Like most people in Mingo County, West Virginia, Leonard Simpson is a lifelong Democrat. But given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain in November, the 67-year-old retired coalminer would vote Republican.

“I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife’s an atheist,” said Mr Simpson, drawing on a cigarette outside the fire station in Williamson, a coalmining town of 3,400 people surrounded by lush wooded hillsides.

I’m disgusted to share this man’s last name.  Sadly, there are thousands more out there like him.  Another Mr. Simpson (my father), encountered one at a hotel desk some months back.  This man said that no matter what my dad or anyone else told him, it wasn’t possible someone with the last name Obama wasn’t Muslim.

I guess reading things like this bother me for two reasons - one, dumb asses like this get an equal say in things.  Their vote counts as much as your’s or mine.  Secondly, they see something wrong with being Muslim; a Muslim President must be a radical in their minds, and all Muslims must behave and believe like bin Laden and other fringe radicals.

Does anyone else just wake up some days and wonder if all the morons in this country will ultimately lead to its demise?