Harris Poll: 40% believe Obama a socialist

Originally posted at The Desk of Brian: www.DeskofBrian.com -- read it here: http://sites.google.com/site/thedeskofbrian/state-of-the-nation/harrispoll40believeobamaasocialist

The polarization of America continues as President Obama signed the Health Care Reform Bill into law this week despite poll indicate only 25% favor the bill.

We've heard and seen allegations of violence, horrible bigotry, death threats and more violence.

DOB's Robert Herriman posted:

This is out of control! Road rage over a Obama bumper sticker





Are we out of control or headed there?

Harris Poll released this week found:

• 40 percent of Americans say Mr. Obama is a socialist


• 33% think he's a Muslim


• 25% think he was not even born in the U.S.(he's not eligible to be president and is a "domestic enemy that the U.S.
  Constitution speaks of")

Shocking? Not to me.

As I've proclaimed during the Bush administration, the divide between parties is a chasm that is hard to bridge. President Obama campaigned on being capable of uniting the parties, but he struggled to resolve feuds in the Democratic Party to push Health Care Reform.

One example from the Harris Poll:

67 percent of both Republicans and conservatives said Mr.
Obama was a socialist, compared with 14 percent of Democrats and 15
percent of liberals.

Well, at least we have 14-15% of honest liberals and Democrats.

"These new numbers are shocking but not surprising - they detail the
extent to which 'wingnuts' are hijacking our politics. This poll should
be a wake-up call to all Americans about the real costs of using fear
and hate to pump up hyper-partisanship," John Avlon, author of
"Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America" told the Harris
pollster.

Not surprising?

Of course, it's the right-wing brainwashing machine (aka "wingnuts" in this instance) but does that include Al Sharpton who said this:

"...then we'd have to say that the American public overwhelmingly voted for socialism when
they elected President Obama."

Sharpton tells US: Obama is a socialist

"We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing
our country in the process. Americans need to remember the perspective
that Wingnuts always forget - patriotism is more important than
partisanship," Mr. Avlon said.

Yes, but was Mr. Avlon worried about these partisan attacks when Bush was being attacked and called "Hitler" nearly daily.

In a 2007 Rasmussen Poll found that 35% of Democrats thought that Bush knew about the
9/11 attacks in advance, and that another 26% weren't sure. Partisan? Dangerous?

I actually with Mr. Avlon, we're in dangerous territory. So where to go from here? What will wake you up that there is only a degree of difference between the two parties and most of political actions are done for political gain only.

I was not hard enough on Bush as I should have been, of course, most people only agreed with me while I railed on Bush over Social Security, illegal immigration or spending. It was always about a stolen election and the war.

So let me challenge you to do some soul searching.

If the Health Care Reform Bill outrages you, where are you on Bush and the ridiculous spending on Medicare Prescription Drugs?

Why is the Iraq War, Patriot Act and Gitmo so outrageous under Bush, but now just a quiet backdrop under Obama? Where's the protesters?

Yes Bush ran deficits, but if that upset you, where are you on Obama's spending which is THREE TIMES the worst under Bush?

I'm not with the 14% that think Obama is the anti-Christ or the 20% that feel he's a racist.

But I have serious concerns and questions about the actions of this President and his administration.

He appears to be fulfilling his campaign promise of "transforming" America, unfortunately, he's not simply fixing it.

Maybe some people are just now figuring that out.


Read also:

Is there any difference between the war policy of Obama and Bush?





Why I struggled to identify with President Obama? Liberals: Please help.



President Obama and his inconsistencies with the Patriot Act



Commentary: Obama intends to overthrow American capitalism



When did the US President become a "king"? What happened to "checks and balances"?







http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/25/even-average-americans-have-harsh-words-for-obama/





http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/Poll-40percent-Obama-Socialist/2010/03/25/id/353810?s=al&promo_code=9A46-1



Pic: http://bartgordon.net/2009/03/01/obamas-first-40-into-the-abyss/

Eric Massa outing Democrats & Obama polarizing in own party

Originally post at DeskofBrian.com: http://sites.google.com/site/thedeskofbrian/state-of-the-nation/ericmassaoutingdemocratsobamapolarizinginownparty

"I was set up for this from the very, very beginning. The leadership of the Democratic Party have become exactly what they said they were running against." - Eric Massa

Massa has blasted Rahm Emanuel, Congressional leadership and the White House as Massa resigned, facing an investigation in his personal behavior, including incidents during an informal Navy ceremony in '83 on the USS New Jersey and one that occurred in a state room later during his Navy career. He insisted he had done nothing uncommon, insisting his sin was foul language.

"When I voted against the cap and trade bill, the phone rang and it was the chief of staff to the president of the United States of America, Rahm Emanuel, and he started swearing at me in terms and words that I hadn't heard since that crossing the line ceremony on the USS New Jersey in 1983," Massa said. "And I gave it right back to him, in terms and words that I know are physically impossible."

Re: Investigation: "Steny Hoyer has never said a single word to me at all, never, not once," Massa said. "Never before in the history of the House of Representatives has a sitting leader of the Democratic Party discussed allegations of House investigations publicly, before findings of fact. Ever."

So what is happening with the Democrats? Are they truly facing the same allegations that their Republican counterparts faced in recent years? Lastly, why hasn't President Obama provided the unity, not just between parties, but within his own party?



The average difference in Obama's approval ratings between Democrats and Republicans turned out to be 65 percent -- the highest first-year gap of any president so measured.



"The extraordinary level of polarization in Obama's first year in office is a combination of declining support from Republicans coupled with high and sustained approval from Democrats," Gallup's Jeffrey Jones reported.



Obama's 88 percent approval rating from Democrats is the second highest level of party support for a first-year president, trailing only the 92 percent Republican support for George W. Bush in 2001.



On the other hand, Obama's 23 percent rating among Republicans is tied for lowest party rating of a rookie president, matching GOP "backing" of Bill Clinton back in 1993.



"Prior to Ronald Reagan, no president averaged more than a 40-point gap in approval ratings by party during his term," said the Gallup report. "Since then, only the elder George Bush has averaged less than a 50-point gap."



"I think we live in a divided country," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told USA Today. "Washington has been a polarizing place for quite some time."



As an extension from the Cap-and-Trade fallout, Messa blames the health care debate for the attacks and his resignation.

"Mine is now the deciding vote on the health care bill and this administration and this House leadership have said, quote-unquote, they will stop at nothing to pass this health care bill, and now they've gotten rid of me and it will pass. You connect the dots."

Obama can't seem to unify the votes in his own party, often blaming Republicans for their opposition.

Back door deals, corruption, sexual misconduct, Congressional investigations....different party, same results.

I personally am not surprised.

Just a footnote too Messa's most cutting characterization of Emanuel:

"Rahm Emanuel is the son of the devil's spawn. He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive."

http://open.salon.com/blog/rwnutjob/2010/03/08/dem_rep_eric_massa_vs_rahm_emanuel

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/03/massa_implicate.php

http://newsmax.com/InsideCover/obama-gallup-polarizing-gop/2010/01/25/id/347929?s=al&promo_code=9609-1