Action Point with Cynthia Black 05-11-2008: The Reference Shelf

This week's article and item links:

• POLITICS: NATIONAL: CAMPAIGN 2008: Did Rush Limbaugh Tilt Result In Indiana? Truly unfunny may be the interference Rush Limbaugh's Operation Chaos may be wreaking on primary outcomes in the Democratic race. Many people have asked if said interference is legal, and SO FAR it appears to be...but that is just so far.

• FUN, SNARKY, WEIRD AND COOL: HE'S A NAZI: This has been around a while but in case you missed it the first time and since we'll be on the topic of Rush (jeez, what the hell kind of name is Rush, anyway?) we may as well ensure you have this fabulous and well-made send-up of the Commando of Cheeks himself. And, from the creator of The Daily Show...this well-deserved humor break: Shoot the Messenger.

• COMMUNICATIONS: MEDIA: Where did the Web rumors about Obama come from? McClatchy operates as the last bastion of repectable journalism in America. Privately owned too-- imagine that. In this article they give us some facts toward needed rumor-mongering “push back", but that still requires more information. Pushing back on the Obama misinformation is easy when you have most of the facts. The collection of info on whether Obama puts his Hand Over Heart during the Star Spangled Banner from Snopes is a start. By the way, I haven't said the pledge, let alone put my Hand Over Heart for ANY reason since the day Ohio National Guard killed 4 Ohio State University students, but that's just me. Oh, AND from Media Matters comes this too...Dick Morris: Election hinges on whether "we believe" Obama is "sort of a sleeper agent who really doesn't believe in our system."

• MUST READ: Acknowledging the Race Chasm: From David Sirota: When it comes to race, American politics is as polarized as a red and blue election map. On one side are those who try to distract from the issue; on the other side are those who work to sensationalize it. As this campaign season shows, what unifies both is bigotry.

VIDEO: Obama Reverend's So-Called "Hate Speech" and the Propaganda Campaign Behind It!

Since ABC television's release of selected "hate" language from Obama's long-time Pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the permutations of it into a hypnotic loop has been fast and targeted and is an excellent example of how ABC, Fox and talkers from Limbaugh to Savage are working in concert to trigger the "angry black man" frame in the minds of Americans.

Even if one does not hear the loops, angry coast-to-coast rebroadcasts bits of it create another endless loop of questions, arguments, concern and accusations-- all likely to result in one thing-- people will just get sick of hearing about it.

Eventually, just the sound of Barack Obama's voice regardless of what he is saying will trigger an uncomfortable sense in any listener and I believe it is creating a dislike for Obama --uneasy memories of the voices on those clips or just a subtle unidentifiable discomfort-- that is the real aim of the strategy behind this campaign. Why? Well, people vote from their feelings don't they? Many deciding at the last minute in the voting booth?

Wouldn't it be useful for Republican strategists if an ingrained 90's era Clinton "bad feeling" button paired with this current attack on Obama helped the undecided vote at the last minute for McCain, who they may not like intellectually but about whom, they at least don't "feel" uneasy? (for more on how techniques to create this effect are manufactured and work in elections see Thom Hartmann's book Cracking the Code, Chapter 5, "How Feelings Are Anchored").

Examine the following; the audio loop being played in part or whole on Hannity's daily radio show:




Now, listen to the "chickens coming home to roost" comment from a section 9 minutes long and apparently from a sermon September 17th 2001-- 6 days after 9/11.





This next clip contains the snippet "God damn America" (near the end) from a sermon on the changing nature of governments that contemptuously act as God and what they can expect.




In context, those bits and pieces of angry rhetoric blend into REASONED AND WHOLE OPINIONS, with logical connections to how faith and God interplay with society. And regardless of how YOU feel about the content of the sermons, you do NOT hear Barack Obama's voice, have any reason to picture him or have any reason to feel you don't like him. But going back to loop one, embedded in your mind?

Oh yes you do, oh yes you do.

Action Point with Cynthia Black 10-28-2007: The Reference Shelf

Today's article and item links:

• Beyond MOVEON: First: MoveOn.org Didn't Invent BetrayUs- The Troops Did! Then, Moveon created: Americans for Exit. THEN, Limbaugh got busted with his "Soldiers who don't go to Iraq to die are 'phony' faux paux. Also, Michelle Malkin took a shot at MoveOn.org with "Sue me"! LAST WEEK, we're back to "[W]e're going to find out where your kids go to school" Limbaugh! AND TODAY? Rush sells his Congressional letter of condemnation to a millionaire using 501-c3 trust funds claiming it's a " free-speech" document!! Cronyism all-'round Rush-- you show 'em all how!!!
  

• From the Mukasey File: FIRST, Crony for the next Republican President? The religious right hates him but Giuliani loves him. AND NOW he's running into trouble: Senators clash with nominee about torture.
  

• MUST READ: Endorsing Irresponsible Journalism: another excellent piece from David Sirota:

  "Barely anyone reports when paid Washington lobbyists pose as statesmen to stealthily shill for their corporate clients, because that's just what happens day-to-day in D.C. Similarly, we see the Dean of Serious Washington Journalists mentioning the irresponsible choices of his fellowreporters, but mentioning it in a way that actually praises onecandidate as "exquisite" for exploiting that irresponsibility -rather than railing on the irresponsibility within his own industry."
  

• Framing the Debate --The "Islamofascism" PR Assault on America: "Islamofashion" from Jeffrey Feldman

• From the "I Think I'm Gonna Scream Now" File:Secretary of "Ferragamo" Rice Unfazed By Bloody Hands: Can't you just hear Condi's internal thoughts now? "Oh please, I've shed more blood over a girl-on-girl breakfast. Get a gag and then we'll talk". Here's the YouTube of Medea Benjamin arrest speech.

• Update to The Andrew Meyers File: Disturbing video remix "Baby Don't Taze Me"; OCALA.COM ain't nothing. Now use of tazer found "justified!