Why Americans Think Obama is Muslim

The supermarket tabloids have been having a field day with Obama's alleged Muslimhood; in fact an issue currently on the newsstands offers "proof" in the form of a cover photo "catching" Obama in a turban and Muslim garb. Granted, these are the same tabloids that offer "new" Nostradamus prophecies and fabricated (or at least greatly exaggerated) celebrity gossip. Does anyone take that stuff seriously?

Apparently, yes. A Pew Research Center poll conducted last month found that nearly one in five Americans believe Obama is a Muslim. According to research by psychologist Spee Kosloff and colleagues at Michigan State University, people are most likely to accept such factually incorrect ideas when reminded (both consciously and unconsciously) of how different Obama is from them. For example, whites were more likely to believe that Obama is Muslim when subtly reminded that he is African-American.

And it's not just tabloids; according to Kosloff, conservative talk radio and "careless or biased media outlets are largely responsible for the propagation of these falsehoods, which catch on like wildfire." Kosloff and colleagues researched the 2008 U.S. presidential election, studying the ways in which psychological factors play a role in whether the public believes lies about a candidate. The findings are published in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

Kosloff said the increase in belief that Obama is Muslim likely reflects a growing disenchantment with his presidency; the lower the public's approval of the economy or Obama's presidency, the more likely they are to seek out reasons why Obama is different--including thinking he is Muslim, when he's not.