The election is over, but the misinformation continues. Half-truths and blatant falsehoods spread throughout the internet and airwaves during the Presidential election remain accepted as the truth by many Americans. No matter what facts emerged to dispel these myths, they do not disappear. Now that the election is over, it looks like these lies are going to become part of American political mythology.

The results of an Annenberg Public Policy Center poll show that people believe what they want to believe no matter what the facts are.

• 40% think that John McCain wanted to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years
• 30% think there is some truth to the statement that Barack Obama is an Arab
• 19% believe Obama is a Muslim
• 25% do not know Obama’s religion
• 42% believe that McCain wanted to cut $800 billion from Medicare
• 31% believed that Obama’s plan to deal with illegal immigrants would grant them social security and health benefits

It is easy to blame the prevalence of these untruths on the internet or massive negative advertising by the political campaigns and their surrogates. However, ignorance of the American political system extends itself onto less partisan issues as well.

• 31% are not aware that the Democrats control Congress
• 37% do not know that the Supreme Court has the final determination on  the constitutionality of law
• Only 19% know that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks

It makes one wonder how democracy works with poll results like these.