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Obama and the netroots: looking a tad desperate these days
The Atlantic ^ | 8/18/08 | Megan Mcardle

Posted on 08/18/2008 8:59:33 AM PDT by DallasBiff

Megan's Fourth Law of Politics: The party that starts looking for implausible and unprovable conspiracy theories about the opposition candidate is in trouble.

This spring, it was bizarre accusations against Barack Obama: he's a closet muslim, his wife is a black nationalist, etc. Now, suddenly, the Democrats are the one frantically hunting for buried treasure

(Excerpt) Read more at meganmcardle.theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; democrats; elections; mccain; nobama08; obama
Notice how this liberal writer tries to convey the truth(Obama having listed Islam as his religion in middle school in Indonesia) with the hysterical conspiracy theories of the Kos Kooks and Dummies about McCain's captivity as a POW in Vietnam.
1 posted on 08/18/2008 8:59:33 AM PDT by DallasBiff
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To: DallasBiff
The party that starts looking for implausible and unprovable conspiracy theories about the opposition candidate is in trouble.

Susskind's book comes to mind as well...

2 posted on 08/18/2008 9:01:33 AM PDT by johnny7 ("Duck I says... ")
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To: johnny7
The party that starts looking for implausible and unprovable conspiracy theories about the opposition candidate is in trouble.

And that's why I won't disparage Freepers who troll DU and plant conspiracy theories. They're just leading them off a cliff.

3 posted on 08/18/2008 9:06:12 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (My friends, I am voting against Obama because he is white.)
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To: DallasBiff

Good article; good post.


4 posted on 08/18/2008 9:09:50 AM PDT by Mikey_1962 (Oderint dum metuant.)
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To: DallasBiff
This spring, it was bizarre accusations against Barack Obama: he's a closet muslim, his wife is a black nationalist, etc.

Why are these accusations "bizarre"? Although he has persistently said that he was "never" a Muslim, in fact he WAS a Muslim when he was a boy. Fact. He lied publicly and repeatedly, until he was backed against the wall with documentary evidence.

And his wife IS a black nationalist in her sympathies, even if she doesn't carry a party card. Read her college thesis. Look at some of her statements, before they muzzled her.

Is Barry a "closet Muslim"? Who knows? We do know for certain that he has repeatedly lied about the Muslim issue. And we know that no Muslims have issued a fatwa against him, as they would certainly have done if he were viewed as an apostate. Instead, Muslims appear to be very friendly toward him.

He has good relations with Muslims in Kenya and Indonesia. He is on close terms with Odinga, his Christian-murdering, church-burning cousin.

So, is he now a Muslim? Who knows? But it's far from ridiculous, especially in view of his habitual lies.

5 posted on 08/18/2008 9:22:21 AM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
Dude. Seriously. This whole continued "Obama is a Muslim!!!11!" thing is just an embarrassment. It's not relevant to the campaign in the slightest. Moreover, it makes us look like petty pedantic nerds at best. At worst, it reinforces the virulent stereotype of conservatives as racist.

Sure, perhaps Obama was enrolled in elementary school in a Muslim country where his parents decided to list him as Muslim. You know what? When you're surrounded by Muslims, that's just basic good parenting if you value the survival of your child. Plain and simple.

Besides, what you believe as your religion at age 13 is pretty much irrelevant to who you are as a person. I don't call myself a former Buddhist just because I got really into Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance when I was a high school freshman. I don't call myself a former pagan even though I played a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, and I don't call myself a former Satanist even though I once read some stuff by Aleister Crowley. In fact, to do otherwise, to claim that I was once a practicing Buddhist or practicing Satanist, would be flat-out factually incorrect.

And the question is: Who cares? Whether or not he was ever a Muslim in his youth has very, very little to do with what his opinions, stances, and actions are now. It's pretty much entirely irrelevant to the question of whether or not he'd make a good President.

An Obama Presidency would be a train wreck in a hundred different ways. We've got real, substantive material we can smack this guy on. Let's not waste our time, energy, and most importantly our credibility by pursuing this ridiculous "Obama is/was a Muslim" canard. It's just not worth it.

6 posted on 08/18/2008 9:54:08 AM PDT by Omedalus
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To: DallasBiff
This spring, it was bizarre accusations against Barack Obama: he's a closet muslim, his wife is a black nationalist, etc.
7 posted on 08/18/2008 10:04:00 AM PDT by chesley ( Ya can't make chick'n dumplin's outta chick'n feathers!!)
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To: DallasBiff
I wish people would just knock off the Obama is Muslim crap.

The truth is he is a very liberal UCCer, which is even worse.

8 posted on 08/18/2008 10:30:49 AM PDT by colorado tanker (Number nine, number nine, number nine . . .)
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To: Omedalus

I don’t think it is the muslim thing as much as it is the lie thing and shame to be around Muslims.


9 posted on 08/18/2008 10:39:06 AM PDT by Bigmouthbass
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To: Cicero
"Is Barry a "closet Muslim"? Who knows?"

Do you know whether or not O'Barnum has been baptised?

10 posted on 08/18/2008 10:45:18 AM PDT by Pietro
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To: Cicero
"Is Barry a "closet Muslim"? Who knows?"

Do you know whether or not O'Barnum has been baptised?

11 posted on 08/18/2008 10:45:23 AM PDT by Pietro
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To: chesley

Previous post got screwed up.

What’s bizarre about saying his wife is a black nationalist? The evidence is fairly conclusive.

Besides, how is that a conspiracy theory? Is it unprovable? Perhaps, but valid judgments can certainly be made based on her own public statements.


12 posted on 08/18/2008 11:00:47 AM PDT by chesley ( Ya can't make chick'n dumplin's outta chick'n feathers!!)
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To: DallasBiff
” ... bizarre accusations against Barack Obama: he's a closet Muslim, his wife is a black nationalist....”

This dope obviously doesn't understand that by Islamic law one is a Muslim if he says he is a Muslim and prays in a mosque once. Thereafter he is ALWAYS a Muslim no matter what religion he practices. That's not my interpretation, that is their interpretation.

13 posted on 08/18/2008 1:34:14 PM PDT by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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