Conservatives Are Trashing Michael Smerconish For This Piece... I Applaud Him !!!

[WillyT]

unfair
Michael Smerconish, Inquirer Columnist
POSTED: Sunday, November 4, 2012, 4:01 AM

<snip>

This election has always been a referendum on Barack Obama. For some, not on matters of substance. They can't have it both ways. It's hypocritical to distribute a vicious, false narrative about him while fancying yourself a patriot and a great American. Vilify a sitting president of the United States with fiction and innuendo, and you are neither.

I objected when George W. Bush was the subject of undeserved hyperbolic criticism, but the baseless scorn heaped upon President Obama makes Bush's detractors look diplomatic. The president, the office, and our nation deserve better.

It's been unrelenting. The day after Obama took office, Rush Limbaugh told Sean Hannity he wanted him to "fail." Later, Glenn Beck called the president a "racist" with a "deep-seated hatred of white people." Donald Trump's birtherism took hold while words like socialist were uttered with increased frequency. And a prairie fire of falsehoods spread through the Internet suggesting, among other things, that Obama is a Muslim or refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, paving the way for Dinesh D'Souza's fictionalized "documentary" 2016, which characterized Obama as fulfilling the anticolonial agenda of his father - a man he literally knew for just one weekend!

Among the usual memes used to undermine the president is the threat of some apocalyptic cataclysm, usually in the form of an assertion of federal power, like the seizing of guns. These predictions demand unthinking acceptance of the notion that the president, like a bizarre Manchurian candidate, is saving his nefarious agenda for a second term that might never arrive. By my count, the website Snopes.com has evaluated and debunked 103 of 124 Internet assertions about Obama.

Just before Hurricane Sandy hit, Ann Coulter called our sitting president a "retard," Sarah Palin mocked his "shuck and jive shtick," and John Sununu openly questioned Gen. Colin Powell's weighty endorsement as being motivated by race. At least earlier in the campaign there was some effort at camouflage. Such as when Mitt Romney aired an anti-Obama welfare commercial that falsely suggested Obama supported handouts ("They just send you your welfare check&quot when, in fact, Obama was accommodating requests of several governors, two of them conservative Republicans, to try new ways to put people back to work. A similar sentiment was expressed by Romney when he maligned the 47 percent who don't pay federal income taxes, overlooking that 83 percent of that group are either working and paying payroll taxes or they're elderly.

And, almost daily, there have been dire warnings about Obama, often with sirens, from the Drudge Report. Example: the Sept. 18 edition featuring a hideous picture of Obama (eyes closed) emblazoned with the all-capped quote: "I ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN REDISTRIBUTION," a 14-year-old excerpt that conveniently excised the future president's explicit embrace of "competition" and "marketplace." No wonder I routinely field calls from radio listeners who, with no hint of embarrassment in their voices, say things such as "I call him 'comrade' " or "he's not my president."

Their best evidence? Obamacare...

<snip>

More: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20121104_The_Pulse__The_smearing_of_a_president__From_start__unrelenting__unfair.html

[Spazito]

1. I heard Matthews (Tweety) talking about it, was curious so went looking for it...

and think it is an excellent piece. Spells it out in clear terms how egregious the Romney campaign supporters have been in smearing the President, how full of lies, racism and hate they are.

Thanks for posting this!

[WillyT]

2. You Are Quite Welcome !!!

[Pachamama]

42. I did the same after hearing Tweety - article is spot on, well written and the sad thing is not only

...all true, but then to read the "comments" left for the article....the haters of Obama, the spewers of venom and racism are in full force and frothing against Smerconish.

He struck a nerve because what he says is true, so they have to attack him. But I am glad he wrote it and it needed to be said.

Spazito!!

[Spazito]

44. Hey Pachamama, good to see you!

He certainly did strike a nerve! The truth is an anathema to the rabid right and all they can do is add names to their list of those they hate for living in the REAL world, imo.

[immoderate]

3. Smerconish is a conservative who can make sense...

So nobody wants him.

--imm

[Indykatie]

6. I Like Smerconish So of Course Repubs Dislike Him n/t

[Angry Dragon]

8. I will take him

[NotThisTime]

12. Smerconish makes sense - of course the Republican party hates him...

[whiteroses]

19. Smerconish

Years back Smerconish gave very right wing political commentaries on KYW News Radio in Philadelphia. I can remember calling the radio station manager a few times complaining about his obnoxious right wing views. I found myself turning the radio off in my car when I heard that his commentary was coming on because I couldn't stomach his views. Interesting how he has changed his tune. Guess he has seen the light!!

[Marrah_G]

25. He seems pretty moderate these days.

[immoderate]

34. I know he was a wing nut...

But he couldn't keep up with Hannity, Beck, and the tea baggers who went off the deep end.

--imm

[WillyT]

36. And That's Some Of The Group We Need...

One wonders who EX Senator Danforth Will Be Voting For In Two Days.

Ya know what I mean ???

[immoderate]

38. Gotcha...

And Snowe, and Lugar...



--imm

[liberalmuse]

4. I posted this article to my FB...

along with the NY Times article from earlier today about voter suppression by the Republicans.

[Raster]

5. "Their best evidence? Obamacare..."

Would someone please explain to me why good, quality health care for everyone is a bad idea?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

22. It's racism. The right-wing has been telling people "Obamacare" is for black people....

They've also been telling people Obama has stolen money from Medicare to pay for it.

IOW: Your sainted white grandma in Florida is going to die so some black guy in NY can get free healthcare.

See why they're out there screaming?

The right wing in this country should be abolished.

[Raster]

23. Oh, I totally get the machinations and lies, but what I want to know: Why is it not a good thing....

...for EVERYONE to have quality health care?

That's my question...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

26. Some people will look right at you and say, "Why should I pay for your healthcare?"

Then they'll expect you to be impressed by the concrete slab they had poured for their RV.

[kardonb]

30. healthcare

Why ? Because the insurance companies won't make quite the rebbach they have been making so far .

[Raster]

32. If we cut out the insurance companies, and put EVERYONE on single-payor or Medicare....

...we could provide quality heath care for all a much less cost.

Health care insurance companies are parasites, plain and simple. They serve NO valid function in the doctor-patient symbiosis, except to leech money from patients.

[Cosmocat]

37. i truly may lose it on someone

one of these days when the snearingly refer to Obamacare they way they do.

They treat what was LONG OVER DUE health care reform the way they SHOULD have treated the patriot act.

[meadowlark5]

7. Nicely summarized

He could probably fill pages with the rest of the crap they've done and said about the president. I find it utterly disgusting the hatred and disrespect for him.

I'm glad he wrote that.

[Doctor_J]

9. Meh. Dems trash liberals pretty frequently too

Kucinich, Sanders, anyone who doesn't toe the centrist/DLC/Corporatist line. Nature of politics.

[Ford_Prefect]

33. The nature of MONEY in politics these days.

The Money have decided they alone own the process and by inference built it, and please note, without anyone else to help build or operate it. Regrettably but not equally true of both parties in the worst ways.

[Cha]

10. "Real patriots vote for or against candidates based on substance, not smears." That sums it

up, nicely!

It's an Excellent Piece Steeped in Veracity..thanks WillyT

What's Smerconish's story? I've seen the name but don't know much about him? Where are the cons trashing him? I can see why they would be rabidly in denial over such an EXPOSE!

[1StrongBlackMan]

43. Agreed; but ...

doesn't doing something based on "substance, not smear", pre-suppose that one can distinguish between substance and smear?

[BlueJazz]

11. Wonderful piece. I truly believe these Republicans would LOVE to blurt out the N word but...

...think some people might be offended by it. The ignorant bastards don't realize how ignorant they truly are.

( I'd piss on the sidewalk but somebody might think it "uncivilized".)

[Flatulo]

31. Oh, you can bet your ass they do behind closed doors. nt

[BumRushDaShow]

13. K&R

[BootinUp]

14. Wow, wish I could give this multiple recs.

[madashelltoo]

15. Smerc got this one right . . .

And, if there's one thing the right hates . . . It's right.

[WillyT]

16. LOL !!! - Perfect !!!

[leeroysphitz]

17. Smerconish.

[heaven05]

18. kudos

he's a republican? well miracles do happen.

[sevenseas]

20. Take a look those of you who are voting for Romney-

My brother-in-law and his wife are both morbidly obese, have diabetes; she suffers chronic back pain; he had two heart attacks. He is 55, wheelchair-bound, she is a little younger, bed-bound.

They are voting for ROMNEY! Does PRE-EXISTING CONDITION mean anything to them? Their answers are flippant- they are in denial.

They hate him so badly because of his race they are actually going out and voting against themselves.

[icarusxat]

39. stupid is as stupid votes

hate all you want, die in a puddle of your own vomit...

[Honeycombe8]

21. Sickos. nt

[freshwest]

24. It began before he was sworn in and then they claimed he wasn't POTUS because Roberts goofed up.

It's been the most pathetic thing I've ever seen. This came out of the same people that creatded the John Birch Society and then created the Tea Party. All based on the overheated demagoguery of conservatives and their misinformed listeners. They've drug people in from the left and right with conspiracy talk and non-stop fearmongering and division. It's a fascist coup that started in slow motion, gathering strength from 2000. They want another war to transform this country into some kind of Starship Trooper flick. We'd better defeat them Tuesday and hit the ground running. This is by no means over, we've just begun to turn theses last few decades of nightmares back.

[Helen Reddy]

27. I can't spell Smerconish.

When he fills in for Tweets every now and again, I find his opinions and dialogue to be mindful.

[The Wizard]

28. You can't fix stupid

and most republicans are functional illiterates. Or as we call them in my neighborhood, jerkoffs.

[icarusxat]

40. here in Utah we just call them neighbors

R$ is a mean, horrible excuse for a human being. The next time I meet him I intend to treat him with the same disdain and hate he showed me. I have long hair...

[reflection]

29. Outstanding piece.

Truth.

[CheapShotArtist]

35. Meh...let the wingnuts hate on Mike.

All they're doing is showing how valid his assertions are. We need more people like him to bring the point home that the GOP has been punching below the belt. Their policies and candidates suck, so they want to bring it out on Obama. Fuck them.

[JohnnyRingo]

41. Fox News.

Almost all the division we see today and the bizarre hatred for this president can be traced back to incredible conspiracies and outright lies from right wing radio and internet sites that are rebroadcast and amplified on Rupert Murdock's TV network.

I've spoken to so many people who take these Fox news stories so seriously they argue written history. I had one jumping all over Obama for bailing out the banks a couple years ago. When I explained how it happened before Obama took the oath of office, including naming players like Hank Paulson, I got a blank stare followed by "I don't think that's true". I read the comment section in my local paper and see one conspiracy after another, from the president spending $200mil a day in Asia to Benghazigate, written as if by Fox News transcripts. The truth is an expendable commodity when repeating one absurd and fearful conspiracy after another.

The misinformation in this country is so rampant I often wonder if I've been swept up on the other side. I give it some thought, but realize I can at least back up my beliefs through independent fact checkers and credible sources. That's more than the Fox Newshounds can say, as they prefer to accuse the fact checkers and "lame stream media" as being in cahoots with the far left liberals.

Because of this caustic narrative brought to us by what passes itself off as a legitimate news channel, the right has successfully made the national debate as being between traitors to the country (us) and patriots (them). Little wonder the vitriol runs so deep.

[Egalitarian Thug]

45. Having no choice, since I live in freeperville, I've listened to him on the radio quite a few

times, He is a reagan republican through and through. I suppose that it is a sign of the depths of the insanity that has gripped this nation for the last 10 or 11 years that this right wing lunatic is now the moderate voice of reason.

[Hissyspit]

46. George W. Bush was never the subject of undeserved hyperbolic criticism.

[catbyte]

47. I remember Smerconish not drinking the Kool-Aid in 2008

And the grief he got back then by endorsing Oobama over McCain. Palin horrified him as did the rest of his party's RWNJs.