The SAME DUers who are bemoaning the Palin/Baby Rumor were fighting the Edwards/Baby rumor.

[NoodleyAppendage]

And, we all know how that worked out. Where there is smoke there is fire. And...AND, EVEN IF IT IS NOT TRUE, the rumor and second-thoughts fostered in the minds' of voters about Palin help our side.

RUMOR IS TRUTH.

Get with the modern ways of political warfare...or be happy to continue to be in the political minority and terminally frustrated. Screw moral scruples. What good is concern and "playing fair" when our country is continuing down a path to fascism and continued Repuke rule.

I wonder. How will those who are moaning about DUers discussing the Palin/Baby rumor will feel when we have McCain/Palin as our next leadership because WE WERE NOT SUFFICIENTLY TOUGH and willing to DESTROY our opponents.

Will you feel good about retaining your "dignity" when we have an administration that installs two more conservatives on the Supreme Court; involves us in a wider Middle East war; re-starts the Cold War to benefit the military-industrial complex; and turns our country into a THEOCRACY.

Take your concern and (respectfully) SHOVE IT. There's a WAR going on right now. Get out of the way or STFU.

J

[liberal N proud]

1. Or at least rumor becomes perception

And that has worked so well for the Rove, GOP machine. The republions could use a little perception used against them for a change.

But you are correct, these things wouldn't be out there if there wasn't something to them.

[girl gone mad]

2. We have much better ammunition to destroy her with..

than some fake-ass rumor.

[NoodleyAppendage]

4. REALLY? You have a story that captures the attention and involves sex and hypocrisy?

If you have a story like that then please PUSH IT FORWARD. If it's some arcane government misuse story, then it is a lesser in terms of politial impact. People pay attention to three majors:

Sex

Death

and more sex.


J

[CJCRANE]

19. MARK FOLEY served that purpose in '06.

Let's see how this one pans out.

[NoodleyAppendage]

20. Bingo. Foley was the gift that killed the Repukes, not Abrahmoff. n/t

J

[cali]

3. oh bullshit. a steaming and stupid pile of it.

this could just as easily hurt as help dems. Such rumormongering without a shred of credible evidence could just as well garner sympathy for her. And sorry, I it's not easily compared to the Edwards' story. As for your "Rumor is truth" crap, you clearly adhere to the "War is peace" school of thought.

Palin is a lousy candidate. She's an extremist with no real experience. There's a shitload of evidence for that.

Not engaging in spectacularly stupid speculation that targets a child as much as Palin and could backfire, is not endorsing a McCain presidency.

[NoodleyAppendage]

7. You clearly adhere to an academic approach to politics and...FAIL AS A RESULT.

Which sort of story is likely to capture the attention of the populace, one where she is covering for the unwed teenage pregnancy and lied repeatedly to cover it or some arcane governmental misuse story?

Are you planning on attacking her "head on" for being a Xtian Fundy? If so, then you are the idiot. Yes, she is an extremist, but so are MILLIONS OF VOTERS.

However, if you can plant the seed that she is an Xtian Fundy HYPOCRITE, then you have something.

I guess you are a card carrying member of the "Good Guys Club," and you know what order "Good Guys" finish in a political fight...

J

[cali]

10. consider this, genius

Say this story gains traction as a rumor, without anymore evidence than currently exists, it's just as possible that people will react sympathetically toward Palin as with hostility. Some people will say, "Even if it's true, she was just trying to protect her daughter. And many will NOT see it as hypocritical, they'll see it as consistent with her anti-choice views.

And no, darlin', I did not suggest attacking her as a fundie, I suggested attacking her as an extremist. She's an extremist as regards climate change, even at odds with the rethug platform. She's an extremist when it comes to choice, advocating outlawing abortion even for women and girls who are raped amd/or are victims of incest. She's an extremist when it comes to the environment. She doesn't support equal pay for equal work. There's much, much more. Yes, millions of voters are extremists and they're excited about her nomination, but the people who are undecided, are largely not extremists, and those are the votes dems are trying to get.

[NoodleyAppendage]

11. how about this, genius. Does the Obama is a Muslim rumor prove your point?

If your logic is true, then there should be a massive upswell for Obama given the FACT that his being a Muslim is untrue...but we both know that's not the case.

You keep on plugging away with the "reasoned" argument, and I'll handle the limbic cortex politics. Mine is more effective (as evinced by 2000, 2004, etc.), while yours will make you feel better...which is much more important then getting Obama in office, isn't it?

[JI7]

22. if it's false it's more comparable to the Larry Sinclair lies about Obama

[cali]

23. different dynamic, Einstein.

The Muslim thing taps into the fears of Americans. How does the baby thing do that? And the Muslim thing clearly has NOT inflicted massive damage on Obama.

[Ian David]

5. Sarah Palin ate a baby? n/t

[NashVegas]

6. That Was a Pretty Bullshit Story, Too

John Edwards had long since dropped out of the race and anyway, I haven't seen a DNA report.

[JI7]

8. how do we prove it ?

[NoodleyAppendage]

9. That's the beauty of it. You DO NOT have to prove it. The rumor is sufficient to cause damage.

Why do you think McCain went down in FLAMES in South Carolina during the 2000 Repuke primaries? Rumors so wild (and sordid) flew around that state and put a stake in the heart of his campaign. McCain did not father a black child and it was disproved later, but by then the damage was already done. The same principle applies with this Palin/Baby story. The rumor is sufficient if it gets enough coverage. There's not enough to trace it back to a single source, so the likelihood of blow back is limited.

We stand to gain a lot and lose little by circulating ANY rumor about our political opponents. The Repukes get this concept and win as a result. They have worked the principle effectively against Obama already...how many times have we seen "common voters" saying that Obama is a Muslim? Hmmm??

J

[JI7]

12. McCain actually does have a daughter with dark skin

yes, she was adopted but racists don't care. they are racist so they wonder why you would bring someone of another race into your family.

even with Edwards there was talk from other sources with the mistress probably being the biggest source of it. and the Enquirer only pushed it when they got proof like him going to the hotel that day.

but with Palin so far there is nothing more than what bloggers are wondering based on pics we see and things we read. we need much more than that. we need a little more than that. and the stuff about the daughter being absent from school for a long time. we need more than what people say they read on the internet from people who claim to be students at her school.

[NoodleyAppendage]

14. Palin has a new kid and her daughter looks like she had a "baby bump". That's enough.

Perception is reality. Plant the seed of doubt.

J

[tekisui]

13. Palin could easily disprove, but she would hve to first acknowledge the rumor.

[NoodleyAppendage]

15. THERE YOU GO! Bravo! Some "get it" around here. n/t

J

[tekisui]

16. I don't understand what people are so afraid of.

Hit 'em hard! Hit 'em low! And, Hit 'em NOW!

[NoodleyAppendage]

18. In their defense, it's not traditionally in our "nature" as Democrats.

We want the world to be all hunky-dory, logical, and "fair." But, that will NEVER happen unless we can gain solid and consistent power. And, to get that type of power base, we are going to have to get our hands dirty.

If "politics is warfare by other means," I'm ready to move from our traditional defensive position to putting the Repukes on the defense. It's high time that we had Democrats willing to engage in guerilla warfare.

J

[WeDidIt]

17. "Leak to the press that my opponent fucks pigs"

"But sir, that's not true!"

"I know that, but I want to hear him DENY being a pig fucker."

[MH1]

21. "EVEN IF IT IS NOT TRUE the rumor and second-thoughts..."

"...fostered in the minds' of voters about Palin help our side."

I'm not one to use the term lightly, but stirring this pot for that reason strikes me as swift-boating.

I'll admit, based on what I've seen on DU, that Palin's story strikes me as improbable, and there might be something to the allegations flying around. But if I were a conservative in 2004 reading conservative message boards, I probably would have thought the same about the swift liars allegations about Kerry. The thought makes me a little sick to my stomach.

[CJCRANE]

24. It needs someone to come forward

and make a statement as happened in the Mark Foley case when an ex-page put his story on the record.

Then the story will have legs, otherwise it's just gossip.

[dennis4868]

25. It doesn't matter if it is true or not....

just get the rumor out there and that's all you need...we Dems have got to start palying the game like the Repubs....that is our best chance of winning...forget the issues during a campaign, they are pretty much irrelevant now(thanks to Rove). We have to start winning presidential elections and need to do it in a way where we have a chance to win and if that means making shit up about our opponent than so be it....my cousin may still be alive today if Bush did not win and John Kerry was more agresive and an attacker during the 2000 election.