A newly released poll by Public Policy Polling (PPP) of Ohio Republican voters contains a rather surprising statistic: roughly one in seven Republicans in the state believe that Romney was responsible for killing Osama Bin Laden. It is not clear how the businessman accomplished this act (I was hoping for an article that Bain Capital simply transferred his job outside the country and downsized him out of existence). While I have been critical of the degree to which President Obama has virtually worn the corpse around his shoulders like a campaign shawl (and Biden’s equally ridiculous claims), the poll is the final showing that the EEG is flat on any brain activity in this election.



The results of the poll probably says more about the blind rage of some voters (who are unwilling to acknowledge a single positive thing about Obama) than it does a lack of actual knowledge. However, the credit given to Romney adds a truly otherworldly aspect to the mentality of these voters.

Here are the numbers: Of the “very” conservative voters polled, 15% credited Romney with the kill. (By the way, 4% of “very liberal” Ohioans also gave Romney the credit).

Overall, 1 in 3 Ohioans surveyed (31%) both liberal and conservative said they were not sure who was responsible for bin Laden’s death. Some 51 percent of conservatives expressed uncertainty.

Once again, I have serious qualms about presidents claiming heroic status on such operations as if they dropped into the compound with Seal Team Six. It is the same discomfort I felt with Bush prancing around on the deck of the Abraham Lincoln declaring victory in the war.

There is no question that Obama can be credited with authorizing the operation, though his suggestion that Romney would not have ordered the killing is equally absurd.

As noted earlier, I expect most candidates would have ordered the attack on the compound. However, the recent use of dead trophy terrorists as campaign props has only diminished the quality of our political discourse further. It often seems like politicians are playing tug-of-war with bodies like Bin Laden’s to “claim the kill.” The polled responses of these Republicans is obviously absurd, but only slightly more absurd than the fight to claim the kill in my view.

What do you think?

Source: Public Policy