Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Conservapedia: How to be an idiot with politics

On the front page, which has increasingly become a radical editorial board rather than "news," the following gem appeared today:
Obama: Radical in Liberal Clothing [2]
Even with his recent attempts at moderation, he retains positions on several significant issues indistinguishable from those of Dennis Kucinich. Most of those positions are opposed by overwhelming majorities of all Americans.


According to a June, 2008 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, the issues Americans find most significant (25% or more respondents saying it is extremely important) in the coming election:
The economy (58%)
The situation in Iraq (50%)
Gas prices (48%)
Health care (47%)
Terrorism (45%)
Education (44%)
Social Security and Medicare (41%)
Taxes (40%)
Illegal immigration (34%)
The environment (33%)
Foreign trade (29%)
Gun policy (26%)


Abortion missed out, only 24% found it extremely important.

So, which of these would Obama support a position that a majority of voters oppose?

According to the link Conservapedia uses:
Obama opposes offshore drilling for oil. Obama supports giving driver licenses to illegal immigrants. Obama supports affirmative action in public employment, contracting and university admissions. Obama says that he will cut funding for research and development of missile defense systems. Obama voted against a ban on partial birth abortions.

Despite his equivocal statements regarding the recent Supreme Court decision striking down the D.C. gun ban, Obama has never met a gun ban he didn't like. Although many Americans support certain types of restrictions on guns, they oppose broad bans by a margin of 68% to 30%. In fact, 58% insist no new gun laws should be passed. [Note: Article doesn't mention that Obama has voted for gun bans; only that apparently he likes them?]

Obama opposed the Induced Birth Infant Liability Act while in the Illinois state legislature. The measure is designed to prevent abortion providers from withholding medical care and sustenance from infants born after surviving an abortion attempt. There's no national polling data on this state issue, but when the Senate voted on a analogous piece of legislation -- the Born Alive Infant Protection Act -- the measure passed unanimously. [Note: This is supportive of the argument of the article? I thought it was what voters supported?]

Obama voted against a bill that would make English the official language for conducting business with the U.S. government. While in the Illinois state legislature, Obama voted against parental notification requirements for abortions for minors. Obama maintains that the Supreme Court's recent decisions prohibiting the use of race in determining public school assignments are wrong.


I cut out the polling data (the argument is that a majority, more than 60%, oppose what the article states Obama favors), and most are polls between 2006 and 2007. So let's tally up the categories.

Off-shore drilling 1
Illegal immigration 1
Affirmative action 2
Missile defense 1
Abortion 3 (one that ignores the article's premise)
Firearm bans 1
English as official language 1

Noting that the off-shore drilling polling relies on the media's refusal to point out how it won't even effect the price of gas anytime soon, if at all, and that it will do little to increase supply, I won't place it into gas prices. This leaves:

Illegal immigration (34%)
Gun policy (26%)

And including abortion that just missed the 25% or higher, that would be a total of four significant issues Obama supports that polls show a majority (60% or higher) oppose.

What a radical!

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