Texas, My Texas

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AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- Nearly 1 in 4 Texans mistakenly believe Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama is a Muslim, more than twice the U.S. rate, a poll indicated.

Twenty-three percent of Texan adults are convinced Obama is a Muslim, compared with 5 to 10 percent of U.S. adults overall, the University of Texas poll said.

Obama is a mainline Protestant Christian whose United Church of Christ denomination is generally considered within the Reformed tradition.

He was embroiled in a controversy earlier this year about his two-decade membership in Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, the Houston Chronicle noted.

The Obama campaign had no immediate comment on the poll.

The poll shows Sen. John McCain running ahead of Obama in Texas 51 percent to 40 percent.

The telephone poll was conducted by the university's Texas Politics Project and Department of Government from Oct. 15 to 22, and had a probable margin of error of 4.2 percentage points.

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____ I must have a paper bag. Place it over my head when visiting out of state. _______ Dont look at me! I'm hideous.

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Type: Discussion • Score: 9 • Views: 2,759 • Replies: 39

@edgarblythe,

In Texas there are Texans and they are what the want to be. But you need not worry edgarblythe you can be the different Texan the one proud to be able to think and reason through issues. And seek the truth and not give in to bigotry.

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@edgarblythe,

oh god, how embarrassing. do you have an extra bag edgar?

I'd be interested in knowing the demographics of the people who believe this.

I'd guess more rural, fundamentalists.

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http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html

The problem with Texas, the reason it is the banana republic of the USA, is the Mexicans. Specifically, Texans are less educated an speak less English than the national norm, so it is more easy for them to be clueless about Obama. Texas has lots of other problems, such as the redneck culture, poor schools, and a religious fundamentalism that cherishes ignorance, but if not for the Mexicans Texas would be no worse than the worst of the south so far as intellectual sophistication goes.

Edit: I have no problem with Mexicans, and don't think that they have smaller brains than Americans for instance. However, the Mexicans that come north are usually the uneducated and ignorant, the Mexicans that don't have the where with all to make a go of it in Mexico

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@hawkeye10,

hmm yes.

that must be why similar results were found in California (36% hispanic), New Mexico (44% hispanic) Arizona (30% hispanic). I mean, it's not like any of these other states border Mexico or anything.

I guess when Mexicans move to NM, AZ or CA they show proof of education, and if they don't come up to snuff, they send them to Texas.

The people who where polled where registered voters mr. hunt.

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@chai2,

The Mexicans I know are all for Obama. The persons I meet that think he is a Muslim, or don't want to elect his color, have, without exception, been white.

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@edgarblythe,

I'll be honest edgar, I haven't per se talked to anyone who has come out and stated they thought he was muslim. maybe because I'm in a liberal city. people who have said things like "I just don't trust him" and can't answer the question when asked why.."I don't know, there's just something about him" have been white, and mostly of the bible thumping, extremely conservative ilk.

I could be wrong, but I'm still guessing that's a stronger belief in rural areas.

If they did come out and say that, when not with their fellow believers, they'd at least get a blank look, like "WTF?"

BTW, when I looked up that article on line, I saw the people polled where registered voters, just thought I'd add that to the story.

Meaning they are citizens. So any people who were born in another country have passed a test, which means a certain level of education.

1 Reply

@chai2,

As far as I can tell, it ain't Mexicans; it's fundamentalist whites. They think because I am white they can level with me. They assume I have the same predjudices. As I said, when I am working, I can't engage residents in that sort of exchange. You might expect they would take my silence for dissent, but it hasn't happened.

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@edgarblythe,

seems to me the more ignorant people are, the more they assume you agree with them.

doesn't happen often, but I hate it when some white person, thinking we're in the same club or something, will say the most horrible thing "those" people (whoever "they" are on that particular day), thinking I'm going to just naturally agree.

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@chai2,

Quote:

that must be why similar results were found in California (36% hispanic), New Mexico (44% hispanic) Arizona (30% hispanic). I mean, it's not like any of these other states border Mexico or anything.

New Mexico and California have large populations of highly educated indiviudals from families that have long been in America to balance out the effects of the new arrivals from Mexico. Also, only New MExico has a higher percentage of Latino Eligable voters (38%) to Texas with its 25%, Califonia is below 20%. It must be kept in mind that as a group Latinos tend to be undereducated and poor, and that in these last years there has been a broad effort to get them into the political process....to get them registered. This effort effects Texas more than any other state except for New Mexico.
http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/vote2008/Texas.pdf

Quote:

DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LATINO LIKELY VOTERS DIFFER FROM OTHER VOTER GROUPS.
Latino likely voters are more often younger, less educated, lower‐income earners: 38% have never attended college, compared to 20% of blacks and 13% of whites and Asians. And 38% have household earnings under $40,000 a year, while 48% of white likely voters earn over $80,000 a year. Latinos are the only racial/ethnic group in which a majority of likely voters (52%) are younger than 45 years old; only 31% of white likely voters are in this age group. Among Latino likely voters, 68% own their homes, compared to 80% of white, 76% of Asian, and 62% of black likely voters. However, while 39% of Latino likely voters are immigrants, an even higher percentage of Asian likely voters are immigrants (61%).

http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/JTF_LatinoVotersJTF.pdf

1 Reply

@hawkeye10,

Perhaps the Latino community in Texas is undereducated, but given the information provided by Chai and Edgar, it seems they're not as biased as some of the other voters.

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@ehBeth,

and Obama has more support in the texas latino community than he does in Texas overall, McCain takes Texas but Obama takes the Texas Latino's.

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@hawkeye10,

so lemme see if I got this straight....

It's the mexicans in tx that believe obama is muslim, but the mexicans tx are also supporting him.

I gotta go call my chulo chuy about this. He'll chit his chonnies.

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@chai2,

no, Texas has a problem with grasping the truth that Obama is christian because a) Texas is full of zealots and 2) because Texas is full of ignorant people. If Texas did not have the ignorant and often non English speaking Mexicans then Texas would not be one worst in the nation so far as percentage who believe that Obama is a Muslim.
It is entirely possible that many hispanics both a) favor Obama and b) think he is Muslim if in fact they are are single issue voters and many claim, the issue being immigration. Arizona politics, of which McCain is a product, is fanatically anti Mexican immigrant. The GOP position is not a whole lot better. The question I have is why are only 58% of the Hispanic Texans for Obama, the number should be closer to 90%. Maybe the view that he is Muslim does cut against him with strong Catholic Hispanics?

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

edgar, There's been polls done on Hispanics, and the majority favor Obama. Why anyone would assume Mexicans believe Obama is Muslim shows more about that person's confusion than most people living inside or outside Taxas.

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@cicerone imposter,

I have never read any stories featuring Mexicans calling Obama a Muslim, CI. Don't know where the confusion comes from.

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@edgarblythe,

Go, edgar! Keep fighting the good fight! (& try not to let Texas depress you. Too much! Wink

)

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@cicerone imposter,

I also find it interesting CI, that it seems the level of education of Hispanic/Americans in Tx differs no more than 4% than the national percentage. In fact, the other figures show only a 1 or 2% difference. Plus, let us not forget Edgar, that non-english speaking does not equal uneducated.

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@hawkeye10,

I know you're confused, but would you please try to make some sense when you post?

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@Merry Andrew,

I am sorry that you are having trouble following along. Let's slow down and take this step by step. Go to the study
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/txp_media/html/poll/files/200810-summary.pdf

Go to page 21 on the PDF file and notice that only 45% get Obama's religion right, sure 23% say Muslim, but 28% say "don't know". Then turn your brain on and remember that the words "Obama" and "Muslim" have been linked repeatedly in the media. Those who are ignorant know what they have heard, which is Muslim and Obama are connected, so when asked in a poll they guess that Obama is Muslim.

My contention is that Texas does not get to this level of ignorance about basic facts without the large and largely disconnected from the American discourse Hispanic population. I also contend that the large number of Hispanics going for Obama is not at odds with the notion that large numbers of Hispanics are ignorant and think Obama is a Muslim, because I think that large numbers of Hispanics don't care, Immigration is more important and Obama has the right view on that so far as Hispanics are concerned.

Now, What part do you not understand?

1 Reply

Texas, My Texas

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