RW religious radio is having a field day here in WI.

[ginnyinWI]

My mom called me to tell me to listen (so I can hear about Obama from "reliable sources"!) OMG! Looks like we're going to have to have another ban on political discussion like we did in 2004.

Anyway they are trotting out all the smears: he doesn't salute the flag, he's secretly a Muslim even though he belongs to an "extremely Liberal" mega-church in Chicago (take your pick about which religion to hate him for), and on and on.

This is very upsetting. They act like oh-so-sincere persons looking for truth. But they even take shots at callers who don't line up 100% by echoing exactly what they are saying.

There's a whole other world out there, one where Obama is suspected of being extremely evil and dangerous. Anything they can think to align him with, they are. Now they are saying that the most abortion clinics are in the inner cities (presumably Obama's church is right next door! So it's his fault.)

I'll stop now. No sense repeating all the tripe. But I simply can't believe it.

[beachmom]

1. Is this James Dobson? Or something local?

I'm sorry, but I'm going to lay it on the line: the far right are fascists, and propagandize the same way. I tell my moderate parents about these extremists, and they dismiss it as "no big deal", "nobody thinks like that", etc. I am sorry to hear that your mother believes that stuff.

Like 2004, this is going to be very painful. If Clinton were to somehow claw her way back and get the nomination, there is one bright side: I will not be as involved emotionally, and be able to ignore a lot more.

[ginnyinWI]

2. it's local but it is carried statewide

And it's worse than Dobson--at least worse than Dobson was years ago--I haven't heard him lately since he got more political.

They are indeed fascist propaganda artists. And they fool my 70-something parents and probably lots of people like them. They are oh-so-sincere: they only want to find the truth. But what they are peddling is fear: fear that God won't like them, fear that our country will be attacked, fear and ignorance teamed up together. There was a point of disagreement, but the host cleared THAT up by stating that he got it from the local FOX news affiliate in Texas! It's all about what "we as good Christians" ought to do with "our vote". We must never vote for evil! :puke:

[beachmom]

3. That is weird to me. Not disrespecting your folks, but why would

you believe someone on the radio just because they said it? "Know your source" is such important advice to anyone in today's media environment. I also don't accept things at face value on the left, especially if it comes from a source that does not have a good reputation.

But ... I have to tell you I have a friend for which I was showing her a cool article in Time about how kids will learn differently and have a different education than we did. One topic was that with the internet, it will be less important now to memorize things and more important to have the skills to navigate info, and to discern what is good info and what is not. She agreed that that was interesting and vital for kids.

Then later, she said she heard Mark Warner had an affair and that was why he dropped out!!! Then, she mentioned, "oh, didn't Kerry have an affair?" SO FRUSTRATING. For God's sake, even Drudge retracted the Kerry affair story, and the Warner story must have been unbelievably obscure because I have heard nothing on it. So someone who is smart just believes things because she hears it on right wing radio or a RW internet site that seems like it is a normal site (like NewsMax -- many people don't know that that is a RW site).

So this bugs me. I understand people don't have a lot of time, but then they shouldn't be gossiping about stuff they have heard for which they have done NO INVESTIGATION and whether or not it is true.

[ginnyinWI]

4. yeah in fact this whole exchange with my mom started

as me saying that you have to be careful who you listen to. Problem is they trust this radio station. It's like identity politics. She identifies herself as a particular type of Christian, and sees this station as the same as she is. Thinks they wouldn't lie to their audience. Totally misses the propaganda. I don't think there's anything I can do.

People like her are in a bubble of their own choosing, like your friend. They trust so few sources, and all of those are conservative, so never hear the truth. FOX News is the gold standard, CNN and MSNBC are liberal and therefore false.

I'll feel much better when Obama wins Wisconsin on Tuesday.

[dwahzon]

5. Well Ginny

you might be encouraged by http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19055513">the NPR story that I just heard where Linda Wertheimer was interviewing people in Bloomer, WI ... lots of self-identified Republicans who said they're voting for Obama. A couple admitted that they've never voted for a democrat but the republicans have messed it up so bad, they can't vote for them. She asked about Hillary and they said no way.

As a former Wisconsin resident, I cringed at one point. You'll know which one when you hear it. Don't just read the story on the webpage... listen to the audio. It's good. Quintessential "up nort" Wisconsin.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19055513

[ginnyinWI]

9. that was great--thanks!

I had to laugh at all the people who want Obama--then say they are Republicans! Anything but another Republican, they seem to be saying. :rofl: Great to hear.

Yeah, except for that one word. (cringe cringe) Northern Wisconsin is, shall we say, not that diverse.

My parents live in Central Wisconsin, although my dad taught high school in the Milwaukee suburbs until he retired 19 years ago. He says he doesn't care about the election, because the choice is between "a woman, a black man, and an old man". Come to think of it, my parents also make me cringe! :blush: I got to vent about them here and that helps a bit. If only they would follow through and NOT vote.

[rox63]

6. Please do everything you can to set her straight

Print out the debunking of these lies from Snopes, and give it to her to read. Maybe even consider writing a LTTE to set even more people straight about these smears.

You can find a bunch of info here: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp

[sandnsea]

7. "Don't Fall for the Ol' Okie-Doke"

Here. Do we need to get it on a CD for her or does she have a computer?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AII2yrwSeMA

[ginnyinWI]

8. she's got a computer

I'll send her the link.

For what it's worth, she says she doesn't like any of the candidates on either side. So if they don't vote, that will be something.

[sandnsea]

10. Well I hope it at least makes her smile

I thought the way he handled it was so funny. He made it clear and visual, he made sure to have everybody's attention, he used words that people won't forget, "okie-doke", it was perfect.

I am so glad I don't have any of these issues in my family. My daughter (24) decided to get "rebellious" and tell me she was thinking about voting for Hillary... gasp!!! Then today she tells me she took one of the online political tests and I thought oh my lord what now. She says "who is Mike Gravel", gravel like rocks in the driveway. I laughed and said, you answered something weird on taxes didn't you. Well yes she did. lol. I figure Gravel is better than Paul, and Obama was her #2 anyway. That's the worst that I have to deal with, so far.

[ginnyinWI]

11. the contrast could not be starker

between Obama's sunny optimism and the dark, cynical fear-mongering of a little, (so-called religious) right-wing radio show host who wants to be one of the big boys. I hope she can see that. Why do some people let themselves be frightened by miserable little worms like these? They become indoctrinated into the idea that only a few, chosen media outlets are to be believed, and everyone else is lying. "FOX NEWS: Fair and Balanced! We are the only ones who bring you the real truth!!"