Thursday, June 19, 2008
The Truth About Barack Obama
Christopher Beam at Slate suggests an alternative to the Fight The Smears strategy.
For example
and
(via KausFiles)
Update: at Peter Feld, Everything I needed to know, I learned from reading Jonathan Alter,
(via comment from TS to this later post) ¶ 6/19/2008 12:00:00 PM
Rather than restate untruths about Obama, the campaign would do better to start some rumors of its own. Here's a template e-mail the Obama campaign might consider disseminating.
For example
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
and
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
(via KausFiles)
Update: at Peter Feld, Everything I needed to know, I learned from reading Jonathan Alter,
I guess we have reached the point where the possibility of someone being Muslim needs a Seinfeld disclaimer: “… not that there’s anything wrong with it.” [Ross] Perot didn’t hate Obama, he just thought he was a Muslim.
(via comment from TS to this later post) ¶ 6/19/2008 12:00:00 PM
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Senator Obama is NOT a Dirty Muslim!
"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge," says Mr. Obama, while denouncing statements of him being a Muslim as a smear. Why is the presidential candidate who claims to be religiously inclusive is treating the word "Muslim" as an insult? Apparently, it is OK for Mr. Obama to be associated with terrorists like William Ayers or racists like Jeremiah Wright, but God forbid somebody would call him a Muslim! No, he won't stand for that kind of smear! We admit that most terrorists are Muslims, but most Muslims are not terrorists and the statement on Mr. Obama's website is insulting to hundreds of millions of people.
How could a man who discards his family heritage in favor of political expediency be even considered for presidency of the United States? Where are all the so-called "Islamic civil rights groups" like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc. who are quick to defend every Islamic terrorist, but are silent when Muslims in general are being denigrated? Would Mr. Obama have the same reaction if someone claimed that he was raised as a Jew? We sincerely doubt that.
Muslims Against Sharia demand immediate removal of "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim" statement from the official Barack Obama's website as well as an apology for giving the word "Muslim" a negative connotation.
http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html
"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge," says Mr. Obama, while denouncing statements of him being a Muslim as a smear. Why is the presidential candidate who claims to be religiously inclusive is treating the word "Muslim" as an insult? Apparently, it is OK for Mr. Obama to be associated with terrorists like William Ayers or racists like Jeremiah Wright, but God forbid somebody would call him a Muslim! No, he won't stand for that kind of smear! We admit that most terrorists are Muslims, but most Muslims are not terrorists and the statement on Mr. Obama's website is insulting to hundreds of millions of people.
How could a man who discards his family heritage in favor of political expediency be even considered for presidency of the United States? Where are all the so-called "Islamic civil rights groups" like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc. who are quick to defend every Islamic terrorist, but are silent when Muslims in general are being denigrated? Would Mr. Obama have the same reaction if someone claimed that he was raised as a Jew? We sincerely doubt that.
Muslims Against Sharia demand immediate removal of "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim" statement from the official Barack Obama's website as well as an apology for giving the word "Muslim" a negative connotation.
http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html
Didn't Senator Biden cover "dirty"?
That aside, how about "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim; not that there's anything wrong with that."
That aside, how about "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim; not that there's anything wrong with that."
Your suggested analogy appears susceptible to being understood as disrespectful to Muslims.
Isn't "Smear" an accusation about motives of some people making the assertion, while "False" would still leave the impression to which you object?
Isn't "Smear" an accusation about motives of some people making the assertion, while "False" would still leave the impression to which you object?
"let us explain. You do not accuse someone of being something unless that something is bad."
On the contrary, in the case of a "smear", it would be because you believe others will regard it as bad.
On the contrary, in the case of a "smear", it would be because you believe others will regard it as bad.
What I said was in response to your assertion that "You do not accuse someone of being something unless that something is bad."
Are you now conceding that this is not necessarily the case in this context?
Are you now conceding that this is not necessarily the case in this context?
Suppose Senator McCain's website said "SMEAR: John McCain is not a natural born citizen of the United States."
The distinctions you now make are irrelevant to your former blanket assertion that "You do not accuse someone of being something unless that something is bad." In the the case I cited that something is to be "not a natural born citizen of the United States".
So you agree that to make an accusation that someone is "not a natural born citizen of the United States" does not necessarily imply that to be "not a natural born citizen of the United States" is, in itself, bad.
"If you accuse someone on not being a US citizen, it implies that US citizens are better than everybody else, which denigrates everybody else."
If the accuser knows the accusation to be false, it could be called a smear.
"However, the 'non-US citizen' group is to large and diverse to be stereotyped."
So, for example, a word like "unAmerican" could not be used to stereotype?
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If the accuser knows the accusation to be false, it could be called a smear.
"However, the 'non-US citizen' group is to large and diverse to be stereotyped."
So, for example, a word like "unAmerican" could not be used to stereotype?
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