Mainstream media not jumping on the political rumor bandwagon

[JimGinPA]

Call me quaint and old-fashioned, but I give most of the mainstream media a hearty pat on the back for refusing to spread the inflammatory and thoroughly unsubstantiated rumor that Michelle Obama once railed against "whitey" from a pulpit.

Fervent e-mails and blogs have buzzed since late May with "news" that a videotape would emerge of Barack Obama's wife spewing the racial epithet. The claim propped up a fantastical caricature -- the mother, lawyer, Ivy League graduate and potential first lady as a seething member of the hate-American-first club.

Both the media and Obama's presidential campaign faced the unenviable question of whether to ignore the rumor or address it head-on. Most news outlets and the campaign chose not to dignify the "whitey" claims with a response. But that changed Thursday, when the Obama camp issued a flat denial and also launched a website (fightthesmears.com) designed to "push back on false and divisive attacks."

-snip-

NBC Political Director Chuck Todd called Obama's rumor-thwarting website a "sea change" in campaign history. "I think we are going to come to the point where we owe it to the viewers to tell them what is not true," Todd said. "It used to be we just used to have to tell them what was true."


More at link

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/la-na-onthemedia13-2008jun13,0,6581394.story


With months to go before the election, I think the Obama camp has come up with a brilliant solution to counter these viral smears.

[SurfingAtWork]

1. I'd hold off on the pats on the back until next week

When the National Press Club gives the batshit crazy guy a podium from which to spew his nonsense.

[anonymous171]

2. God I hate the MSM soooo fucking much.

"I think we are going to come to the point where we owe it to the viewers to tell them what is not true," WASN'T THAT ALWAYS YOUR JOB!?

[tularetom]

3. Well that and the fact that there are zillions of McCain rumors floating around

and they might have to look into some of them if they keep dredging up Michelle Obama "incidents".

[Oregone]

4. CNN was covering Whitey yesterday actually...

They were discussing whether they should be discussing it at all and how this modern media age makes internet rumors viable topics for discussion. They essentially gave it legs by mentioning it and talking about it (and other stuff) for a segment on MO, despite the fact they said it was not yet substantiated. My opinion is that no rumor should be "talked" about casually on network news (or if so, all press credentials should be revoked for the organization).


Anyway....who wants to make up and propogate a rumor about McCain, simply so the news can talk about how its probably not true?

[rox63]

5. There's plenty of true dirt on McCain

No need to make anything up about McCain. They just need to report on the truth.

[Oregone]

7. I know that...but a lot has been covered and is "boring" (won't be covered),

Citizens cannot be bothered with these old issues, or financial scandals, or lobbyist ties, or a drug addict wife (might get play).


But Id imagine an unsubstantiated mass report of something as crazy as the Whitey video may eventually get MSM mention.


BTW, does he have a record of domestic abuse? I was talking to an Arizonian who mentioned this a bit ago.

[rox63]

10. Only if you consider him calling his wife a trollop and a c**t in public to be abuse

I consider that abusive. But I've heard no reports of physical abuse. Still, he's reputed to have a hair-trigger temper, so who knows.

[JimGinPA]

6. The M$M Was Covering Obama's Fightthesmears Website Yesterday...

The debunking of that myth is at the top of the page, which made it news. The debunking.

[Oregone]

8. My opinion is that they still gave it legs (being that they first informed on rumor).

Most people never heard of that rumor before then.

Doesn't Rev. Wright debunked Muslim rumors? To the idiots galore, they stick with the Muslim rumors as of today.

People who are unwilling to give Obama the benifit of the doubt just were given one more thing to doubt him about.

Rumors are powerful. People like to believe they have this special, shitty knowledge about people they do not like.

[Phx_Dem]

9. I saw it too.

Campbell Brown is a tool for her right-wing Republican operative husband. I wonder if she's ever had an original thought.

[Phx_Dem]

11. The also brought up

the baby mama smear from Fox and showed the video. Roland Martin(?) was pretty disgusted with it and brought up Cindy McCain's drug addicition! LOL I thought "Cammie" Brown was going to wet her pants. Hey Campbell, one good turn deserves another!