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In the past I have dogeared a number of Pages (columns by Clarence Page, that is) as good examples of the thinking (or lack thereof) of mainstream liberal columnists/talking heads. (See here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.) Today?s column, however, goes so far beyond his earlier attempts, however, that I?m tempted to characterize it not as political analysis but humor, intended or otherwise.

Here are some Page pontifications from today:

Obama?s weak appeal to blue-collar voters is tied to his other liability, his newness on America?s political stage. Lower-income voters tend to be the least knowledgeable of ?the skinny kid with the funny name,? as Obama cheerfully introduced himself during his Senate campaign. In his presidential campaign, they have been the most likely to believe the false rumors that he is a Muslim, refuses to salute the flag, hangs out with radicals and doesn?t appreciate the values of people who work hard for a living.

False rumors? Isn?t that redundant? If a rumor is true, is it really a rumor? Oh, never mind. But is this really a list of ?false rumors?? Let?s start with the failure to salute the flag, from a rumor-tracing site:

Summary of the eRumor:
A picture of Senator Barack Obama (below), Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Senator Hillary Clinton, and one other person all on a platform and backed by an American flag.  The eRumor says that the National Anthem was being played at the time and that all but Senator Obama saluted.

The Truth:
The picture is authentic.  It was published in Time magazine and was taken 9/16/07 at an event in Indianola, Iowa where six Democratic presidential candidates appeared.  It was Iowa Senator Tom Harkin?s annual ?meat and greet.?   The fourth person in the picture is Senator Harkin?s wife, Ruth.  Not seen in the picture are three other candidates who were standing out of view on the right side of the platform, Senator Chris Dodd, Senator John Edwards, Senator Joe Biden. 

At question is what was going on with Senator Obama? His critics are circulating the picture and saying that he is not respecting the flag or the National Anthem, especially since the protocol, according to the United States Flag code, is that civilians should have their right hands over their hearts and that they should be facing the flag.  His supporters are saying that this little lapse should not be held against him since there have been plenty of other events at which he has saluted the flag---so it did not mean that he would, in principle, avoid doing it.

Some supporters have suggested that perhaps the picture does not tell the whole story and that he may have raised his hand shortly after it was taken. 

An ABC News video, however, shows that Senator Obama did not salute at any time during the Anthem and that everybody else on the platform did.
A spokesperson for the Senator told Fox News that it was ridiculous to suggest that Obama was making any kind of a statement and that sometimes ?he does and sometimes he doesn?t place his hand over his heart during the National Anthem.?

Moving on, what about ?hangs out with radicals?? Is Bill Ayers not a radical? Isn?t it fair to say that Obama has hung out with him, inasmuch as Ayers has hosted a fundraiser for him, they served on the board of a lefty foundation together, etc.?

As for the ?false rumor? that Obama ?doesn't appreciate the values of people who work hard for a living,? perhaps Page regards Obama?s ?bitter/cling? put-down as a form of appreciation.

Here?s another Page:

Obama?s awareness of that cultural gap probably explains why he?s taken to wearing his American flag lapel pin again. It may be a small thing to him intellectually, as he has said, but it does a lot to shatter some of the false Internet-fed impressions about him that have been allowed to grow and harden in some neighborhoods.

No doubt Obama?s deciding to wear a flag lapel pin, after he?s been denounced for a long time by many whose votes his needs, will reassure those voters that his earlier principled refusal to wear one was no big deal. That aside, I wonder if Page makes a distinction between ?false rumors? and ?false Internet-fed impressions.?

Page?s argument would be stronger if the ?false rumors? and ?false Internet-led impressions? that he offers really were false.

Full post as published by Discriminations on May 19, 2008 (boomark / email).