All the smear tactics aimed at Barack Obama appear to be working with key segments of the voters who support Hillary -- no matter how false the charges. The Pew Foundation reports today, while noting that Obama is weathering the Rev. Wright storm:
White Democrats who hold unfavorable views of Obama are much more likely than those who have favorable opinions of him to say that equal rights for minorities have been pushed too far; they also are more likely to disapprove of interracial dating, and are more concerned about the threat that immigrants may pose to American values. In addition, nearly a quarter of white Democrats (23%) who hold a negative view of Obama believe he is a Muslim.
So when Hillary Clinton said in an interview that Barack Obama was a Christian..."as far as I know," that signal gave indirect credence to the Barack-as-Muslim smears circulating on the Web and elsewhere during this campaign season. It's also naive, as some progressives claim, or flatly disingenuous, to insist that such false allegations shouldn't be seen as smears at all, just because there's nothing wrong with being a Muslim.
Now the Barack-is-Muslim lie appears to be taking root with some voters -- many of those who may bolt to McCain if Obama is the nominee.
To smear artists everywhere, it's a job well-done.
UPDATE: For the full story, check out the Anatomy of a Smear broadcast on PBS's Now from January, showing how it began in 2006 and filtered into the early primary campaigns and right-wing media. Here's how that Muslim smear -- along with the false claim that Obama didn't put his hand over his heart when doing the Pledge of Allegiance -- developed later in 2007, part of an in-depth timeline:
Nov. 29, 2007: The Washington Post publishes an article, "Foes Use Obama's Muslim Ties to Fuel Rumors About Him", by political reporter Perry Bacon Jr. exploring the rumors that Obama was Muslim. The article did not explicitly dispel those rumors.Dec. 9, 2007: In response to "ferocious" criticism from readers and others, Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell addresses Bacon's story in a column titled Refuting, or Feeding, the Rumor Mill. She writes: "My problems with the story...were that Obama's connections to Islam are slender at best; that the rumors were old; and that convincing evidence of their falsity wasn't included in the story."
Dec. 13, 2007: Despite being debunked by mainstream news organizations, the claim that Obama didn't place his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegiance is repeated on Bill O' Reilly's show. In response to a caller who says she's disturbed by Obama's alleged action, O'Reilly doesn't correct her and, according to MediaMatters.org, replies: "I think that Obama needs to answer some questions about his point of view, not only on the USA, but on a lot of things."
And now, thanks to the hard-fought Democratic primary campaign, such smears continue -- and have a clear impact.
If he is a Muslim why the hell all the fuss about Rev.Right?
And why no fuss against McCain about Hagee's ( of San Antonio) shameful attacks on the Catholic Church?
Furthermore, what good man who supports an end to racism aligns himself with a spritual advisor for 20 years who spews hatred for white people and America? .
Hillary isn't a racist or a sexist or a Muslim or a communist or a socialist or a Republican oil baron.
Meanwhile, Obama voted to give the oil companies another tax break this year----while Hillary voted against it.
Hillary cares about the fact that America has the highest incident or rape than any other country in the world.
Hillary cares about the fact that women, who comprise 51 percent of our nation, earn 25 percent less than a man in the same job in all professions on average.
There are so many reasons I'm voting for Hillary, there isn't enough white space to write them all down.
Bottom line, if Hillary went to a church that damned all men for oppressing women since the beginning of time, her campaign would be over. Also, if she attended a church that spewed the ideology of the KKK, she would be history.
Hillary doesn't have any of those flaws, but unfortunately, the dark forces are still out to end her campaign prematurely. Sad but true.
Someone I work with - a progressive Democrat - believes that Obama is a muslim who joined a christian church only when he knew that he was going into politics.
I wish I was making that up.
Look we live in an age where 4000 American soldiers have died. The financial markets are in crisis, we continue with an expensive war the is draining so much of America's cashflow, the international relations are at an all time low.
The division within the Dems is exactly what the Republicans can capitalise on. There is no evidence Obama is a muslim so lets move on.
Lets win the next presidential elections. Fact is, McCain's policies are way too aligned with Bush's. I usually chose to keep an open mind but I fear a world where an ill-thought Bush style leadership continues for another 4 years.
If Obama wins the primaries, all Democrats must be behind him because he needs to become president.
But then reality returns.
It is far more likely that the originators of such attacks are just like those who were behind the "Swift Boat" ads - just common criminals who are in it for the potential monetary rewards that they see in ensuring Hillary's election.
The thing is, I'm being facetious. I'm sure half the people reading this blog wouldn't have known it if I didn't say it.
(who must be a citizen, of course, it says so in the US Constitution)
as President of the United States.
It seems Americans love to hate.It's either immigrants (Hispannics,
others are great it seems). And the mainmedia, the government
and Israel have worked tirelessnessly in making ALL Muslims
into "murderous fantatics". Like slaves in North America,
whites feel entitled to treat Palestinians as they will, as
exploited labor " for Jews only", to appropriate their
water and land, to destroy their homes, to torture them,
to assassinate them and murder them or anyone who associates
with them (families, healthcare givers and the like). And they
are expected to be slaughtered with equanimity.Surrender their
homes and lives to the supposedly supperior Israelis backed by
the US government. Defying the Geneva Conventions (settlements:
in defiance of Articles 45 and 47.)
As a member of JEWS FOR PEACE, we comprise 20,000
people who are Jewish,Muslim, Christian, and "other" (I am
"other"---atheist) who believe that we must negotiate with
HAMAS, the elected government of GAZA, and work toward
a sovereign and independent State of Palestine.
(Contact www.jvp.org).
You are not getting the full story because the
powers that be don't want you to know.
Don't you think a simple "no" each time would have sufficed?
"grow a spine and try to win like grown ups."
We are. Why doesn't your candidate try to lose like one?
I will NOT vote for McCain if Hillary wins the nomination, but I will stay home.
A bigot is a bigot, no matter the party affliation.
It seems the Clinton perspective is that's how Washington works, this is the skill she has developed in her last 35 years..
She lied about Bosnia to aggrandize herself and then told a stupid lie to explain the lie, she was tired. She doesn't worry about it because she says voters have short memories. Seems she also thinks they are stupid.
I will support Obama and if he gets shoved aside and it's Hillary I'll hold my noise and vote for her. Then I will re-register as an Independent because I'm not to proud of the democratic party right now.