How Obama Got Elected

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2008
How Obama Got Elected
72
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 8:50pm

Really puts things in perspective with regards to the media's influence--for better or worse. That still remains to be seen. Keeping my fingers crossed......

http://howobamagotelected.com/

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 9:09pm

WOW. That is so scary that those people even voted :(

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2008
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 9:28pm

I don't think that's scary at all. They polled 512 Obama supporters. That's a drop in the bucket. I remember hearing that 25% of Texans believe Obama is a Muslim. That's 1 in 4 that hold that very incorrect notion. 512 out of the millions and millions that voted for Obama? That doesn't even compare.


There are uninformed people on both sides of the aisle. I don't know why that surprises anyone.


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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2008
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 9:42pm

I don't think the point was to imply people are ignorant or uninformed. They are informed. They're informed based on what the media saw fit to inform them of.

How else can you explain all the things they did know? They knew all of the seemingly unimportant things yet so many of the very important things they didn't know. I think they were generally people of average or more intelligence.

I really would have liked to believe the results could have been different. But I mean not knowing who controls congress when that's an important check/balance? It is so unfortunate. The media really ought to be ashamed.

Sure you could blame them for not seeking out more knowledge. I knew all the questions but the topic holds more of interest for me, for you, for others here debating than much of the general public. Much of the rest of the population really places the responsibility for information on the medias shoulders and the media should be ashamed if that is the result of their reporting.

Am I blaming the teachers? I guess I am.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2007
Tue, 11-18-2008 - 10:15pm

Please, there are uninformed voters on both sides so don't even go there. You claim that these people have been "informed" by the media but what about all of the McCain supporters on this very board who were spouting misinformation and claiming to be "informed" and "educated" voters? Did they not get their information from the media as well?


Chrissy
mom to Aidan 8/21/03
Grayson Blaine 12/30/07

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2006
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 1:01am

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Well, the media are (generally) supported by advertising revenues. It's about market share: sensational crimes and gruesome accidents and conflagrations and local politics often trump more mundane stuff, like which parties control the houses of Congress or who Barney Frank is.

"Newsworthy" is what sells, and I don't think that any mainstream media outlet is a particularly good source of news. My parents get their news from Fox (almost) exclusively, and I can't believe the stuff they come up with.

I suspect that a similar video made of McCain supporters would have demonstrated a similar level of ignorance. Did you know that a significant proportion of voters still think that Iraq was behind 9/11?

Although the level of ignorance and lack of curiosity displayed by the voters shown in the clip is deplorable, that does not necessarily mean that these voters missed the "big picture": that the last eight years have brought our country to the brink of economic disaster, economic, political, military, as a result of the actions/responses of government leaders who were themselves incurious, arrogant, and uninformed.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2008
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 6:44am

Don't you think it's a bit unfair to simply claim your fellow Obama voters are ignorant? I do. I'm sure there were some who were more informed but it's only due to their efforts. Since it would seem the bulk of the electorate does pretty much depend on strictly the main stream media you don't feel they have an obligation of sorts to present intelligent, honest and substantive and relevant information?

Can you see the danger in allowing this type of thing to go on? The sheer manipulation of the media is so evident. Perhaps because they do have an agenda, and they are profit driven that it's too much to expect all of the above.

Strong consideration should be given as to how to prevent this from happening in the future. It really is rather disgraceful and potentially dangerous as well. This should be obvious regardless of your party affiliation. It isn't simply "ok" or excusable because your guy happened to win.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-24-2008
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 6:52am
If you can show how voters this year were less informed than voters in 2000 and 2004, you might have something.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 7:21am

I have a question.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-24-2008
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 7:49am

Until she can prove that this is unprecedented, there's really nothing to discuss.

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-06-2007
Wed, 11-19-2008 - 8:24am

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Exactly. I could make a video of McCain supporters

Chrissy
mom to Aidan 8/21/03
Grayson Blaine 12/30/07

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