-star" at every Democratic Party event he attended.
He has now set his eyes upon the American-Muslim community.
When it comes to political participation, American Muslims are one of the most ostracized minority groups in the United States. A large part of it has to do with the post 9/11 atmosphere, smear campaigns by pundits and the demonization of Islam upon which the war on terror and the war in Iraq have been propped. David Horowitz's Islamofascism Awareness Week is a recent example of this depressing trend.
Another part of American Muslim silence has to do with the fact that they have not always known what to stand for. On one hand, in light of their socially conservative mores -- last year's Pew Survey showed that American Muslims favor state interference in morality even more than Christian Evangelists -- they have leaned towards the Republican Party. On the other hand, in light of their liberal views on civil liberties, social justice and foreign policy, they tend to lean towards Democrats. The conundrum has caused a great deal of schizophrenic thinking in American Muslim political activism. In 2000, Muslims voted as a bloc for President Bush. In 2004, they swung to the other side, with 74 percent of their vote going towards Kerry.
Keith Ellison is out to address both of these issues -- marginalization and lack of vision -- and is doing it by educating and helping American Muslims learn to trust American political institutions.
Throughout his meteoric rise from an anonymous state legislator, Ellison has had unanimous support among American Muslims. Ellison is now using that goodwill to bring a minority group that has been demonized, politically apathetic and often extremely socially conservative into the American political mainstream (and without being pushy, towards the progressive wing of the Democratic Party).
Ever since Ellison's election, much of the focus has been on the venom that greeted him. He received death threats from what he calls "some crazy right-wingers," and last November, Glenn Beck, who regularly has the lowest ratings of the various CNN commentators, brought Ellison onto his show only to ask him, "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." Soon after, Virgil Goode, a Republican congressman from Virginia, tried to turn Ellison's election into a fear-mongering campaign, telling his constituents that, unless "the Virgil Goode position on immigration" was adopted, there would be many more Muslim lawmakers.
On the heels of these two smears came an open case of Islamophobia. Supported by radio host Dennis Prager and WorldNetDaily, members of the far-right, and some conservative bloggers argued that Ellison should not be allowed to take his congressional oath for office on the Quran.
Ellison dealt with these attacks with grace and sensibility. He told Beck that he didn't need to prove his patriotic stripes to anyone. The rebuke caught Beck off guard who clarified, absurdly, that he hadn't really wanted Ellison to prove anything. Ellison told Virgil Goode that he was an African-American who could trace his familial roots to pre-revolutionary America. As far as swearing on the Quran, Ellison clarified that no representative actually swears on any religious book -- the oath is sworn upon the Constitution, and the Bible has traditionally been used only for a photo-op afterward. Then, just to remind his critics about the legacy of religious pluralism in the United States, the Quran he used in his pictures was a 1767 edition that belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Finally, after his confirmation, in a move caught on C-SPAN, Ellison offered his hand to congressman Goode.
Over the next eight months, Ellison went with Nancy Pelosi to Syria and Saudi Arabia, as well as Kuwait and Iraq. Most recently, he returned from Israel-Palestine (his second trip to the troubled area). He endorsed Barack Obama, called for withdrawal from Iraq, supported impeachment against Dick Cheney, and as a former criminal defense lawyer became the co-author of a bill that would restore habeas corpus, repeal warrantless wiretapping and shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay. In short, Ellison had not only survived, but also arrived and, according to his field director in Minnesota, became a "rock-star" at every Democratic Party event he attended.
He has now set his eyes upon the American-Muslim community.
When it comes to political participation, American Muslims are one of the most ostracized minority groups in the United States. A large part of it has to do with the post 9/11 atmosphere, smear campaigns by pundits and the demonization of Islam upon which the war on terror and the war in Iraq have been propped. David Horowitz's Islamofascism Awareness Week is a recent example of this depressing trend.
Another part of American Muslim silence has to do with the fact that they have not always known what to stand for. On one hand, in light of their socially conservative mores -- last year's Pew Survey showed that American Muslims favor state interference in morality even more than Christian Evangelists -- they have leaned towards the Republican Party. On the other hand, in light of their liberal views on civil liberties, social justice and foreign policy, they tend to lean towards Democrats. The conundrum has caused a great deal of schizophrenic thinking in American Muslim political activism. In 2000, Muslims voted as a bloc for President Bush. In 2004, they swung to the other side, with 74 percent of their vote going towards Kerry.
Keith Ellison is out to address both of these issues -- marginalization and lack of vision -- and is doing it by educating and helping American Muslims learn to trust American political institutions.
His address to the full auditorium at the Islamic Center of Nevada discussed the example of other minority groups that went from being disenfranchised to politically involved. Naturally, his focus was on African-Americans but included references to women and Hispanics as well, emphasizing the importance of voting and voter registration to the American civic experience.
The contents of his talk to the Islamic Center consisted of a number of lessons on political participation couched in theological vocabulary that the average Muslim could understand. He appealed to the history of certain Muslim leaders who had worked together with other non-Muslim communities for the sake of the common good. He spoke about the virtues of the American Constitution, the rights enshrined under it and the consistency of American ideals with Islamic principles of social justice. He put significant focus on the issues of poverty and healthcare, and challenged the vast number of American Muslims in the healthcare profession to use their influence and position to push for universal healthcare as soon as possible.
Ellison's appeal prompted Qasim Khan, one of the leading physicians in the community, to jump on stage and make a pledge to create a national organization of Muslim doctors that would provide free healthcare coverage to underserved communities. The physician asked Ellison to join the board of directors, and in an apparent moment of amusement, Ellison responded, "I will if it is legal." What he meant, however, was that he needed to check whether congressmen could serve on the boards of private organizations.
As it stands today, there are two local Muslim clinics -- one in Los Angeles and a new one in Las Vegas -- that serve poor urban areas. The Los Angeles based UMMA Clinic received congressional recognition last year. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas-based clinic, headed by a 20-something activist and realtor, Usman Malik, currently operates on the weekends and is looking to go full-time in the near future. Having followed up with Dr. Khan since Ellison's visit, I learned that Khan took his idea to the Islamic Society of North America convention in Chicago -- where Howard Dean made an appearance -- and met like-minded Muslim doctors who are interested in philanthropy and supportive of a national organization. If the venture is successful, some of the credit should go to Keith Ellison as well.
However, in his activism Ellison is coming into confrontation with some American Muslim isolationism. Before his lecture, a distinguished Arab-American businessman dressed in slacks and a starched shirt, grasped Ellison as he passed by and pulled him close.
"Let me ask you directly," said the man. "You are a Muslim, but how can you support gay marriage?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Ellison imparted the basic lesson of representative government.
"I am a politician, not an imam," he said with a smile. He explained that it was a legislator's duty to represent the views of his constituents, not to impose the mandates of his religion upon others. Then, indirectly demonstrating that there was nothing inconsistent in his views in politics and his Islamic faith, he joined the sun-down prayer in the hall, standing, despite being the guest of honor, in the last row, considered by Muslims to be a mark of humility.
Evidence that Ellison's views are resonating with American-Muslim communities can be gleaned from an episode that occurred late into his speech.
A man at the back of the lecture dressed in traditional dress stood up and began scolding Ellison. "You have undermined my faith," said the protestor. "When you take an oath on the U.S. Constitution, you make a mockery of Islam!" It was the typical argument of certain Muslim fundamentalists who believe that Islam is incompatible with democratic pluralism. Calmly, the congressman reminded the protestor that his conscience was his own to dictate and he found the Islamic ideals of justice and equity clearly present in the American Constitution. The direct response silenced the fundamentalist protestor.
And in support of Ellison, the crowd burst into raucous applause.
Ali Eteraz is an international finance and human rights lawyer.
NEWS | LOCAL | POLITICS | SPORTS | OPINIONS | BUSINESS | ARTS & LIVING | GOING OUT GUIDE | JOBS | CARS | REAL ESTATE |SHOPPING
By Perry Bacon Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 29, 2007
In his speeches and often on the Internet, the part of Sen. Barack Obama's biography that gets the most attention is not his race but his connections to the Muslim world.
Since declaring his candidacy for president in February, Obama, a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Chicago, has had to address assertions that he is a Muslim or that he had received training in Islam in Indonesia, where he lived from ages 6 to 10. While his father was an atheist and his mother did not practice religion, Obama's stepfather did occasionally attend services at a mosque there.
Despite his denials, rumors and e-mails circulating on the Internet continue to allege that Obama (D-Ill.) is a Muslim, a "Muslim plant" in a conspiracy against America, and that, if elected president, he would take the oath of office using a Koran, rather than a Bible, as did Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the only Muslim in Congress, when he was sworn in earlier this year.
In campaign appearances, Obama regularly mentions his time living and attending school in Indonesia, and the fact that his paternal grandfather, a Kenyan farmer, was a Muslim. Obama invokes these facts as part of his case that he is prepared to handle foreign policy, despite having been in the Senate for only three years, and that he would literally bring a new face to parts of the world where the United States is not popular.
The son of a white woman from Kansas and a black man from Kenya, Obama was born and spent much of his childhood in Hawaii, and he talks more about his multicultural background than he does about the possibility of being the first African American president, in marked contrast to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), who mentions in most of her stump speeches the prospect of her becoming the first woman to serve as president.
"A lot of my knowledge about foreign affairs is not what I just studied in school. It's actually having the knowledge of how ordinary people in these other countries live," he said earlier this month in Clarion, Iowa.
"The day I'm inaugurated, I think this country looks at itself differently, but the world also looks at America differently," he told another Iowa crowd. "Because I've got a grandmother who lives in a little village in Africa without running water or electricity; because I grew up for part of my formative years in Southeast Asia in the largest Muslim country on Earth."
While considerable attention during the campaign has focused on the anti-Mormon feelings aroused by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R), polls have also shown rising hostility toward Muslims in politics. It is not clear whether that negative sentiment will affect someone who has lived in a Muslim country but does not practice Islam.
In an August poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 45 percent of respondents said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate for any office who is Muslim, compared with 25 percent who said that about a Mormon candidate and with 16 percent who said the same for someone who is an evangelical Christian.
In Ellison's case, much of the controversy focused on his decision to take his oath of office with a Koran, one owned by Thomas Jefferson.
"It's good for America to have a president who has diversity at many levels in his background. That would be a benefit in reaching out to the rest of the world, particularly the Islamic world," said Ibrahim Hooper, communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based civil rights and advocacy group for Muslims. "But that kind of thing provides talking points for political detractors."
Obama aides sharply disputed the initial stories suggesting that he was a Muslim, and in Iowa, the campaign keeps a letter at its offices, signed by five members of the local clergy, vouching for the candidate's Christian faith. Aware that his religious belief remains an issue, Obama has denied a separate charge: that he does not hold his hand to his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance. This rumor stemmed from a photo that was taken while the national anthem was being played.
"If I were a Muslim, I would let you know, " he said in Dubuque, Iowa, recently, according to CNN.com. "But I'm a member of Trinity United Church of Christ on 95th Street on the South Side of Chicago. We've got the best choir in town, and if you want to come and worship with us, you are more than welcome."
In the past few months, Obama has actively touted his Christianity, particularly in South Carolina, where his campaign hosted a gospel tour to appeal to black voters. He describes his movement from a "reluctant skeptic" to a believer during his 20s while he was working with black churches in Chicago as a community organizer. The title of his second book, "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream," comes from a sermon by the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ.
An early rumor about Obama's faith came from Insight, a conservative online magazine. The Insight article said Obama had "spent at least four years in a so-called madrassa, or Muslim seminary, in Indonesia." It attributed this detail to background information the Clinton campaign had been collecting.
After Obama denied the rumor, Jeffrey Kuhner, Insight's editor, said Obama's "concealment and deception was to be the issue, not so much his Muslim heritage," and he suggested that the source of the madrassa rumor was the Clinton campaign. The Clinton campaign denied the charge.
Human Events, another conservative magazine, published on its Web site a package of articles called "Barack Obama Exposed." One of them was titled "The First Muslim President?"
Robert Spencer, a conservative activist, wrote in Human Events that "given Obama's politics, it will not be hard to present him internationally as someone who understands Islam and Muslims, and thus will be able to smooth over the hostility between the Islamic world and the West -- our first Muslim President."
Conservative talk-show hosts have occasionally repeated the rumor, with Michael Savage noting Obama's "background" in a "Muslim madrassa in Indonesia" in June, and Rush Limbaugh saying in September that he occasionally got "confused" between Obama and Osama bin Laden. Others repeatedly use the senator's middle name, Hussein.
The rumors about Obama have been echoed on Internet message boards and chain e-mails.
Bryan Keelin of Charleston, S.C., who works with an organization of churches there, posted on an Internet board his suspicion that Obama is a Muslim. "I assume his father instructed him on the ways of being a Muslim," said Keelin, who described himself in an interview as a conservative Republican who will vote for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.
"The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out," says one of the e-mails that was posted recently on a blog at BarackObama.com, the campaign's Web site, by an Obama supporter who warned of an attempt to "Swift Boat" the candidate. "What better way to start than at the highest level, through the President of the United States, one of their own!"
Another e-mail, on a site called Snopes.com that tracks Internet rumors, starts, "Be careful, be very careful." It notes that "Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim," and that "since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help purge any notion that he is still a Muslim."
A CBS News poll in August showed that a huge number of voters said they did not know Obama's faith, but among those who said they did, 7 percent thought he was a Muslim, while only 6 percent thought he was a Protestant Christian .
"The underlying point is that if you can somehow pin Islam on him, that would be a fatal blow," Hooper said. "It's offensive. It speaks to the rising level of anti-Muslim feeling in our society."
Obama's advisers say they are not worried that the candidate will hurt his campaign by invoking his connections to the Islamic world. "He understands that there are scurrilous attack e-mails going on underground that distort his religious affiliation and worse, but his judgment is that he trusts the American people more than that," said David Axelrod, a top Obama strategist. "He genuinely believes. . . . that people want to have a president that the world looks at and says, 'I believe this guy has an understanding of us and how we fit together on the planet.' "
Staff writer Alec MacGillis contributed to this report.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
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Survey Reports
Apr. 30, 2015
A Different Look at Generations and Partisanship
Survey Report Over the past decade, there has been a pronounced age gap in American politics. Younger Americans have been the Democratic Party’s strongest supporters in both vote preferences and partisanship, while older Americans have been the most reliably Republican. The Pew Research Center’s report earlier this month on partisan identification found that 51% of […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 28, 2015
What the Public Knows — In Pictures, Words, Maps and Graphs
Survey Report Before you read the report, test your own News IQ by taking the interactive knowledge quiz. The short quiz tests your knowledge of questions recently asked in a national poll. After completing the quiz, you can compare your score with the general public and with people like yourself. Take the Quiz The latest […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 27, 2015
Mixed Views of Impact of Long-Term Decline in Union Membership
The share of wage and salary workers in the U.S. who belong to labor unions has fallen by about half since 1983. Americans express mixed views on the impact this long-term decline has had on the country.
Survey Reports
Apr. 20, 2015
Views of Supreme Court Little Changed as Major Rulings Loom
As the Supreme Court’s decisions on subjects as same-sex marriage, the death penalty and the Affordable Care Act loom, half of Americans have a favorable opinion of the court, while 39% say they have an unfavorable view.
Survey Reports
Apr. 16, 2015
Less Support for Death Penalty, Especially Among Democrats
A majority of Americans favor the death penalty for those convicted of murder, but support is at a 40-year low.
Survey Reports
Apr. 14, 2015
In Debate Over Legalizing Marijuana, Disagreement Over Drug’s Dangers
Many supporters of marijuana legalization cite its perceived health benefits, while opponents say the drug hurts people and society.
Apr. 7, 2015
A Deep Dive Into Party Affiliation
39% of Americans identify as independents, more than they do as Democrats ( 32%) or as Republicans (23%). This is the highest percentage of independents in more than 75 years of public opinion polling.
Apr. 7, 2015
Party Identification Trends, 1992-2014
Pew Research Center has been tracking the party affiliation of the general public for over 20 years. Explore the party ID data for two dozen demographic subgroups, categorized by gender, race, education, generation, and religious affiliation.
Survey Reports
Apr. 2, 2015
Campaign 2016: Modest Interest, High Stakes
Survey Report The 2016 presidential campaign has gotten off to a slow start with voters. A majority of registered voters (58%) say they have given at least some thought to candidates who may run for president in 2016, but that is 10 points lower than at a comparable point in the 2008 campaign – the […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 30, 2015
More Approve Than Disapprove of Iran Talks, But Most Think Iranians Are ‘Not Serious’
Survey Report Ahead of a March 31 deadline for nuclear talks with Iran, more Americans approve (49%) than disapprove (40%) of the United States negotiating directly with Iran over its nuclear program. But the public remains skeptical of whether Iranian leaders are serious about addressing international concerns over their nuclear enrichment program. If a nuclear […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 19, 2015
Federal Tax System Seen in Need of Overhaul
Survey Report The public sees the nation’s tax system as deeply flawed: 59% say “there is so much wrong with the federal tax system that Congress should completely change it.” Just 38% think the system “works pretty well” and requires “only minor changes.” These opinions have changed little since 2011. With the April 15 filing […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 9, 2015
Far More Interest Among Republicans Than Democrats in Clinton Emails, Netanyahu
Survey Report From news about the economy to controversy over Hillary Clinton’s emails and the trial of the Boston marathon bomber, no single story dominated the public’s news interest last week. Two stories drew far more interest from Republicans than Democrats: 34% of Republicans followed reports about Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email address […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 4, 2015
Most Say Government Policies Since Recession Have Done Little to Help Middle Class, Poor
Survey Report The public makes sharp distinctions about which groups have benefited – and which have not – from the economic policies the government has put in place since the start of the recession. Majorities say that large banks, large corporations and the wealthy have been helped a great deal or a fair amount by […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 27, 2015
More View Netanyahu Favorably Than Unfavorably; Many Unaware of Israeli Leader
Survey Report The public has a more positive than negative view of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his address to a joint session of Congress next week. About four-in-ten (38%) have a favorable opinion of the Israeli leader, compared with 27% who hold an unfavorable view. Roughly a third (35%) express no opinion […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 26, 2015
Democrats Have More Positive Image, But GOP Runs Even or Ahead on Key Issues
Survey Report This week’s political battles over immigration, funding for the Department of Homeland Security and the Keystone XL pipeline have been waged by opposing parties that possess starkly different strengths and weaknesses. Majorities say the Democratic Party is open and tolerant, cares about the middle class and is not “too extreme.” By contrast, most […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 24, 2015
Growing Support for Campaign Against ISIS – and Possible Use of U.S. Ground Troops
Survey Report The public has grown more supportive of the U.S. fight against ISIS, as about twice as many approve (63%) as disapprove (30%) of the military campaign against the Islamic militant group in Iraq and Syria. Last October, 57% approved and 33% disapproved. The possibility of sending U.S. ground troops to the region is […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 23, 2015
Increased Public Support for the U.S. Arming Ukraine
Survey Report As fighting continues in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Russian-backed rebels, the public has become more supportive of sending arms to the Ukrainian government and increasing sanctions on Russia. More still oppose (53%) than favor (41%) the U.S. sending arms and military supplies to the Ukrainian government, but support for arming Ukraine […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 10, 2015
Views of Job News Turn Much More Positive Over Past Year
Survey Report For the first time since the end of the recession in 2009, a greater share of the public is hearing mostly good news (28%) than bad news (22%) about the job situation. Nearly half (47%) say they are hearing a mix of good and bad news. This marks a stark change from a […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 9, 2015
83% Say Measles Vaccine Is Safe for Healthy Children
Survey Report An 83% majority of the public says vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) are safe for healthy children, while about one-in-ten (9%) think such vaccines are not safe. An additional 7% volunteer that they don’t know. Majorities across virtually every demographic and partisan group view the vaccines as safe. […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 22, 2015
Most View the CDC Favorably; VA’s Image Slips
Survey Report The public continues to express positive views of many agencies of the federal government, even though overall trust in government is near historic lows. Large majorities express favorable views of such government agencies as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NASA and the Defense Department. In fact, favorable opinions surpass unfavorable […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 20, 2015
Obama in a Word: ‘Good,’ ‘Incompetent’
Survey Report As public perceptions of Barack Obama have changed over the course of his presidency, so too have the words used to describe him. The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Jan. 7-11 among 1,504 adults, finds that the words good (35 mentions) and incompetent (33 mentions) are used most frequently to […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 16, 2015
Most Support Stronger U.S. Ties With Cuba
Survey Report Fully 63% of Americans approve of the Obama administration’s decision last month to re-establish diplomatic ties with Cuba after more than 50 years. And there is equally broad support for going further and ending the decades-long U.S. trade embargo against Cuba (66% favor this). Yet there is broad public skepticism that a thaw […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 15, 2015
Public’s Policy Priorities Reflect Changing Conditions at Home and Abroad
Survey Report As views of the economy improve and terrorist threats persist, the public’s policy priorities have changed: For the first time in five years, as many Americans cite defending the U.S. against terrorism (76%) as a top policy priority as say that about strengthening the nation’s economy (75%). Since Barack Obama began his second […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 14, 2015
Obama Job Rating Ticks Higher, Views of Nation’s Economy Turn More Positive
President Obama enters the seventh year of his presidency in a familiar position when compared with his recent predecessors. His 47% job approval rating places him squarely between George W. Bush (33%) and Bill Clinton (63%) at similar points in their second terms. Obama’s rating is comparable to Ronald Reagan’s in January 1987 (49%), when […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 12, 2015
Terrorism Worries Little Changed; Most Give Government Good Marks for Reducing Threat
Survey Report In the aftermath of deadly terrorist attacks in Paris — and months after the start of U.S. airstrikes against ISIS — there has been little change in the public’s worries about an imminent terrorist attack in the United States. One-in-four (25%) are very worried about a domestic terrorist attack happening “soon,” while about […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 8, 2015
The Politics of Financial Insecurity
While the least financially secure Americans are more likely to back Democrats, that support is undercut by low political participation. Those who are financially insecure are far more likely to opt out of the political system altogether.
Survey Reports
Dec. 18, 2014
As U.S. Energy Production Grows, Public Policy Views Show Little Change
Survey Report The public is gradually becoming aware of America’s energy boom. Currently, 54% say domestic energy production has been increasing in recent years, up from 48% in September 2013. Meanwhile, the recent slide in gas prices is registering widely: An overwhelming 89% say that that pump prices have fallen in the past month. Despite […]
Survey Reports
Dec. 16, 2014
Perceptions of Job News Trend Upward
For the first time in at least five years, as many Americans say they are hearing good news as bad news about the nation’s job situation.
Survey Reports
Dec. 15, 2014
About Half See CIA Interrogation Methods as Justified
Following the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on post-9/11 CIA interrogation practices, 51% of Americans say these CIA methods were justified, compared with 29% who say they were not.
Survey Reports
Dec. 11, 2014
Few See Quick Cure for Nation’s Political Divisions
Survey Report As 2014 draws to a close, the public is deeply pessimistic about the prospects for healing the nation’s deep political divisions. And most Americans think continued partisan gridlock would wreak significant damage on the country. To start, perceptions of the current level of political division continue at record levels: 81% say the country […]
Survey Reports
Dec. 11, 2014
Immigration Action Gets Mixed Response, But Legal Pathway Still Popular
Survey Report The public is divided over President Obama’s recent executive action that expands the number of undocumented immigrants permitted to stay and work in the U.S. At the same time, Americans continue to broadly support a pathway to legal status for people in this country illegally. About as many disapprove (50%) as approve (46%) […]
Survey Reports
Dec. 10, 2014
Growing Public Support for Gun Rights
Survey Report For the first time in more than two decades of Pew Research Center surveys, there is more support for gun rights than gun control. Currently, 52% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, while 46% say it is more important to control gun ownership. Support for […]
Survey Reports
Dec. 8, 2014
Sharp Racial Divisions in Reactions to Brown, Garner Decisions
Survey Report The public has very different reactions to the recent grand jury decisions in two police-related deaths that have sparked protests in cities across the country. By 50% to 37%, Americans say a grand jury made the right decision not to charge former Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael […]
Survey Reports
Nov. 12, 2014
Little Enthusiasm, Familiar Divisions After the GOP’s Big Midterm Victory
Survey Report After a sweeping midterm election victory on Nov. 4, the Republican Party retook full control of Congress. But the public has mixed reactions to the GOP’s big win – much as it did four years ago, after Republicans gained control of the House though not the Senate. The post-election survey by the Pew […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 31, 2014
The Party of Nonvoters
Survey Report With just four days before the midterm elections, the spotlight understandably is focused on the estimated 40% of voting age adults who are expected to show up at the polls next Tuesday. There has been less attention on the much larger share who most probably will not. As in past elections, nonvoters 1 – […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 28, 2014
Fewer Voters Report Getting Robo-Calls, Campaign Ads Still Pervasive
Survey Report Voters are reporting roughly similar levels of contact from political campaigns and groups as four years ago, with one notable exception. The share of voters who say they have received a phone call about the election has fallen 12 points since mid-October 2010, from 59% to 47%. This decline has been driven by […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 23, 2014
As Midterms Near, GOP Leads on Key Issues, Democrats Have a More Positive Image
Survey Report With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, the Republican Party holds significant leads on several major issues. Voters say the GOP could do a better job than the Democrats on the economy, and the Republicans hold double-digit advantages on both terrorism and the budget deficit. However, the Democrats have advantages on […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 22, 2014
Support for U.S. Campaign against ISIS; Doubts about Its Effectiveness, Objectives
The public continues to support the U.S. military campaign against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria. But most Americans say the U.S. military effort against ISIS is not going well.
Survey Reports
Oct. 21, 2014
Ebola Worries Rise, But Most Are ‘Fairly’ Confident in Government, Hospitals to Deal With Disease
Survey Report Public concern about the spread of the Ebola virus in the U.S. has increased since early October. Currently, 41% are worried that they themselves or someone in their family will be exposed to the virus, including 17% who say they are very worried. In a survey two weeks ago, 32% worried about exposure […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 17, 2014
Political Polarization in Action: Insights into the 2014 Election from the American Trends Panel
Survey Report The Pew Research Center has developed a new tool for looking at the 2014 elections – a panel survey that enables us to check in with the same representative group of Americans several times during the course of the campaign. This survey includes far more information about respondents than is found in a […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 6, 2014
Public Divided Over Whether Secret Service Lapses Signal ‘Broader Problems’
Survey Report Following a White House security breach and reports of other Secret Service problems, roughly equal shares of the public think the recent issues are mainly isolated incidents (42%) as think they are signs of broader problems with the agency (43%). The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Oct. 2-5 among […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 6, 2014
Most Are Confident in Government’s Ability to Prevent Major Ebola Outbreak in U.S.
Survey Report As the Ebola outbreak in Africa continues, and two patients receive treatment in the U.S., most Americans have at least a fair amount of confidence in the government’s ability to prevent a major outbreak of Ebola in the U.S. In addition, relatively few are concerned that they or a family member will be […]
Survey Reports
Oct. 2, 2014
From ISIS to Unemployment: What Do Americans Know?
The latest Pew Research Center News IQ quiz measures the public’s awareness of key facts in the news: from questions about conflicts around the world to the current minimum wage and the chairman of the Federal Reserve.
Survey Reports
Sep. 23, 2014
Neither Party Gets Good Marks from Its Base for Handling Illegal Immigration
Survey Report As the current session of Congress comes to a close without significant action to address illegal immigration, neither Republicans nor Democrats are especially happy with the way their respective parties have dealt with the issue. Just 37% of Republicans and Republican leaners think the GOP is doing a good job representing their views […]
Survey Reports
Sep. 18, 2014
Teaching the Children: Sharp Ideological Differences, Some Common Ground
People with consistently conservative political values are particularly likely to say it is important to teach children religious faith, while those with consistently liberal values stand out for the priority they give to teaching tolerance.
Survey Reports
Sep. 15, 2014
Bipartisan Support for Obama’s Military Campaign Against ISIS
In a rare display of bipartisanship, majorities of both Republicans (64%) and Democrats (60%) approve of President Obama’s plan for a military campaign against Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria.
Survey Reports
Sep. 12, 2014
Wide Partisan Differences Over the Issues That Matter in 2014
Republican and Democratic voters are split not only over their candidate preferences, but also about the importance of key issues in the election.
Survey Reports
Sep. 10, 2014
Growing Concern about Rise of Islamic Extremism at Home and Abroad
Survey Report As President Obama prepares to address the nation about the militant group ISIS, the public has become more worried about Islamic extremism. Six-in-ten (62%) are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world, which is the largest share dating back to 2007. A somewhat smaller majority (53%) is very concerned […]
Survey Reports
Sep. 4, 2014
Views of Job Market Tick Up, No Rise in Economic Optimism
Survey Report In advance of Friday’s jobs report, the public’s assessment of job availability in their local communities has improved modestly. But that has done nothing to boost overall economic optimism. For Americans, jobs are only part of the economic picture: 56% say their family’s incomes are falling behind the cost of living. That is […]
Survey Reports
Sep. 3, 2014
More Prioritize Border Security in Immigration Debate
Survey Report As President Obama considers executive action to delay the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants, the public’s priorities for U.S. immigration policy have shifted, with more people favoring a focus on better border security and tougher enforcement of immigration laws. The national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted August 20-24 among 1,501 […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 28, 2014
As New Dangers Loom, More Think the U.S. Does ‘Too Little’ to Solve World Problems
Survey Report A large majority of Americans think the world is a more dangerous place than it was several years ago. And a terrorist group that was not even on the public’s radar a year ago – the Islamic militants known as ISIS or ISIL – today ranks near the top of its list of […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 28, 2014
More Express Sympathy for Israel than the Palestinians
Survey Report As a cease-fire ends more than seven weeks of fighting in Gaza, the public expresses more sympathy for Israel than the Palestinians in their ongoing dispute. Most Americans say they sympathize “a lot” (34%) or “some” (32%) with Israel, while roughly a quarter sympathize with Israel “not much” (15%) or “not at all” […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 26, 2014
Republicans Open Up Wider ‘Expectations Gap’ Ahead of Midterms
Survey Report With just over two months before the midterm elections, Republican voters are widening the “expectations gap” with the Democrats. About six-in-ten (61%) Republican and GOP-leaning registered voters think their party will do better than in recent elections — roughly double the share of Democrats (32%) who feel similarly about their party’s chances. This […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 25, 2014
Few Say Police Forces Nationally Do Well in Treating Races Equally
Amid continuing tensions over the police shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Mo., most Americans give relatively low marks to police departments around the country for holding officers accountable for misconduct, using the appropriate amount of force, and treating racial and ethnic groups equally. However, most also continue to express at least a fair […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 18, 2014
Support for U.S. Airstrikes in Iraq; Concern About Getting Too Involved
As fighting rages in Iraq, most Americans (54%) say they approve of U.S. airstrikes against Islamic militants there, while 31% disapprove. But while the public backs airstrikes, there is widespread concern about the U.S. becoming too involved in Iraq. Overall, 51% say their greater concern about military action is that the U.S. will go too […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 18, 2014
Stark Racial Divisions in Reactions to Ferguson Police Shooting
Blacks and whites have sharply different reactions to the police shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Mo., and the protests and violence that followed. Blacks are about twice as likely as whites to say that the shooting of Michael Brown “raises important issues about race that need to be discussed.” Wide racial differences also […]
Survey Reports
Aug. 5, 2014
Modest Improvement in Views of Economic News
Survey Report Amid recent reports on the U.S. unemployment rate and gross domestic product, public views of economic news have improved modestly since February. A 64%-majority of the public says they are hearing “a mix of both good and bad news” about the economy these days, little changed over the last several months. But about […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 31, 2014
Shifting Views of Supreme Court’s Ideology among Liberals, Conservatives
Survey Report Overall views of the U.S. Supreme Court – and its ideology – have changed only modestly since last measured in April before the court’s end-of-term decisions, including the Hobby Lobby ruling that limits the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive requirement. But among liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans there have been sizable changes in opinions […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 28, 2014
Far More Continue to View Russia as a ‘Serious Problem’ Than as an ‘Adversary’
Survey Report Most Americans still are not inclined to view Russia as an adversary, though the share saying Russia represents a serious problem has continued to increase, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Currently, 26% of the public says that Russia is an adversary, while 49% think it is a serious […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 28, 2014
Hamas Seen as More to Blame Than Israel for Current Violence
Survey Report As fighting continues to rage in Gaza amid calls for a cease-fire, about twice as many Americans say Hamas (40%) as Israel (19%) is responsible for the current violence. Just a quarter (25%) believe that Israel has gone too far in responding to the conflict; far more think Israel’s response has been about […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 24, 2014
GOP Has Midterm Engagement Advantage
The Republican Party holds a clear advantage in voter engagement in this fall’s midterm elections, according to a new national survey by the Pew Research Center. Yet GOP voters are not as enthused and engaged as they were at this point in the midterm campaign four years ago, prior to the Republican Party winning control […]
Jul. 21, 2014
How We Identified Your Typology Group
Identifying which group is the best fit for you involved matching the pattern of your answers to the political value questions with the responses of the typology groups defined using our national survey of 10,013 (see here for a description of how we created the typology groups). To match you up with a group, we […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 18, 2014
Most Think the U.S. Has No Responsibility To Act in Iraq
Survey Report As violence and chaos spreads in Iraq, the public is wary of U.S. involvement in the country. A 55% majority says the United States does not have a responsibility to do something about the violence in Iraq; 39% do see a responsibility to act. Overall public awareness of the situation in Iraq is […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 16, 2014
Surge of Central American Children Roils U.S. Immigration Debate
Survey Report As the president and Congress struggle over how to deal with the influx of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America across the U.S.-Mexican border, a new survey finds that the public favors a shift in U.S. policy to expedite the legal processing of the children. President Obama gets very low ratings for […]
Survey Reports
Jul. 15, 2014
As Mideast Violence Continues, a Wide Partisan Gap in Israel-Palestinian Sympathies
Survey Report As violence between Israel and Hamas shows no signs of abating, the sympathies of the American public continue to lie with Israel rather than the Palestinians. And dating back to the late 1970s, the partisan gap in Mideast sympathies has never been wider. Currently, 51% of Americans say that in the dispute between […]
Survey Reports
Jun. 26, 2014
Beyond Red vs. Blue: The Political Typology
Our latest political typology sorts voters into cohesive groups based on their attitudes and values and provides a field guide for the constantly changing political landscape.
Jun. 26, 2014
Compare Political Typology Groups
The Pew Research Center’s Political Typology looks beyond “Red vs. Blue” in American politics, sorting voters into cohesive groups, based on their attitudes and values – not their partisan labels. Use this tool to compare the groups on key topics: U.S. & Economy, Politics & Elections, Government & Economic Policy, Foreign Policy & Security, Domestic […]
Survey Reports
Jun. 12, 2014
Political Polarization in the American Public
Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan acrimony is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in recent history. And these trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life.
Survey Reports
Jun. 9, 2014
Public Has Doubts about Bergdahl Prisoner Exchange
Survey Report The prisoner exchange that freed U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl from the Taliban in Afghanistan gets a more negative than positive reaction from the public. Overall, 43% say it was the wrong thing for the Obama administration to exchange five Taliban prisoners for captive soldier Bergdahl, while fewer (34%) say it was the right […]
Survey Reports
May. 19, 2014
For 2016 Hopefuls, Washington Experience Could Do More Harm than Good
Survey Report As the 2016 presidential campaign begins to take shape, Washington experience has become less of a potential asset for those seeking the White House. A new national survey testing candidate traits finds that 30% would be less likely to support a candidate with “many years” of experience as an elected official in Washington, […]
Survey Reports
May. 6, 2014
Supreme Court Favorability Rebounds
Survey Report Favorable views of the Supreme Court are back above 50%, having rebounded from historic lows reached in the summer of 2013. However, the court still has several major decisions pending that could impact the public’s views, including rulings on challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that employers include contraceptive coverage in their […]
Survey Reports
May. 5, 2014
Midterm Election Indicators Daunting for Democrats
With the midterm elections six months away, Democrats are burdened by an uneven economic recovery and a stubbornly unpopular health care law. Perhaps equally important, Barack Obama’s political standing is in some respects weaker than it was at a comparable point in the 2010 campaign, which ended with the Republicans gaining a majority in the […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 29, 2014
Public Divided over Whether Israel, Independent Palestinian State Can Coexist
Survey Report Amid the breakdown of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, the public is divided over whether a way can be found for a peaceful two-state solution in the Middle East. Overall, 46% say an independent Palestinian state can coexist peacefully with Israel, 44% do not think this can happen. A year ago, […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 28, 2014
Bipartisan Support for Increased U.S. Sanctions against Russia
Survey Report As the Obama administration announces new economic measures against Russian officials and companies, the public supports increased U.S. economic and diplomatic sanctions by a 53% to 36% margin. But by roughly two-to-one (62% to 30%), Americans oppose sending arms and military supplies to the Ukrainian government. The new national survey by the Pew […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 10, 2014
More Republicans See Health Care Stance as ‘Very Important’ to Midterm Vote
Survey Report In looking ahead to this fall’s elections, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to view a candidate’s position on the Affordable Care Act as very important to their vote. A new national survey finds that 64% of Republican registered voters say a candidate’s stance on the health care law will be very important […]
Survey Reports
Apr. 2, 2014
America’s New Drug Policy Landscape
The public appears ready for a truce in the long-running war on drugs. A national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that 67% of Americans say that the government should focus more on providing treatment for those who use illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Just 26% think the government’s focus should be […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 25, 2014
Concerns about Russia Rise, But Just a Quarter Call Moscow an Adversary
Survey Report In the wake of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region, public concern about Russia has increased, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Even so, when given the choice, more describe Russia as a serious problem but not an adversary (43%) than say it represents an adversary (26%). Just 22% say Russia […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 24, 2014
Nearly Half of Public Says ‘Right Amount’ of Malaysian Jet Coverage
Survey Report The public followed news about the missing Malaysia Airlines plane more closely than any other story last week. While the story has attracted extensive news coverage, especially from cable TV outlets, most Americans do not feel there has been too much coverage of the missing jetliner. The latest national survey by the Pew […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 20, 2014
ACA at Age 4: More Disapproval than Approval
Survey Report As the four-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, the law remains unpopular with the public. Currently, 53% disapprove of the 2010 health care law while 41% approve of the law. Opinion of the measure is virtually unchanged since last September. However, the new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 19, 2014
Keystone XL Pipeline Divides Democrats
Survey Report As the Obama administration deliberates over whether to allow the Keystone XL pipeline to be built, the proposed pipeline continues to draw broad support from the public. Currently, 61% favor building the pipeline while 27% are opposed. These views have changed little over the past year. As previous surveys on the pipeline proposal […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 11, 2014
Most Say U.S. Should ‘Not Get Too Involved’ in Ukraine Situation
Survey Report As Russian troops remain in Ukraine’s Crimea region and Crimea’s Parliament has set up a secession vote, Americans prefer the U.S. to not get too involved in the situation. By a roughly two-to-one margin (56% vs. 29%), the public says it is more important for the U.S. to not get involved in the […]
Survey Reports
Mar. 7, 2014
Millennials in Adulthood
Detached from Institutions, Networked with Friends
Survey Reports
Mar. 4, 2014
Hillary Clinton’s Strengths: Record at State, Toughness, Honesty
If she runs for president in 2016, Hillary Clinton would bring a number of potential strengths to the race, from her tenure as secretary of state to her perceived toughness and honesty.
Survey Reports
Feb. 27, 2014
Public Divided Over Increased Deportation of Unauthorized Immigrants
Survey Report Immigration legislation is stalled in the House, but the public continues to broadly support a path to legalization for undocumented immigrants. At the same time, however, Americans are evenly divided over the growing number of undocumented immigrants who have been deported from the U.S. in recent years, with as many viewing this as […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 11, 2014
Mixed Views of Economic News Persist
Survey Report Over the past year, the unemployment rate has fallen, but so too has the share of Americans in the labor force. The stock market rose during much of 2013, before falling at the start of this year. Through it all, the public’s perceptions of economic news have changed very little. Currently, 61% say […]
Survey Reports
Feb. 4, 2014
Public Skeptical of Decision to Hold Olympic Games in Russia
Survey Report With the 2014 Winter Olympics approaching, more say it was a bad decision (44%) than a good decision (32%) to hold the games in Russia. About one-in-four (24%) say they don’t know. Concerns about terrorism and safety are foremost among those who think it was a bad decision to hold the Olympics in […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 30, 2014
More Now See Failure than Success in Iraq, Afghanistan
Survey Report After more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the public does not think the United States has achieved its goals in either country. About half of Americans (52%) say the U.S. has mostly failed to achieve its goals in Afghanistan while 38% say it has mostly succeeded. Opinions about the […]
Jan. 29, 2014
Conservative and Centrist Republicans Differ Widely on How to Approach Poverty and Inequality
Read the full report: Most See Inequality Growing, but Partisans Differ over Solutions, Jan. 23, 2014
Survey Reports
Jan. 27, 2014
Deficit Reduction Declines as Policy Priority
Survey Report For the first time since Barack Obama took office in 2009, deficit reduction has slipped as a policy priority among the public. Overall, 63% say reducing the budget deficit should be a top priority for Congress and the president this year, down from 72% a year ago. Most of the decline has come […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 23, 2014
Most See Inequality Growing, but Partisans Differ over Solutions
Survey Report There is broad public agreement that economic inequality has grown over the past decade. But as President Obama prepares for Tuesday’s State of the Union, where he is expected to unveil proposals for dealing with inequality and poverty, there are wide partisan differences over how much the government should – and can – […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 20, 2014
Obama’s NSA Speech Has Little Impact on Skeptical Public
Survey Report President Obama’s speech on Friday outlining changes to the National Security Agency’s collection of telephone and internet data did not register widely with the public. Half say they have heard nothing at all about his proposed changes to the NSA, and another 41% say they heard only a little bit. Even among those […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 20, 2014
Christie’s Image Turns More Negative
Survey Report Chris Christie’s public image today is starkly different than it was a year ago. Last January, following Christie’s visible role in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, favorable opinions outnumbered unfavorable ones by more than two-to-one. Today, in the wake of a scandal involving highway lane closures that led to massive traffic jams in northern […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 13, 2014
Christie Story Attracts Little Public Interest
Survey Report The public paid far more attention to last week’s cold snap than to the controversy swirling around New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. There also has been little short-term change in opinions about Christie: 60% say their opinion of Christie has not changed in recent days, while 16% now view him less favorably and […]
Survey Reports
Jan. 7, 2014
In New Year, Half Are Looking Forward to Midterm Elections
Survey Report As 2014 begins and the midterm election campaigns heat up, about half of the public (51%) is especially looking forward to November’s congressional elections while 49% are not looking forward to them. The new national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Jan. 2-5 among 1,005 adults, finds that 58% are looking forward […]
Survey Reports
Dec. 19, 2013