The answers that the Harris poll yielded are alarming. Here are four of the findings:
- 24% of Republicans think that Obama “may be the Antichrist”
- 38% think Obama is “doing many of the things that Hitler did”
- 57% think that Obama is a Muslim
- 67% of Republicans think that Barack Obama is a socialist
Pathetic. The Hitler number is particularly worrisome because, if you really believe that Barack Obama can be analogized to Hitler, it follows that you might well think of his assassination as an act of patriotism. Rush Limbaugh, just yesterday, compared Barack Obama to Hitler:
Stupak is no different than Neville Chamberlain, who came back with that little letter from Hitler, “Oh, yeah, Hitler says no war between his country and ours.” Churchill said, “Well, you’re a fool.”
It’s an inane and grotesque meme, and far-rightists like Limbaugh are obviously having success spreading it. And the people in this 2008 video indeed appear to represent the views of a substantial, and perhaps growing, segment of the Republican Party in 2010:
Just to point out, the Hitler question is so vague (“many things like”) that it’s irrelevant. I’d have to say yes to that question in regard to many US presidents, none of which I would ever equate to Hitler, just because of how it’s worded. Also 40% of all Americans (according to the same poll) believe Obama is a socialist (including me.) No excuse for the anti-Christ one though. That’s just fing crazy.
It was a question missing: Do you know the differences? Does it matter?