Some people just don’t listen

As promised, when a conservative friend from Georgia forwarded Conservative/ Republican propaganda to me today, I hit back with facts– and copied everyone on her spam list. She was promoting Sean Hannity’s upcoming Obama smear fest. Here’s my response:

Watch with Knowledge

Please watch OutFoxed. Fox News is a joke, they are in the pocket of the White House and the Republican Party. They are well known for twisting facts, altering video and photographs, and– perhaps most disturbingly– reporting directly from “talking points” emailed to them from the Bush Administration. You can watch excerpts here: http://www.outfoxed.org/

Further reading:

Fox News airs altered photos of NY Times reporters, Media Matters (includes pictures and video)

Fox News Airs Revised Photos of ‘NYT’ Staffers– Sifton Calls It ‘Disgusting’, Editor and Publisher

Source Watch: “Hannity has been accused of vigorously promoting the Republican agenda and promoting the re-election of George W. Bush.” http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sean_Hannity 

Deliver us from Sean Hannity: http://www.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance16.html

Why are Palin and McCain refusing to sit down with any other reporter, after Palin’s dismal performance with Gibson and Couric? Because Fox News, and correspondents like Hannity, handle them with kid gloves, speak to their talking points and edit their interviews so the public doesn’t get the full picture. Let the woman talk; give her the same access to the press Biden has. (http://thinkprogress.org/2008/09/05/mccain-campaign-plans-to-keep-palin-away-from-the-press/)

We’re in the middle of a huge financial crisis, a crisis created by deregulators like McCain, and the Republican/ Fox News talking points are about personal associations. I’m watching the news while I work today, as I did all day yesterday. The stock ticker is on the screen. When Bush speaks stocks dive; when McCain speaks stocks dive– by hundreds of points.

How many people have you been associated with that you don’t really know, or more, like– much less believe in? I’ve listened to Creflo Dollar on TV, does that mean I’m a World Changer? I’ve listened to Hitler speeches in history class, does that make me a Nazi? I’ve hung out with alcoholics and drug addicts and people who have spent time in jail– but I’m no alcoholic or drug addict or jailbird. I’ve served on boards with people I wouldn’t spit on if they were on fire.

Meanwhile, John McCain’s family was very close with Keating. They vacationed together, they invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in real estate together  they participated in the Savings & Loans scandal together– a precursor to our current financial crisis. That is more than an “association.”

Don’t be a low-information voter! Vote based on the issues, not because of advertisements and emails.

www.johnmccain.com ; www.barackobama.com ; www.factcheck.org ; www.politifact.com ; www.fightthesmears.com

This is a very serious election, not a high school popularity contest. I don’t want to be winked at or told not to like someone because they once talked to so-n-so– I want facts, I want a stable leader, I want someone who can pull our country out of this crisis… not someone who can go into their own neighborhood and stir a crowd, which is what McCain and Palin are up to this week.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2008_10/015067.php

“That said, McCain/Palin have reached a point where they have to decide whether whipping right-wing activists into a frenzy, based solely on lies, is the responsible way to seek national office. The Republican candidates are not literally calling for violence against their political rivals, but they’re nevertheless standing by, saying nothing, while their supporters are shouting words like “kill,” “terrorist,” and “treason” at their rallies.

“And given that this rage-filled hatred is in direct response to the McCain/Palin campaign lying to their supporters, now would be the ideal time for these candidates to take a look in the mirror and consider the consequences of a relentlessly negative, breathtakingly dishonest, anger-driven campaign.”

What is swiftboating? (http://www.wisegeek.com/in-politics-what-is-swiftboating.htm) “This term is often used to describe campaigns which are marked by ad hominem attacks and other tactics which some people think are below the belt. Such tactics rarely prove the point of the organization running the negative campaign, but they can sometimes be very effective, as they appeal to basic beliefs and values. Many swiftboating campaigns are also marked by underhanded dealings and information gathering techniques which are not entirely ethical.”

Again, don’t fall into the trap of being low-information voter by allowing newscasters, advertisements or emails decide your vote.

As I hit sent, the Dow is down 435 points– which is up from earlier this morning.

Love and hope to and for all,

Rhiannon Bowman

“What you won’t hear from this campaign or this party is the kind of politics that uses religion as a wedge, and patriotism as a bludgeon — that sees our opponents not as competitors to challenge, but enemies to demonize.” – Barack Obama, June 3, 2008