35 percent of NJ conservative voters think Obama may be the Anti-Christ

[rudd]

I'm glad I moved here.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...-my.php?ref=mp

[telkanuru]

This article has introduced the term "Birther-Curious" into my vocabulary, and therefore has made my day.

[Hauptman]

I'm glad I moved here.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2...-my.php?ref=mp

I remember reading about this before. Scary stuff.

I'm curious though, we have the percentage of conservatives with these views, what percentage of the NJ population is identified as conservative?

Plus, I have a problem with their particular comparison of a right-wing wacko issue to a left-wing wacko issue. If you ask, "Do you believe that the Bush administration had advance warning of the 9/11 attack", where is the conspiracy?

It is common knowledge that the Bush administration had advance intelligence that an attack was coming, but that is very different from the "truther" paranoia that the Bush administration was actually involved in the 9/11 attack. It is very easy to manipulate the numbers with a vague question in a survey, but there is nothing vague about "Is Obama the anti-Christ?".

Anybody else think they are mixing apples and oranges in an attempt to be balanced in that article?

[Inquartata]

" The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.5%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify."

You don't say...

I notice that you also don't say how those "500 likely voters" were chosen. Maybe you took names at a tea party or something? Used a list of abortion protesters? Hmm...

[Hauptman]

" The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.5%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify."

You don't say...

I notice that you also don't say how those "500 likely voters" were chosen. Maybe you took names at a tea party or something? Used a list of abortion protesters? Hmm...

I would have expected a larger margin of error with what seems like a small sample, but I'd have to check the numbers for that.

As for how they were chosen? It looks like it was an automated phone survey from the "Press 1... Press 2..." stuff. My guess is they just used an automated dialer system through the various NJ area codes; it's also the cheapest methodology if you already have the equipment setup. Of course it does limit participation to people who actually have access to a phone, but that's not a significant limitation.

Personally, the bigger factor is who are the people willing to actually answer an unsolicited automated survey; I tend to hangup.

[Inquartata]

Possible. But my point is that we can't know if they don't tell us HOW they got their answers. The result is that some will buy the answer as valid simply because it reinforces their existing beliefs about the target group, and some will reject it out of hand because it conflicts with their existing beliefs about the target group...

Which, really, seems to be what these organizations doing the polls want: Controversy, not accuracy, polarization, not validity...

[jessicasimpson]

Just so we are clear, I am making fun of Jersey, not Autism

http://adventuresinautism.blogspot.c...s-1-in-94.html

[Slim]

I remember reading about this before. Scary stuff.

I'm curious though, we have the percentage of conservatives with these views, what percentage of the NJ population is identified as conservative?

Plus, I have a problem with their particular comparison of a right-wing wacko issue to a left-wing wacko issue. If you ask, "Do you believe that the Bush administration had advance warning of the 9/11 attack", where is the conspiracy?

It is common knowledge that the Bush administration had advance intelligence that an attack was coming, but that is very different from the "truther" paranoia that the Bush administration was actually involved in the 9/11 attack. It is very easy to manipulate the numbers with a vague question in a survey, but there is nothing vague about "Is Obama the anti-Christ?".

Anybody else think they are mixing apples and oranges in an attempt to be balanced in that article?

Scary? Seriously? You sure this didnt come from the Onion?

With a question like that, you actually believe there is any value to this poll?

Wow. THAT, to me, is scary.

[I_luv_saber]

Polls like this are dubious to say the least...

[Hauptman]

Scary? Seriously? You sure this didnt come from the Onion?

With a question like that, you actually believe there is any value to this poll?

Wow. THAT, to me, is scary.

I consider it scary that there are even a dozen people in the whole country that might even consider that Obama is the anti-Christ. We're clearly far past that threshold.

[Bayou Bum]

I consider it scary that there are even a dozen people in the whole country that might even consider that Obama is the anti-Christ. We're clearly far past that threshold.

Could it be that the people recognized it as a stupid question and answered accordingly?

[Hauptman]

Could it be that the people recognized it as a stupid question and answered accordingly?

That's a fair question except there has been plenty of talk about this even prior to this poll. Do a Google seach and you'll see plenty of scary quotes.

[I_luv_saber]

Bush was slammed with similar titles, as I recall...

EDIT: Here's a few. Note I didn't really delve very deeply. There were plenty of hits, these were just a few.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_108881880/

http://www.markswatson.com/bushac.htm

This one was my favorite: http://isbushantichrist.blogspot.com/

So, this isn't exactly just a conservative thing, nor has it just happened to Obama...

Note that I think it's ridiculous both directions, and those that are doing it now are being dolts. I just wanted it noted that it isn't just the right that's up to shenanigans.

[Slim]

Bush was slammed with similar titles, as I recall...

EDIT: Here's a few. Note I didn't really delve very deeply. There were plenty of hits, these were just a few.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_108881880/

http://www.markswatson.com/bushac.htm

This one was my favorite: http://isbushantichrist.blogspot.com/

So, this isn't exactly just a conservative thing, nor has it just happened to Obama...

Note that I think it's ridiculous both directions, and those that are doing it now are being dolts. I just wanted it noted that it isn't just the right that's up to shenanigans.

Yes, but its worse for Obama. People and the media are unfair and mean to him. Its not fair. Just ask Jeff or AshleySimpleton.

Liberals need to grow another layer of skin or 2 or 3.

[Slim]

That's a fair question except there has been plenty of talk about this even prior to this poll. Do a Google seach and you'll see plenty of scary quotes.

Oooo. Scary quotes. Maybe they'll pass a law to ban scary quotes and people that dont agree with your point of view.

Seriously, why dont you worry about H1N1 or global warming ah cooling, ah climate change, rather than some knucklehead quotes someone made somewhere.

[Slim]

Polls like this are dubious to say the least...

And people who believe polls like this.....well.....

[Bayou Bum]

Oooo. Scary quotes. Maybe they'll pass a law to ban scary quotes and people that dont agree with your point of view.

They're working on it. The Cybersecurity Act is step one.

[jessicasimpson]

Yes, but its worse for Obama. People and the media are unfair and mean to him. Its not fair. Just ask Jeff or AshleySimpleton.

Liberals need to grow another layer of skin or 2 or 3.

Why is he bringing me up? I thought I was on his ignore list. As far as he would know, I have had a massive brain trama, and now see things his way.
der, obama bad, der, drool

[fencerchica]

You conservatives are glossing over the importance of the Anti-Christ figure in the mythology of a fair-size portion of the US population. It's not unique to Obama; the cultish group of wannabe sedevacantists among whom I was raised used to sincerely apply the same terms to Gorbachev and Clinton at varying times in my memory. These people mean this Anti-Christ bullsh!t LITERALLY. There are kooks out there in this country, in numbers, who TRULY believe that they're destined to see the literal Armageddon in their lifetimes, and that whichever political figure they're pointing their finger at is literally the person referenced in the Apocalypse. It's hair-raising, and the fact that it's also completely asinine shouldn't lull normal people into dismissing it as irrelevant.

[piste off]

I think Rene Roch is the anti-Christ, and that the first sign of Armageddon is mothers eating their children... while wearing visor masks.

R-