First the flag pin, now the hand over the heart

Look at it as the modern version of the old political whisper campaign, where rumors and anonymous fliers are used to chip away at perceptions of a candidate's character (South Carolina knows this tactic well).

Apparently, there's an e-mail zipping around purporting to show Barack Obama not placing his hand over his heart during a recitation of the "Pledge of Allegiance."  Not so, Obama said.  The scene depicted was actually of the candidate during the singing of the national anthem, Obama told reporters.  He went on to say that "I am not going to be Swift-boated in this race.  If somebody comes at me, I am going to come right back at them hard."

Exactly what he means by "come right back at them hard" is a little fuzzy, though.  He addressed the issue after being asked about it by reporters, not as part of a proactive measure, though we're not sure what else he could do at this point.  And his denial was not exactly a hard-hitting comeback.

But it's clear there's some targeting of Obama going on out there, from the rumors of an early education at a fundamentalist Muslim school in Indonesia to the squabble over the wearing of a flag lapel pin.  And as Lyndon Johnson legendarily taught, the point isn't the truth of the accusation but to make the candidate deny it.

And the more questions about character/patriotism/fill in the blank that circle in the air, the more doubts they feed in voters' minds.  Not all voters, but enough.  Such strategies are rarely all-or-nothing, and in a multi-candidate race it only takes a few votes to tilt a scale.

-- Scott Martelle 

Comments

[RuthieM]

I think it's you media who's circulating this flap because the same old stuff from almost a year back under a new date and under new headline keeps coming back again and again, each time after Obama has an uplifting event, like his grandslam homerun speech at the Jefferson Jackson dinner! It's a continuous and classic Clinton smear. Now let's see if this gets posted.

[tayo]

Hello,

I am disappointed at LA Times for its Gringo gibberish journalistic attitude. Anyone that work for this organization should bury it his/her head in sands.

This story has been circulating for a while and despite several smart explanation that should satisfy a three-year old, LA Times keep pedling and recycling the old story.

SHAME ON YOU LA Times!

[Ronald Loui]

No No No -- It's good for the LA Times to get this stuff out in the mainstream press. Accusations like these are indeed being whispered around the same places where the white-hooded noosemen, and the fat-bottomed-loudmouth radiomen, and the overzealous neocons used to have their ritual get-togethers. Gotta blow this stuff right out into the open. If the swiftboat garbage had had enough time to play out in the mainstream media, maybe its effect would have boomeranged. Look at how the Sam Fox Belgium ambassador confirmation hearings went, now that people know the whole story about his funding the swiftboat ads.

The irony of course is that Obama's Punahou School has produced more real patriots than George W. Bush ever met in his Vietnam era service. when Bush was hiding from the war, Obama's school had an alumnus who was directing the whole Field Force Vietnam (General Stan Larsen), and another one who was dying in a Marine uniform (Lt. Gene Smedley McMullen), and another who was commanding a swiftboat and earning a Bronze Star (CDR Robert T. Guard). Shoot, the current Dean of West Point (Col George Forsythe), was at Obama's school for a couple of years. If it's fair to talk about a dirt playground in Indonesia at age seven, then we should also talk about the schools that really shaped him -- Punahou, Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard Law.

And if Obama really had ever been a Muslim, which it appears he never was, then he would have had a ritual of praying to Mecca on a little rug. Sort of like the people who want us to follow their little lapel pin and hand-over-heart rituals. It's exactly the people who insist on a fundamentalism of social rituals who are dangerous in today's world.

Hooray for the LA Times for sticking the pathetic little rumors out there where they can wither in the light of the facts.

[Consul]

People are quick to criticize Hillary (a female), but reluctant to criticize Barack (an African American). Seems like the media feels its politically incorrect to criticize an African American when he is obviously in the wrong, but feels compelled to highlight an perceived faults in a white female. Seriously, we need to get over any double-standards in our society, and judge candidates based on merit and character. It's sad, but we currently have a chilling effect on speech when it comes to criticizing African Americans. They are "Americans" too and should be held to the same standards.

[Robert Bell]

The Obama photo has been making the rounds for some time now. www.snopes.com has a complete page about it.

What is unforunate about the photo is not where Obama's hand ISN'T but where it IS. The other candidates all have their hands on their hearts and Obama has his hand on his.....crotch. Ouch.

I have come to the conlusion that Obama will get creamed by the Carville smear machine. I have talked to a number of voters and they believe one or more of the follownig, and cannot be talked out of it:

1. Obama is a Muslim
2. He trained at a terrorist training camp
3. He refuses to say the pledge of allegience.
4. He took the oath of office on the Koran
5. He refuses to wear a flag lapel pin
6. His middle name is "Hussein".

Only #6 is true of course. But these outright lies have more cachet than complicated stories about the Clinton's finances and friends or obscure votes in the Senate from 3 years ago.

In Patent Law we have a saying, "The first person to go technical, loses". If you have to explain complex arguments about technology, you lose the jury. Meanwhile the other side can just say "He Infringed!" and the Jury can understand that, because they learned in school not to copy off your neighbor's paper.

Obama will chase these comments until he falls dead from exhaustion. And Hillary and her corrupt machine will win.

It is the sad truth.