One Question You Need To Ask (To Fight Obama Smears)

Email Print posted by ihavenobias 08/19/2008 02:34:05 PM EST

Google Technorati del.icio.us digg reddit
For months now we've heard all kinds of guilt by association attacks on Obama. Now the old ones are back along with some new ones from the laughably biased book 'The Obama Nation'.

Rather than debunking these associations one by one, I'm going to ask a simple question of anyone who is concerned about Obama's associations (real or imagined):

Can you name ONE policy position or proposal from Obama that is or has been in any way negatively influenced by people like Reverend Wright or William Ayers?

Go ahead, we're waiting. For example, please explain how a specific sermon from Jeremiah Wright influenced Obama's energy policy, or how William Ayers effected Obama's proposed tax plan (/ a plan that will allow the 90% of Americans who make less than 112k per year individually to pay LESS taxes).

You'll be lucky to get a John McCain style answer, but it's more likely that you'll hear this.

I encourage everyone to present this question (through email, in person or by using a couple of tin cans with a string if you have to) to any and all detractors of Obama who insist on using guilt by association attacks, and better yet, to anyone who might be swayed by them (i.e. low-info voters who can and will be moved if you try).

PS---I think it's time we start asking how John McCain's policies and stances are influenced by the One Billion Dollars he's surrounded by from Big Business. Maybe that explains why he wants to cut taxes for the richest Americans, even though they already pay less taxes than people in the middle class.
< Fun Post: A Guide to Saving Money and Cutting Back | Jared Taylor's Racist View of Australian Aborigines >
 Display:
One Question You Need To Ask (To Fight Obama Smears) | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
This is true. (none / 0)
Because the entire argument is subtext, you have to drag it into the light.  You force them to SAY that Obama has a hidden agenda, which you ridicule the same way "vast right wing conspiracy" was riducule (although THAT happened to be true).  Hmmm.  Maybe that's the wrong analogy.

by blueheartinaredstate on 08/19/2008 04:05:07 PM EST

Blue, you made me laugh. (none / 0)
Thanks for the fun post, Blue.

by Gregory Wonderwheel on 08/19/2008 04:20:20 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Yep (none / 0)
Dragging it into the light generally kills it. 

We'll never convince the die-hards, but even in those cases, we might be able to force them to drop that particular line of attack and go with something else that's less effective politically.

by ihavenobias on 08/19/2008 04:26:49 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Obama's guilt by disassociation (none / 0)
As I see it, Obama has greatly tarnished himself by his disassociation from Rev. wright and to a much less extent from William Ayers with whom he had very little association to begin with.  But in both cases, Obama has failed to stand up for these people and instead has bowed to the right wing nuts who have targeted Obama with guilt by association.   There was absolutely no guilt by associating with Rev.Wright, yet Obama stuck his tail between his legs and played the political game just as the Washington beltway insiders require. 

It may be political reality that anyone who stands up to the inside the beltway mentality just can't be elected, but I had high hopes for Obama. He has dashed my hopes with every turn of his campaign as he has turned right and given up on friends and principles to get elected.

Obama is a Democratic Party centrist and offering hope to the hopeless but he offers no hope at all for progressive politics or points of view.  Of course I prefer to have the Democrats pick the Supreme Court Justices, but I could never support Obama as the indiividual candidate for his own policies.   

For example, Obama supports nuclear power, the war in Aghanistan, unilateral attacks on the soveriegnty of Pakistan, FISA, cluster bombs, land mines, health insurance company control of health care, etc.  On virtually every currently progressive issue Obama is on the wrong side, that is, the side of the centrists who say "don't move that fast." 

by Gregory Wonderwheel on 08/19/2008 04:16:26 PM EST

I understand why you're disappointed (none / 0)
Obviously Obama is still light years ahead of McCain.  And look, there is still a chance, however small, that he *might* change some really important things in a significant way.

Time will tell.

by ihavenobias on 08/19/2008 04:28:25 PM EST

[ Parent ]
A much better question (none / 0)
What would have happened if John McBush was the president during the Cuban missile cri sis?

by Lib on 08/19/2008 05:06:08 PM EST

Well, to be fair to me ;) (none / 0)
A lot of low-info voters weren't alive at the time and or aren't familiar with the details of the Cuban Missile Crisis. They are, after all, "low-info" voters. So you'd ask them that and they'd say "huh" and the Obama smears would continue.


by ihavenobias on 08/19/2008 05:13:21 PM EST

[ Parent ]
"Low info" voters is too kind. (none / 0)
But kindness is a virtue.  I think the current low info voters would simply say that McCain would have stood up to the Russians and Castro and not given in like Kennedy did. 

Of course Kennedy didn't give in, but since he was a Democrat I think most voters today would believe he gave in regardless of the facts of history.

by Gregory Wonderwheel on 08/19/2008 07:57:12 PM EST

[ Parent ]
How about this question? (none / 0)
Can you name ONE policy position or proposal from Obama that is or has been in any way POSITIVELY influenced by Reverend Wright or William Ayers?

The point is the same. There is no evidence Obama has been politically influenced by either man.

Certainly Rev. Wright's politics are far more progressive than Obama's, so I see Obama as having rejected Rev. Wright's influence not embraced it.

by Gregory Wonderwheel on 08/19/2008 08:01:14 PM EST

Right but (none / 0)
if it was phrased that way it would imply a negative to most low-info voters IMO.

And yeah, maybe I AM being too kind with my phrasing but it works better that way.

by ihavenobias on 08/19/2008 08:41:32 PM EST

[ Parent ]
One Question You Need To Ask (To Fight Obama Smears) | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)
 Display: