Yesterday I heard POTUS's Pete Dominick ask his satellite radio listeners an interesting question: What's the weird unfactual stuff many liberals believe that is equivalent to conservative lunacies like Obama being a Muslim?
Dominick observed that a majority of Republican voters in Mississippi think President Obama is Muslim rather than Christian. That's crazy!
So he asked conservatives to call in and give him examples of what lots of liberals/progressives believe that is similarly wildly unfactual. I listened for quite a while as I was driving around. The answer: nothing.
A few people cited "Bush was responsible for the 9/11 attacks." But Dominick correctly pointed out that this isn't a widespread liberal belief. I've never heard progressives at a campaign rally yell this out, like Tea Party types do with Obama is a Muslim!
Yes, there are people with crazy ideas on both sides of the political spectrum.
Yet I can't think of any reality-denying fantasy on the left that is anywhere near as fact-challenged, and as widely held, as the conservative denial of human-caused global warming. Or the cries about Affordable Care Act "death panels."
My wife and I never get bizarre emails filled with wacko lies about Republican politicians or conservative policies. Regularly, though, people forward us emails that are flying around cyberspace which contain blatant untruths about Obama and Democratic initiatives.
A large part of the reason for this seems to be the influence of Fox News on conservative brains. On a recent Point of Inquiry podcast, I heard Ari Rabin-Havt, Media Matters executive vice-president, talk about his book, "The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network Into a Propaganda Machine."
Have a listen. Here's how Point of Inquiry summarized the interview.
If there's one thing Point of Inquiry is concerned about, it's ensuring a rational, sensible conversation in politics, in public life. And you simply can't have such a conversation if the culture is awash in political, and politicized, misinformation.
What do we mean by "misinformation"? The denial of global warming. Claims about "death panels." Assertions that the President of the United States wasn't actually born here.
One thing all these falsehoods have in common is that if you watch Fox News, you're more likely to believe them. Fox increases your risk, so to speak, of believing factually wrong things to support a political agenda. With other networks, this "Fox effect" just isn't there.
How did it get this way? How did one leading network become a fount of misinformation?
For that, we turn to the most dedicated Fox monitors of them all—Media Matters. They've got a new book out on Fox, and I've invited their Executive Vice President, Ari Rabin-Havt, on to talk about it.
Yes, watching Fox News is dangerous to your knowledge of reality. People who don't watch TV news at all are better informed about political issues than those who watch Fox.
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“What’s the weird unfactual stuff many liberals believe”
1. that killing coyotes means more coyotes
2.that science proves man made global warming (because the facts do not back it up they send emails back and forth ploting to fake the data)
3.that republicans are more racist and sexist than dems (while there are people that did not vote for obama because of race, there are many many more that did vote for him just for that reason alone. Most who did not and do not want him as POTUS came to that conclusion because of his failed policies)
4.that the constitution of the USA has the words “seperation of church and state” anywhere in it
5. that it is ok to call women twat’s and discuss what they would like to do female canidates it the bedroom just because they do not agree with them
6.that radical terrorists can be negotiated with
7.that guns kill people(best bumper sticker ever “guns kill people like a spoon made rosie odonell fat”
8.that people in this country illegally should be able to get public services, licenses, and vote in our elections
9.that vetting a presidential candidate is great unless that canidate is a dem. then we should just believe whatever he or she says
10.that saying USA USA USA in USA is racist
this is a fraction of them, but you get the idea
bob, I think I can prove you wrong on most of the 10 supposed liberal untruths, but that’ll have to wait until I have more time. Thanks for suggesting your list. At least it gives me an idea of what conservatives think liberals are wrong about.
Brian said, “People who don’t watch TV news at all are better informed about political issues than those who watch Fox.”
About that, Brian, you may be right. But are conservatives more fact challenged than liberals? Not according to this comment (http://hinessight.blogs.com/hinessight/2011/06/jon-stewart-is-right-fox-news-viewers-are-most-misinformed.html) that I made last year and that I’ll re-post now.
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I never watch Fox News and sure as hell don’t waste my time caring what Jon Stewart thinks.
But I do like HinesSight! Wish I had more time to read and post.
As a counter-point to “Fox News viewers most misinformed” one must see this shocking video of selectively uninformed Obama voters. http://howobamagotelected.com/media-malpractice-obama-voter-video.asp
Where do these people say they get most of their news? …NPR, PBS, CNN, Bill Maher, New York Times, Stephen Colbert, and – yes – Jon Stewart.
Bob, prepare to be rebutted…
1. I’ve never heard a liberal say this. Isn’t Rick Perry the one who kills coyotes?
2. There was one instance of climate scientists sending questionable emails, but subsequent investigation cleared them of wrongdoing. Even if you think this is a conspiracy, 99% of scientists are still convinced by the data that manmade GW is happening. Reasonable people can still disagree, but it is actually conseravtives who are flouting the empirical consensus.
3. Rush Limbaugh.
4. Perhaps some liberals believe this. You are right about them being misinformed. However, the principle of separation of church and state, if not the phrase, is enshrined in the first amendment.
5. What liberals say these kinds of things? Bill Maher, who deserves to be criticized, and that one Playboy journalist. Anyway, this definitely isn’t a common liberal belief, and it contradicts the usual stereotype of liberals as feminist whiners who complain about victimization and demand political correctness.
6. Hmmmm, Obama didn’t negotiate with radical terrorist Osama Bin Laden, now did he?
7. I agree with you on this one, and I’m a liberal. Oh no! Looks like your Fox News-based definition of liberals is wrong!
8. Ok, this is a difference of opinion; however, it’s not an issue of factual incorrectness, because a “should” statement is not a statement of fact, but value.
9. Obama has been vetted. It’s not our fault you still don’t “believe” his birth certificate.
10. No liberal believes it’s “racist” to “chant USA”. Period.
I read your post jb..
1. this site posted tht killing coyotes makes for more coyotes and when proved wrong did not respond.
2. there have not only been several cases where data has been faked,(Greenpeace leader Gerd Leipold has been forced to admit that his organization issued misleading and exaggerated information when it claimed that Arctic ice would disappear completely by 2030) but also poor reporting of newer and more correct data that refutes the alarmist claims
http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-data-blow-gaping-hold-global-warming-alarmism-192334971.html
3.bill maher, samuel l jackson
4. even you said I am right, and you know most liberals believe this and have even dupped many non liberals into believing it as well. the constitution states….
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…
what I stated is fact and most liberals dont realize it. what we can agree to disagree on is what it means. The first part to me says that there can not be a state sponsered religion. the second states tha the state can not get in the way of religions rights to practice the way they choose. I believe that allowing a child to pray in school or having a prayer or the 10 comandments on a plaque or banner in a school or courtroom do no establish a state church, but disallowing these things does prohibit the free exercise of religion. I would agree that the prayer from a religion other that christian would be just as viable for inclusion.
5.”and it contradicts the usual stereotype of liberals” of course it does, because liberals have the party of double standards. Maher gets lots of viewers(1.3million last week) because of this crap. He makes lots of money saying this crap. He gives lots of money to liberals who take his money and say thank you.
6.do not even try and pretend that dems are strong on defense.
7.you agree with me! one down and 99.9 percent to go.
8.it is a fact that people here illegally should not vote, get a license, or utlize public services. It is a fact because they should not be here(that is what illegal means) It is also a fact that the dem party screams when any law is even discussed that would give authority to states to inforce anything regarding illegal immagration.
it is also a fact that there are many whos only crim against The usa is being here. I am all for a constructive conversation that would drastically increase the number of legal immigrants. but until that happens we must work with the laws we have and give our states the power to inforce those laws.
9.what in the world do you mean by putting ” ” around believe? and you have no idea what I do or don’t believe about Obama’s birth certificate as I have not stated it here. keep your assumption to your self. I do believe it is a fair thing that someone would be requiered to provide a valid birth certificate when applying for a job that has an age and origin requirment. I also know that Obama could have ended the speculation months early if he had just done that. along those same lines, I believe that in order to vote someone should have to offer some valid ID. We ask this for library cards, to get a job, and for many other things all the time. I do not want my vote disenfranchised by allowing even one vote to be cast by someone that does not have the legal right to vote. It is always liberals who fight to lower the standards for voteing.
10. apparently you do not keep up with current events. do your own research. viva mexico down with the alamo whites