Reviewing politics
and culture since 1913

Majority of Republicans believe that Obama is a Muslim

And 38 per cent compare him to Hitler.

By George Eaton

We’ve all long suspected that the Republicans, consumed with hatred for President Obama’s health-care reforms, have shifted sharply to the right. Now, thanks to a new Harris poll, we have the data to prove it.

Here are some of the key findings:

  • 57 per cent of Republicans (and 32 per cent of Americans) believe that Obama is a Muslim.
  • 45 per cent of Republicans (25 per cent of Americans) agree with the Birthers that Obama was “not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president”.
  • 38 per cent of Republicans (20 per cent of Americans) say that Obama is “doing many of the things that Hitler did”.
  • 24 per cent of Republicans (14 per cent of Americans) say that Obama “may be the Antichrist”.

How naive Obama’s dream of a “post-partisan” politics now appears. Any possibility of a more bipartisan approach has been destroyed by a series of sinister smear campaigns.

The US today is far more fractured than it was under George W Bush, and is only likely to become more so in the run-up to this year’s midterm elections.

Liberals most now confront a form of political extremism that little can appease.

Follow the New Statesman team on Twitter.

Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month

Content from our partners
Trees underpin environmental leadership
The benefits of UK consulting go far beyond the economic
Energy storage must not be overlooked on the road to net zero