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Monday, October 06, 2008

Sarah Palin Using Fear Tactics?

CBS News’ Scott Conroy is accusing Sarah Palin of using “fear tactics” against Barack Obama:

(FORT MYERS, FLA.) On the day when the McCain campaign released a new attack ad not-so-subtly titled “Dangerous,” Sarah Palin made a concerted effort to use words like “fearful” and “afraid” to describe Barack Obama, signaling her campaign’s decision to make the election a referendum on Obama’s character, rather than the issues facing the country.

“I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America—as the greatest source of good in this world,” Palin said at a rally this morning in Clearwater, Fla.

Two things here are interesting.

First, why isn’t Obama’s character an issue?  Sure it’s a different sort of issue than terrorism.  Or trade policies.  Or what’s going on with our credit markets right now.  But it’s still an issue, and one that’s important for a lot of voters.  Remember what Martin Luther King said?  People should be judged by the content of their character.  Insight into Obama’s character gives us insight into how he’d lead this country.

It doesn’t deserve the dismissal Conroy gives it.

Second, why is that when Republicans bring up questions about Obama’s past they’re engaging in “feat tactics” but when Barack Obama is accusing John McCain of wanting the old and infirm to lose their health care in order to fund tax cuts is that not “fear tactics” too?

It is, but the media never calls it that.

And there’s nothing really wrong with “fear tactics” as long as you’re being honest.  Obama has a history of connections with extremists and radicals.  That’s pretty scary.  McCain wants more people to pay for their own health care.  For many who are currently dependent on the government for such things, that’s pretty scary too.

Comments

Avatar for Joe in Fargo

Labeling an ad or a speech as “negative,” or “fear tactics,” or “finger-pointing,” etc., is merely a way to avoid discussing whether it is true or not.

Joe in Fargo on October 6, 2008 at 02:34 pm

Joe in Fargo.
Bush used fear tactics to avoid discussing The Truth (h/t to ChiefRZ for that spelling). Good connection.


Yun Chu said, “You must strictly not express in words what is very significant. Both dragon and snake are killed in one blow.”

Sparkie Arbuckle on October 6, 2008 at 02:40 pm

Should we be scared of an Obama president..? 

Yes.  He is too far left for this country.  The left would feel the same way about electing someone from the far right.

atease


atease

atease on October 6, 2008 at 03:11 pm

Rob missed quoting the bit from the same speech where she says she believes in American exceptionalism. She is a nut.


“All the war-propaganda, all the screaming and lies and hatred, comes invariably from people who are not fighting.”
“Every war when it comes, or before it comes, is represented not as a war but as an act of self-defense against a homicidal maniac.” —George Orwell

Angry Vertebrate on October 6, 2008 at 03:18 pm

Rob missed quoting the bit from the same speech where she says she believes in American exceptionalism.

It would be insane to elect a President who doesn’t support American exceptionalism.  It would be insane to elect Obama.


Save America; boycott the MSM.

robert108 on October 6, 2008 at 03:21 pm

Nothing wrong with a reasoning fear and considering the potential of Obama being our president, fear is reasonable.


You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

docdave on October 6, 2008 at 05:14 pm

The Obama Brute Squad.

Their message is simple: you WILL NOT threaten Obama and his plans in any way, shape, or form, or you will be silenced. By any means necessary. And the campaign stands ready to aid you in organizing your actions.

Yesterday, on the official Obama web site, the following call to action for Dallas:

“Welcome” Palin Oct. 3 to Dallas (Women for Obama) Sarah Palin speaks at a $1000/plate fundraising lunch at downtown Dallas on October 3. Let’s give her a rousing progressive “welcome” by marching in solidarity on the streets in front of the hotel. Event starts at 11am to “welcome” luncheon attendees.

Earlier this year, Stanley Kurtz, was researching the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and was invited to a local talk show to discuss his findings.

First, the station was deluged with complaints about the upcoming interview. Next, once he was on the air, they were flooded with calls denouncing him and slamming him for daring to “smear” Obama.

And much of this was coordinated through the good graces of the Barack Obama offical web site.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/WGNstandards

The American Issues Project prepared an anti-Obama ad and started airing it on TV stations. The Obama campaign responded with a formal letter to the Department of Justice demanding that it investigate and prosecute one of AIP’s biggest donors for possible violations of campaign finance laws.

http://tinyurl.com/BullyObama

In Missouri, several Obama supporters have formed—with the campaign’s blessing—what they call a “truth squad” to rebut what they consider “deceptive” ads against Obama. This is all fine and good, until you look at the day jobs of these Obama supporters—sheriffs and prosecutors

http://tinyurl.com/MOBullyObama

See the whole article:http://tinyurl.com/Hope-Change-Bullies

And Obamites are worried about being dissed by Palin.  H

ACORN tactics!


C. Y.'s signature
C. Y. on October 6, 2008 at 05:15 pm

I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see America—as the greatest source of good in this world

Succinctly stated.

Angry Vertebrate - Rob missed quoting the bit from the same speech where she says she believes in American exceptionalism. She is a nut.

Right, because that’s just a crazy idea. Except that good ol’ American exceptionalism works.

What we have now in this country is a sickness. A country filled with people like you who sneer at the idea that we’re a good country.

likwidshoe on October 6, 2008 at 05:48 pm
Avatar for BR41NM4660T

My fellow Americans now that the second debate is over and you are hearing democrats and republicans tell you that they are looking out for you the middle class I quite assure you that they are not. Look back at the last forty to fifty years site a time when either party has showed fiscal responsibility. Just recently when gas prices peaked the democrats left on vacation and the republicans put on a show of looking out for your best interests knowing that nothing could be done without the other. In a way they are playing an elaborate game of good cop bad cop with the president being little more then a figure head to lay blame on regardless of the party. Case in point when there major campaign contributors got them selves in trouble they suddenly felt the need to work overtime and on weekends but when you where in trouble what did they do. Revolution is a patriotic act the love you feel for your country can only be protected by you or this will no longer be your country and that my fellow Americans is on the horizon. These blood lines need to be extinguished once and for all in congress and on wall street before we can take back our country the road ahead is not an easy one we will lose many of those we love but what you must now ask yourself is what kind of country do we want to leave our children and our children’s children. You have heard me preach buy guns buy ammo be ready the hour is late and time to save ourselves is very short the hour to move is coming very quickly be ready and stand with me my friends. Your country is calling will you answer the call or will you be a slave take that any way you want but a slave is a slave. Bailing out foreign governments and patting CEO’s on the back and saying its ok is not the answer they gambled and lost let the foreign governments get there money from the CEO’s stand on the right side stand with me your future is at steak.

BR41NM4660T on October 6, 2008 at 05:57 pm

Good blog post Rob.


Check out:
Goon’s North Dakota Red Neck
Goon’s World

goon on October 6, 2008 at 06:03 pm
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your future is at steak. (sic)

With a baked potato.

Though some around here might prefer theirs half baked!



Barack Obama: All hat and no cattle since 1997!


Proof on October 6, 2008 at 06:06 pm

your future is at steak.

How right you are.  Looking for lots of steak in my future, mostly sirloin and ribeye.


You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

docdave on October 6, 2008 at 08:04 pm

I like mine with lettuce and tomato Heinz 57 and French Fried Potatoe . . Big Kosher Pickel and a cold draft beer. Well, good god almighty...which way do I steer…

Joel on October 6, 2008 at 08:18 pm

Angry Vertebrate ... A belief that the USA is unique in its makeup, philosophy, and determination does not make one “nutty”.

A disbelief in those qualities makes one historically ignorant.


We spent 45 years defeating the Marxists in the old Soviet Union.  Now, 18 years later we are electing a Marxist to lead our country .... nice!!!

gilbyguy on October 6, 2008 at 09:02 pm

mmmm ... steak!


We spent 45 years defeating the Marxists in the old Soviet Union.  Now, 18 years later we are electing a Marxist to lead our country .... nice!!!

gilbyguy on October 6, 2008 at 09:03 pm
Avatar for SplendidMarbles

Palin is spry and ambitious, but completely out of her league. This far from dynamic duo has no other option, both being attached at the hip to a sinking party, but to dig deep into the barrel of last resort. All they can do is stir up bigotry and bias among those lost souls who form the conservative base of the Republican party.

They are twisted clowns, just like the bankers who are clamoring for everyone’s help. Speaking of clowns,check this design out!

SplendidMarbles on October 6, 2008 at 09:07 pm

Yes, what was Obama like when he was young and angry?

An insight into Obama’s personality from 1988(also, why so many Norwegians think he is great):

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/presidentvalg-2008/artikkel.php?artid=527005

And an English translation here:

http://leishacamden.blogspot.com/2008/10/not-that-it-matters.html

The piece of paper said ‘Barack Obama’ and his address in Kansas, which is the state where his mother comes from. Mary carried the slip of paper around in her wallet for years, before it was thrown out.
-He was my knight in shining armor, says Mary, smiling.
She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway. At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker* in Chicago, and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.
In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.
In a letter to Mary’s parents dated May 4th, 2006 and stamped ‘United States Senate, Washington DC’, Barack Obama writes**:
‘I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help back then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States senator’.
The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

dakotaninoregon on October 6, 2008 at 10:19 pm

John McCain’s friends weren’t the ones that were running Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, so what does John McCain have to do with that?

The Obama smear campaign is going rampant and spreading lies to the mainstream media with their talking points. It was President Bush who made repeated proposals to regulate and was not able to because of Democrats from the likes of Chuckie Schumer and Bwaney Fwank.

Obama is now attempting to distance himself from his political allies that he has had ties with throughout his life.

Despite what the Obama campaign says, the American people must be reminded about his relationships with William Ayers and Reverend Wright.

Joel on October 7, 2008 at 04:52 am

When you have dump trucks full of money you buy EVERYBODY.

McCain chief of staff/lobbyist was paid $2m by Fannie and Freddie for access to McCain and to stop regulation of banking industry

At least 20 McCain fundraisers have lobbied on behalf of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, netting at least $12.3 million in fees over the past nine years.

Political insiders Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., picked by McCain to vet his vice presidential nominees, and Jim Johnson, picked by Obama to perform the same function, once worked for the mortgage giants.

And for years, Rick Davis served as president of an advocacy group led by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that defended the two companies against increased regulation.

So far this election cycle, Freddie Mac’s political action committee and employees have contributed $555,567 to Senate and House candidates, and Fannie Mae’s PAC and employees have given more than $1.1 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.


GW BUSH

# seems like to me we’ve got to do something about it. If it’s good for America that people own a home, we want people from all walks of life owning their own home. And so I let out a goal. I said over the next decade, we want there to be 5.5 million new minority home owners.”

# “But here are some of the things that we intend to do and we discussed today earlier. Sometimes people have trouble finding the down payment for a home. It makes them nervous when they hear the down payment. We need to have a down payment fund to help people with down payments if they qualify.”

WOOF on October 7, 2008 at 06:03 am
Avatar for rightwing conspiracy

When you have dump trucks full of money you buy EVERYBODY.

Dump trucks full of FOREIGN money

rightwing conspiracy on October 7, 2008 at 06:10 am

Palin is spry and ambitious, but completely out of her league. This far from dynamic duo has no other option, both being attached at the hip to a sinking party, but to dig deep into the barrel of last resort. All they can do is stir up bigotry and bias among those lost souls who form the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Are you sure you are not talking about Obama and Biden with that statement?

Frankly, Palins experience exceeds that of Obamas and Biden is hardly “dynamic” by any measure. As for bigotry, it was the demagogue “Obama” that said middle class whites “cling to religion and guns.” It was Obama who spent twenty years in a black church listening to white hate speech from Rev Wright and it was Obama who wrote two memoirs of his contempt for white dominance.

You, Spledidmarbles, are missing your marbles.

Mickey on October 7, 2008 at 06:15 am
Avatar for Grumpy Old Fart

The last 8 years have been abominable.  Change is what you fear?????

Grumpy Old Fart on October 7, 2008 at 12:31 pm
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