Legal Commentary

Obama's New Smear Debunking Website

By Jeralyn

Barack Obama now has a webpage, Fight the Smears, debunking right wing smears concerning him and Michelle. He lists the smears, who is promoting them and details why they are false.

TalkLeft has banned discussion of the smears, particularly the one claiming there is a tape of Michelle using racially charged words, because there has not been a shred of credible reporting to back up its existence. There still isn't. But now that Obama has brought it into the open, our ban is pointless.

So, here's a place to discuss his new website debunking the false assertions about him and Michelle. One caveat: Personal insults against the Obamas or insinuations that the debunked items are true will not be allowed. In other words, you can't perpetuate the falsities. [More...]

I'm wondering if a website like this can make a difference. Normally I would say no, however I thought one feature on the site could make a difference. It allows readers to e-mail any particular debunk to others. So if, for example, a person was at work and heard someone claim one of the smears was true, he or she could have the debunk emailed to everyone they think might have heard it.

On the other hand, I wonder if people who are inclined to believe the smears would be satisfied with a statement from the Obama campaign as opposed to an independent source.

My second thought is on the birth certificate: I've received several e-mails over the past months from professional astrologers in response to this post, telling me they can't cast Obama's birth chart because they don't have his birth time. (Although I did find this one which used 1:04 AHST). The time on the birth certificate is 7:24, but I can't tell if it is am or pm. I assume the astrologers will blow it up and figure it out, and then cast his chart.

Third: How important is Michelle Obama in the presidential race? Would someone really not vote for Barack because they don't like her? I suspect focus groups and polling will redefine her role and make her much more likable in the coming months. Just as Obama grew as a campaigner over the past several months, I suspect she will too.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 13, 2008 (boomark / email).