The Muslim “Smear”

I found this item from Obama’s “Fight the Smears” site was interesting.

When I hear the word “smear,” I think of it as more than a lie.  It is a lie that attempts to make someone look bad.  For example, if you say that I support a regional transit tax, it would be a lie.  But since there’s nothing morally repugnant about a regional transit tax, it would not be a smear.  If you say that I support hiring child molesters to teach the 3rd grade, it would be a smear.  You would be lying about my position, but also lying about something that is morally repugnant.  “Smear” has an entirely different connotation than “lie.”

So why would Obama’s campaign label a false accusation of being Muslim a “smear?”  Yes, it’s untrue, but so what if he was?  Is that morally repugnant?  No.  It would possibly make one question what he would do in fighting Islamic terrorists, but the simple fact of being a Muslim is no more morally repugnant than adhering to any other religion. 

It’s interesting that Obama is so worried about that incorrect information perpetuating that he would label it a smear.

1. eh, I think you are picking at nits with this one…

   Posted by Matt on June 12, 2008 at 1840 hrs




2. THe intent of those that perpetuate this lie is to make him look bad.

   Posted by jesusisjustalrightwithme on June 12, 2008 at 1908 hrs




3. But how does being Muslim make you look bad?

   Posted by Owen on June 12, 2008 at 1910 hrs




4. You are absolutely correct, Owen. 

   The candidate’s spouse also said calling Barack a Muslim is the “ultimate fear bomb.”

   The word for a person that believes that about being a member of the Islamic faith is Islamophobe.

   Posted by Headless Blogger on June 12, 2008 at 1957 hrs




5. C’mon Owen, don’t pretend on this one.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 12, 2008 at 2117 hrs




6. Who’s pretending?  I grew up in a Muslim country and have never associated that faith with a negative connotation.  I know that some of my conservative brethren disagree with me, but so be it.  Obama’s classification of the lie of him being a Muslim as a “smear” telegraphs that he perceives Muslims in a negative light.  Or, perhaps, he believes that Americans see Muslims in a negative light and is being purely political.  That’s more likely.  Whatever.

   Posted by Owen on June 12, 2008 at 2123 hrs




7. Owen, you know as well as I that there is a concerted effort out there (and this has been documented, but I can’t recall the article off the top of my head) of an email campaign targeted to play off of some of the worst fears held by some Americans about Muslims.  If there was not an inherent negative connotation among a significant portion of Americans about people who are Muslim then there wouldn’t be efforts being made to the extent they are to spread misinformation that Obama was/is a Muslim.

   The intent makes it a smear.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 12, 2008 at 2153 hrs




8. Guess it’s sorta the moral equivalent of your side snidely using the term “Evangelical”, huh, Lefty?

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 13, 2008 at 0956 hrs




9. Owen:

   I have to disagree with you on this one. Do you think the Muslim lies would be making the circuit if we were not involved in a war (make that 2 wars) in the Middle East?  To most Americans, Muslim and M.E. are synonymous. Those who perpetuate this particular myth, IMO, are trying to link Obama with the enemy in these wars, and THAT would be morally repugnant for a presidential candidate.

   Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 13, 2008 at 1408 hrs




10. How can someone claim to be a Christian who supports abortion?

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 13, 2008 at 1810 hrs




11. lol, lots of people who claim to be Christians get abortions.

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 14, 2008 at 1157 hrs




12. Well we don’t want a President who tells lies do we?? We didn’t want Bill Clinton to tell lies about Oral Sex and we don’t want Mr. Obama Hussein to lie about any terrorist affilliations… This is why we need Joe McCarthy and the house of unAmerican Activities Committe back so that we can be morally upright citizens, HA HA HA HA!!!

    Posted by (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on June 14, 2008 at 1652 hrs




13. 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/sen ator-obama-is-not-dirty-muslim.html

    Posted by Muslims Against Sharia on June 18, 2008 at 1618 hrs