Poll: Majority Of GOP Believes Obama Sympathizes With Islamic Fundamentalism, Wants Worldwide Islamic Law

A majority of Republicans believe that President Barack Obama "sympathizes with the goals of Islamic fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law around the world," according to a survey released on Monday.

That figure, buried at the very end of a newly released Newsweek public opinion poll, reflects the extent to which a shocking bit of smear and misinformation has managed to become nearly commonplace within the GOP tent.

(Read the full poll results here.)

A full 14 percent of Republicans said that it was "definitely true" that Obama sympathized with the fundamentalists and wanted to impose Islamic law across the globe. An additional 38 percent said that it was probably true -- bringing the total percentage of believers to 52 percent. Only 33 percent of Republicans said that the "allegation" (as Newsweek put it) was "probably not true." Seven percent said it was "definitely not true." The rest (eight percent) either didn't know the answer or didn't read the question.

The Newsweek findings add more kindling to the already-heated debate raging around the persistent rumors that Obama is a closeted Muslim (he's not). In an illustration of just how deeply news outlets have been drawn to the topic, the magazine devoted seven of its 24 questions to Muslim-themed topics, producing, in the process, a number of telling and newsworthy numbers.

Fifty-nine percent of Republicans, for instance, said they believed the president favored "the interests of Muslims over other groups of Americans," while only 34 percent of said he had been "generally even handed" in his approach. In contrast, nine percent of Democrats said Obama favored "the interests of Muslims over other groups of Americans" while 82 percent of Democrats said he had been even-handed.

On a more uplifting front, 16 percent of all respondents said they had a very favorable view of Muslims while 45 percent said they had a "mostly favorable" view -- the highest and second highest totals recorded for those answers in the survey's history, respectively.

Comments

[Dosadi]

07:37 PM on 09/09/2010

BushIsAWarCriminal 05:56 PM on 9/08/2010
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Here is how you deal with a person who is too full of themselves.


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[Bart Vincelette]

05:25 AM on 09/06/2010

Additionally, from the previously self identified , (& intrusive?) Canadian .......honestly , I hear statements in the media from die-hard Republican politicos , that make you want to call them & encourage them to take some deep breaths & get some oxygen up there. Barry Goldwater would be mortified at the potpourri of chromosomes passing for today's conservatives.

[Bart Vincelette]

05:19 AM on 09/06/2010

As a Canadian baby boomer who has lived in the US (San Diego), & has always had strong family ties to America , I`m a (widely recognized) expert in nothing. :-) I`d like to express my admiration for the many comments herein that tell it like it is. To confront the uninformed faith based extremists with reality & facts is to do the nation & those easily lead by the distortions of pundits from the likes of Beck, Coulter, Robertson,& Dobson, et al ; much good. Name calling simply reduces one to the level of the electorate with the attention span of a cocker spaniel being shown a card trick , & presents no data for them to chew on. In short, some of you are damned good. I especially like the comments confronting self described `true`Christians with behaviors that are at odds with the most elementary teachings of Christ, & the quotes from Thomas Jefferson , who had a real grasp on religion , history, & human nature.
Thanks for hearing me out.

[Dovescorner]

01:01 PM on 09/02/2010

the polls also believe Palin is presidential material LOL

[Greybeard53]

09:23 AM on 09/02/2010

People wonder about the antipathy towards Republicans on this site. They say that we're all "rabid pinko Liburals" with no sense of compromise.

THIS is what we're fighting here! The majority of Republicans believe no such thing! They know that Barack Obama is an American Christian who is doing what he honestly thinks is right to further the interests of the United States.

But their. THEIR partisanship is such that they would look like less of a true American, TO EACH OTHER, if they admitted this. So they lie. They lie to each other, they lie to the pollsters and the media, and they lie to themselves, all to fit in, to feel the safety of numbers, to keep the peace down to the beer joint, to feel important.

Cons, what you feel is NOT patriotism, it is not courage in the face of non-existent Socialism, it has nothing to do with the Founding Fathers (who, believe it or not, put their trousers on one leg at a time), and it certainly has nothing to do with a secure future for your children or your country. It has EVERYTHING to do with being good sheep, for being pawns to the wealth you will NEVER see in these circumstances, for giving in to your desire to FIT IN at the expense of this country's future.

Think for yourselves for once! Come back from the dark side and refudiate the will of your puppet masters . Join us and save America!

[Terence Duke]

01:45 AM on 09/02/2010

In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot, abetting his abuses in return for protection to his own. It is easier to acquire wealth and power by this combination than by deserving them, and to effect this, they have perverted the purest religion ever preached to man into mystery and jargon, unintelligible to all mankind, and therefore the safer engine for their purposes.
-- Thomas Jefferson, to Horatio G Spafford, March 17, 1814

[Terence Duke]

01:43 AM on 09/02/2010

I believe in the teachings of Jesus but also know that "THERE ARE MANY LAMPS BUT ONLY ONE LIGHT" and that peace truly comes when we can see this. It is in religious leaders who, for their own power created a system so interlaced with laws and mysticism from the teachings of Christ that are so simple that any man can understand them into religion that uses threats and calls of being a heretic if you do not believe in only their way, as to maintain their power and wealth they have amassed. For it is in the leaders of the religions wanting to maintain their power and wealth that has led us to where we are now. For if we followed the simple basic laws taught to us by Christ, there would be no need for the big rich powerful churches that men have built their status wealth and power on.

As talk of our founding fathers have been in the news lately I chose to read some of their writings and found this great quote from Thomas Jefferson which sums it up perfectly:

The Christian priesthood, finding the doctrines of Christ leveled to every understanding, and too plain to need explanation, saw, in the mysticism of Plato, materials with which they might build up an artificial system which might, from it’s indistinctness, admit everlasting controversy, give employment for their order, and introduce it to profit, power and pre-eminence.
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, July 5, 1814,

[a space alien]

12:04 AM on 09/02/2010

Alright, once again I'm curious. What do you guys think John McCain's Oval Office address would've been like if he had won the White House and had made this speech to us? What would McCain have said (with Sarah Palin as his VP, of course)?

[jabailo]

11:43 PM on 09/01/2010

I have to say, Obama's speech on the withdrawal from Iraq was downright insulting to say the least. Like Bush or not (and I worship him), he basically destroyed world terrorism. So, ok, maybe it wasn't all funded directly from Saddam, but we went into the heart of their hideout, and flushed the rats from the nest. Terror is an expensive business and that was their hiding place. Bush turned an area that was a black box to most, a "dark continent" with mysterious hoodlums into a place that we cleaned up like gangbusters.

Obama's desultory and whining speech was a national shame! He should have been crowing about our success and all he did was mumble vague apologies. What a sham!

[Greybeard53]

09:33 AM on 09/02/2010

This post is FULL of lies and distortions.

Bush destroyed a secular country(Iraq) that had NOTHING to do, funding or material, with terrorism. Then he spent more on Iraqi schools and roads in a year than on American roads and schools in eight years.

The "rats in the nest", Afghanistan, ARE STILL THERE! In fact, they have multiplied and taken over a nuclear-armed country, Pakistan. Bush CAUSED the growth of Al Quada by killing 200 times more civilians than combatants.

I'd LOVE to see you justify the statement that there exists a single TOWN, much less a country, that "we cleaned up like gangbusters".

You disgust thinking, god-fearing people with the statement "I worship him!" Move to Texas and start a church, you Godless failure.

[vetxcl]

09:39 PM on 09/01/2010

47.35% of all statistics are made up.

[vetxcl]

09:35 PM on 09/01/2010

if we believed everything the repugnicants claim they believe, we'd be in five wars right now, everyone would be choking on toxic waste, (deregulated corporations), you'd be able to see the air, but would have to wear gas masks to breathe, everyone (that had a job) would be working for pennies a day, everyone would have some form of cancer, only corporate execs could afford health care,you could literally walk on the water/solid waste,but be too afraid to becaue of it's oily consistency and putrid smell, the food you had to eat would glow in the dark and be laden with various carcinogens, only jobs available would be for defense department contractors, (all other jobs would be overseas), congress would essentially be abolished, but would still hang around to collect inflated paychecks and rubber stamp everything the president/decider wanted, the president would have an unlimited term (due to the last signing statement), taxes would be initially cut, but then after the decider was in for life, they'd skyrocket, the u.n. would be dismantled, there would be 24/7 surveilance on everyone (except key high-ranking, government officials) - sorry, guys, but you know those evil terrorrists are everywhere, cars, would get 2 miles per gallon,(the market regulates itself) , there would be a state religion and everyone not attending would be tried/imprisoned as a communist and the military would be four times it's present size and be bloated with overly complex, hard to maintain, unusable, gadgetry. just sayin.

[J.C. Convery]

08:50 PM on 09/01/2010

Yeah, my influence is so important that you must follow my commands. Really, get over yourself. You're a self descibed victim of the shrubbery years and that makes you what? Special? It just makes you a victim. Now in life you ultimately have three choices when it comes to dealing with problems, complain about them, ignore them or take action. The perference is taking action but for some reason people have a problem with that. Evidently some of you really really tried to make changes you wanted and it didnt happen so you turn on Obama because he's not progressive enough for you.

So when I call you out on failing to work toward your goals I'm some self serving tool? Hey it's people like me that care about the progressive cause and fail to see why quitters get to start calling the shots. If that makes me arrogant then so be it. At least I'm not wallowing in my own self pity while the conservatives conspire to wipe out whatever gains you've allready made.

[JamesinDentonTX]

10:59 PM on 09/01/2010

People really need to think about the consequences of not going to the polls, and handing victory to their opponents. We don't ever want to be critical of our own, but people are too hard on Obama, and too willing to let themselves be swayed daily by "public opinion." The far right has been at war with the rest of us for a long time and we had better wake up!

[Terence Duke]

02:04 AM on 09/02/2010

Are you aware of the obstruction Republicans have placed in his path from not confirming many nominees to not holding hearings on Federal Judge vacancies which did not happen under Bush.

He has made many great changes trying to restore us as good citizens of the world but have had placed in his path many obstacles. He is seen this way by republicans for simply trying to reach out to the Muslim world to bridge peace and understanding not war and hate that we fostered for 9 years. I know muslims, they are kind peaceful people not set on our destruction and ruling over us but working together allowing and respecting each others beliefs. But a view has been sold to Americans by people who want to foster the hate etc so they may profit from the wars etc that may come from it. If someone teaches something that arises from religion that in detriment to us via violence or what have you, that is to be handled by law but to simply want to practice a belief that is everyman's right and between him and god, and put them down and belittle does no one any good.. as I believe: There are many lamps but only one light, as in many paths to god and let everyone believe what is best for them without putting them down we can all live in peace. But I do not see that happening soon

[mgray34]

06:40 PM on 09/01/2010

How's this for irony...who's the one person that, at least in behavior, has acted Christian-like since the President was elected?

The GOP? No...Barring false witness of the President, not doing onto him as they would like something done to them.

Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity? No...Creating division among the people. Lying about the facts (false witness).

The Christian Right? No...Not having the courage to come out and speak the truth in season and out about the obvious false statements that have been made about the President. Some have even supported the propaganda directed towards President Obama inspite of the facts. They have not spoken out about the false Muslim claims.

The Teaparty? No...Slanderous signs, bringing guns to rallies with the supposed threat of intimidation. Not loving thy neighbor (Obama) as thyself.

You see, the truth has no party affiliation. God's love has no party affiliation. Men and women are brothers and sisters in Christ BEFORE they are Democrats and Republicans.

Who's this person who has acted in the most Christian manner? President Obama, believe it or not. He continues to try to work with the GOP who in turn refuse to work with him. In last night's speech, he spoke respectfully about Bush, when those in Bush's party would have taken the time bash him if he was in Bush's position. He is exhibiting all the attributes of turning the other cheek, showing restraint and being a peacemaker. Actions speak louder than words.

[JamesinDentonTX]

11:03 PM on 09/01/2010

Obama doesn't appeal to the sector of our population suffering from control issues. All that intelligence and dignity is intimidating to people who don't like themselves.

[garymc8]

04:29 PM on 09/01/2010

POLL: MAJORITY DON'T BELEVE THE GOP.

[Truth In Voting]

04:20 PM on 09/01/2010

In other news,

70% of Americans to this day still think Saddam Hussein was involved in the 9/11 attack even though Bush said early on (September 18, 2003 to be exact) that Saddam Hussein was NOT involved in 9/11.

20% of us don't know Earth revolves around the sun.

60% of us can't name the three branches of government.

27% are pretty sure or totally sure Obama isn't an American citizen.

Half of us also thinks Iraq had WMDs even though none have been found 9 years later.

One-fifth of us think "I'm a Christian" was secret Muslim sign language code for "I'm a Muslim;"

http://www.newsweek.com/photo/2010/08/24/dumb-things-americans-believe.html

[renman2010]

02:21 PM on 09/05/2010

Thanks for the link. Wow. These unfortunate, stupid people...