Outside the Beltway

Obama Smears Collection

James Joyner
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Fight Obama Smears Matt Yglesias points to a rather amateurish website called Fight the Smears which catalogs various charges being made against Barack Obama (“Michelle Obama Says ‘Whitey’ On a Tape,” ” Barack Obama is a Muslim,” “Obama’s Books Contain Racially Incendiary Remarks,” and so on) and concludes “it seems smart to get out in front of these things rather than pretending that they’ll go away if decent people ignore them.”

Probably so. Then again, it also provides a handy, succinct compendium of the charges while hiding the controverting evidence (which often doesn’t exist, given the nature of disproving negatives) behind a link that’s a bother to read.

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15 responses to “Obama Smears Collection”

  1. Triumph Avatar
    Triumph

    I don’t even know why they bother–the guy is a gay, muslim, abortion-doctor, terrorist, liberal, wine drinker, elitist, black power, chess playing, russian-speaking, quiche-eating, soccer-watching liberal.

    There ain’t know way they can get around the truth.

  2. Scott Swank Avatar
    Scott Swank

    Kind of nice the way a McCain ad comes up under this post, you know the one that conflates Obama with Ahmadinejad. Hey, and there’s another on your right margin. It’s a whole new Southern Strategy — not that he’s Muslim or anything.

    http://www.johnmccain.com/landing/b3.htm?&sid=google&t=Iran&r=iraqwar

  3. MstrB Avatar
    MstrB

    Technically isn’t he Muslim by birth, regardless of the faith he practices? At least thats how it was for a Catholic friend of mine when he lived in Jordan (his dad was/is Muslim).

  4. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    conflates Obama with Ahmadinejad

    Uh, no. It merely pictures them together under the headline “Is it OK to Meet Unconditionally with Anti-American Foreign Leaders?” I’m mostly tired of that line of attack but it’s a legitimate one.

  5. Scott Swank Avatar
    Scott Swank

    I’m ok with that line of attack. However, I’m not particularly ok with the mirror pictures of Obama & Ahmadinejad. I call ’em the way I see ’em, and this is a pretty cut & dry instance of racist wedge politics.

  6. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Technically isn’t he Muslim by birth, regardless of the faith he practices? At least thats how it was for a Catholic friend of mine when he lived in Jordan (his dad was/is Muslim).

    That’s not a universally accepted rule, and many respected Muslim jurists have noted exceptions in the past that would apply to Obama now. Somebody posted some very useful links on another thread, I’ll re-post them if I find which one.

    There’s also the minor fact that here in America, it doesn’t matter what religion your father and/or mother were.

  7. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Somebody posted some very useful links on another thread, I’ll re-post them if I find which one.

    It was Mike P, who’s comments can be found here:
    https://drjjoyner-cmlud.wpcomstaging.com/page/2/#comment-407264

    Dave Schuler makes a similar point a couple of comments above it, but Mike provided more details.

  8. Steve in wNY Avatar
    Steve in wNY

    Scott-
    “Wedge politics”. Maybe, but at least it’s arguably an important space into which to drive a wedge.

    “Racist”? Please help me out with that one. I don’t see that at all.

  9. Scott Swank Avatar
    Scott Swank

    Steve,

    The symmetry of the images is designed to invite the viewer to compare Obama & Ahmadinejad. What are the most salient characteristics of Ahmadinejad: a radical Muslim, dark skinned, threatening. Now look at Obama: rumored to be Muslim, dark skinned, pictured in a stern/angry moment. This is not coincidental. This is designed to imply that Obama is a radical Muslim, dark skinned, threatening man.

    Because of the Muslim angle, I will amend my earlier statement: this is not just racism, but rather racism and religious bigotry. This in the face of the fact that Obama is clearly a pretty devout Christian.

  10. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    This is designed to imply that Obama is a radical Muslim, dark skinned, threatening man.

    No, it’s intended to imply that he would talk to this particular threatening man. Which Obama specifically said he would do. Amadinijad was the person at the heart of that controversy.

  11. Spoker Avatar
    Spoker

    This “Fight the Smears” approach to fear and rumor mongering is an interesting approach by a politician that started his general election campaign by attempting to tar his opponent as the incarnation of the ‘Bush Third Term’. That is just a bit hypocritical to my way of thinking.

  12. Zelsdorf Ragshaft III Avatar
    Zelsdorf Ragshaft III

    Much rather a third Bush term than an second Carter term. Just compare interest rates, or the rate of inflation or unemployment. I know. The unemployment rate just went up. Coinsides with the increase in the minimum wage. Good timing Dems. The policies of the left are taking there toll on this countries economy yet they blame everyone and everything else. Soon it will be time to take things from the elites.

  13. narciso Avatar
    narciso

    Someone forgot to tell his half brother; what constitutes a smear:http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellitecid=1212659716936&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull>

  14. Sean Hackbarth Avatar
    Sean Hackbarth

    This is a smart move. If the Obama team designed the site well it should rank high in the search engines when undecided voters look into the rumors over the summer and into the fall.

  15. Muslims Against Sharia Avatar
    Muslims Against Sharia

    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

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