Is Barack Obama inoculated from swiftboating?

[featherman]

Swiftboating is a term thrown around here carelessly. It might be wise to remind ourselves that true swiftboating refers not to the original vile RW false propaganda that was initiated by the Swift Boat thugs but the way it was taken up and widely circulated through the MSM. Endless playing of the Swift Boat lies, endless discussion giving validity to the lies, multiple interviews with the liars, etc. Swiftboating was a media phenomenon that went viral.

Why and how all that occurred would take a longer treatment than I plan tonight. But at least one element was this: John Kerry was a wealthy and privileged white man married to an extremely wealthy and privileged socialite. The group think media likely felt there was no real downside to taking this to him to knock him down a peg or two. He was an easy target. (His incompetent campaign's unfathomably slow response to the phenomenon is not the issue here)

That there will be vicious RW propaganda directed against a DEM candidate Obama circulated throughout the lunatic fringe is obvious and certain.

But I question whether it will surface in the MSM as easily as in Kerry's case. It's a good possibility that the MSM, for all their collective faults, may be way more sensitive to adding their voice to what they may perceive as racist attacks. There is something of a code of honor among this vapid gaggle of pundits and scribes and coming off as racist is one of their no-no's.

Just a thought.

[papau]

1. On Rezko? - afraid a 9 month period of swiftboating is just beginning

[FrenchieCat]

4. You mean like Clinton's Hsu?

Please. :boring:

You think the Savings & Loan Debacle may not be in McCain's future?

[jackson_dem]

12. Obama and Hsu

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090703047.html

[ElsewheresDaughter]

41. Obama's Faustian Bargain with Antoin 'Tony' Rezko

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/obamas-faustian-bargain-_b_82863.html

"Their buildings were falling apart,'' said a former city official. "They just didn't pay attention to the condition of these buildings.''


Eleven of Rezko's buildings were in Obama's state Senate district.

Obama surfaces in Rekzo's federal corruption case

Source confirmed Obama is the unnamed "political candidate" referred to in document which outlines case against Rezko

One of the classic lines last night revolved around a subject that the national press has been ignoring for some time. Barack Obama couldn't even bring himself to utter the guy's name. There's a reason for that, which you'll understand soon enough, that is unless you're from Chicago; to you this will be old news. The exchange between Clinton and Obama is not unlike how the national press has been handling the subject. Only the Chicago Sun-Times has had the temerity and investigative spine to go after it. It is nothing short of a political godfather story. The tale of an eager, brilliant, ambitious man wanting to rise in politics, and the man who had the money to make it happen. It's the real true tale of Barack Obama and Antoin "Tony" Rezko and the Faustian political deal made in the quest for power, fame and political prowess, which would eventually lead to a bid for the presidency. The fact that Obama won't mention the name of the guy who made his rise to political prominence possible out loud illustrates the efforts to which Obama, with the aid of a mostly negligent press, has been able to make Rezko a forbidden word to utter, instead of an issue that we all should know a lot more about. Monday night:

BLITZER: I'm going to go to Suzanne Malveaux in a second, but I just want to give you a chance, Senator Obama, if you want to respond. Senator Clinton made a serious allegation that you worked for a slumlord. And I wonder if you want to respond.


OBAMA: I'm happy to respond. Here's what happened: I was an associate at a law firm that represented a church group that had partnered with this individual to do a project and I did about five hours worth of work on this joint project. That's what she's referring to.

--Democratic presidential debate sponsored by CNN and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute on January 21, 2008

This individual? Interesting that now Rezko is facing a federal trial on February 25th, Mr. Obama cannot speak his name. It's also interesting that Obama got smacked with Rezko only after he slapped Clinton with WalMart, even though he's got his own problems on that regard. As recently as April 2007, Obama chose to back an anti-union candidate in a run-off election against a labor-backed candidate for the Third Ward. And never mind that Antoin "Tony" Rezko and Barack Obama are deeply linked throughout his political career and have been friends since 1990.

Mr. Obama has portrayed Mr. Rezko as a one-time fund-raiser whom he had occasionally seen socially. But interviews with more than a dozen political and business associates suggest that the two men were closer than the senator has indicated.

Mr. Obama turned to Mr. Rezko for help at several important junctures. Records show that when Mr. Obama needed cash in the waning days of his losing 2000 Congressional campaign, Mr. Rezko rounded up thousands of dollars from business contacts. In 2003, Mr. Rezko helped Mr. Obama expand his fund-raising for the Senate primary by being host of a dinner at his Mediterranean-style home for 150 people, including some whose names have since come up in the influence scandal.

An Obama Patron and Friend Until an Indictment

[Glorfindel]

2. Of course not - he's a Democrat

The "MSM" detests Democrats. They will find a way (to swiftboat Obama), never doubt it, and then vigorously deny that they're doing it.

[Jim Sagle]

3. Obama's a Republican. THAT's why he's immune to media swiftboating.

[FrenchieCat]

5. You better go tell Ted Kennedy, that you know something that he doesn't.

Is this what DU has become?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

26. huh "become"?...Jim Sagle has been here almost from day 1 of DU.....

he is part of the foundation and a damn fine Democrat!

[FrenchieCat]

33. Is that supposed to make him smart? Being DU a long time, I mean......

I call bullshit when I see it, and I don't care how long one's been parked here. Doesn't make them right when they are wrong! :eyes:

[babylonsister]

6. You are

:crazy:

[sam sarrha]

8. link>>

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Feb2007/street0207.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/obamas-faustian-bargain-_b_82863.html

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&resnum=0&q=tony+rezko+obama&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=news_result&resnum=1&ct=title

[DURHAM D]

18. Thanks for the Paul Street link.

I had not read that article before.

Everyone who thinks Obama is a progressive or interested in middle America needs to read that and think for a moment.

[bluedawg12]

24. The Dem Nominee will be swiftboated by the FAR RW as sure

as shrub shits in the Woods in Crawford.

They have their movie clips, getting their duologue and hiring voice over actors for the blood bath.


The media is not swift boating anyone, small,well funded right wing business man have set up shop and are up and running.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-tyc7&p=StopHillaryNow&type=

[Auntie Bush]

29. And if Hillary is our nominee...She will be swiftboated by the far left wing of our party.

Actually she already is if you read/post/belong to DU!

[madrchsod]

27. he is? oh shit! i voted for a republican...

dam i thought keyes was the republican....i guess us democrats here in illinois were to fucking dumb to notice....thanks we will try to do better next time!

[ShadowLiberal]

38. You should take a look at this graph & article

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/peas_in_a_pod.html">Check out this factcheck.org article on the Obama/Clinton being republican claims



As you can see from the graph, and by reading the article, there's not much of a difference in their senate voting record.

[MrSlayer]

7. Nope, they are going to tear into him as much as they would anyone.

He's just going to have to hit back as hard as they hit him should he get the nomination. No holds barred, no mercy.

[babylonsister]

20. It's worked pretty effectively so far despite the smears, and with

eloquence. He's a classy guy who is capable of defending himself, I'm thinking.

[MrSlayer]

21. I think so as well.

I just wanted to point out that no one is immune to or safe from the swifty liars.

[babylonsister]

22. I'm thinking that's why he's been more pro-active. As much as he

didn't want to make this about anything other than the best candidate, he had no choice but to defend himself. Kerry's an ally, and he saw what happened to that admirable man.

[MrSlayer]

25. Yes.

He could not just keep taking the hits without responding. It's sad but that's the way it is in politics. If they want to take you into the mud, get right down there and fight your ass off. There is no high road.

[journalist3072]

9. Why do you think he's worked so hard to be perceived as the black candidate? It's no accident.

And I say this as a Black woman.

But I don't think it's by any accident that the Obama camp has injected his race into this campaign.

I will give this to David Axelrod...he had the American people pegged down to a science....He has made sure that his candidate gets perceived as the Black candidate, and anyone who criticizes him is racist and demeans Martin Luther King.

[AtomicKitten]

39. Do you have a straight face when you make these Opposite World posts?

Ya know, where up is down and black is white and I especially like the one about how Obama injected race into the campaign. That's downright freeper logic and crazytown propaganda.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

10. For him to do as well as he has, despite those Muslim emails, is pretty amazing

Of course, the same thing can also be said for Clinton, who has faced over a decade of smearing. On the other hand, with her celebrity status and Bill in tow, she should be running 70% in every state.

[napi21]

11. Any Dem candidate is going to get swiftboat like attacks.

I can only hope they learned a lot from Kerry on what NOT TO DO! I'm very afraid THIS is the area of inexperience that could really hurt Barack. The other two candidates have been through that kind of attacks already and have planned their responses. I'm just not sure Barack has done that.The voters are still stupid! Too many still fall for the BS they see on TV!

[featherman]

13. Time out, time out, people. Swiftboating is the subject

Not regular criticism and standard political attacks.

Once again, swift boating is blatant LIES begun by the RW slime machine that are then taken up and virally spread through the MSM.

That's what I was discussing. Didn't want to start a simplistic food fight.

[HughMoran]

34. Oh, well

I guess I missed the point on the meaning of swiftboating in my post below.

[PSPS]

14. Are you kidding? Get ready to start saying 'president mccain.'

The media is full of proxies (all the talking heads they showcase) who can say anything at all, especially on hate radio. An Obama candidacy is doomed to fail, I'm afraid, regardless of his merits or shortcomings.

The media gave currency to the notion that Kerry was little more than a war deserter who bought his medals at the dime store. Who could have imagined that such an absurd caricature would have gone anywhere? But it did.

Just imagine what they'll do to Obama. Before the election, people will think he's a cross between Willie Horton and Saddam Hussein.

Of course, they'll do the same to whoever wins the nomination. But with Obama, it's really low hanging fruit -- an easy knock off. The GOP and their media machine won't even have to pursue a 'southern strategy' because Obama himself will take care of that quite nicely. You're dreaming if you think southern crackers will vote for him. It would be nice if we weren't a racist society, but we are. The GOP has made sure to keep it that way because it wins them elections. And it will win them this one too, if Obama is the nominee.

[featherman]

16. No, I'm not kidding. To answer your points:

Talk radio: a GOP stronghold, Limbaugh and cohorts are preaching to the choir. Don't care. GOP voters.

Southern strategy: maybe you haven't been paying attention. Democrats don't win in Dixie. So what? GOP states.

Will the MSM really turn Obama into Willy Horton Hussein? I mean CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, Time, Newsweek, AP, NYTimes, LA Times, etc? I guess that was my question. You think they will. I think they will tread much more carefully.

To win the Presidency a DEM needs the Blue States of New England, the Mid Atlantic, Upper Midwest, and Pacific Coast and needs to add Ohio. That's it. 276 electoral votes. Not needed Red States: the Confederacy, IN, the Plains and Rockies. Also not needed (but welcome) Purple States: WV, VA, KY, FL, MO, CO AZ, NM, NV

[DURHAM D]

15. Obama has Chicago problems (beyond one guy and a house deal)

that will surface when the time is right - as decided by the MSM.

No doubt after he has the nomination and before the general.

[featherman]

17. That's not swiftboating as defined.

If there are true scandals to be brought out, then so be it. The truth will come out, etc. But that's not swiftboating

[madrchsod]

28. he does? and what might that be?

you have some inside info?

[gulliver]

19. I agree. They will be extra careful.

They may even go the other way and bend over backwards to give him the benefit of the doubt and defend him. That looks like what is happening so far.

I don't know if it can last through the GE, though. If he gets the nomination, I hope he can keep the MSM "cobra charmed," but who knows?

[OzarkDem]

23. They're biding their time

The attacks likely won't begin unless Obama wins the nomination.

[kerstin]

31. Bingo. n/t

[ElsewheresDaughter]

40. the attacks will begin no matter who the is nom just as soon as they are nominated

[HughMoran]

30. Just like Clinton is learning, trying to swiftboat Obama is a risky business

I don't want to bring race into this, but this really is why the Republicans who are known for their bigotry will be walking on egg shells if Obama is the nominee. It's actually almost like our 'secret weapon' IMO - assuming Obama was able to get the nomination which is still somewhat of a long shot at this point.

[featherman]

36. The Clintons have not done any swiftboating

by which I mean deliberate falsehoods that are then spread through the media with no filtration or fact checking.

[HughMoran]

37. Yes, I noted that above

that I didn't catch the significance you were placing on the "swiftboating" term and it's definition.

Does he have a history in an issue that Republicans can easily relate to? :shrug:

[Tulkas]

32. Catch 22 applies, Longer record is easier to attack, shorter one means lack of experience

[featherman]

35. Absolutely agree that Swift Boat falsehoods will come but my thesis

had to do with this question:

Will these vicious falsehoods spread virally through the MSM without question or debunking as did the Kerry lies? The original smear was not the problem. Those are coming as we speak and will certainly intensify. The lunatic fringe lives for this stuff and will promote it through the usual channels like Drudge, Limbaugh, Faux News, Freeper sites, etc.

But the phony Kerry stuff went mainstream and was spread widely and horrifically by regular news channels with little filtration or care to its authenticity. I guess the question is will they do the same this time or be a little careful so as not to be accused by their fellows of racism.