The Public Policy Polling poll on the birther phenomenon that I noted on Monday is out, and the numbers are distressing to say the least:
Only 53% of Virginians planning to vote in this fall’s election for Governor think that Barack Obama was born in the United States, while 24% think he was not, and 24% are unsure.
Among voters who disapprove of the job he is doing as President only 29% are willing to grant that he was born in the country while 41% think he was not, and 31% aren’t sure.
(…)
36% of Bob McDonnell’s supporters think Obama was not born here while 33% think he was and 31% are not sure. Among folks planning to vote for Creigh Deeds 83% think Obama was born in the country, 10% are unsure, and 8% think he was not.
As PPP noted, this really does say something:
It takes political division to a whole new level when we’re not willing to acknowledge that elected officials we don’t like are still natural born US citizens.
To say the least.
Full poll results can be found here, and include this result not noted above:
- 30% of self-identified conservatives believe Obama was born in the United States, 39% do not, and 31% are not sure. This contrasts with a breakdown among liberals of 79% yes/7% no/14% not sure, and a breakdown among moderates of 68% yes/14% no/19% not sure.
- 32% of self-identified Republicans believe Obama was born in the United States, 41% do not, and 27% are unsure. This contrasts with a breakdown among Democrats of 79% yes/ 9% no/17% not sure, and a breakdown of “others” of 54% yes/19% no/17% not sure.
To call this distressing is an understatement.
How can we possibly have a rational political debate when only 1/3 of the opposition believes that the President of the United States is holding the office legitimately ?
