Dennis Baxley, the executive director of the Christian Coalition of Florida, told the Miami Herald yesterday that he was "suspect" of Sen. Barack Obama's (D-IL) "Muslim roots and training," calling them "scary": "He's pretty scary to us," he said. "I think his Muslim roots and training -- while they try to minimize it -- it's there." [...] "I can't speak for anyone else but I'm probably typical of all of the people who are suspect of those Muslim roots. We all know what early intervention with children is all about, and I am really wondering what the influence was on him from his father's background and being in a Muslim country.".... Baxley said he was "particularly" concerned about Obama's heritage given the "active movement by radical Muslims to occupy us." Note to Baxley: Obama "has never been a Muslim, was not raised as a Muslim, and is a committed Christian."
Please forgive me if this sounds "elitist" or "intolerant", but how (&^%$#@ stupid does one have to be in order to truly and honestly believe that Barack Obama is not only a Muslim, but also a radical Fundamentalist sworn to destroy this country? If you are truly and honestly stupid enough to unquestioningly swallow this line of baseless, patently untrue propaganda, I'm sorry, but in my mind you've just forfeited your right to participate in an informed and rational debate concerning the future of this country.
Dennis Baxley is just the latest example of the fools and propagandists willing to conduct a concerted smear campaign designed to engender fear in what some political analysts refer to as "low information voters" (most of us just call them what they are- "stupid voters"). It's not about an informed debate, it's not about the issues, it's not even about what's best for the country. No, it's about scaring the ignorant, the ill-informed, and the easily manipulated into voting based on fear- the fear of change, the fear of the unknown, the fear of what they don't understand, and, worst of all, the fear of skin color.
The accusation the Obama is and was raised a Muslim (and really, what is so wrong with that?) barely even warrants being dignified with a response. There is nothing in Obama's history or his career that proves him to be anything except what he has claimed to be all along: a Christian and a committed public servant who loves his country. Obama is no more a secret radical Islamist than I am the secret Queen of England.
The sad truth about this line of propaganda is that it works. All you need to do is look at the sorry excuse for a human being currently in the White House to understand this truth. John McCain and Sarah Palin could very well win this election, and if they do, it will be in large part because of the lies, the character assassination, and the smear campaigns conducted by people like Dennis Baxley who care nothing for the truth or for the future of this country.
Perhaps the saddest aspect of this sorry scenario is that there are large numbers of "low information stupid voters" susceptible to and willing to swallow the worst sort of egregious lies and propaganda. In the end, it's all about playing to the lowest common denominator...and no one lives on the bottom better and more effectively than Republicans. Hey, it's sure as Hell easier than focusing on issues.
WE DESERVE BETTER.
