If the story had been set it a southern state (Mississippi, Alabama, etc.) these people would have been portrayed as ignorant racist, but since Ohio is part of the “heartland of America) they are simply “confused”.

But on the Internet, in his grocery store, at his neighbor’s house, at his son’s auto shop, Peterman has also absorbed another version of the Democratic candidate’s background, one that is entirely false: Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Do they know that he couldn’t run for president if that were true? Or do they think he is lying?

but since Ohio is part of the “heartland of America) they are simply “confused”.

I suppose. But being from Ohio, I would refer to them as ignorant racists. Little confusion there.

Kudos on that.  Why bend over backwards to kiss the asses of people who refuse to give up their dumbassedness, who actually celebrate it, and condemn people like us who ‘know better?’ Screw them.  If you don’t like the big fat “L” for LOSER tattooed on your forehead, stop being a dumbass, I say.

I agree with Steaming Pile.  I am just plain tired of playing nice with people that are just too damn stupid to understand the facts.

I’m from Mississippi and say you’re right, about Mississippi, and Ohio, and about all the ignorant bigoted assholes inbetween and in all directions.

The rumors, email or otherwise, are entirely and completely an undeservedly smug, cowardly dog-whistling, sneer-mouthed, brain-suffocated, and fear-worshipping short backslide from the venal veneer of transparent pseudo-respectability to the true ultimate destination of their mongers, a destination the mongers never truly left, which is an utter inner capitulation to their deep-seated belief in their own racial and personal inferiorities and the successful auction of their very souls to the absolute lowest-common denominator, namely the stupidity of their own resident evil.

To reiterate and clarify:  The rumormongers and rumor-accepters have not earned their smugness (welfare smugness), are dog-whistling cowards (who sniff dog poo), sneer-mouthed (well, duh, take a look), brain-suffocated (double-duh), and fear-worshipping (Bush supporters), who bartered their venal veneer of pseudo-respectability (fools no one) for their ultimate and original state of being, which is deep-seated belief in their own inferiorities (their mirror tells all), and who have auctioned their very souls to the evilest person they know (themselves).

This is the one thing about our elections that works.  Yes, this is an example of something that works.

To wit;

When ignorant fucksticks elect a bush, they elect someone based on ignorance and emotion.  What they get is fucked financially (the vast majority of voters at least), their children get sent off to fight a pointless war of aggression, their businesses and their jobs get sent overseas, their pensions are forgotten, their health care only continues to get worse and more expensive and their national infra-structure continues to decay as tax cuts for powerful political supporters both corporate and corporeal are handed out.

These bigoted, intentionally and arrogantly stupid asshats are getting exactly what they deserve.

The really fucked part, the rest of us get fucked too.

It’s so good to see you posting again Jesse.

I was barely able to read this what with my eyes constantly rolling.  This Petersen can’t decide if he should believe what he’s seen in the media (which, okay, if your watching Fox is understandable) or his friend’s cousin?  And the fact that he’d rather not vote than stand up for the truth?  How fucking weak.

one that they’re allowed to approach as if they’re simply equivalent narratives given weight by their fetishized status as “Middle Americans”.

The whole he said/she said setup of the mainstream media is largely to blame, I think. First, they continue to report the rumors long after they’ve been disproven, just because “some people are saying” with no source attribution. Second, they never actually say the words “but this is a lie”; they just say “but the Obama camp says this is incorrect.” By attributing the denial to a known “biased” source, it makes the rumor seem stronger.

The other problem is that the GOP slime machine has been more than willing to take advantage of the situation, pushing rumors and smears that are further and further out, almost as if they are waiting for the media outlets to say, “No, we can’t report that--that’s stupid.” And, of course, the media never does that.

Instead of Overton’s Window, we’re dealing with Overton’s Airplane Hangar Door.

I’m interested in meeting these African gay Muslim racists. 

Skwee--the Africa thing I would guess is a part of the rumormongering around the “Why won’t he release his birth records?” thing.  But also that rule is in the Constitution and I don’t imagine most of these folks have read it very carefully.  It grosses me out that these stories are legitimated with the “Middle America” crap.  I’m a Middle American and I was not raised viewing aggressive ignorance as a value.

I hadn’t heard the gay thing, though.  I guess that just goes along with being a Democrat.  Because we all know Republicans don’t do that sort of thing.

Findlay is in Ohio, but is not Appalachia. American dumbassery is not confined to Appalachia, but to maybe what we could call the national Appalachia. The United States of Dumbassery. And I think shaming people for this crap is right on. We won’t reason people out of these lies, but as I have learned from my “Ahaian” students, I can shame them into recognizing the facts. What opinion they draw is their own business, but if they want to cling to lies, I will call them on it.

I suspect lots of people will be parsing out this article today. I wondered why the story was written in the first place. I mean, it’s not like Findlay, Ohio is 1) a major source of votes in particular or 2) was going to be an Obama stronghold no matter if these rumors were out there or not. It’s the equivalent of going to inner-city Baltimore and wondering why McCain’s not doing better.

Pennylane, the “gay” think threw me for a loop, too, but then I vaguely remembered that some moron was running around claiming to have given BO a hummer in a limo or something else equally unlikely. I will assume that is the “source” of the gay rumor.

I’m actually related to people like this who will take these little snippets and believe them as fact. I’ve come to decide that they had already decided not to vote for BO, and now they are just looking for excuses to prove that their decision was the correct one. As to the source of the decision - too young? too black? too much change? too Democrat? too nice to gays / “sluts” / other evil groups? - it could be pretty much anything. I’ve stopped trying to care.

The last “scary BO” chain email I got was from an aunt who is no longer on speaking terms with me after I wrote a scathing reply to the email right after that - the one that said that “Muslims” have no right to be upset when their people get tortured because, hey, 9/11 bitches. I pointed out that she was a racist ignorant asshat and that I didn’t want her to send stuff like that to me, and she said Fine and now won’t email or talk to me, period. The relief is palpable, at least for me.

It’s the equivalent of going to inner-city Baltimore and wondering why McCain’s not doing better.

Which they haven’t done and will never, ever, ever do.

I call to your attention Harmony Korine’s movie “Gummo.” The only thing that keeps Ohio from being Appalachia is the terrain, which makes driving through Ohio less a journey and more a form of torture. Well, the Air Force museum in Dayton is cool, as are my friends in Columbus and Cleveland.

Outside cities *everywhere* is Mississippi.

The thing that makes it obvious that there are people who absolutely cannot think logically is apparent in how many of these asshats believe BOTH:
1) Obama is a radical Muslim.
2) Obama must share all the views of his Christian pastor, Wright, since he’s spent a lifetime sitting in the pew listening to him.

With people who cannot see that these are mutually exclusive beliefs, there is absolutely no point in trying to influence them through facts and logic.

I remember in the 2000 and 2004 election cycle when the mainstream media told me over and over about how GWBush was a strong leader, with a clear moral vision who would be a good president.  But I read all over the internet that he was an ignorant, incompetent dry drunk who lied all the time and had no business running for, much less being, president.

I remember in 2002-2003 when the mainstream media told me over and over that Saddam Hussein was a threat who was going to kill us all soon unless our heroic President sent our military in to overthrow the evil, brutal tyrant.  But I read all over the internet that Saddam hadn’t attacked us, had a weak army, and there wasn’t any proof that he had any capability whatsoever to harm us.

Considering all this, I can see how some people struggle with what news to believe and not to believe.  The damage inflicted by our mainstream media from 2000-2004 will last for awhile.  Read “The Great Derangement” by Matt Taibbi for more examples (i.e. End of Times Christians, 9/11 truthers, etc.)

Dear Jesse, welcome back to Pandagon.  In many ways it’s shame you left although it sounds as though your journey was enlightening and successful.  If you’re going to look for “ignorant, bigoted asshole” though, you need to look directly at Pandagon, and what Amanda Marcotte has written these past several years.  It’s anti-science, it’s authoritarian, and it has been recognized as bigoted by not just Catholics, but by women of color, gays, transgendered, feminists of color, as well as by men.

Okay, weird ranter banned.  That didn’t even make sense, demonstrating that “jerry” is not here to even pretend to engage in a discussion.

It’s fun to trash the media coverage here, but it’s also worth remembering that Obama is still averaging a five-points-plus lead in national polls.  I don’t believe that people who believe the rumors are a significant percentage of the American electorate, in Ohio or anywhere else.  In fact, I think most of the people who hate Obama hate him for the simple reason that he is black and educated, and they don’t even take the Muslim/Gay/Terrorist thing that seriously.

“...if you believe that Obama is a Muslim, unpatriotic, a terrorist, not born in America, any of the various rumors floating around about him, you are an ignorant, bigoted asshole giving in to the worst temptations of society...”

...and whether you want to admit it publicly or not, let’s face it - you’re probably proud of being that way.  If you didn’t have to worry that somebody might call you on it, you’d put a huge sticker on the back of your vehicle loudly proclaiming that “I’m An Ignorant, Bigoted, Asshole - And Proud Of It!”.

***

“If you’re going to look for “ignorant, bigoted asshole” though, you need to look directly at Pandagon, and what Amanda Marcotte has written these past several years.  It’s anti-science, it’s authoritarian, and it has been recognized as bigoted by not just Catholics, but by women of color, gays, transgendered, feminists of color, as well as by men.”

Thanks for your concern, “jerry”!  I’m sure without you pointing out that Pandagon gets its fair share of “ignorant, bigoted, assholes” trolls commenting here, we would never realize this was occurring. 

Oh...you mean you’re saying that Amanda is a big ol’ bigot who hates everyone who isn’t a straight, white, atheist, feminist, female?  Well, NO WONDER you’re so CONCERNED about Pandagon!  What a nice thoughtful troll you are…

I drove through that mental fucking wasteland last week.

Traveling from one liberal outpost (Ann Arbor, MI) to another (Asheville, NC) means traversing the Land of Shitheads that both parties seem intent on seducing.

I had a post all worked out in my head on that, and ran out of time/energy last week. Maybe it’s time to stoke those embers…

Oh, and I’d be remiss not to mention how excited I was when Ezra announced your return. Back in the halcyon days of Pandagon, you guys established the template I’ve tried to follow in my blogging.

Great to have you back.

What’s your connection to Ann Arbor?

Not that I’ve been looking very hard, but I haven’t seen any efforts by the right to debunk either of Obama’s books.  I find that really telling.  The source of these rumors is composed of and appealing to people who don’t read books and they don’t have to worry about the fact that there’s a book out there that clarifies all these “questions” people are so confused about.

I don’t think we should accept the Middle-American honorific as a stamp of respectability or give people a pass on their ignorance.  But, hey, let’s aim at some specificity for our hating and not just dump on the Midwest.  MI, MN, WI, IL all have strong progressive histories and still are strongly blue.  MO, IA, and OH all have some serious potential to become that way.  I’m a Midwest expatriate out on the Left Coast, and let me tell you, fucktardary is not limited to flyover states.  Ever been to San Diego?  Ever heard or Nixon or Reagan?  WA and OR have some crazy extremist stuff going on, too.

Basically, what I’m trying to say is let’s dump on fucktards no matter where they’re from.  Let’s not dump on the Midwest (or South) as if it were the exclusive domain of fucktards (Atrios does this, not Jesse).  That’s just the inverse of the MSM granting legitimacy to anything said by a “Middle-American.”

I live in lower Northeast Ohio (Stark County) but am from Tuscarawas County (Southeast Ohio). I can assure you that Tuscarawas county (and parts southeast/southwest of there) are indeed part of Appalachia. There is a vast difference in cultures from just one county to the next (Stark County is not part of Appalachia). The people in Tuscarawas county have no problem telling you that neither a black man nor a woman (of any color) have a right to be president.

I can also assure you that these types rumors about Obama are damned near impossible to quash down in my hometown. My father-in-law, who I thought was quite intelligent, argued with me that Obama is not an American citizen and that he’s controlled by the Islamic extremists. I was so dumbfounded that someone could be so stupid that I couldn’t even get mad. I just laughed. I reminded him the part of the Constitution that says only natural born citizens of the U.S. can hold the office of POTUS and he decided there must be some conspiracy then.

This sort of willful ignorance is rampant in my hometown. It’s disgusting.

“Findlay is in Ohio, but is not Appalachia. American dumbassery is not confined to Appalachia, but to maybe what we could call the national Appalachia.”

Nate at fivethirtyeight.com did an interesting analysis of white voters who identify their ethnicity as ‘American’ on the census. The highest concentration was in Appalachia with a high degree of spillover into Ohio, Arkansas, and Indiana. Places where Obama has had some trouble in the primary and in GE polling.

My father-in-law, who I thought was quite intelligent, argued with me that Obama is not an American citizen and that he’s controlled by the Islamic extremists.

And he explained Obama’s election to the U.S. Senate how exactly?

Let me guess. Another conspiracy. And the Republicans, who controlled Congress at the time, were in on it! Man, this thing runs deep ...

The Midwest and South, contrary to popular opinion, don’t exactly have a monopoly on stupidity and ignorance.  Nor are the coasts exactly bastions of enlightenment.  Jesse is not doing that--he’s currently a good Wolverine--but it’s something I see a lot on the internets and it is completely exasperating.

As a Michigander, I take exception to the high falutin’ attitude of coasties about the vast spece in between.  Walther Reuther, Rosa Parks, Muhammed Ali, Iggy Stooge, Clarence Darrow, John Sinclair--all Michiganders at some point in time.  Last time I checked, the University of Michigan was still among the best universities in the world.

But, hey, I gotta go now.  The squirrel soup* needs stirring and I gots to git me some tobaccy before I mosey on down to the welfare placey.

*Tastes better than it sounds.

“… appealing to people who don’t read books ...”

Only elitist liberals read! reading is for sissies! Real Americans don’t read no damn books!

There’s a strange illogic involved in the reporting of American elections.

Just because a lot of stupid/misinformed/ignorant people vote doesn’t mean that their stupidity or ignorance is a ‘problem’ for the candidates. It’s a problem for those voters. Obama is not somehow ‘flawed’ or ‘has a weakness’ if he is unable to persuade dumb bigots to vote for him.

Talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations. If there’s one group prejudice that perfectly acceptable, it should be anti-fucktardism.

A surprisingly large number of people in the United States are profoundly stupid. Hence they may be easily manipulated with simple symbols. Not only Republicans; smart Democrats sold their brains for sweet dreams of Hope and Change.

Luckily McCain may not have enough money to do a thorough job of indoctrinating as many morons as he needs to win and sustaining those sentiments until the election.

The fundamental flaw of democracy is one moron, one vote. Throw in the smart people who for one reason or another persist in being wrong and what you get is Republican administrations.

I grew up in Montana and now live in Seattle.  I have spent a lot of time in eastern Washington and Idaho.

Every time I leave Seattle, even to travel to adjoining communities, I feel like I am back in Idaho.

Don’t get me wrong, I met lots of nice people in Idaho, but we were vastly outnumbered by fools who voted for Larry Craig or Helen Chenowith.

I think we are mostly dealing with urban vs rural values.  In rural areas, there is less diversity and less population density, it is easier to maintain your fictional views of the ‘other’ as you are less likely to meet people who might confound your stereotypes.  This is why going to college is such a powerful experience, and why it is roundly condemned by those who are interested in perpetuating such stereotypes for profit and personal gain.

This is also why it is unimportant whether Obama the muslim contradicts the pawn of Wright meme, or whether Obama is a dangerous outsider or liberal elitist.  If grandpa won’t vote for Obama because he’s a muslim, and grandma won’t vote for him because his pastor is un-American, thats a win win situation.  Just throw some shit and see what sticks, because rural americas entrenched ideas just aren’t challenged regularly.

We can only hope that at some point the internet and cable tv change the dynamic for the better.  I think it is happening.  I don’t think Obama could have been the nominee otherwise.

My father in law gets these e-mails all the time and believes them all. no matter what they say. He’s 78 & still learning the internet, so when he gets an e-mail forwarded from one of his friend (or family in Albama), he thinks “it must be true, why would they send it to me if it wasn’t”.

Findlay OH is a medium-sized town with a history of being almost entirely white (ie, likely that some effort was made to keep blacks out). The man who was the main subject of the article would have been serving as a Marine in the Korean War and its aftermath - the desegregation of the military was in place while he served. He may have had black fellow grunts, but I daresay that experience fades when one settles in one of these all-white enclaves. Pressure to conform is significant, open racist language is usable, concepts about blacks are based on racist mythology and selective presentations of current events/ facts.  Obama does not fit into the stereotype - black? lived somewhere other than inner city? more educated than 99.9% of the population? well to do householder with intact family? - does not compute for the resident of all-white towns. Obama as he really is is an impossibility to these people. They have never seen a middle-class educated black family man before, not in a goes-to-same-church, works at local hospital (as professional), lives in same subdivision or street, close-up way. Therefore, this impossible person with the peculiar name must be a Manchurian candidate.

so… residents of Ohio never saw “The Cosby Show”

yes, yes i know, that statement has little point in and of itself… but seriously, how does one MISS TV culture when all they do is WATCH TV???

Yeah, the article freaked me out, too, but I agree with the poster who said “Don’t tar the whole Midwest"--Iowa’s going for Obama this year (I speak as an Iowan)--both our state legistlatures went blue in 2006, as did our Governor & Lieutenant Governor, and we picked up 2 Congressional Seats (Loebsack & Braley), plus we got Harkin.

As for Finlay, well, it’s largely Hancock county, and Hancock county went 71% Bush, 29% Kerry in 2004, when Ohio only went 51% Bush-49% Kerry (a piece of context curiously left out of the article). So you gotta believe there’s some hardcore Republican Koolaid drinking going on there. Hopefully Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown & co. will help Obama in the other, better areas of Ohio where he can make up the 100,000 vote deficit from ‘04. If he pulls just 35% in Hancock, he picks up votes and cuts into the Republican margin.

Aside from increasing critical thinking in the American educational system, which is a long-term project, and donating money to Obama for the short term, I don’t really know what else to do.

I cannot believe the stupidity of a portion of people of the United States, no wonder the country has become the laughing stock of most of the world. As far as the racists and bigots there just crawl back uunder what ever rock you came from and join the rest of the slime that is there. you are all a disgrace to the human race and there is no reason for you to even exist

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