The Muslim Mantra

[rmthunter]

I think this may have come up in another thread, but I can't find it.

My sister, of all people, just repeated the "Obama is a Muslim" thing back at me. I went ballistic.

It seems a friend of hers got an e-mail. . . . I had to explain to my sister how oppo researchers work, and remind her that Obama has belonged to a Christian church for 20 years, which I was sure she had heard about, since Jeremiah Wright was trying to steal the election coverage.

And then I told her the next time she heard something like that, to point at the person and start laughing.

Hmmm -- I just thought. My sister lives in Florida. Maybe that explains it.

[wivabef]

My daughter's teacher repeated the same thing... and she's a SOCIAL STUDIES teacher.

Sheesh.

[jgibson2[$]]

Elyzabeth,
I very nearly gave up hope for local social studies teachers the year my oldest came home (from high school) and said that his American History teacher told the class that all the US had gotten out of WWII was a bunch of dead soldiers.

Then I met his World History teacher. There is definitely hope.

I also had the opportunity to bend the American History teacher's ear when I went along as a chaperone on a field trip. I think the teacher regretted many of the things he'd said to his class by the time I was done.

I find the "Obama is a Muslim" crap to be moderately annoying, but I'm inclined to take Bob's approach and laugh before I correct people.

"You've been reading emails, haven't you?"

I have to admit that it really pisses people off when you laugh at some stupid "fact" they quote from an email, so I don't think I'm convincing anyone. It makes me feel better, though.

[rmthunter]

Well, I figure something like that deserves ridicule, at best. There is just too much joke material out there that people take seriously. (Of course, then I explain very gently what really happened, or at least why I think what they just said is ridiculous.)

I ran across a bit yesterday noting that the more something is repeated, the more likely people are to believe it, even if the same person repeats it several times. If I run across the link again, I'll post it.

[realtraveller]

I've seen blogs saying that McCain is the "Manchurian candidate". Also seen some saying that Obama is the "Manchurian candidate". Other than boosting rentals for that movie, I don't know what to make of this. The only thing I can think is that it reflects a fundamental distrust of the candidates, Washington, government etc. so that these sorts of things would be believed.

[rmthunter]

It's a presidential election: you're going to see all sorts of stuff, and it's going to get wilder and wilder. The sad thing is that none of it has to be proven, it just has to be repeated, and they'll believe it in West Virginia (and, as we've seen, in Florida).

The latest I've heard of is the videotape of Michelle Obama making racist remarks against whites. Apparently, the purveyor of this tape is Roger Stone, so you know it's a lie. It has, however served its purpose: it has now worked its way into the MSM, and a reporter from McClatchy who should have known better actually asked Barack Obama about it at a press conference -- and got put down hard.

[realtraveller]

This campaign started with a front page story on McCain rumoring an affair with a lobbyist. But rather than saying "The NYTimes shouldn't run such stories, they are a distraction", McCain just refuted the content period. The story is dead and buried and the NYTimes completely discredited.

With Obama and the Michelle tape he in essence said "You shouldn't be asking me those questions". Which only keeps the story and the suspicions alive. It would have been more effective to say "Hell no. Michelle has never uttered a racist word". There is no such tape"

I don't think there is a tape either. If there were, it would have been out by now. But he handled the question badly.

[rmthunter]

If the NYT is not completely discredited after Judith Miller and her series on Iraq, it never will be. Watch for more to surface about McCain (although since he's the Republican nominee, probably not -- the Democrats tend to run cleaner campaigns, and as I recall the lobbyist-affair story was when there was still a full line-up of Republican contenders, so who knows who started it?).

The version of the Obama story I heard is somewhat different -- Obama did refute the rumor, told the reporter off for even asking the question, and that was it.

Comparisons aren't really going to work here -- just watch the "liberal" press go for Obama, because they all read Drudge in the morning, and if Drudge doesn't have a story, he makes one up. McCain is being handled with kid gloves because he gives great barbeque. (Although I note that a few in the press corps are starting to act like real reporters, which is refreshing.)

[theworm[$]]

I've heard the Muslim mantra too often too. My old boss from Flori-Duh just sent me one of those e-mails about how Obama is a radical muslin and if elected will ruin the country. I replied, "too late, the current president already did that", but I digress. Another very smart friend also thinks hes a Muslim (she too lives in Florida). He takes heat for his Christian minister and for being a radical Muslim.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

Wanna get frightened by your fellow voters? Check these out:

Snopes on Obama
Snopes on Hillary
Snopes on McCain<---EXTREMELY FEW entries in that one, which should be good for some interesting speculation.

Anyway, the number and types of things people will believe or forward in an email do not inspire faith in my fellow man, especially the believing two contradictory things at the same time (Christian/Muslim) bit.

[realtraveller]

Let's not forget the actual newspaper stories that said that McCain may not be eligible to be President because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone.

Rumors have been part of presidential campaigns since James Calendar put out the stories about Thomas Jefferson's having mulatto children. I think that was before the internet.

[hymie[$]]

Why is it bad to be a Muslim, anyway?

[jgibson2[$]]

For all the same reasons it was bad to be Catholic in 1960.

The world didn't end then, either.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

hymie said

Why is it bad to be a Muslim, anyway?

Hy! Hi!

[mtomm[$]]

hymie said

Why is it bad to be a Muslim, anyway?

LOL! That was exactly my thought! Sheesh.

Have you see fight the smears? He's so adamant there about not being a Muslim you'd think it was akin to being a pedophile.

[wivabef]

Hy. Plucky. Where's the eye, now?

[drmomentum[$]]

Deep in Democrat country here and I am still waiting to hear one goofy theory about McCain, or receive a crazy email that's even close to equivalent to "Obama is a Muslim."

If they existed, they'd be reaching me, but they don't. Bush burned through them all in 2000 and Obama supporters don't need to make any new ones up.

Bob wrote:

Comparisons aren't really going to work here -- just watch the "liberal" press go for Obama, because they all read Drudge in the morning

It's simple. They saw what overinflating Democratic discord did for ratings, they need to prop up McCain before he collapses. Otherwise it could be a very boring election season. Plus, Fox and Friends have them deadly afraid of accusations of liberal bias, so it all works out.

See Frank Rich's Op Ed
Op-Ed Columnist - Frank Rich - Do Angry Clinton Women Love McCain? - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com

unless you're allergic to the NY Times, in which case, I dunno, go read something on Free Republic.

-JP

[theworm[$]]

hymie said

Why is it bad to be a Muslim, anyway?

because there are people who want us to believe that all Muslims are extremist crazy terrorists that will be the end of the civilized world - and that sort of hatred and narrow-mindedness will get our country where????

I don't care if Obama is a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, an athiest or whatever as long as he is a good man who exhibits good judgment and recognizes the separation of church and state.

[Prepoia[$]]

All I want is a person that bases decisions on what is good for all Americans, not just certain groups of Americans. A person that can make decisions not hampered by his or her religion, personal beliefs, or even political party but on what benefits us as Americans and what will improve and help the nation of the United States of America.

[theworm[$]]

Prepoia said

All I want is a person that bases decisions on what is good for all Americans, not just certain groups of Americans. A person that can make decisions not hampered by his or her religion, personal beliefs, or even political party but on what benefits us as Americans and what will improve and help the nation of the United States of America.

Amen!

[realtraveller]

A couple of days ago, I saw a news article out of Jerusalem. An interview with his half-brother Malik Obama saying that Obama was 'raised Muslim' but that he'd be a friend to Jews. But really, what does the half-brother know. They weren't even brought up together.

[thinkerlady[$]]

Prepoia said

All I want is a person that bases decisions on what is good for all Americans, no