Should the left use exaggergation, emotional agitation, spreading of rumors and

[Freeper]

howard112211  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Fri Apr-22-11 07:30 PM
Original message
Should the left use exaggergation, emotional agitation, spreading of rumors and falsehoods
   
like the right wing does?

I am kind of torn on this issue. Part of me says that the liberals should strive to always take the high road. But looking at the political landscape in the USA, it sometimes seems to me that such idealism is out of place. As the old quote, attributed to Mark Twain goes "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

We have witnessed elections being decided by things such as the John Kerry Swiftboating. And today the Republican voters in large numbers actually believe Obama was born in Kenya.

Is it possible that pushing lies "backfires in the long run"? Maybe. But it is also possible that ten years from now no one will even remember or even care how a certain goal was reached.

There is also a part of me that says "who gives a **** if the baby was actually Sarah's. Let's keep spreading that it wasn't". One thing at least is for certain: The right wingers are gonna cry and play the victim any g** d*** way, and whine that "both sides do it", next time they make up some racist conspiracy theory. Part of me says, might as well give them something to cry about.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x943453

Ok DUmmy tell me which one of those methods that the left currently does not use?

exaggeration: If the govt shuts down the world will end.
emotional agitation: I will give you the benefit of a doubt and assume that you never attended an anti war rally, or heard a Mikey Moore speech.
spreading of rumors and falsehoods: Rush flies out of the country to molest little boys, I heard that somewhere and it wasn't from the right.

arcane1  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Fri Apr-22-11 07:33 PM
Response to Original message
2. No.
   
I'd be happy if more of them would just speak the plain truth, and more importantly: call out the lies for what they are!!

We get called racists when we point out Obama's lies.

readmoreoften  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Fri Apr-22-11 07:35 PM
Response to Original message
3. What would we have to lie or exaggerate about?
   
They've ****ed shit up so bad that there's no real need for that.

Liberals have to lie in order to get voted in office.
If Obama didn't lie and say hope n change and how he was going to stop the seas from rising, he would have never won.
If he would have ran on govt takeovers of healthcare as your premiums go up, high unemployment, and $5 a gallon gas, he would still be in the Senate.

silverweb  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Fri Apr-22-11 07:37 PM
Response to Original message
4. Absolutely not!
   
The truth is on our side. One of the best weapons we have against the RW is being able to point out their lies and hypocrisy. We can't accuse them and be like them at the same time.

We'd lose all credibility if we started using their dishonest tactics and we'd deserve to. Not only that, but we should immediately disassociate ourselves from anyone of our number who proves to be using RW tactics of disinformation, false rumors, and lies.

 

W_HAMILTON  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Fri Apr-22-11 07:41 PM
Response to Original message
7. As you say, the left is going to get accused of it regardless...
   
...so, why not fight back?

I will make you a deal, if the left quits lying and so forth I won't point it out anymore.

[Ballygrl]

Should the left use exaggergation, emotional agitation, spreading of rumors and falsehoods

Umm, regressives always do that.

[Randy]

Umm, regressives always do that.

They've been doing it as long as I can remember and I've been around for a week or 2. 

[Vagabond]

Mike Adams recently spoke at UNH.  After his speech, one "young woman" asked him why he thought it was okay for husbands to beat their wives.  Another "young woman" asked him why he thought that straights should assault gays with baseball bats.  He promptly told each of them that they should be emberassed to have asked such non-sensical questions.  After that a young man repeatedly told Mr. Adams that he felt that Mr. Adams had been too hard on the poor stupid "young women". 

Take away the lies, exaggerations, character assasinations, and appeals to base emotions and the entire democrat campaign marketing strategy collapses.

Really.  Does anyone think ole Searchlight actually sends his wife and daughter to Planned Parenthood for breast exams and PAP smears?