FUD You!

Fear , uncertainty and doubt are powerful tools when used by the unscrupulous. Fear can motivate one to hand over civil rights in a vain attempt to feel safe again. Uncertainty can be used to maintain a status quo that may be partially non-functional but preferable to what might come with change. And doubt is very powerful because it undermines the credibility of the target which makes it harder for them even defend themselves against the accusations.

There are people who live by the wanton use of FUD. There are media outlets that live, die and cry by FUD.

Jackass Liar Gets Blognation Comeuppance

Bloggers Get Obama Accuser Hauled Off in Handcuffs from the National Press Club where he was slandering Obama with unsubstantiated lies in an attempt to smear him.

The only trouble is that Larry Sinclair was wanted on some outstanding warrants. Oops.

Sinclair was the subject of a petition campaign to prevent his addressing the National Press Club with his complete fabrications dressed as fact about sex and drug use with Barack Obama. Allegations he could not substantiate and further failed a lie detector test about.

But that didn't stop the NPC from giving him a podium and an audience.

Which basically says that the National Press Club is uninterested in actual news, they just want the sizzle. The sizzle, in this instance, is their credibility burning up. As it should be. Giving exposure to such an obvious charlatan defies logic or any semblance of integrity.

Sinclair is a lone swift boater trying to knock Obama down. In a few months, his attempt will seem almost quaint when the GOP hate machine has spun up to full speed anger spewage (ding, ding, ding, we have a new word of the day alert!).

In No-You're-A-Doodyhead News

NPR: Cunningham Renounces McCain After "Hussein" Flap which was after McCain renounced Cunningham for his warm up the crowd rhetoric that was more like cheap shot rhetoric.

McCain also recently tried to retract a statement that his campaign would succeed or fail based on Iraq. And then he realized that it was a really stupid thing to say so he publicly said he no longer wants that statement applied to him.

Which is fine, the more he looks like a confused and jowly deer in the headlights, the better. I'm starting to think McCain is getting his chance now because his party has made such a colossal mess of things on every front that he's got little chance of winning or repairing the damage they've done.

Why would I not vote for John McCain? There are plenty of reasons but I can distill it down to just a couple. One, he is strongly pro-life and would seek to overturn Roe v. Wade. Two, he's pandered to just about every special interest group he possibly can and owes more favors than a hooker with a gambling problem. Three, he's old and looks it. His person is not presidential, its more crony-ential.

Which isn't to say that I don't have some modicum of respect for the man. He is, after all is said and done, a war hero and a POW and I will never deny him that respect. But it doesn't mean I want his crazy ass making decisions in how to run the country.