How Obama Got Elected

In My Humble Opinion
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(I wasn’t sure where to post this. Not enough vitriol for the Pit, plus that place scares me. Not really a debate. Not really a poll. Mods, move as appropriate).

My former step-brother posted this link to his Facebook page today (yea yea shut up).

http://www.howobamagotelected.com/

And really, I just…had to post here, rather than respond to him on Facebook, 'cause I feel like I’m gonna explode.

Look, I recognize that there are drooling idiots on all “sides” of the political spectrum. There are probably just as many completely clueless assholes that didn’t vote for Obama because he’s a Muslim, or not even an American citizen, or a socialist/Marxist, but couldn’t name a single policy stance for McCain/Palin, as there are idiots in this video who were unaware of Obama’s policies.

But no…those of us who voted for Obama couldn’t have done so because we agree with him politically, and/or we vehemently disagree with McCain, or desire a shift in governmental policies and stances. No. It’s because we’re stupid. If we were more informed about issues, we’d OBVIOUSLY vote for McCain.

For the past 8 years, I’ve tolerated being called unAmerican because I’m liberal, a traitor because I disagree with Bush’s policies, and the reason why America is sinking into a morass of immorality because I’m not Christian and support things like same-sex marriage. Now, apparently I’m uninformed and ignorant as well, because of my political beliefs.

I just…I don’t even know why this bothers me so much. There are honest political differences, based on real disagreements about values, morals, and the direction of this country. I don’t remember hearing about identified Democratic officials calling McCain supporters unAmerican, or calling for investigations, or posting sexist crap on official Democratic party websites (such as in Sacramento County), but if I missed that, I condemn it. Just as I condemn the name-calling on the Republican side.

I posted here because I didn’t want to get into a multi-party, multi-page argument on Facebook, because really, what’s the point? If someone honestly believes that there are MORE uninformed ignorant idiots who voted for Obama than uninformed ignorant idiots who voted for McCain, what’s the point in trying to convince them otherwise.

I just wish that the political discourse could move to a point of recognizing that we all want the same things. We all want good schools for our children, good safe neighborhoods to live in, open opportunities for ourselves and our loved ones, clean air, clean water, safe food. We just disagree on the best methods of getting there.

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I think this might do better in IMHO for now.

Would that it were that simple. Sometimes people do have very big differences on basic stuff - but I think the biggest cause of what you’re talking about is the fact that sometimes, people need to be right so much that they come to believe everyone who disagrees is delusional or stupid or lying. It can’t possibly be an honest difference of opinion, it’s got to be something malicious.

As for the “How Obama Got Elected” film- a lot of people here read FiveThirtyEightalready, but if you don’t, you might be interested to read an interview with the guy who made the film and a few posts on why the survey is so ridiculous. Apparently Zogby himself is backing away from it.

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The Wall Street Journal called the entire survey “misleading” and clearly shows how the results don’t even show what Ziegler was trying to prove.

Fivethirtyeight.com made the point that the comments by the person behind the film is one reason that conservatives are in trouble: they can’t conceive the possibility that anyone disagrees with them and see no need to convince people about their positions. Thus, when someone asks for evidence, they shout instead of supplying it.

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Thanks. I really wasn’t sure.

I agree that “it’s not that simple,” but I do think that if we analyze the things we all want, we can see that our differences don’t involve those motives but the ways we want to accomplish them.

For example, we all want good schools for our children (whether they are our children specifically, or “our children” in the societal sense). People believe that good schools require: more funding, more resources, more local control, less public funding and more private donations, abolishment of the public school system, vouchers, no vouchers, more testing, more national oversight, less involvement of the NEA and the AFT, more parental involvement…

Various political factions feel that some of the above techniques are aligned with their values and morals and beliefs, while the “opposite” side feels that others are best. But the underlying motive is the same – the intention to build good educational opportunities. The differences lie in manifesting that intent.

Oh, I realize that, and it’s certainly not limited to one political faction or another. I’m idealistic enough to hope that most people enter into discourse, whether public or private, in good faith and with honest intentions. Things like the linked website damage my naivete. :slight_smile:

Instead of replying to my former step-brother’s post, I just put the Wall Street Journal link into the comment box. Thank you both for the link to that. I skim FiveThirtyEight but not regularly.

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Duplicate thread?

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Sorry about that, Inigo. I didn’t search, and I should have.

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Bad Kolga!

I’ll be expecting a banana from you on Sunday.

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No bananas. Mango? Pomegranate?

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You know, as I think about it, I really can’t see what the man was trying to prove. Obama supporters supported the man because they felt he would make a good president, and it’s highly unlikely that even if they heard the information, it would make any difference to them.

It boils down to the comment on fivethirtyeight – that the conservative movement was built on sensation and that comes from talk radio. They seem to think that if you make a charge against someone, it will turn people off to him (even though they just ignore charges against their favored candidates – e.g., Obama didn’t have enough experience whereas Palin, had plenty).

As for the experience issue, Obama voters said, to paraphrase Shaw, “We want a few inexperienced people now. See where the experienced ones have landed us.”

In any case, the WSJ article shows that the survey doesn’t even come close to supporting the conclusions.