# Let's cheer the right-wing smear machine! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768 "2005-08-12T19:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/401 "2005-08-18T02:34:54Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > ." > > “Kerry and Hillary felt compelled to send US troops into battle” ( **Smear? I’d call this an irrefutable fact** ). Well, I refute it. They authorized Bush to send US troops into battle, but only if _he_ felt compelled to do so. Whether or not you see this as abdication of their responsibilities, it in no way indicates that they felt compelled. Since the decision to send troops to this battle is now widely seen as a mistake, this unproven premise can easily be seen as an attempt to denigrate. > > ". If they didn’t want to send US troops into battle, they should’ve voted ‘No’…as did Ted Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/402 "2005-08-18T02:42:11Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > If they didn’t want to send US troops into battle, they should’ve voted ‘No’…as did Ted Kennedy. I think Rufus is correct. The authorization they voted for clearly gives Bush a mandate for sending troops in to battle at his discretion. If I tell you “If you feel it is necessary you may go to the store and buy bleach,” this is a different thing from my telling you to go to the store and buy bleach. They gave Bush permission and authority to do something. They didn’t do it. Bush did. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/403 "2005-08-18T02:52:53Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > I think Rufus is correct. The authorization they voted for clearly gives Bush a mandate for sending troops in to battle at his discretion. > If I tell you “If you feel it is necessary you may go to the store and buy bleach,” this is a different thing from my telling you to go to the store and buy bleach. > > . Well…this is a very fine line, I think you’ll agree. OK, fine. It was a ‘smear’ to say that Kerry and Hillary voted to send troops to Iraq. I guess. But, using your ‘bleach’ example…if you tell me, “Don’t buy any bleach,” then no bleach will be purchased. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/404 "2005-08-18T03:02:19Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Well…this is a very fine line, I think you’ll agree. OK, fine. It was a ‘smear’ to say that Kerry and Hillary voted to send troops to Iraq. I guess. Only if you had intent to denigrate, and don’t worry, it’s third degree mansmear at best since you thought it was true. Cop a plea and you’ll be out in 6 months. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/405 "2005-08-18T04:26:25Z")
Sorry, Mrs Sheehan has entered the political arena and people do and say nasty things there. Even worse, they often say things that are nasty, rude and true. If she did not want that kind of attention, she ought not have put herself in that line of fire. I have checked the rulebook and I do not see that one person’s death (her son) gives someone else (her) a morally superior position. Further, the rules do not have an exception to attack for bereaved family. She asked for it. She got. There is no reason to complain about it. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/406 "2005-08-18T06:07:33Z")
> [@Snowboarder Bo](#): > > Stephe96 is playing the “guilt-by-constant-association” trick. Lame. So, the leftists are planning to kill Kevin Bacon! We must stop Moore and his dasterdly schemes once and for all! Kevin Bacon, We shall avenge thee! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/407 "2005-08-18T07:03:40Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > I have checked the rulebook and I do not see that one person’s death (her son) gives someone else (her) a morally superior position. Further, the rules do not have an exception to attack for bereaved family. If you’ve been spending the last three or four years mouthing how you “support the troops,” though, attacking bereaved family members of fallen servicemen _does_ seem rather hypocritical, IMO. There’s a rather big difference between an opinionated “Cindy Sheehan is wrong” and an unsubstantiated “Cindy Sheehan is secretly funded by Michael Moore and is only in this for the money.” ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/408 "2005-08-18T08:28:27Z")
I have done neither. But so what if I did? This person has made herself fair game for all the traditional political gotcha. Remarkably (and I have not followed this non-story too closely) I do not think she herself is complaining. Good for her. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/409 "2005-08-18T12:03:46Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Rufus: > Where did I say he did that? What’s up with false attribution. If you think Dan did that than you say it, but don’t attribute it to me. > [@](#): > > I don’t see TV news anchors fabricating documents to falsely implicate Democrativ figures. Which TV news anchor were you speaking of here? ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/410 "2005-08-18T12:11:25Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Which TV news anchor were you speaking of here? Thanks for fielding this one for me, **CosmoDan**. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/411 "2005-08-18T13:00:31Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Thanks for fielding this one for me, **CosmoDan**. NP, It’s a sincere question. I thought, Duh,…I must have missed some other news anchor thing. BTW, there’s an S, it’s CosmosDan. For some reason it’s a very common mistake here on the SDMB. You did better than Scylla. He called me Cosmodon twice, although it may not have been an accident. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/412 "2005-08-18T13:32:36Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > I have checked the rulebook Really? I’ve been looking all over for a copy. Do you have a link? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/413 "2005-08-18T13:43:56Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > BTW, there’s an S, it’s CosmosDan. For some reason it’s a very common mistake here on the SDMB. You did better than Scylla. He called me Cosmodon twice, although it may not have been an accident. So tell, me, **Cosmoodan** , er, **Comosodan** , er, **Comasoodan** , er, **Cosmosday** , er… Aw, fuck it. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/414 "2005-08-18T13:52:22Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > So tell, me, **Cosmoodan** , er, **Comosodan** , er, **Comasoodan** , er, **Cosmosday** , er… Aw, fuck it. Now there’s an idea, I could change my user name to **AwFuckIt** and everybody would get it right. Thanks for the inspiration **This Year’s Noodle** ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/415 "2005-08-18T14:38:05Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Really? I’ve been looking all over for a copy. Do you have a link? Sorry, we all have copies, but you can’t have or ever see it. It is right here in the rule book itself. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/416 "2005-08-18T15:01:01Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Now there’s an idea, I could change my user name to **AwFuckIt** and everybody would get it right. Thanks for the inspiration **This Year’s Noodle** I’ve always read it as **cosmodan**. Then again, if you change I just might have to read the new one as **AwFuckWit**. 🙂 -Joe, on hold for 32 minutes and counting ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/417 "2005-08-19T01:41:12Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#): > > Which TV news anchor were you speaking of here? Since I’m noting an absence, a sample of none, clearly I am discussing none. Sorry about the mispelling of your name though. I’m dyslexic. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/418 "2005-08-19T02:01:51Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > No. The woman lost her son. She is entitled to her opinion. She can say what she wants. As far as I’m concerned that loss means it’s wrong to attack her. For all I care, she can claim that Bush personally killed her son, and I won’t attack her. I don’t credit her opinions or give special weight to her desires, but I think she has a free pass to say what she wants about the war and what it has cost her without recrimination. **Scylla** , you and I are far apart on most issues, and there are times when you royally piss me off. But (whether you value it or not) you’ve earned my respect with this statement. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/419 "2005-08-19T02:24:55Z")
> [@Scylla](#): > > Since I’m noting an absence, a sample of none, clearly I am discussing none. You made the statement I quoted when defending your position that there is much more Liberal/ Democratic media smearing on a national level than there is Republican / Conservative. It would only make sense or have any meaning if you were referencing some specific action that supported your position. In the same way you referenced Howard Dean in the sentance prior to it. Were you not referencing any action of Dean either? If not a reference to some specific act then what was it? How did it support your position? ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768/420 "2005-08-19T02:42:11Z")
Cosmological: I am happy with the words as I wrote them. They convey the exact meaning and sentiments I wished to convey, and I don’t wish to alter them so that they convey a different meaning. I am unwilling to alter them so that they convey a falsehood simply so that you can have the satisfaction of pouncing on a falsehood. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-cheer-the-right-wing-smear-machine/316768.md?page=22)