Beware the Smears!

Recently, this blog received a post from a "Concerned American" that was titled "Obama Fans should read!"  No, it was not a suggestion that Obama supporters pick up a book.  It was an attempt to argure that every Obama supporter has been tricked, and in fact Barak Obama is a radical Muslim terrorist.  It represents the lows to which the we've stooped during this presidential race, and I urge everyone to beware, to put a little thought and effort into their decisions, and to make an informed choice.

To illustrate, take this latest example.  The author makes the argument about Barak Obama by tying together several very sketchy statements, as follows:  in college Obama had Pakistani roommates and he took a trip to Indonesia, India, and Pakistan; he went to expensive colleges and bought an expensive house; he was associated with Tony Rezko ("born in Aleppo Syria"); his chief advisor is Valerie Jarrett ("Where was Jarrett born? Ready for this? Shiraz, Iran!"); and another advisor is Robert Malley, who talked to Hamas.

First and foremost, this blog post is completely worthless on its face because it doesn’t list the author’s name and offers no direct support for its arguments (although it does mention a few sources that don’t support the argument being made or don’t exist).  Also, it’s patently ludicrous to believe that a mother of three using the television and internet could somehow outwit the Republican National Committee, all of McCain’s advisors, and everyone else in the world who would not enjoy seeing Barak Obama become the next President.  Surely Mr. McCain might want all Americans to know about this if it was true, let alone the press.

Consider the following points:

1. If you Google any phrase from this blog post, you’ll pull up dozens of the same post from all over the country – even one posted by a man! – form the past few weeks.  It’s a script.

2. Several websites that earn their keep by debunking crazy myths have already picked this up and deemed it false.

3. CNN, this country’s best shot at an impartial television news service, has aired a segment on the many email smear campaigns against Obama that are going around.  They are all full of lies.

4. The details of Obama’s life are well known, and how he paid for his education (loans and scholarships) or house (proceeds from a book deal) is public knowledge and totally unremarkable.

5. Tony Rezko (who was born into a Catholic family in Syria) is not a great guy, but he is not a prominent figure in Obama’s life.  Obama’s personal real estate deal with him was clearly an error in judgment, for which Obama has apologized.

6. Valerie Jarrett is an American with American parents who were in Iran while her father, a renowned physician, worked at a children’s’ hospital.  This was back when Iran and the US were allies.  The family returned to the U.S. when she was five.

See also:http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-072708-jarrett,0,1640738.story

7. Robert Malley works for the International Crisis Group, an organization that seeks to resolve conflict around the world, and therefore it was his job to meet with Hamas.  He was one of Obama’s advisors on the Middle East, and when Obama learned he had met with Hamas he was dropped as an advisor.  Obama has strongly opposed talks with Hamas from day one.

What’s really sad is that well-meaning Americans who are easily duped by dirty tactics may read something like this blog post and let it sway them to vote for the person who doesn’t represent their interests.  It would be much better if people would simply take the time to review the candidates’ positions on key issues.  You can find McCain’s here, and Obama’s here.  Perhaps even more helpful is a nonpartisan organization like Project Vote Smart.  They compile information about candidates for a variety of offices.  And people should think about endorsements; about what organizations and people they respect think about the candidates.

Of course, if someone believes that anyone who has traveled abroad and has ties to Islam is a terrorist, or simply believes everything he/she reads, then I suppose it will take a lot more to overcome such deep ignorance.  And if someone just doesn’t like black people, well, that’s pretty much the end of the debate.