You know, it’s one thing if someone gets an email forward and they believe it because it comes from a trusted authority like their friend. That is understandable. But when it crosses the line into stupidity is when you are given the evidence and are still foolish enough to stick with the misinformation.
A swing voter who entered this election leaning Democratic, Peterson faces a decision that is no longer so simple as a choice between Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain, he said. First, he must pick the version of Obama on which he will stake his vote.
Does he choose to trust a TV commercial in which Obama talks about his “love of country”? Or his neighbor of 40 years, Don LeMaster, a Navy veteran who heard from a friend in Toledo that Obama refuses to wear an American-flag pin?
Does he trust a local newspaper article that details Obama’s Christian faith? Or his friend Leroy Pollard, a devoted family man so convinced Obama is a radical Muslim that he threatened to stop talking to his daughter when he heard she might vote for him?
“I’ll admit that I probably don’t follow all of the election news like maybe I should,” Peterman said. “I haven’t read his books or studied up more than a little bit. But it’s hard to ignore what you hear when everybody you know is saying it. These are good people, smart people, so can they really all be wrong?”
One would have to believe based on this bewilderment that Mr. Peterson also believes the Moon landings were faked and that Martians are stealing his socks. This guy isn’t living in a cave. He has the information in his hands, but because some guy said something he won’t believe the words on the paper.
Stupid.
I think the RNC floats these emails for one reason- they work. They provide cover for people like the dolt above to not vote for Obama. I guess most of them wouldn’t vote for Obama because of that N-problem anyway, but these trumped up emails give them a “socially acceptable” excuse.
“Or his friend Leroy Pollard, a devoted family man so convinced Obama is a radical Muslim that he threatened to stop talking to his daughter when he heard she might vote for him?”
That’s your family values for you.
Shorter Findlay Ohio: “Have you gone berserk! Can’t you see that man is a ni…”
Years ago my father and I were at the the Natural History in NYC looking at the fossil remains of T Rex when he turned to me and said something to the effect of, “I find the bible easier to believe.” My father is a successful, well-educated man. Sometimes people just can’t believe their lying eyes because they just don’t want to. I suspect Mr. Peterson wants to believe the rumors about Obama, for whatever reason.
make that the Museum of Natural History.
These are good people, smart people, so can they really all be wrong?”
Umm, yes. Yes they can.
Snopes.com You should start there.
More proof that one ought to need to pass a civics test before being granted the franchise.
Well, if it’s not the Martians who are stealing his socks, who is?
Scientologists.
As someone who has lived in Ohio for almost all of my 49 years I have to say that the Mr. Peterman is probably representative of most of the “swing voters” in Ohio. Ill informed people whose sources of information are few and far between and easily swayed by rumor and innuendo, especially when it conforms to what they wish to be true. I see in him almost everyone I know personally. People either don’t want to take the time to separate fact from fiction, don’t have the time or don’t really think it will make much difference.
The sad fact is that our elections all around the country are essentially decided by the Mr. Petersons of the world. Is it any wonder that we find ourselves in such a sorry condition? And we are surprised when people continue to vote against their own self interests.
Is that why they call it the Heartland©?
This is the kind of news story that is meant to make us feel defeated and hopeless. Sure, plenty of people will vote or not vote because of ignorance and misinformation, but plenty of others truly want to know the truth and want to make informed decisions. Every vote matters. It’s important that we don’t write off middle America.
Stupid and too comfortable with being lazy f**kwits. I guess if his friends told Mr. Peterson that babies come from Mars, he would believe that too.