# Fox News focus group of likely Iowa GOP caucus-goers don't trust Obama on Egypt because he's Muslim
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [February 8, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701 "2011-02-08T21:42:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/1 "2011-02-08T21:42:07Z")
Here’s the story:
> **[Gawker | The Website](https://gawker.com/)**
>
> Gawker. It's a website on the internet.
> [@](#):
>
> Iowa Voters Don’t Trust Obama on Egypt Because He’s Muslim Fox News put together a focus group of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers to watch President Obama’s pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O’Reilly and gauge their reactions. So why were the reactions so negative when he was giving fairly boilerplate responses to O’Reilly’s questions about the Egyptian uprising and any potential threats posed by the Muslim Brotherhood?
> zone: inside
> size: 300x600
> keywords: origin=gawker, visited=io9front, visited=gawkerfront
>
> It didn’t take long to figure out at least one major reason: half of the focus group, by a quick show of hands, believes Obama is a Muslim…
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### Author:  [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/2 "2011-02-08T22:45:57Z")
Is anyone actually surprised by this? As a whole, Americans seem to be happy to be ignorant. I’ve met any number who actually get \*angry \*when you try to educate them. They know what they know, and they still know it even if they’ve been presented with what they admit is iron-clad evidence to prove they’re wrong.
Does it matter? It’s not like he’s going to run as a Republican, after all.
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### Author:  [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/3 "2011-02-08T22:58:22Z")
I was so proud of IA when we got the same sex marriage debate resolved. Then they go and disappoint me with the repeal of the 3 IASC justices and this crap. How depressing. I’m not particularly surprised, just disappointed.
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### Author:  [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/4 "2011-02-08T23:40:12Z")
Well, at least majority didn’t say they thought Obama was foreign-born.
Of course, they haven’t asked that question yet so maybe I’m being too optimistic.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/5 "2011-02-08T23:43:16Z")
> [@Morgyn](#):
>
> Is anyone actually surprised by this? As a whole, Americans seem to be happy to be ignorant. I’ve met any number who actually get \*angry \*when you try to educate them. They know what they know, and they still know it even if they’ve been presented with what they admit is iron-clad evidence to prove they’re wrong.
>
> Does it matter? It’s not like he’s going to run as a Republican, after all.
I’m not sure it’s specific to Americans. There was a study recently that showed that people, generally, are MORE inclined to hold on to previously held beliefs if you show them evidence against them.
Humans are not rational beings.
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### Author:  [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/6 "2011-02-09T00:02:29Z")
> [@joebuck20](#):
>
> Here’s the story:…Iowa Voters Don’t Trust Obama on Egypt Because He’s Muslim…
So what would bother you more, the fact that A) some significant number of stupid voters believes Obama is a Muslim, B) the fact that he claims to be a Christian? Or C) that he actually now really is a Christian, having converted from Islam at some point?
A, B or C? Or maybe he was Christian all along, who knows?
Are you actually comfortable with any one of the possible religious evaluations of the POTUS suggested above, or is there some other angle on religion WRT the POTUS that tickles your fancy?
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/7 "2011-02-09T00:08:43Z")
You appear to have learned how to speak from Fox News; say any damnfool thing you like, but so long as you put a question mark after it, why, you’re just asking a question, no harm there!
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### Author:  [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/8 "2011-02-09T00:12:35Z")
I’m pretty comfortable discounting crackpot theories of Obama’s religion, accepting his word that he’s Christian, and overall not really giving a shit what his religion is.
Not to appear boastful, but I daresay the country would be better off if everyone were like me.
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### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/9 "2011-02-09T00:30:25Z")
I wish someone would do a poll that asked the question:
“Is a Muslim allowed to be President of the United States?”
just to see the outcome.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/10 "2011-02-09T00:46:08Z")
The key words in the OP’s quote:
> [@](#):
>
> **Fox News put together a focus group** of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers. . .
When you hire chicken farmers to build a skyscraper, it’s probably going to fall down.
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### Author:  [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/11 "2011-02-09T01:24:52Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> …but so long as you put a question mark after it, why, you’re just asking a question, no harm there!
I take it you’d rather not answer the question, then? Is that because it is not relevant to the topic, you can’t work out in intelligent response, or you’d rather just try deflecting attention away from the issue at hand by attacking me?
There, see how that works? Three more questions, including another embedded multiple choice. 😛
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/12 "2011-02-09T01:29:34Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> The key words in the OP’s quote:
>
> When you hire chicken farmers to build a skyscraper, it’s probably going to fall down.
Polls have consistently shown that a large percentage of Republicans don’t believe Obama is a Christian. I doubt that Fox stacked the deck here. They wouldn’t have had to.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/13 "2011-02-09T01:30:50Z")
> [@Nadir](#):
>
> I take it you’d rather not answer the question, then? Is that because it is not relevant to the topic, you can’t work out in intelligent response, or you’d rather just try deflecting attention away from the issue at hand by attacking me?
>
> There, see how that works? Three more questions, including another embedded multiple choice. 😛
You offer an odd choice of questions. How about the explanation Obama gives:
He wasn’t raised in any formal religion, but found his faith in Christianity as a young adult.
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### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/14 "2011-02-09T01:41:03Z")
> [@Nadir](#):
>
> So what would bother you more, the fact that A) some significant number of stupid voters believes Obama is a Muslim, B) the fact that he claims to be a Christian? Or C) that he actually now really is a Christian, having converted from Islam at some point?
>
> A, B or C? Or maybe he was Christian all along, who knows?
>
> Are you actually comfortable with any one of the possible religious evaluations of the POTUS suggested above, or is there some other angle on religion WRT the POTUS that tickles your fancy?
I believe that I speak for at least some others here, who woould likely say, as one voice: what the fuck are you going on about?
Near as I can tell, the subject of this thread has something to do with mocking the general stupidity of people who apparently believe something about the President that is quite simply false, and furthermore is easily fact-checked. It’s not that complicated.
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### Author:  [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/15 "2011-02-09T01:43:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> How about the explanation Obama gives: He wasn’t raised in any formal religion, but found his faith in Christianity as a young adult.
I’d have no reason not to believe that if I did not suspect it was simply a matter of checking the Christian box, pandering to voters for political expediency.
I do agree with the Turnip in that his religion or lack thereof should not be an issue. But it “is” an issue - the issue at hand, which is being sensationalized or misrepresented for political reasons. The way it breaks down in the U.S. right now you basically get either stupidity or dishonesty from one side or the other, because religion has\_to\_be\_an\_issue.
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### Author:  [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/16 "2011-02-09T01:44:09Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#):
>
> …and furthermore is easily fact-checked.
Really? You don’t say? :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/17 "2011-02-09T01:49:18Z")
> [@Nadir](#):
>
> Really? You don’t say? :rolleyes:
Remember Rev. Ayers?
Did the Obamas get married in a church ceremony?
Are his children baptised?
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/18 "2011-02-09T02:00:08Z")
> [@Nadir](#):
>
> So what would bother you more, the fact that A) some significant number of stupid voters believes Obama is a Muslim, B) the fact that he claims to be a Christian? Or C) that he actually now really is a Christian, having converted from Islam at some point?
>
> A, B or C? Or maybe he was Christian all along, who knows?
>
> Are you actually comfortable with any one of the possible religious evaluations of the POTUS suggested above, or is there some other angle on religion WRT the POTUS that tickles your fancy?
Obama has never been a Muslim, you fucking moron.
The answer to the question I think you’re trying to ask is that it would be nice if people were aware of his actual religious identification (which happens to be Christian and has never been Muslim) and didn’t buy into asinine, racist conspiracy theories.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/19 "2011-02-09T02:00:08Z")
> [@Nadir](#):
>
> I’d have no reason not to believe that if I did not suspect it was simply a matter of checking the Christian box, pandering to voters for political expediency.
>
> I do agree with the Turnip in that his religion or lack thereof should not be an issue. But it “is” an issue - the issue at hand, which is being sensationalized or misrepresented for political reasons. The way it breaks down in the U.S. right now you basically get either stupidity or dishonesty from one side or the other, because religion has\_to\_be\_an\_issue.
when have Democrats made religion a big issue. And I’m confused, are you accusing Obama of being a secret Muslim or a secret atheist?
What makes me upset is that people who are going to have some voice in the selection of a Republican candidate don’t have two brain cells to rub together.
---
### Author:  [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2011, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701/20 "2011-02-09T02:02:43Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#):
>
> Remember Rev. Ayers?
>
> Did the Obamas get married in a church ceremony?
>
> Are his children baptised?
Ohhh, ohhh, I’ll play!
Does he interrupt his schedule for prayer five times daily?
Does he attend mosque?
Does he only eat halal foods?
Does he fast on Ramadan?
I’m dying to know the info that **Nadir** has that’ll blow the lid off this whole scam.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-news-focus-group-of-likely-iowa-gop-caucus-goers-dont-trust-obama-on-egypt-because-hes-muslim/570701.md?page=2)