Why does half of America believe things that are flat out false?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32464936/ns/politics-white_house/

Damaging misperceptions

One of the reasons why it has become tougher is due to misperceptions about the president’s plans for reform.

Majorities in the poll believe the plans would give health insurance coverage to illegal immigrants; would lead to a government takeover of the health system; and would use taxpayer dollars to pay for women to have abortions — all claims that nonpartisan fact-checkers say are untrue about the legislation that has emerged so far from Congress.

Forty-five percent think the reform proposals would allow the government to make decisions about when to stop providing medical care for the elderly.

That also is untrue: The provision in the House legislation that critics have seized on — raising the specter of “death panels” or euthanasia — would simply allow Medicare to pay doctors for end-of-life counseling, if the patient wishes.

They will answer the pollster in the manner that opposes Obama's position whether they believe it or not.

In other words, they are not answering the poll honestly. I seriously doubt that 45% really believe in death panels, but they will say they do to be defiant.

If there are all these millions without health care why in the hell aren't they at the town-halls shouting down the right wingers. Just like the death panel scare, the democrats should have been out there setting the record straight immediately.

If they were stupid to vote for Bush twice, did they wise up in the meantime, or are they still stupid?

That is a fact that, mathematically, can never be escaped.

So when half of all the people alive are stupid, half of all the people alive are likely to believe stupid things.

nt

Fox News blaring all day in restaurants all day. Network teevee echoing conservative radio and teevee conclusions.

Propaganda. Lack of critical thinking.

by so many others, including FOX, and other networks. Salem Broadcasting has two stations broadcasting simultaneously to the Chicago market (WIND and WYLL), and supported ideologically by ABC's WLS, with only WCPT to air an opposing view.

However I guess they are afraid to do their jobs, as the wackjobs would accuse them of "liberal bias."

The American People are fucking TIRED. They work their asses off to try to live in a decent home, with food on table, and the electricity kept on.

Long commutes (because of affordability of housing far from centers of commerce,) 8-12 hour work days, and fast food meals because there just isn't enough time to cook. There are only so many minutes in a day to do family activities, wash the fucking clothes, make time for whoopee, intimacy, romance, or even a decent conversation with their significant others.

The time that is left for the news and current events is wasted on shock and commercials.

Idiocracy? Fucking far from it. They are just to worn out to sort through the garbage.

I feel sorry for the American people, but we have no reason to be this dumb about issues that affect our lives.

:thumbsup:

It's got a lot to do with branding. In converting from right wing to left wing, my values haven't actually changed too much. I wanted America to succeed. I wanted her to be safe in the world. I wanted a society built upon trust and hard work. I was always in favor of gay rights, simply because I thought it was nobody's damn business what two consenting adults want to do. I believed that personal responsibility should prevail and people should also be ready to look at the big picture beyond themselves, rather than always focusing on the "me."

The discrepancy has more to do with which political party actually supports an agenda that would be good for America. If the Republicans can pretend to do that, and cite a handful of sources that show the Democrats screwing up, it gives them the goodwill needed to brush over the thousands of times that they themselves have sold out the country.

There are plenty of freaks on the far right, like those would-be rioters at the Town Halls, but you'd be amazed how many Freepers out there aren't weirdos, or crazies, but are essentially decent people who are confused by all the misinformation out there.

I know I'm not the only convert on this forum, but I dislike the Republican leadership as much as any because I was tricked by them and their media machine into supporting the wrong agenda. Take heart, because so long as the Democrats can deliver results, they'll continue to gain support and converts.

McDonalds and Burger King are BOTH killing you, no matter how delicious, nutritious or healthy they pretend to be.

if you can believe in god, you can believe in anything.

There was a book/study going around last year or two years ago talking about the authoritarian mind. Some people just want a cut and dried answer for everything. They will follow those who say "this is right and this is wrong" they are completely untroubled by hypocrisy. And something like 99% of them were republicans.

ways to get americans to vote against their own best interest and decided on patriotism (a la Disrali), guns, gays and all the rest of that crap.

That's why.

The same thing happens on this side of the political fence, too, but I think many on the right are even more isolated from contrary opinions than those of us on the left. They may as well be living in an alternate universe.

You all know how dumb the average person is.

Half of them are dumber than that.

People who believe vile rumors are really putting horrible images in their minds so they are not swayed by reform, no matter how reasonable, not unlike a sit-com character trying to avoid a relationship with a seductive woman.