Posted on 06/15/2008 5:18:58 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama learned an important lesson from the 2004 presidential campaign: Dont be passive about false rumors.
When Democratic nominee and Vietnam War veteran John Kerry, who served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and won multiple Purple Hearts for wounds in battle, was attacked for a lack of patriotism, his campaign was slow to respond. Obama wont be so passive.
The scurrilous attack on Kerry, largely funded by Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, a Republican Party sugar daddy, was outlandish. A group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth posted the ads, coining a new term for dirty politics - swiftboating.
Obamas campaign has had to fight swiftboating all year, regularly fielding wild rumors about his heritage, his patriotism and his religion. In most instances, the campaign staff fired back quickly to a targeted audience.
But after the dustup last week over comments attributed to his wife, Michelle, the Obama campaign took to the Internet with a vengeance and a new Web site. Michelle Obama was accused of using a derogatory term for white people, which she and her husband roundly denied when it was reported and deny again on the Web site.
The name of the Web site, fightthesmears.com, says it all clearly and concisely. Obamas camp will respond to smears instantly and forcefully. It will not be easily swiftboated, not be passive about rumors no matter how bizarre, not be caught unaware of the destructive potential of false statements.
Its an unfortunate reality of modern politics that the most absurd charges assume a life of their own on the Internet. Anyone can post any nutty thing, and it spreads like a virus. This is the new gutter politics, and it can be effective.
Obamas camp is smart to fight back aggressively. The Web site already answers not only the smear against Michelle, but disproves several others. Obamas birth certificate is posted to counter that hes not an American; his Christian upbringing is explored to prove hes not a Muslim; a video of him leading the Pledge of Allegiance in the Senate gives lie to the smear that he refuses to say the pledge.
Also, to counter the attacks on him using partial quotes (or entirely fabricated ones) from his books, the full texts are offered. This is an effective strategy to refute the smears, innuendos and outright lies that have accompanied Obamas successful campaign.
Obama and Republican presidential aspirant John McCain have spoken of rejecting smear campaigns this political season and raising the political debates to a new level. At this point, that looks more like hope than fact.
Even if they both take the high road, nothing will prevent hatemongers from spreading poison. Nothing will prevent radio personalities from repeating false, hateful smears, giving them another life. Nothing will prevent anonymous bloggers from posting pure fiction under the guise of political truths.
But Democrats have learned from the swiftboating of Kerry that they can and must fight back. Fightthesmears.com is an excellent tool for turning lies and smears back on their perpetrators and revealing the truth.
So if Obama denies it, it's off-limits? MMMmmmmkay!
Thin skinned is now a race.
Wonder how fair this “journalist” has been to GWB?
Has anyone checked their websewer to see if they have thrown his brother under the bus yet?
However, the website Obama has set up to ANSWER his critics are now turning and attacking McCain.
Further proving what a bunch of dolts the democrats are .. they don’t even know the Swift Boaters WERE IN VIETNAM WITH KERRY (or if they do know they’re lying about knowing).
It’s just another example of PAY-BACK by the dems when you outsmart them.
It is Austin Texas. One of the most liberal cities in America.
Obama is standing in a cesspool of deceit. He can’t fight the truth with more lies.
Obomba probably should not be passive about them, agreed. But its the true rumors that will do him in, and being passive or active about them won't make much difference.
Obama’s father was a muslim and his mother a convicted atheist. She was so rebellious against any traditional values she ran off to foreign countries and twice married men outside both her religion and race.
There is no way Obama had a “Christian” upbringing.
Other than that, good editorial.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article, "Gravity: Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law"
Commander Obama braced to torpedo swift boats
The only other image like this that cracks me up EVERY TIME I view it is the Helen Thomas dog-face. These two images will live forever in the annals of the Enemy-within history.
Other than that, good editorial.
Congressman Billybob
Latest article, "Gravity: Not Just a Good Idea, It's the Law"
I drink my morning coffee everday from a mug with that seal on it. It just reminds me to stick my fingers in my ears when I start to hear a Democrat whine.
If a repub had set up thought police on the Internet the leftist media would freak but when a fellow Marxist does it , they rejoice. Like I have warned the OLD MEDIA want this Marxist to win so they can regain there old monopoly back. Obama and Michele aka Chairman Mao and Madame Mao once in power will shut down the new media , regulate the internet and shut down talk radio and threaten Fox News into submission. It looks like Matt Drudge is already playing along with the Obama thought police in a hope to stay open.
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