Is poll of Ala., Miss. voters cultural profiling?

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Lots of discussion on this primary voting day in two deep South states, Alabama and Mississippi, about a Public Policy Polling survey that showed significant numbers of prospective Republican voters with views more aligned with the 1950s than 2012.

But The Daily Beast's Michelle Cottle asks a good question: Why did the pollsters only ask those in this deep South primary questions about evolution and interracial marriage. "It’s scary that a quarter of Mississippi and Alabama Republicans are against interracial marriage, and half believe Obama’s a Muslim," Cottle writes. "But can the Democratic-affiliated pollster explain what this has to do with the current Republican presidential race—and why only Southerners are being asked?"

This smacks of "cultural profiling," she said. She has a point.

So here are the poll results: Only 26 percent of Alabama GOP voters believe in evolution; 60 percent don't and 13 percent aren't sure about it. Twenty-one percent still think interracial marriage should be illegal; 12 percent aren't sure whether it should be. Given that it was just in the year 2000 that Alabama changed its law banning interracial marriage - about 30 years after the Supreme Court outlawed it - maybe that's no surprise.

Even fewer prospective Mississippi voters believe in evolution: 22 percent do; 66 percent don't; 11 percent aren't sure. On interracial marriage, nearly half think it should be illegal or they aren't sure - 29 percent still think it should be illegal; 17 percent aren't sure. 54 percent think it should be legal.

Given that even some Republicans who want to be president - ahem, Donald Trump - expressed doubts about President Barack Obama's citizenship, and evangelist Franklin Graham challenged (and later retracted) Obama's Christianity, this poll result is hardly surprising. In both Alabama and Mississippi, most respondents think Obama is a Muslim eventhough he says he's a Christian. Fifty-two percent of Mississippi voters said he was a Muslim and 36 weren't sure; only 12 percent believe he's Christian. In Alabama, just 14 percent believe he's a Christian; 45 percent think he's Muslim and 41 percent aren't sure.

But hold up, Margie Omero of the liberal Huffington Post says. Before you go out and label the GOP voters in Alabama and Mississippi backward, you should know that polls show their views aren't inconsistent with the general population.

"Most Americans believe in creationism of some sort. Gallup tracking on this question shows only 16 percent believe 'humans evolved, but God had no part of the process' and twice as many believe creationism is 'definitely true' as believe the same about evolution (39 percent, 18 percent). Similarly, in 2005 Pew showed a third believe evolution is the 'explanation for the origin of human life.'

"On interracial marriage, PPP's April 2011 poll, also with Mississippi Republicans, showed far more (46 percent) wanting to see these marriages illegal. And the new polling suggests Mississippi and Alabama Republicans are not necessarily that far removed from voters overall. Gallup tracking on this question shows huge movement since 1958, when only 4 percent 'approved' of interracial marriages. But even at its new high of 86 percent in 2011, it falls short of unanimous."

oh. boy.

On the election front, today's Southern Super Tuesday is a toss-up for Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. Polls show they're all bunched up close to each other with around 30 percent - more or less - of the vote. Jay Cost of the conservative Weekly Standard has a good assessment. The National Journal has an interesting take too, and points out that Hawaii's primary is today also though results will be overshadowed by the Southern hoopla.