What i meant was that almost all C programmers are aware of and know C++ to varying degrees. But they choose to not use it for their application based on needs/expertise/etc.

Linus Torvalds objection to using C++ is perfectly logical for his use-case. I know many embedded programmers who refuse to use C++ even though they understand and agree with the benefits that it can bring to the table. Their C expertise is so good that when they program, cognitively the language just disappears and they "flow" through the problem solution implementation. This is the crux of problem-solving.