# Fighting ignorance the (somewhat) harder way: Responding to the latest Obama email BS **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 14, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937 "2008-06-14T18:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/21 "2008-06-16T15:13:57Z")
Everyone on the righty-sphere is also saying that the birth certificate is a fake. Everybody’s a photoshop expert on those boards. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/22 "2008-06-16T15:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Everyone on the righty-sphere is also saying that the birth certificate is a fake. Everybody’s a photoshop expert on those boards. [/QUOTE] Is anybody saying “that’s the worst photoshopping I’ve ever seen”? ‘Revtim’s Law’ states that somebody always says that, especially when the photo under question is 100 percent genuine. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/23 "2008-06-16T15:20:32Z")
Gives you some new respect for what Cecil does for living, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/24 "2008-06-16T15:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Gives you some new respect for what Cecil does for living, doesn’t it? [/QUOTE] Yeah, especially considering he didn’t have the resources that are commonly available today for most of the time he was doing it. It took me like 20 minutes on Google, but if it wasn’t that easy, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/25 "2008-06-16T15:27:35Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Gives you some new respect for what Cecil does for living, doesn’t it? [/QUOTE] Don’t try to kid the kidders; Cecil probably spends most of his time golfing and chasing women of questionable morals, and comes and cherry-picks from Great Debates when he needs a column. 😃 I kid out of love! ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/26 "2008-06-16T20:00:01Z")
Wow, this guy emailing me is quite a character. I replied to his manifesto with > [@](#): > > Who am I? I’m just a guy who got sent lies, and pointed out that they were obvious lies. And I even showed my sources. > > I can’t tell, did you send this stuff because you believe it, or did you forward it to me because it’s funny? > > Thanks, > Tim and he responded > [@](#): > > Tim, the world needs watchmen like you, you could be one of them… > I don’t mean to rub your fur the wrong way. > But I have to laugh or I would cry and go crazy seeing the nuts making crazy decision making > they are doing today.. > > Obama is a laugh, just like he is!, Even George Bush is hoot, I am not for any of the selected people they have selected any way.. If I select someone it would be with a person with the ability to lead , not a charismatic with an aptitude of a 5th grader to lead us. Hell even George B. had more of an aptitude than this joker..I figured George’s aptitude was about that of a 12th grader.. But now who ever gets i n now will have to do the bidding of the ACLU, UN EU..& UAR, they will have direct control though the UN.. One world Government. He will be kneeling at the alter of the UN & EU.. With George Soros bunch of controllers.. > > I would select John McCain right now over the other Candidates.. He at least is educated with a collage level enough to understand the situation in which we are in, in this world. His age and wisdom is a plus for handling our enemies, he knows the press and how they are manipulated by the left.. His people are doing their best to hold a center. I feel he would be cooler in the sweat box of major decision making . That is more than I can see with the Obama’s three ring circus, they are the fringe lunatics with smoke coming out of their ears.. “lemmings, comes to mind.” > > We are headed we like it or not for the very Armageddon the Bible spoke about.. peace, peace peace, there will not be peace, the UN is the “center of mass discussion over nothing.” > I don’t know about you I believe in the Bible of 66 books and according to experts, there are 1000 prophecies spoken of of which 500 have already came true.. It has more credence than what mankind can deliver on his own.. So far mankind is living on borrowed time, spiritual speaking. > The sign of the times since 1948 are right on the mark.. Read the Bible and follow the signs and watch how the world will react.. Just look at the world in travail, Gore and his environmental lobbyists, who are doing the ir best to do oil speculation by blocking new avenues to explore for oil drilling or replacements to oil..Global warming is another hoot, to laugh at.. we are in a global warming that comes about by solar heating cycles.. Check with the National Weather services.. > With new nuclear plants, we could cut down on all the crazy stats I have seen that they proposed . > I feel Gore and his buddies are in bed with the UAR and their oil mongers. > They are not for us they are against us. > God Bless our leaders, this country and our military.. > You have a good day.. See you for now I won’t even try to reproduce the underlines, bolds, colors, emoticons, etc, but it’s absolutely lousy with that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/27 "2008-06-16T20:16:41Z")
I know I’m having a bad day for other reasons, but this stuff just so appalls me to the point where I am paralyzed. What does one do in the face of so much ignorance and inept thinking? I swear I’ve gone from wanting to be sick to wanting to cry. I can see how someone would think that McCain has merit and abilities to lead this country. I am willing to agree to disagree with rational folk. But this sort of stuff just scares me (and I know there is some on the other side of the aisle). It’s so larded with racists rant and misinformation and delusional Bible references. Please tell me this man is mentally ill or playing an elaborate (unfunny) joke. I never felt sorry for “Cecil” before. May God have mercy on us all. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/28 "2008-06-16T20:21:25Z")
As crazy as this dude is, I didn’t see anything racist. But I could have missed it, it’s not exactly the clearest of prose. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/29 "2008-06-16T21:04:27Z")
Do you think he talks like this in person, or does he cut and paste a chunk of stream-of-consciousness horsehit from some big text file whenever he needs to respond to an email? Purely out of morbid curiosity, do you know any demographic information about this guy? I imagine he’s a fairly boring engineer in his 60’s, maybe retired, who starts foaming at the mouth and shouting whenever anybody to the left of Limbaugh comes on the radio. Has anyone heard the “5th grade” thing before? I wonder if the next wave of political spam will cite some imaginary research that ‘proves’ Obama communicates at the 5th grade level. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/30 "2008-06-16T21:14:49Z")
I know nothing about the guy, he was a CC on the original “CAN OBAMA BE PRESIDENT?” email that got my reply-all. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/31 "2008-06-16T21:26:03Z")
I had no idea McCain was educated at a collage level. That guy obviously doesn’t think much of the Naval Academy. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/32 "2008-06-16T21:35:12Z")
[Snopes.com](http://Snopes.com) has 11 false stories, 4 that are partially true and partially false, and 2 that are undetermined concerning Obama. Concerning McCain, there are 3 total: one undetermined and 2 true. This makes me ill. Why do the conservatives have to spread lies? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/33 "2008-06-16T21:35:35Z")
Say, what is this “UAR”? The [United Arab Republic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic) (Egypt & Syria) broke up in 1961. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/34 "2008-06-16T21:40:14Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Say, what is this “UAR”? The [United Arab Republic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Republic) (Egypt & Syria) broke up in 1961. [/QUOTE] Ha! That’s exactly what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/35 "2008-06-16T21:50:33Z")
[QUOTE=Revtim] I know nothing about the guy, he was a CC on the original “CAN OBAMA BE PRESIDENT?” email that got my reply-all. [/QUOTE] Darn. “The Flames of Hell Lick Your Ass” is so going to be the title of my next death metal album. I wanted to give him a credit. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/36 "2008-06-16T23:20:18Z")
> [@spam-spewing whackjob](#): > > Also he has bought into the UN, ACLU and the EU, UAR garbage spawned by the left extreme media, they are all > Socialist fascists .. the very thing we fought WWII over.. “socialist fascists”?? A vanishingly small intersection of two sets. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/37 "2008-06-16T23:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=Revtim] As crazy as this dude is, I didn’t see anything racist. But I could have missed it, it’s not exactly the clearest of prose. [/QUOTE] I took his “take” on Obama’s aptitude being only at a 5th grade level despite a well publicized law degree and a degree of articulateness that signifies keen intelligence to mean that Obama must be stupid because he is black (all evidence contradicting his supposed stupidity to the contrary). To compare Bush’s persona in terms of intelligence favorably to Obama’s tells me that there is something else at work here–the most obvious cause would be racism. It may not be. If that doesn’t make much sense, take heart: neither does the original email. Given that he spews so much else, a bit of racism would be all of a piece really. I went to public school. I have traveled about this country for most of my life. Despite having a master’s degree (which really wasn’t all that intellectually challenging), I do not consider myself extremely intelligent. There are things that completely stymie me–algebraic word problems for one. Electricity in everyday use for another. I just cannot wrap my head around such muddled, convoluted thinking. Between this and the Obama Baby Mama thread, I fear my head will explode. The sheer depth of ignorance here is breathtaking. My mother used to complain about some of the women she knew in Memphis who would say stuff like, “I’m not going to vote for so and so --I don’t like his tie.” (not this election cycle). I always wrote that kind of stuff off as hyperbole. Now I am not so sure. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/38 "2008-06-17T00:13:09Z")
Well, I asked him why he feels Obama’s aptitude is only at a 5th grade level, pointing out that he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. No answer yet. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/39 "2008-06-17T00:21:10Z")
Here’s one I got today (what mental disorder is it that causes people to type in all caps, anyway?): DO I HAVE THIS STRAIGHT? – HIS FATHER WAS A BLACK AFRICAN MUSLIM FROM KENYA. WE HAVE SEEN PICTURES OF HIS AFRICAN FAMILY. HIS MOTHER WAS A WHITE AMERICAN ATHEIST FROM KANSAS. WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF HIS AMERICAN FAMILY? HIS FATHER DESERTED HIS MOTHER WHEN HE WAS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND WENT BACK TO AFRICA BY WAY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. HOW? WAS HIS FATHER WEALTHY? HIS MOTHER MARRIED AN INDONESIAN MUSLIM AND THEN MOVED TO JAKARTA WHERE HE WAS ENROLLED IN A MUSLIM SCHOOL. WHEN HE REACHED HIGH SCHOOL AGE HIS MOTHER SENT HIM TO HAWAII TO BE WITH HIS WHITE GRANDPARENTS AND HE WAS PUT INTO AN EXPENSIVE PRIVATE SCHOOL. HE LATER WENT TO HARVARD UNIVERSITY. HOW? WERE HIS GRANDPARENTS RICH? HE LIVES IN A $1.4 MILLION HOUSE OBTAINED THROUGH A DEAL WITH A WEALTHY FUNDRAISER. HOW? HE ‘WORKED’ AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST IN CHICAGO. HE HAS NEVER HELD A PRODUCTIVE JOB OR RECEIVED A PAY CHECK THAT WAS NOT GOVERNMENT-FUNDED AND/OR TAYPAYER SUPPORTED. THE PRESIDENCY IS NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS POSITION, NOR IS IT SUBJECT TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION SET ASIDES; ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WON’T CUT IT. HE ENTERED POLITICS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THEN THE NATIONAL LEVEL WHERE HE HAS MINIMAL EXPERIENCE. HE IS PROUD OF HIS ‘AFRICAN HERITAGE’ (A FATHER WHO GOT A WHITE GIRL PREGNANT AND DESERTED HER). WHERE IS THE PRIDE IN HIS ‘WHITE HERITAGE’? (A MOTHER WHO FLAUNTED CONVENTION AND DID NOT BELIEVE IN GOD). SOME MIGHT THINK THERE WAS NOT MUCH TO BE PROUD OF EITHER WAY. HE BELONGS, AND HAS BELONGED FOR OVER 20 YEARS, TO AN ‘AFRO-CENTRIC’ CHURCH IN CHICAGO THAT HATES WHITES, HATES JEWS, AND BLAMES AMERICA FOR ALL THE WORLD’S PERCEIVED FAULTS. (INCLUDING CREATING THE AIDs VIRUS IN ORDER TO INFLICT IT ON AFRICANS). HE REPEATEDLY WHITEWASHES THE PASTOR, HIS CHURCH AND THE MEMBERS WHO CHEERED AFTER HEARING VITRIOLIC TIRADES AGAINST AMERICA. HE COULD NOT CONFRONT HIS PASTOR BUT HE WANTS US TO BELIEVE HE CAN CONFRONT NORTH KOREA AND IRAN ? YEAH RIGHT ! ! DURING HIS VERY BRIEF TIME IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE HE HAS MANAGED TO AMASS THE NUMBER ONE ULTRA LIBERAL VOTING RECORD OUT OF THE ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS. HE HAS VOTED CONSISTENTLY FOR BIGGER GOVERNMENT AND HIGHER TAXES. HE HAS VOTED FOR BIG ENTITLEMENTS AND LEGISLATION THAT WOULD SEVERELY CURTAIL AMERICA’S ABILITY TO FIGHT TERRORISM AND TO PROTECT OUR BORDERS AND OUR NATIONAL INTERESTS AROUND THE WORLD. BUT, HE IS A GOOD ORATOR. ISN’T THAT A COMFORT? YEAH, I THINK I SEE HOW WELL HE COULD UNITE THE COUNTRY. I THINK THE TRUTH IS THAT HE HOPES NO ONE WILL PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR NEW CHIEF PILOT. HE HAS NEVER FLOWN AN AIRPLANE, IN FACT, HE HAS NEVER EVEN SAT IN THE COCKPIT, BUT HE SAYS HE HAS RIDDEN ON PLANES BEFORE. WE ARE SURE HE WILL GUIDE US SAFELY THROUGH THE STORMS WE MAY ENCOUNTER ON THIS FLIGHT. PEOPLE, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? HAVE YOU NEVER HEARD THE STORY ABOUT THE WOLF HIDING IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING SO HE CAN DESTROY THEM FROM WITH-IN ? THE HAND WRITING IS ON THE WALL, DO YOU NOT HAVE EYES TO SEE IT ? THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE YOU VOTE FOR THIS GUY! ---
**Author:** ![Furious\_Marmot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dfb087/32.png) [@Furious\_Marmot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Furious_Marmot)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937/40 "2008-06-17T01:06:12Z")
OK, your crazy guy wins on race-baiting and grammar. The first guy wins on math wanking and unintentional comedy. I say we send them each other’s emails and let them duke it out for the title of apoplectic dickweed with a computer. Whoever bursts a forehead vein first wins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fighting-ignorance-the-somewhat-harder-way-responding-to-the-latest-obama-email-bs/452937.md?page=3)