Does a workable democracy require a well-informed electorate?

[ugabuga]

Our Well-Informed Electorate?

Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 percent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 percent.

The largest share of people, 43 percent, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34 percent who said that in early 2009.

Does a workable democracy require a well-informed electorate?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/08/18/us/politics/AP-US-Poll-Obamas-Religion.html?hp

 

[30ashopper]

Our Well-Informed Electorate?

Nearly one in five people, or 18 percent, said they think Obama is Muslim, up from the 11 percent who said so in March 2009, according to a poll released Thursday. The proportion who correctly say he is a Christian is down to just 34 percent.

The largest share of people, 43 percent, said they don't know his religion, an increase from the 34 percent who said that in early 2009.

Does a workable democracy require a well-informed electorate?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/08/18/us/politics/AP-US-Poll-Obamas-Religion.html?hp

With everything going so horribly wrong, maybe people simply haven't committed the time to knowing the answer to trivialities like Obama's religious beliefs? I don't understand why this is significant.

 

[ugabuga]

With everything going so horribly wrong, maybe people simply haven't committed the time to knowing the answer to trivialities like Obama's religious beliefs? I don't understand why this is significant.

Oh?I don't know?I just took it to mean that 2/3 of the electorate either didn't know or was wrong about an issue that's been highlighted in the news for over two years now. To me, that's astounding & sad & doesn't bode well for our country/society. I hope your take?that it's trivial & insignificant?is more accurate than my take on this.

 

[30ashopper]

Oh?I don't know?I just took it to mean that 2/3 of the electorate either didn't know or was wrong about an issue that's been highlighted in the news for over two years now. To me, that's astounding & sad & doesn't bode well for our country/society. I hope your take?that it's trivial & insignificant?is more accurate than my take on this.

I didn't know what Obama's religion was before you brought it up. I was under the impression he attended some weird church occasionally in Chicago, but generally didn't practice. (and I feel I'm pretty "up on current events".) I just get the sense some feel this is a signifigant issue, but for the vast majority of us it doesn't matter.

 

[Lynnie]

Dang straight the Electorate needs to be informed. Informed of how the Electoral College works, its intent and how to vote accordingly.

As far as the Electorates carrying out the task they are charged, this is all they need to know.

 

[ugabuga]

I just get the sense some feel this is a signifigant issue, but for the vast majority of us it doesn't matter.

I'm glad it doesn't matter to you--I hope you're right about "the vast majority"--but 18% is not an insignificant minority.

One reason I think it's significant is that 2/3 of Americans don't want a Muslim Cultural Center built w/in 2 blocks of Ground Zero, while they wouldn't have any problem w/ any other religion--Christian, Hindu, Confucian, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, Jewish...Thus, the fact that 18 percent of Americans incorrectly think the Prez is Muslim is, I think, significant.

 

[scooterbug44]

I don't think any of those polls are truly representative of the general population OR those who are most likely to vote.

The fact that that many people don't know the President's general religion - especially considering the issues surrounding it during the election is a cause for concern on a general knowledge and a "propaganda" level.

 

[Koa]

Oh?I don't know?I just took it to mean that 2/3 of the electorate either didn't know or was wrong about an issue that's been highlighted in the news for over two years now. To me, that's astounding & sad & doesn't bode well for our country/society. I hope your take?that it's trivial & insignificant?is more accurate than my take on this.

Maybe the confusion his religion comes from Obama himself. I watched one of his speeches when he said that he was Muslim, but then "corrected" his statement to say he was Christian.

Who really cares? If he was doing a decent job, I wouldn't care if he was all religions combined or none at all.

If your thread is meant to say that the electorate are dumb, and that democracy cannot work with uninformed people, I think you are off point. First, we don't have a true democracy. Secondly, the politicians, corporations and news media have been spoon-feeding us lies for a long time. How do you think we got GW Bush?

Paraphrasing one politician, long deceased, when politicians begin to put their own interests first, we all lose.

 

[ugabuga]

I don't think any of those polls are truly representative of the general population...

Why not?

 

[scooterbug44]

How many intelligent people do you know who answer those polls?