# Whitey try to smear Michelle Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 3, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622 "2008-06-03T14:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/21 "2008-06-03T18:10:40Z")
I wonder how much I could get for my tapes of McCain chanting “Kill da niggers”? Tris ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/22 "2008-06-03T18:13:56Z")
Too bad for you Hillary didn’t win. You could have gotten a bundle. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/23 "2008-06-03T18:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=Triskadecamus] I wonder how much I could get for my tapes of McCain chanting “Kill da niggers”? Tris [/QUOTE] It was Dan Iggers he wants to kill. > **[Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos](https://www.yahoo.com/)** > > Latest news coverage, email, free stock quotes, live scores and video are just the beginning. Discover more every day at Yahoo! No, I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/24 "2008-06-03T18:51:47Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] It’s bizarro world but it can sell. [/QUOTE] According to the principles of the Big Lie, the more bizarro the story, the easier people swallow it. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/25 "2008-06-03T19:01:06Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Now, here’s the debate: have right-wing smearmongers so lost their touch that no one takes them seriously these days? [/QUOTE] What does this have to do with “right-wing smearmongers”? Everybody I know who deigns to notice this crap seems to take it as given that the source begins with “H” and ends with “illary”. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/26 "2008-06-03T19:02:44Z")
**Liberal** I strongly suggest you read the article I posted, because that’s the narrative. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/27 "2008-06-03T20:07:39Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] This is just background. The real smear is still developing. Things like this are intended to be disposable but they make the later stuff seem plausible. [/QUOTE] I don’t think there is going to be a “real smear”. It’s just going to be a bunch of nonsense, uncorroborated stories, and out and out lies, with the Republicans hoping that it all accumulates into a congealed mess of anti-Obama sentiment. I think it’s because Obama is such an unknown that we’re at the “throw shit and see what sticks” has been the MO so far. From his gay sex/cocaine use to Wright to black liberation theology to “bittergate” to the latest foray in idiocy “whitey-gate”, it is nothing more than spreading a ton of manure and hoping something sticks. And, even if none of it is true, they’re hoping 2 or 3% of the people will believe at least one of the stories, and so they wont vote for Obama. I don’t see a big smear coming, I just see more of the same. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/28 "2008-06-03T20:32:44Z")
Anyways, once we get to the actual debates, the difference between Obama and McCain is going to be so dramatic, that Obama, himself, could counter McCain with a “Damn honkey, you are one crazy cracker!” and he’ll still end up winning the debate. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/29 "2008-06-03T20:45:09Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] So the theme for this year’s election will be to portray Obama as a racist - a black man who hates white people. So voting for him would be supporting racism and voting for McCain would be anti-racist. It’s bizarro world but it can sell. It gives voters an excuse to act racist while telling themselves they’re not. [/QUOTE] And this is directly in line with the approach from the last presidential election - portray the war hero as someone who lied about his military record so that voters can justify voting for the guy that ducked his National Guard duty and still feel like their voting for the “military man”. It’s pathetic, destructive, and offensive - but it works. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/30 "2008-06-03T21:03:33Z")
[QUOTE=mswas] **Liberal** I strongly suggest you read the article I posted, because that’s the narrative. [/QUOTE] The narrative? Do you know who [Spengler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spengler_(columnist)) is? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/31 "2008-06-03T21:10:53Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] The narrative? Do you know who [Spengler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spengler_(columnist)) is? [/QUOTE] Yes, I do. I think he hit the nail on the head though. When that column came out, it was picked up by right wing bloggers across the board. From Daniel Pipes, to Mark Steyn, to Bill Kristol, to Rush Limbaugh. That’s the swift boat narrative right there, encapsulated. Here is a Google search with the string [Obama’s Women Spengler](http://www.google.com/search?q=obama%27s+women+spengler&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a) You can read for yourself the press it got in the blogs. Spengler was quite chuffed with the accomplishment. So chuffed that he wrote a couple more anti-Obama screeds in quick succession. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/32 "2008-06-03T21:16:43Z")
[QUOTE=tds1273] Anyways, once we get to the actual debates, the difference between Obama and McCain is going to be so dramatic, that Obama, himself, could counter McCain with a “Damn honkey, you are one crazy cracker!” and he’ll still end up winning the debate. [/QUOTE] I think Obama will come out better, sure – but a man who has been in the Senate as long as McCain must at least be capable of giving a non-embarrassing performance in a public debate. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/33 "2008-06-03T21:31:30Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I think Obama will come out better, sure – but a man who has been in the Senate as long as McCain must at least be capable of giving a non-embarrassing performance in a public debate. [/QUOTE] Perhaps earlier in his career, but do you remember the Republican primary debates? Not exactly the toughest field of candidates. In terms of specific knowledge of the issues Paul stomped McCain and as far as connecting with the audience Huckabee talked circles around John. McCain did win out because of the ideology of the base; I don’t think he will get the same benefit with independent/swing voters. Plus, even in regular press conferences he seems to get really flusstered and defensive at the slightest follow up or tough question. I admit it could also be my personal bias weighing in too; season as neccessary ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/34 "2008-06-03T22:09:21Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] I think Obama will come out better, sure – but a man who has been in the Senate as long as McCain must at least be capable of giving a non-embarrassing performance in a public debate. [/QUOTE] You’d think so, but his debating against Mitt Romney thoroughly disgusted me. I am not certain he can debate without being condescending and mean. Something that will fail against Obama, and fail hard. In the last Rep debate both Romney and Paul smashed him in terms of facts and good debate form, but ultimately McCain won on personality. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2008, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/35 "2008-06-03T22:29:00Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] The article was an extension of another. The skepticism has developed over the past several days. And I can’t imagine what you’re calling a major conservative website if it doesn’t include Fox News. [/QUOTE] _shrug_. He said he was skeptical from the start. I guess I just reject your premise on the grounds that this was not a story that was created by “right-wing smearmongers.” Repeated by minor-league bloggers? Sure - right and left wing, incidentally. Mentioned on Fox News two weeks after the fact, and more-or-less rejected? Yeah. From this, I can’t extrapolate that the “right-wing smearmongers” have lost their touch. Something not started and rejected or ignored by the conservative blogosphere (although, yeah, I can certainly see a lot of crossed fingers and wishful thinking!) does not a right-wing campaign make. Does that mean an October surprise isn’t coming? Naaa…I’m sure both campaigns are digging like mad. ---
**Author:** ![ManiacMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@ManiacMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ManiacMan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/36 "2008-06-04T23:38:55Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] The enemy of my enemy, you know. Johnson might have lit the torch, but Republicans grabbed it and tried to burn down the barn. [/QUOTE] Well that’s the way the left wing media is portraying the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622/37 "2008-06-06T05:54:22Z")
I think if I wanted to perpetuate unsubstantiated rumors that make Michelle Obama look bad (and, by association, her husband), posting a thread like this one would be one way of doing it. If I were interested in getting to the truth of any of the issues, I would wait until there was some evidence and I would have a link to that evidence. If the evidence was that the rumors were “bullshit,” I don’t believe I would bother to post in the first place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whitey-try-to-smear-michelle-obama/451622.md?page=1)