In Flag City USA, False Obama Rumors Are Flying

Washington Post ^ | June 30, 2008 | Eli Saslow

[ricks_place]

FINDLAY, Ohio -- On his corner of College Street, Jim Peterman stares at the four American flags planted in his front lawn and rubs his forehead. Peterman, 74, is a retired worker at Cooper Tire, a father of two, an Air Force veteran and a self-described patriot. He took one trip to Washington in 1989 -- best vacation of his life -- and bought a statue of the Washington Monument that he still displays in a glass case in his living room.

He believes a smart vote is an American's greatest responsibility. Which is why his confusion about Barack Obama continues to eat at him.

On the television in his living room, Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth: Sen. Barack Obama, born in Hawaii, is a Christian family man with a track record of public service. But on the Internet, in his grocery store, at his neighbor's house, at his son's auto shop, Peterman has also absorbed another version of the Democratic candidate's background, one that is entirely false: Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

"It's like you're hearing about two different men with nothing in common," Peterman said. "It makes it impossible to figure out what's true, or what you can believe."

[ricks_place]

Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Entirely false?

[socialismisinsidious]

On the television in his living room, Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth:

That is the funniest thing I've read in a long while! Thanks for the laugh.

[OCC]

Entirely false?

The TV tells me he was not born in Africa.. not sure about the rest.

[BenLurkin]

(They left out the fact that he smokes crack.)

[socialismisinsidious]

Born on the Internet, the rumors now meander freely across the flatlands of northwest Ohio -- through bars and baseball fields, retirement homes and restaurants.

The Washington Post has been very busy of late trying to tell everyone how evil the Internet is and how rumors about Obama take on a life of their own b/c of the Internet. Why don't they just get on with it and say what they really want--regulate the Internet.

When people on College Street started hearing rumors about Obama -- who looked different from other politicians and often talked about change -- they easily believed the nasty stories about an outsider.

Yeah that's it. People don't like Obama b/c they are simple minded and racist. It has nothing to do with him being a Marxist or even a racist himself. Nope it's all b/c he "looked different" What a joke Liberals are.

[ought-six]

“Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Well, he wasn’t born in Africa.

[BenLurkin]

[MassachusettsGOP]

Born in Africa: Maybe
gay: No
Muslim: No
racist: Somewhat
who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance: Haven't asked him to yet

[Michael.SF.]

OK, maybe these are all lies about Obama, we may not know for 100% certainty that he is:

gay
a Muslim
racist.

But why take the chance? Vote McCain anyway.

The above is meant as a bit of a joke, but in all serious we do know that:

His father was a Muslim

His preacher and Religious mentor of 15 plus years is a racist whack job.

He kissed the ass of a known terrorist to get elected in the first place.

and he has never denounced his support of reparations.

[musicman]

"In Flag City USA, False Obama Rumors Are Flying"

[musicman]

gay: No

....okey dokey......

[Bubba_Leroy]

Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

What part is supposedly false?

[OCC]

When is he scheduled to stop here?

Patriot, Indiana

[MinuteGal]

This is a very juvenile, lame, contrived article.....typical of this rag's touchy-feely liberal agenda.

The writer knew beforehand what he was going to write that would help Obama....then went to Flag City to cherry-pick the quotes of some rather ignorant folks to flesh out the story he wanted to tell.

Yes, there are some tricks of the leftist trade in this article.

I'm so glad I live next door to Rush in Spatula City and wasn't there to be interviewed when this guy came to Flag City to do his political slumming.

Leni

[patriot08]

Born in Africa: Maybe
gay: No
Muslim: No
racist: Somewhat
who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance: Haven’t asked him to yet

HUH?
Born in Africa- maybe
Gay- most probably bi
Muslim- YES
Racist- Yes

[WilliamofCarmichael]

Washington Post employee calls Middle America Macaca!

[No Truce With Kings]

False Obama rumors? You mean like the one that he is has enough experience to be President? Or the one that he is more truthful even than Bill clinton? Or maybe the one that he is a patriotic American?

Yup. There are lots of false rumors about Obama. Mostly spread by the press and Democrats (but I repeat myself.)

[xzins]

Is that photoshopped?

[musicman]

IMHO, it's as REAL as the birth certificate produced by the Obama campaign and it's supporters.

[airborne]

"He believes a smart vote is an American's greatest responsibility..." --- "...Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth..."

LMAO! Typical mind numbed Democrat!

[Loyal Buckeye]

Can’t wait for the Wash. Post article defending John McCain from the jackass, Ashley Wilkes.

[xzins]

Does that mean it’s phony?

Too bad. I really wanted to use it on another thread.

Thanks.

[freema]

GO FINDLAY!

[TXnMA]

"Is that photoshopped?"

You could do a better PS job without turning on your computer. (Just look at the "shadow" under the hat...)

[TXnMA]

Just to be perfectly clear: I am as against Hussy Osamabama as I could be without wishing him physical harm. I just despise the Ra^ther-type "fake but true" genre -- and believe we should have no association with it.

[xzins]

Thanks TxnMa.

I’m trying to compile a legitimate list of issues regarding Obama. I agree that phony photos do no one any good unless they’re clearly identified as humor.

[vharlow]

Did you notice how they found “one person with an open mind”......now that really got my goat. In fact, just a day after the other one in the Style Section Sunday about the smear campaign...... I was so enraged I wrote to the editor of the Post...not that that would do any good. I accused them of smearing freerepublic and the good people of Findlay, OH.

[CONSERVE]

ping

[jan in Colorado]

Obama IS the Messiah!

.

So...is it true or just a rumor? It's so hard to tell truth from fiction with this guy!

Obama Truth File

[Onelifetogive]

What part is supposedly false?

The word "possibly"?

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

On the television in his living room, Peterman has watched enough news and campaign advertisements to hear the truth:

---

OMG.

[Centurion2000]

But on the Internet, in his grocery store, at his neighbor's house, at his son's auto shop, Peterman has also absorbed another version of the Democratic candidate's background, one that is entirely false: Barack Obama, born in Africa, is a possibly gay Muslim racist who refuses to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

I believe prosecutors have a special term for this: preponderance of evidence.

[Clemenza]

"Jim Peterman, also known as J. Peterman":

(Side note: The guy who played Peterman is a Republican in real life).

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

These articles are missing a crucial point: people simply do not trust the MSM anymore. Nor should they. I do not believe Obama is a Muslim, but why would anyone trust the lying, lefty media?

[smalltownslick]

I love how they keep saying “false rumors.” Why can’t they just say “rumors?” You don’t really know if a rumor is true or false, that’s the nature of a rumor. It’s impossible to declare a rumor “false” up front.

[smalltownslick]

“I do not believe Obama is a Muslim”

I keep seeing posts like this - I’m simply asking - how can you say this so definitively. “I don’t believe he is” - what do you base that on? I don’t know if he is, but he has certainly not proven he isn’t. And with his history, it really makes more sense to suspect him. And even if he isn’t, he has enough in his past to make him, at the very least, sympathetic to our enemies. Thus, it is an important issue.

[txflake]

Here, this can help get you started:

http://obamawtf.blogspot.com/2008/04/debunking-seven-unproven-smears-against.html

[xzins]

It didn’t deal with upbringing.

[ricks_place]

...I do not believe Obama is a Muslim...

...But do you believe Obama, as a child in Indonesia, studied the Koran? Attended a madrassa? Heeded the Iman's call to prayer? Obama shields the veracity of these Muslim activities perhaps not because he is Muslim, but moreover because he fears the past will hurt him in present. Yet, denying the truth is what hurts Obama the most as he is exposed as a prevaricator, a dissembler, and a liar.

[Clemenza]

Obama is secular. He is not a practicing Muslim of the bean pie or hezbollah variety. Nor do I believe he is a devout Christian in any sense. He is a secular leftist, nothing more, nothing less.

I guess because I attended a Catholic school that makes me Catholic. You would be wrong.

[Pontiac]

Here in Findlay, a Rust Belt town of 40,000,

Findlay may be in the Rust Belt but it is not a Rust Belt city.

Findlay is one of the few areas in northwest Ohio that is still growing.

Findlay continues to increase jobs. My brother-in-law works there and his company has plans to expand.

I grew up 12 miles from Findlay and spent many hours of my miss spent youth cruising there with my friends.

If Governor Strickland would pull his head out of his posterior and move to cut taxes and government spending Findlay could really blossom.

[freema]

I noticed they’re calling it a Rust Belt town. It’s been awhile, but I’ve seen it, and it’s nice.

[Cooper007x]

What have we become? We have such a history of hate and distructsion. We have all lost family members in these times and war. The future president has to be a peson that loves America and all those who live in it. White Americans have such a brutal history that many seem to want to forget or seem to be proud of. To see a man hang from a tree with his familiy watching. African Americans have every right to be here as anyone else. People seem to forget the many rapes, murders, and mistreatment of many races and cultures. Obama is a free man in a country that leads the world. These ideas seem to have happened in the past. Africa was not a backwards place, in fact many of the places talked about in the bible are in Africa with blacks. Many need to learn or pay attenion to what they teach us in school. Don't believe the rumors, but listen to what is said. He is just a man. I believed in President Bush and I am a veteran, but I have never seen him or his familiy throw a welcome home celibration or party to my fellow soldiers of battle. The news hasen't covered a parade for our wounded, its as if the country that supported the war and Bush has spit on our own again. What have you done to show the love to our own? We need new leadership and new ideas! I could care less what color he is, if he represent a change.

[mware]

[Jet Jaguar]

It’s all about the change...

[Jet Jaguar]

[mware]

Notice the sign on date???

[Jet Jaguar]

All over it.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

He might not have been born in Africa. He might not be gay.

He is a racist for sure.