Rumour Mill Keeps Obama On Defense
D. Spencer Hines
Damned straight it does!
Shoes are going to continue dropping...
And he is dealing with a millipede...
DSH
Lux et Veritas et Libertas
Deus Vult
--------------------------------------------
The Washington Times
Rumor mill keeps Obama on defense
May 14, 2008
By Christina Bellantoni - Sen. Barack Obama says he is well-prepared to
battle false smears and Republican attacks on his religion and patriotism,
but various rumors have permeated so deeply into the electorate that they
present a general election challenge for the likely Democratic presidential
nominee.
From state to state, voters who support Mr. Obama's rivals regularly cite
information gleaned from e-mails that falsely claim that he is a Muslim or
that he doesn't respect the Pledge of Allegiance.
"His name scares me, his background scares me," said Terri Knowles, a
grandmother from Tippecanoe County, Ind. She voted for Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton last week and said that if Mr. Obama wins the nomination, she will
sit out the November election.
This week in West Virginia, the rumor mill was working at full tilt,
flagging the work the Obama campaign faces to set the record straight before
November and highlighting the hurdles of urban-myth attacks on candidates.
Mr. Obama — who is Christian and says the Pledge of Allegiance regularly —
sometimes shrugs off questions about the rumors with jokes, but he
increasingly has been forced to quash them outright. He said the e-mails
have been "systematically fed into the bloodstream" before a state holds an
election, indicating that "it is not just a random sort of viral thing."
"This is a dirty trick that folks are playing on voters," he said.
Missouri voters were receiving the e-mails before the Feb. 5 primary. One
contained the false rumor about Mr. Obama's faith and erroneously claimed he
was not sworn into office on the Bible.
"Do you want this man leading our country?" the e-mail asks. "If you do not
ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts."
In Pennsylvania, Republican Margaret Miller of Newmanstown told Mr. Obama in
a diner that she "had to ask" about the rumor: "I'm going to ask you why you
didn't salute the flag."
He explained, "We were singing the 'Star-Spangled Banner' and the flag
wasn't in front of me, the flag was behind me." He added that he was looking
at the singer and that he always honors the flag.
Earlier this month during a town hall at the fairgrounds in South Bend,
Ind., a man asked the Democrat: "I've been reading on the Internet that you
believe as an American we should not have to pledge allegiance to the flag.
Is that true?"
Mr. Obama dismissed the e-mail as "a smear campaign that they've been
running since the beginning of the campaign" and noted that he says the
Pledge when presiding in the U.S. Senate.
"You can catch it on videotape," he said. "I've been saying the Pledge since
I was 3 years old. Don't believe that stuff."
Before closing his 50-second answer to a question that voters have had in
each state, he chuckled and added a new line: "If you ever get these letters
from Nigeria saying that they've got a lot of money for you, don't give 'em
your bank account number."
The answer earned him laughter, but it's the people who don't get a chance
to hear his explanation that he will have to reach if he wants to win them
over in a general election against presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John
McCain.
Marjorie Hershey, a political science professor at Indiana University in
Bloomington, said the e-mails that also flooded her state before the primary
are "damaging" because there is a "lack of information about Obama."
"It has worried a number of people," she said, also theorizing that although
the e-mails may originate from "right-wing" groups aiming to defeat Mr.
Obama, it is difficult to estimate their spread because they are forwarded
through the limitless boundaries of the Internet.
Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee, said he lost his race against
President Bush in part because he wasn't able to respond quickly to the
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. He said he isn't worried about Mr. Obama.
"You have to be responding with the truth in the same amount, if not more,
and that is something Barack has already done effectively," Mr. Kerry told
reporters last week, adding that Mr. Obama has "beat back" the "Internet
rumors."
Aware of the challenge, Mr. Obama now mentions his grandfather's service in
the Army under Gen. George S. Patton during World War II in nearly every
campaign stop. He also outlines his family's Kansas roots and his
father-in-law's working-class struggle before ending his speeches by saying,
"God bless America."
Obama thinks his maternal GRANDFATHER's service in World War II in Patton's
army somehow makes HIM a PATRIOT? HILARIOUS! -- DSH
When talking about the need for a new GI Bill of Rights and taking care of
Americans, Mr. Obama says his candidacy "all traces back to the values that
my grandparents passed on to me."
In a speech to North Carolina Democrats recently, he mocked the rumors and
the dust-up over his former pastor's anti-American sermons as distractions.
"I notice that over the last couple of weeks there's been an attempt to make
[the campaign] about me. 'You know he doesn't wear a flag pin, he's got a
funny name, that ex-pastor of his, that's a problem.' I understand this," he
said, using that as an opening for "saying a little something about my
values, my character."
But in West Virginia yesterday, exit polls showed that two in 10 voters
think the senator shares the views of the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. "a
lot" while three in 10 think he shares his former pastor's views "somewhat."
The concern over the Pledge of Allegiance comes from a phony e-mail that
includes a photograph of Mr. Obama, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Mrs.
Clinton standing in front of an oversized U.S. flag at Sen. Tom Harkin's
Steak Fry in Iowa last summer. Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Clinton have their
hands on their hearts; Mr. Obama's are folded in front of him. The e-mails
falsely claim this was during the Pledge, but as video from the event
proves, the photo was taken during the national anthem.
Dozens of Web sites have emerged to disprove the false rumors, including
video of Mr. Obama leading the Pledge in the Senate chamber and pointing out
that many people at sporting events do not put their hands on their hearts
during the national anthem, but his campaign has done little to go on
offense.
A Google search for the words "Obama" and "pledge" produces more than
400,000 hits, but the campaign has not purchased relatively inexpensive
sponsored Google links urging voters to get the truth.
The campaign also has not produced a Web ad debunking the claims, but
BarackObama.com prominently features a "Know the facts on Barack Obama's
patriotism" link, refuting the e-mails.
"Obama Is a Patriot Who Loves His Flag and His Country," the campaign site
declares, noting the Democrat "voted to require the Pledge to be recited in
schools" as an Illinois state senator in 2001 and 2002.
Tiger
reasons not to back Mr. Obama. His Record (or lack of), his friends &
adivsors, his views & policies, etc. Going off into fairytale territory
however detracts from those opposing him. Grenades are dangerous things
and should not be thrown carelessly. Same with rummor...
a425couple
> Rumour Mill Keeps Obama On Defense...
I very much dislike false rumors on either side.
Misleads, and also distract from real issues.
> Shoes are going to continue dropping...
And, probably good to get some "aired out",
out in open, and corrected and claified early.
> The Washington Times
> Rumor mill keeps Obama on defense
> May 14, 2008
> By Christina Bellantoni - Sen. Barack Obama says he is well-prepared to
> battle false smears and Republican attacks on his religion and patriotism,
> but various rumors have permeated so deeply into the electorate that they
> present a general election challenge for the likely Democratic
presidential
> nominee.
> Mr. Obama - who is Christian and says the Pledge of Allegiance regularly -
> sometimes shrugs off questions about the rumors with jokes, but he
> increasingly has been forced to quash them outright.
Yes, quashing them outright (when he can) is proper.
> -- Margaret Miller -- told Mr. Obama --
> that she "had to ask" about the rumor: "I'm going to ask you why you
> didn't salute the flag."
> He explained, "We were singing the 'Star-Spangled Banner' and the flag
> wasn't in front of me, the flag was behind me." He added that he was
looking
> at the singer and that he always honors the flag. --
> a photograph of Mr. Obama, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Mrs.
> Clinton standing in front of an oversized U.S. flag at Sen. Tom Harkin's
> Steak Fry in Iowa last summer. Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Clinton have their
> hands on their hearts; Mr. Obama's are folded in front of him. The e-mails
> falsely claim this was during the Pledge, but as video from the event
> proves, the photo was taken during the national anthem.
Interesting.
OK, false rumor, but to me (although it may not be the hugest
issue), the defense of Mr. Obama is very troubling.
US Code makes this quite clear. During the playing of the
national anthem, one should stand at attention, and (when out
of uniform) place the right hand over the heart.
He wants to be POTUS in 8 months, and does/did not
know this?!
Sheesh! You mean our cub, boy, girl scouts, etc. and all
military as recruits know this, and prospective leader
does not?
(And the location of the flag to me is non-issue,
it may often be not visable, it's fine to salute towards
the music.)
> Sen. John Kerry, (says/advises) -- respond quickly --
> He said he isn't worried about Mr. Obama.
> "You have to be responding with the truth in the same amount,
> if not more, and that is something Barack has already done effectively,"
> -- adding that Mr. Obama has "beat back" the "Internet rumors."
Yes, to large extent he has done so effectively.
> Aware of the challenge, Mr. Obama now mentions his grandfather's service
in
> the Army under Gen. George S. Patton during World War II in nearly every
> campaign stop. --
> Obama thinks his maternal GRANDFATHER's service in WW II --
> army somehow makes HIM a PATRIOT? HILARIOUS! -- DSH
Two generations removed, tis a bit of a reach.
But, still, I'd rather have him recognizing such service as good,
rather than skipping/dodging the point entirely.
> He also outlines his family's Kansas roots and his
> father-in-law's working-class struggle before ending his speeches
> by saying, "God bless America."
All good and fine.
> In a speech --- recently, he mocked the rumors and the
> dust-up over his former pastor's anti-American sermons as distractions.
He dealt with it well enough, but it's valid it got clarified.
> using that as an opening for "saying a little something about my
> values, my character."
Yes, air that out. Inform us.
> and pointing out that many people at sporting events do not
> put their hands on their hearts during the national anthem,
Sheesh, that again!
Dufises and distracted people will always be around.
I think (or really hope) we expect better of a POTUS!
Richard Casady
wrote:
The hand grenade is the most dangerous to the user of the soldier's
tools. They remain popular because, unlike guns, they work around
corners and have no return address.
Casady
D. Spencer Hines
news:Keidna0Uq5Bn0bHV...@comcast.com...
>...the defense of Mr. Obama is very troubling.
> US Code makes this quite clear. During the playing of the
> national anthem, one should stand at attention, and (when out
> of uniform) place the right hand over the heart.
> He wants to be POTUS in 8 months, and does/did not
> know this?!
>
> Sheesh! You mean our cub, boy, girl scouts, etc. and all
> military as recruits know this, and prospective leader
> does not?
>
> (And the location of the flag to me is non-issue,
> it may often not be visible, it's fine to salute towards
> the music.)
Bingo!