Media Matters has made much of a WorldNetDaily poll that shows that 6 in 10 WorldNetDaily.com readers believe that the New Yorker magazine cover cartoon depicting the Obama's as terrorist wannabes "isn't too far from the dangerous truth about the Obamas." (Another 12 percent said the poll is "funny, because there's some truth in it." The poll results so far, with just over 3100 votes:
The image isn't too far from the dangerous truth about the Obama family
59% (1866)
Funny, because there's some truth in it
12% (391)
Hilarious, it's perfect satire
7% (218)
It will do what it's designed to do: sell magazines
7% (215)
The image will only add to the massive publicity Obama receives while McCain remains in the shadows
6% (195)
Tasteless and offensive
3% (97)
This is character assassination, literally and figuratively
1% (42)
Other
1% (34)
It's obvious the New Yorker wants Obama to win
1% (26)
Everyone should boycott the New Yorker over this huge insult
1% (25)
There's no such thing as bad publicity
1% (22)
This is probably a joke and is not intended to hit newsstands
0% (12)
It's obvious the New Yorker wants McCain to win
0% (5)
That certainly confirms the fears in some media quarters that the New Yorker cover will be read as satire, only by the intelligent. And then there's that one in ten Americans who still say they believe Barack Obama is a Muslim. My guess is that they say that, or really think they believe it, because "Muslim" is their consciences' way of saying "nigger" without having to use the word out loud. Just my theory. I'd guess there's not much you can do with anyone who actually reads WorldNetDaily, and thankfully, there are more normal people, who have accepted the country's entrance into the 21st century, than there are Harriet Christian throwbacks in America.
Still, I do believe that the 8-10 percent gap between the generic Democrat performance against a generic Republican and Obama's single-digit poll lead is mostly attributable to white respondents who can't bring themselves to support a black candidate, but who aren't necessarily going to admit as much to a pollster. Obama has to hope that those voters don't become the deciders in older demographic, blue collar states like Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan.
Meanwhile, the cartoonist defends himself. My article about the flap, which includes interviews with Industry Ears media watchdog Paul Porter and political science guru Dr. Ronald Walters, hits newsstands on Thursday.
<%
dim done
done = request.form("done")
if done = "" then
done = "No"
%>
Tell a friend
<%
Else
if request.form("done") = "Yes" then
'sets variables
dim email, sendmail
email = request.form("email")
Set sendmail = Server.CreateObject("CDONTS.NewMail")
'put the webmaster address here
sendmail.From = "webmaster@aspbasics.com"
'The mail is sent to the address entered in the previous page.
sendmail.To = email
'Enter the subject of your mail here
sendmail.Subject = "Check out this website"
'send a specific page or send a site url
dim url
'url = Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
url = "http://www.aspbasics.net"
'This is the content of the message.
sendmail.Body = "Site recommendation from a friend!" & _
vbCrlf & vbCrlf & "A friend has sent you this email and thought you would should check out this site." & _
vbCrlf & url & vbCrlf
'this sets mail priority.... 0=low 1=normal 2=high
sendmail.Importance = 1
sendmail.Send 'Send the email!
response.redirect Request.ServerVariables("HTTP_REFERER")
'Response.write ("Sent to ") & email
End if
End if
%>
"[T]he practice of arbitrary imprisonments, have been, in all ages, the favorite and most formidable instruments of tyranny.' Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 84, August, 1788
