Media smears convinced up to 46 percent of Republicans that Obama was secretly Muslim.

Evidence

The strategy was launched in 2007, when Fox News aired a story claiming that Obama went to a “radical Muslim madrassa” when he was young. The media emphasized his middle name, Hussein, and his Kenyan father’s Muslim identity. Sarah Palin, then Republican vice presidential candidate, accused Obama of “palling around with terrorists.” The concerted messaging was sufficiently successful that without any objective proof, 13 percent of Americans in 2008 believed Obama was secretly a Muslim. These numbers were even higher among Republicans, between 31 to 46 percent. — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 835

Categorization

• QUESTION: The belief persisted years into Obama’s presidency — how did the number evolve, and what specific mechanisms maintained the false belief?