Conservative commentators do this all the time. They try to inject a controversy where there is none. Even if they are proven wrong, they don't care. They got a certain percentage of the audience to doubt the subject of the attack.
The classic example was the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. They didn't care that their allegations against Senator Kerry's Vietnam record weren't true. They just wanted to throw enough dirt on him so people could say, "I don't know, some say he fought bravely in Vietnam and some say he didn't."
Ditto for global warming. 924 peer reviewed scientific studies all agree that it exists and that it is man made. But Exxon-Mobil spends enough money to confuse people into thinking there might be a disagreement where none exists. They just want you to think, "Well, some people say there is global warming and others say there isn't."
What Matt Drudge did to Michael Ware of CNN is another classic example of this. Ware has been doing some great reporting from Baghdad, risking his life to report the real situation on the ground in Iraq. He is reporting back that it is a mess and that violence is out of control. This does not comport with Republican propaganda, so he must be destroyed.
They have nothing on him, so they'll make something up -- just enough to sow the seeds of doubt in the viewer's mind. Drudge charges him with something that he thinks is neither provable or unprovable -- he heckled John McCain in a press conference in Baghdad. It's a ridiculous charge but hard to disprove. Except this time, there was videotape that shows Michael Ware at the press conference and absolutely no heckling. Oops.
But no matter, the damage is done. A large percentage of the audience will never see the exonerating videotape. And a certain percentage of the audience will always think, "Wasn't he the guy that heckled John McCain?" Mission accomplished. Target smeared.
If they do this a couple of more times, CNN will be forced to withdraw him from Iraq because of the "controversy" surrounding his reporting. When in fact the controversy was purposely manufactured by the conservative noise machine -- and proven wrong.
If media organizations and the public aren't aware of the game that's being played, this could go on for a long time taking down opponents of the Republican Party or just good journalist who report the facts as they are. And that will do significant damage to our society and our news gathering apparatus. We have to call out and delegitimize the people behind these attacks, like Matt Drudge, before they do more damage with their purposeful misinformation campaigns.
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Character Assassination in the Form of a Question Mark
Posted Apr 2nd 2007 3:58PM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: World News, Iraq, Media, Young Turks, John McCain
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. How about this question mark put out in the NY Post today: Did Rudy's wife kill puppies? and there's a lot more at http://www.solidpolitics.com
Bill at 4:52PM on Apr 2nd 2007
2. Funny, who was proven wrong in the Swift Boats for Truth?
Did you see the video. Every one of them were decorated war Veterans, several were winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor. There are no men more legitimate in their statements than these guys.
Fact the left are the ones who had to make up forged documents to attack Bush military record. Then they spent weeks lying about it when they got caught.
In fact when these men were asked to debate the point, they were not even allowed to speak on what they knew.
On man who was there for the event that Kerry claims he got the "Bronze Star" debunk Kerry's claims completely in the video, but when he appeared on ABC all they wanted to do was ask him what his first hand knowledge was about the silver star. He said he was not involved in that incident and refused to comment, but each time he started to talk about the events he knew of he was cut off and not allowed to speak. ABC then spent most of the program on personal attacks against him, and attacks against the other Decorated Vets. They then refused to allow any other of the Vets to talk about their experiences.
This is how the Left works, not the Right.
When it comes to Lies by Democrats no amount of evidence is valid, or can be discussed, but even a proven Lie about a Republican is paraded endlessly as fact.
Gerry at 5:54PM on Apr 2nd 2007
3. Where do you think they learned it.And you should really consider changing the name of your blog.You've lost the Armenian demographic.
Ernest P. at 5:58PM on Apr 2nd 2007
4. When were the swift boat heros ever proven wrong, they are all decorated war vets, kerry was and is a fraud, I believe those men, not kerry.
william sadler at 7:10PM on Apr 2nd 2007
5. Really? I see the opposite to be more abundently true. Alberto Gonzalez for example. You assume there was some wrong doing, because he fired his OWN employees. It's a "maybe" scandal. No evidence. How about Rudy Giuliani's wife as mentioned above? It's not a "smear" if it's true. Ware is in fact a partisan editorialist as shown by his interview with Solidad, not a journalist. That's a fact. Al Gore DOES spend more on heating his mansion then other Americans. That's a fact. Newt Gingrich & Rudy cheated on their wives. That's a fact.
Mel at 6:56PM on Apr 2nd 2007
6. How about those Democratic/“Neo-Lib” heroes, concocting a smoke screen of propriety, while nestled in their den of hypocrisy?
1. Promoting equality for all, while their Senior Senator (Robert Byrd), a former KKK member, is still "liberally" employing the ‘N’ word in his discourse.
2. Espousing honesty in government, while rewarding one of their own (Rep William Jefferson), who had:
a. Been caught with $90000 of tainted money in his home freezer and is currently embroiled in a $100000 bribery investigation, and
b. Commandeered a critical National Guard emergency vehicle (truck) during the Katrina tragedy to assist him in retrieving personal items from his home
(The Democrats felt his examples of honor entitled him to a seat on the US Home Land Security Committee)
3. Extolling the principle of freedom of Speech, while trying to silence the only TV news channel that is not in “Goose” step with their political dictates.
By the way, what ever happened to the theft and destruction of classified documents from the US National Archives by the Clinton Administration (Sandy Burger, President Clinton’s National Security Advisor), right before the 911 commission investigation? Was Mr. Burger Convicted and sent to prison for a long time for theft and destruction of U.S. Government classified documents??? I haven't seen or heard any Special Prosecutor or “Neo-Lib” follow up on this crime against the our Government.
Bob Rogan at 7:03PM on Apr 2nd 2007
7. If you want to see a attorney general who should have not only been fired but arrested, look at that freak Janet Reno, first she has over 400 federal agents attack and kill a dog, a kid, and a mother holding her back, that would be Randy Weavers family, who were given 3.2 million in damages. Then killer Janet killed 80 men, women and children at waco, crushed, burned and shot to death, nice job, ms attorney general. And this led to a coward and killer blowing up the oklahoma Murrah bldg, killing 184 and injuring 800, and janet renos boss, pee wee clinton ran out and accused right wing talk radio for the bombings, the killer and bomber Timothy Mcveigh said his motive was the goverments killings at Waco. Where were the liberal democrats and their shills in the press. Janet wasnt done, next she swooped down on a cuban boy, in the middle of the night, and took him and sent him back to cuba and a life under communism, now that is an Attorney General who should be fired, arrested, tried and hung.
william sadler at 10:15PM on Apr 2nd 2007
8. I watched the video. Ware is nowhere to be seen and the sound quality is nil. Now I don't know if the guy heckled or not and frankly don't care, but this video proves nothing either way. Was he laughing? Can't tell from the video. Was he rolling his eyes? Can't tell from the video.
Mel at 7:12PM on Apr 2nd 2007
9. Here is a typical, fair, interview of one of the Swifties:
http://michellemalkin.com/archives/000720.htm
Martin Lacy at 9:06PM on Apr 2nd 2007
10.
I wonder if one of the Swift Boaters ever told Jim Rassman all about John Kerrys lack of courage in Vietnam ? If so would love to hear the story.
Speaking of Kerry, how's Drudges story about the Kerry intern scandal coming along ? Another one of those "developing" stories from Drudge that never develop. His name fits him well though - reading him is truly pure DRUDGERY.
max at 10:00PM on Apr 2nd 2007
11. I seem to notice how the new at AOL, like most news seems to in favor of the new commies(the left). I like how it was so well put how J. Kerry was such a great hero. When I went to Nam in 67, he had almost a month of training before we were assigned to a unit. Now, he was only in country for 3 months, on my DD214 registered with Dutchess County, NY (public record), I was there 1 year, 3 months and 20 days. I extended several times even having had several wounds. I don't call myself a hero, I did try to finish college (DCC) but because of the jerk (a--) I was labled as a "BABY KILLER", took the blunt of the name calling, trashed car, etc until I was asked to leave for a while till things calmed down. So much for an education because of the lies the LEFT do to promote their self. So kerry being a hero, I dont think so.. Paul Miller
Paul J. J. Miller at 10:16PM on Apr 2nd 2007
12. WE SHOULD NOT PLAY POLITICS, WE SHOULD ALL SUPPORT OUR SOLDIERS!!!! WHEN OUR COUNTRY IS AT WAR OUR PRESIDENT HAVE ALL THE RIGHT TO DECLARE MARTIAL LAW!!!! SO,,, SHOT UP YOU YELLOW BELLY AMERICANS!!!
IF YOU BELONG TO THESE GROUP OF YELLOWS, COWARD AND ETC... IF THE SHOES FITS THEN WEAR IT. IN OTHER WORDS THIS IS " TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN " !
LET'S FINISH WHAT WE STARTED OR ELSE WE LOST ALL OUR RESPECT . IS THIS WHAT ALL OF YOU WANTED????
F##K POLITICS, THERE IS UNFINISH BUSINESS!!!!!
WAR!!!!
JUST WHERE IS THIS LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF THE
YELLOWS OR IS IT THE BRAVE?
H. HILOTT at 10:29PM on Apr 2nd 2007
13. The Swift boat Veterans were never proven wrong. Why didn't Kerry just roll up his right shirt sleeve, and reveal the scar on his right arm for which he received one of his three Purple medals.
That simple act could have ended the controversy if indeed there was even a visible scar.
It would have been more tasteful than showing his hind end from the rice grains he had flung into his butt when he threw a grenade into a pile of rice.
One need only to watch Kerry at the Senate hearings making up his lies to see why the Swift Boat Veterans were compelled to act.
dwilco at 10:50PM on Apr 2nd 2007
14. Boy I see the swift boat guys are still fighting the election. I guess Kerry got everyone on his boat to lie for him. Dwilco wants to see the scar. Well Kerrys doctor noted that he still has shrapnel in his leg. I guess he was born with it not injected into him by some VC LOL Anyone here still think Bush waited his turn behind 500 other guys to get into the national guard?
bob at 6:47AM on Apr 3rd 2007
15. I love the assumptions being made in support of Kerry and Clinton. First, while many seriously wounded service personnel wanted to get back into battle, Kerry orchestrated his 3 scratches that required a band-aid each time so he could get home after a mere 6 months in Nam. Nearly all others served at least a year unless seriously wounded. Second, Clinton not only fired all 93 U.S. Attorneys in '93, he also brought illegal political pressure to get rid of many career senior executives in government. As both an Army E-7 and later Federal Executive, I personally saw both things as they happened, not from reading about them in the newspapers.
Michael at 1:28AM on Apr 3rd 2007