Marc Ambinder (June 12, 2008)

The site is a great idea; but I have to say I love the graphics more, lol. The eagle with the Obama seal on it's chest has got to be my favorite from the campaign to date! They ought to put that on a t-shirt.

Posted by Rhoda | June 12, 2008 10:35 AM

Marc's Jim Johnson coverage makes sense now in light of this new development. Guy's just trying to get noticed!

Posted by drjimcooper | June 12, 2008 10:35 AM

This needs to be Google-bombed so that when someone searches for +Michelle +Whitey it is the first result.

Posted by DMC | June 12, 2008 10:47 AM

At what point did the campaign stop refuse to discuss the smears?

Just in the early months of the campaign?

Because the factcheck.barackobama.com site -- that includes info on religion and patriotism smears (and provides action tools for supporters) has been up for a very long time.

Just saying...

Posted by Vermonter | June 12, 2008 11:07 AM

At what point did the campaign stop refuse to discuss the smears?

Marc couldn't advance a flip-flopping narrative without a phony flip-flop now could he?

In the past, the campaign refused to talk about the "smears" because they didn't want to give them credibility. Now they've surrendered to the reality that silence often perpetuates the rumors.

Posted by drjimcooper | June 12, 2008 11:20 AM

One big problem here--As far as I can tell, the site makes no provision for reader feedback of *any* sort. I can see avoiding open comment threads, but there's some nasty viral stuff out there that I'm seeing *no* refutation of, and I'd really like to ask them to investigate. But I don't see a way to do it.

Posted by David in Nashville | June 12, 2008 11:49 AM

They never stopped addressing them, it's just telling people to go

fightthesmears.com

is a lot easier than

factcheck.barackobama.com/whateverthesmear.html

and it now gives bloggers one place to link to. It's not a change of tactics at all really. I don't remember 'turbangate' being ignored.

Posted by James | June 12, 2008 12:24 PM

I'm curious--assuming this rumor about a video of Michelle Obama is false (and that seems to be likely), then why did the rumor involve a video at all? The rumor could have just been that one time at a speech Michelle said "Hate Whitey" a whole bunch. No video, no proof.

By adding the video element, whoever made up the rumor added a provable element to the story - especially since it's almost inconceivable that such a video wouldn't have surfaced on YouTube yet.

Posted by AMP | June 12, 2008 12:30 PM

I'm curious--assuming this rumor about a video of Michelle Obama is false (and that seems to be likely), then why did the rumor involve a video at all? The rumor could have just been that one time at a speech Michelle said "Hate Whitey" a whole bunch. No video, no proof.

By adding the video element, whoever made up the rumor added a provable element to the story - especially since it's almost inconceivable that such a video wouldn't have surfaced on YouTube yet.

Posted by AMP | June 12, 2008 12:31 PM

I was watching 'Seinfeld' a couple of days ago, and it was the episode in which Kramer does the AIDS walk. However, he refuses to 'wear the ribbon' just because everyone else is doing it. . .people freaked and Kramer was beaten up by the very people walking to raise money for a cure and to bring attention to the disease. It reminded me of the flag pin incident, just because everyone else is doing it. . .

Posted by SJB | June 12, 2008 12:33 PM

I'm curious--assuming this rumor about a video of Michelle Obama is false (and that seems to be likely), then why did the rumor involve a video at all? The rumor could have just been that one time at a speech Michelle said "Hate Whitey" a whole bunch. No video, no proof.

Because saying "there's a video, I've seen it, the Republicans are just holding onto it" would be more effective in swaying Dem primary voters away from voting Obama towards voting for Hillary. Which is what the rumor was originally designed to do.

Posted by Darius | June 12, 2008 12:35 PM

Obama has a rumor fighting machine--it's called the press. Anyone who hasn't seen a billion versions of "Obama's not a Muslim" will be unlikely to be convinced by a website.

Posted by Cal | June 12, 2008 12:53 PM

Smears/truths addressed so far

Truths? Everything you list is a smear Marc. Do you have anything to suggest otherwise?

Posted by Jake | June 12, 2008 12:57 PM

Truths? Everything you list is a smear Marc. Do you have anything to suggest otherwise?

I think Marc meant that the site contains the "smear", followed up with the corresponding "truth" debunking the smear. (At least, I hope that's what Marc meant.)

Posted by Darius | June 12, 2008 1:06 PM

The Fight The Smears site is a disappointment. It's Web 1.0 at best. As Monty Python might have said, this isn't debunking, it's contradiction.

Labeling a single sentence "The Truth" without any backup, supporting links, etc. isn't going to be a credible response to rumors except to true believers. There were numerous bloggers and reporters who were able to debunk the Michelle "whitey" slander by using facts, so why not link to them?

Agreed on the need for some kind of response mechanism for readers. There isn't even an e-mail link where there should be a full-on blog. They've got hundreds of people working for Obama; you can't tell me that one of them couldn't spend half a day moderating the comments.

The point of a site like this should be to persuade the genuinely curious, but this one seems designed only to preach to the converted and those who don't know how to ask a followup question.

The media is falling all over itself praising Obama for doing this site, but will they actually ever use it? Not in its current form, I'll wager. It's just campaign talking points in another form.

Posted by Vail Beach | June 12, 2008 1:11 PM

"I'm curious--assuming this rumor about a video of Michelle Obama is false (and that seems to be likely), then why did the rumor involve a video at all? The rumor could have just been that one time at a speech Michelle said "Hate Whitey" a whole bunch. No video, no proof.

By adding the video element, whoever made up the rumor added a provable element to the story - especially since it's almost inconceivable that such a video wouldn't have surfaced on YouTube yet."

Posted by AMP

It's a variation on providing unnecessary detail in a story, to make it seem believable (e.g., instead of 'Michelle Obama was on a plane', say 'Michelle Obama was on a flight to Washington DC'). In this case, the additional emotional hook is the assurance that 'the proof is coming, you just wait a bit'. They're promising the silver bullet, so to speak - something undeniable and utterly d*mning. That makes it spread all the better.

Of course, when the promised undeniable and utterly d*mning proof does not appear, rational people would then know that the source was at best fooled, and at worst a liar. But emotional commitment would overcome that rationality, or so the rumormongers hope.

Posted by Barry | June 12, 2008 1:38 PM

I'm curious--why did the rumor involve a video at all? The rumor could have just been that one time at a speech Michelle said "Hate Whitey" a whole bunch. No video, no proof.

It's the YouTube election--even if you're just watching the nightly news. Look at the response to Tuzla once video went up. It's one thing for Sinbad to say Hillary's untruthful; it exploded exponentially with video, went viral, and spawned a host of doctored parodies. So expect all rumors from here on out to be "a video of Barack/Michelle/veep-pick saying/doing unspeakable thing." (You may also recall the unsuccessful search for video of "bitter.")

Posted by Deborah | June 12, 2008 2:17 PM

I see they have yet to address "the smear" about Hillary Clinton winning the majority of the popular vote in the primary process. Oh well, I guess his writers are still working on that one.

Hopefully they also clear up the smear about Iraqi immigrant Antonin Rezko, (a recently convicted of political influence peddling) being a long time friend and financial supporter of Obama. Nasty little rumor that one was.

While they're at it, they need to deal with the falsehoods circulating about Obama's Church and it's pastor Jeremiah Wright Jr (ludicrously referred to as Barack's 'mentor and spiritual advisor'), being radically racist and supporting Black Power advocacy in it's doctrine and at the pulpit.

There are so many, really, I hope the site has good bandwidth capability.

Posted by robert ethan | June 12, 2008 2:22 PM

Given the direction of the economy, gas prices and the upcoming testimony of McClellan, what else can the GOP do?

We Dems need to thank Hillary for forging Barack against the slime onslaught.

P.S. Glad to see you Robert. I was hoping you converted.

Posted by Reginald Avery Wilkins, Ph.D. | June 12, 2008 2:31 PM

"Big Brown's Smear Site".

Has a catchy ring to it.

B.O. should just pay his employee Matt Smudge a little more, and have that Pig in the Porkpie Hat deal with the "smears" directly on the Drivel&Sludge site. No one has greater expertise in smear campaigns than the Internet's Favorite Dumpster Diver.

Posted by robert ethan | June 12, 2008 2:55 PM

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/06/mccains_canada_trip_an_uninten.php#comments

will you address the smear mentioned here that you and Andrew are going at it on a table?

Is there a reason why you continue to avoid denying that you and Andrew have found a table big enough for you both to go at it on?

Posted by TheTable | June 12, 2008 2:58 PM

Marc, you might call the Obama campaign on a little bit of hypocrisy on just this site alone.

The header clearly says, "What you will not hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that [...] sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize." If that's the case, then why mention Rush Limbaugh before Larry Johnson in reference to the rumored video of Michelle Obama using the epithet "whitey" when Larry Johnson was the one who started and hyped the rumor in the first place? Why refer to Roger Stone as a "GOP sleazemeister" while ignoring the fact that Larry Johnson was not only a Democrat but an avid supporter of Hillary Clinton? I certainly don't see a mention of Bob Beckel's discussion of the tape on FOX News, either.

The angle no one in the mainstream media has picked up on is how the Obama campaign and the DNC have set this up as a straw man just so they can knock it down, just as Bob Beckel did when discussing it on FOX News.

Posted by Jonathan | June 12, 2008 3:15 PM

The GOP slime machine has launched a mirror site--fightthesmears.ORG. MSNBC and Faux News have both reported the wrong domain name and have shown the wrong site, not noticing, apparently, that the quote at the top of the fake site is by Osama bin Laden.

Posted by Jade | June 12, 2008 3:59 PM

I think it is a good idea, but I find people that spread smear remarks, MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK SMALL AND NARROW MINDED. GO OBAMA IN 08

Posted by Susie | June 12, 2008 4:13 PM

"Check the website and move on:" http://theseedsof9-11.com

Posted by Peggy McGilligan | June 12, 2008 4:21 PM

The site is probably a good idea, except they had better make sure they are exactly right. The pledge of allegiance issue is one. It isn't a smear, but a fact that Obama--once in a picture with other candidates in Iowa--did not put his arm over his heart during the star spangled banner. This is something all the other candidates on stage did.

So if someone is smearing him saying he didn't put his hand over his heart due to either, it is a smear. But there was one unfortunate photo and video from Iowa where I'm sure he wishes he had remembered to put his hand over his heart during the anthem.

Posted by Cristina | June 12, 2008 4:24 PM

It is just amazing that there are those out there that are willing to say and anything about Obama & Michelle . If you would just take the time and read the bio on these people you will realize that Barack in his short life has done more than many that have been in the House & Senate sence they were babies . This website was a brillant idea , It will free Obama up to stay on his message and not putting out fires . If John Kerry had done this he would have won the Presidency when he was running .There is one thing for sure there are still to this day many mean spirited people that will say and do anything.The truth be told , McCain is not presidential material . He had a problem today answering what he would do about supreme Nominees.

Posted by DWB | June 12, 2008 8:14 PM

Lots of people are saying this is a great idea, I'm not so sure. As you say it lend credibility to the rumors. Afterall if there wasn't something to some of the rumnors why would they need to deny it. I have read the books but those will be easiy debunked if the statements are not true or taken out of context.

Posted by MyTownTalks | June 12, 2008 8:35 PM

I don't care what she said or did not say. As for as I'm concerned, she and her husband are communists whose only goal is to redistribute the wealth of working Americans to their liberal constituents who won't hold a job. This whitey is sick in tired of you left wing commie Hollywood types ruining our lives.

Posted by usadefender | June 13, 2008 2:22 PM

This is ridculas !!! boma SWEARS in on the CORAN !!! YET AMEREICAN VOTERS are vaoting for him ...yes this country is turned upside down ...vote for a musilum , that will fix everything ???? rather thab re-write the constitution written by our forfathers (who would and probably rolling over in thier graves) Obama ,do you have a vice that is nit on the run for extorsion ???
Our constiution has been stompped tp the ground . to fit EVERY undermining effort we denounce.. Abd now the Supreme court is going along with it ??? The world is comming to an end as we know it ..
AMERICANS WAKE UP !!! for god's sake .....the liberalistic BIG govt is killing this country
Yeas Busk has made some major mistakes , yet he sees the radical muslim threat , does Oboma ??
I'll say this .screw they rest of the world , if they dont see threat ahead of them , then why are we trying to save thier asses from terrorism ??
Oboma sees NO THREAT
MUSLIMS have been behind most every destructive thing mankind stands for , killing children , denoucing the hollycost in thier school. soon to denounce 911 ....we are selling out to these freaks and Obama will do the same ...he is a good teleprompter and a very good speaker,written by the democratic ideas
the day a USA prez swears in on the Coran will be the END ...WAKE UP AMERICA !!!WHERE ARE YOUR HEADS !!!!!

Posted by Rick | June 14, 2008 5:54 AM

This is ridculas !!! boma SWEARS in on the CORAN !!! YET AMEREICAN VOTERS are vaoting for him ...yes this country is turned upside down ...vote for a musilum , that will fix everything ???? rather thab re-write the constitution written by our forfathers (who would and probably rolling over in thier graves) Obama ,do you have a vice that is nit on the run for extorsion ???
Our constiution has been stompped tp the ground . to fit EVERY undermining effort we denounce.. Abd now the Supreme court is going along with it ??? The world is comming to an end as we know it ..
AMERICANS WAKE UP !!! for god's sake .....the liberalistic BIG govt is killing this country
Yeas Busk has made some major mistakes , yet he sees the radical muslim threat , does Oboma ??
I'll say this .screw they rest of the world , if they dont see threat ahead of them , then why are we trying to save thier asses from terrorism ??
Oboma sees NO THREAT
MUSLIMS have been behind most every destructive thing mankind stands for , killing children , denoucing the hollycost in thier school. soon to denounce 911 ....we are selling out to these freaks and Obama will do the same ...he is a good teleprompter and a very good speaker,written by the democratic ideas
the day a USA prez swears in on the Coran will be the END ...WAKE UP AMERICA !!!WHERE ARE YOUR HEADS !!!!!

Posted by Rick | June 14, 2008 5:55 AM

This is ridculas !!! boma SWEARS in on the CORAN !!! YET AMEREICAN VOTERS are vaoting for him ...yes this country is turned upside down ...vote for a musilum , that will fix everything ???? rather thab re-write the constitution written by our forfathers (who would and probably rolling over in thier graves) Obama ,do you have a vice that is nit on the run for extorsion ???
Our constiution has been stompped tp the ground . to fit EVERY undermining effort we denounce.. Abd now the Supreme court is going along with it ??? The world is comming to an end as we know it ..
AMERICANS WAKE UP !!! for god's sake .....the liberalistic BIG govt is killing this country
Yeas Busk has made some major mistakes , yet he sees the radical muslim threat , does Oboma ??
I'll say this .screw they rest of the world , if they dont see threat ahead of them , then why are we trying to save thier asses from terrorism ??
Oboma sees NO THREAT
MUSLIMS have been behind most every destructive thing mankind stands for , killing children , denoucing the hollycost in thier school. soon to denounce 911 ....we are selling out to these freaks and Obama will do the same ...he is a good teleprompter and a very good speaker,written by the democratic ideas
the day a USA prez swears in on the Coran will be the END ...WAKE UP AMERICA !!!WHERE ARE YOUR HEADS !!!!!

Posted by Rick | June 14, 2008 5:55 AM

Rick, your intellignence is apparent in you lack of communication skills, but beyond that. What you are saying proves that you do not make up for your lack of spelling skills in terms of logical thinking. The world is growing and changing, McCain is advocating a pre-cold war America. The world is growing up around us and if we don't start competing we have nothing. Republicans like to talk about big government, but my question here is what is big government? Do right wing extremist understand that our country is committed to the constitution and that the constitution is a legal binding contract for how we run government for all the states. Our country is run on the issues of shared prosperity not to the enriching of a small percentage and slave like wages for the rest. Your argument is weak and I believe that your system of belief is also lacking.If you can't see the forest for the trees, then dear Rick I hope you are able to breathe in a world without them in the short order. The straight up fact is McCain is for corporate America his record, proves that. The reasons that you are force to use capitals letters to show your outrage is because you cannot show and prove any aspects of your argument. In sum, Rick your only reason for speaking is to hear yourself talk. My suggestion is that you take the time to go to the library and find your self some facts to back up the crap you espouse.
Empath

Posted by Shared prosperity | June 15, 2008 2:41 PM

Senator Obama is NOT a Dirty Muslim!

"What you won't hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge," says Mr. Obama, while denouncing statements of him being a Muslim as a smear. Why is the presidential candidate who claims to be religiously inclusive is treating the word "Muslim" as an insult? Apparently, it is OK for Mr. Obama to be associated with terrorists like William Ayers or racists like Jeremiah Wright, but God forbid somebody would call him a Muslim! No, he won't stand for that kind of smear! We admit that most terrorists are Muslims, but most Muslims are not terrorists and the statement on Mr. Obama's website is insulting to hundreds of millions of people.

How could a man who discards his family heritage in favor of political expediency be even considered for presidency of the United States? Where are all the so-called "Islamic civil rights groups" like CAIR, MPAC, ISNA, MAS, etc. who are quick to defend every Islamic terrorist, but are silent when Muslims in general are being denigrated? Would Mr. Obama have the same reaction if someone claimed that he was raised as a Jew? We sincerely doubt that.

Muslims Against Sharia demand immediate removal of "SMEAR: Barack Obama is a Muslim" statement from the official Barack Obama's website as well as an apology for giving the word "Muslim" a negative connotation.

http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2008/06/senator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html

Posted by Muslims Against Sharia | June 16, 2008 8:33 PM

You mean that ill speller "Rick" wasn't a put on? Now THAT is astounding...

Phyll

Posted by Phyllis Hatch | June 24, 2008 5:50 PM

You mean that ill speller "Rick" wasn't a put on? Now THAT is astounding...

Phyll

Posted by Phyllis Hatch | June 24, 2008 5:52 PM

Fight The Smears

Comments (36)

Search

Recent Posts

Monthly Archives