Conspiracy Theories: Insulating Yourself From Attack

How does one ensure that, regardless of outcome, your viewpoint remains “right”?  You make the proclaimation that the possibility of an opposing outcome would presuppose a “fix”.  This is standard practice for individuals whose righteous ends trump the actual search for truth.

I bring this topic up because the Supreme Court is preparing to have the final say in the Obama POTUS eligibilty issue.  The Court is set to hold a conference on the Donofrio case to determine whether or not is should be argued before the Court.

One of the leading proponents rallying in support of the Donofrio case has been the td blog, where the issue of dual citizenship violating the “natural born citizen” clause in Article II of the US Constitution originated.  The Supreme Court conference is the culmination of everything the td blog and similar anti-Obama opponents have been pushing for, in some form or another, for the past four months.

Why The Obama POTUS Question Has Not Gained Traction In The Media

A comment under my post PUMA Radio Program On KPFT Goes Awry link the blogcast radio show Political Pistachio in which the dominating topic was the Obama POTUS issue.  The radio show covered numerous topics that have become mainstream among particular blogs, and repeatedly posed the question – why is the media not reporting this?

The radio host and guests postulate that the primary reason is because it’s far too incineary a subject to present to the masses, creating a violent storm of protest among Obama supporters.  The more probable answer, however, they miss entirely, but that is not uncommon when you hold a radio show that involves people who exist within a closed circle of partisanship(and where the host calls the opposition “silly”).

Everyone will recall the controversy during the 2004 election affectionately called Rathergate, in which CBS anchor Dan Rather reported on 60 Minutes questioning President Bush’s military service and purported to have four authentic documents.  The documents were later proofen to be forgeries when examined by forensic experts.  Several top CBS news executives were forced to resign in the wake of the aftermath, and Dan Rather stepped down six months later, moving up his planned leave from CBS by a year.

PUMA Radio Program On KPFT Goes Awry

KPFT in Houston recently broadcast a one hour radio program hosted by “Jennifer”, a self proclaimed PUMA.  “Jennifer’s” special guest was none other then PUMA founder Darragh Murphy.  Ironically, the bulk of the show’s callers where not PUMA supporters, but rather callers who disagreed with “Jennifer” and Murphy.  And time after time, every caller who aired any disagreement were summarily dismissed or, worse, quickly interrupted.

It wasn’t a radio program in any respect.  Rather, it was a propoganda exercise on the part of PUMA and a poorly handled one.  “Jennifer” conducted a yelling match that just happened to be recorded.  PUMA’s and their ilk are quite adept at controlling one-sided “us-them” screaming matches.  Their only mistake was that, on this occassion, they choose to stage one in a radio studio.  Big mistake.

Defining The Election of President-Elect Barack Obama

In no small terms, the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States is indeed a historic moment in the history of the United States, in terms of our nation, after electing a Caucasian male to the office of President, ushering in an African-American into the highest office.  Numerous voters and pundits have painted the 2008 Presidential election to be unique in to such elections as Ronald Reagan in 1980 and John F. Kennedy in 1960, in so much as the election cycle was infused with a transcendental candidate.

I would argue that, while the 2008 election possessed uncommon qualities not typical of most Presidential elections, it was not the candidates themselves that created the interest in the 2008 election, but the national conditions that transformed this election into one perceived as important.

Atlas Shrugs Keeps On Truckin’

I have to credit Atlas Shrugs for their effort.  Their hate and scorn are unimaginably infinite, and they are endlessly determined to destroy that which they do not like.  There is no boundry they will not cross to achieve their goal whether it be ignorance, racism, or lies.  It’s the kind of hate that animosity that tears down all sense of ethical or moral behavoir.  One goal is to be achieved, and no cost is high enough for them to stop in their quest to destroy Barack Obama.

In their first post following the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, they attack the US Muslim group CAIR for congratulating Obama on his victory.  It all presumes that all Muslims are evil people who are not entitled to the same voice and rights in this country as other people.  Atlas Shrugs and it’s readers want to marginalize and, ultimately, reduce all Muslims in this country into powerless peasants.  It’s been evident for some time and this only reminds us that to Atlas Shrugs and it’s readers, “All Muslims are terrorists.”  They would have been better suited to have lived in the 11th century, so they could partake in the Crusades.

Read the comments section.  You’ll be truly disgusted.  I know I was.  There is nothing that Obama can ever do to quench the heinous spite they have for those living in and supporting their own country.  It was not with such appalling abhorrence that I wanted to make the first post on my blog concerning Obama’s victory.  This is just confirmation that the right wing nuts and PUMAS are going to continue their self-righteous war against Obama.  Expect to see flimsy court cases springing from claims of massive voter fraud and the conspiracy theory that Obama is not POTUS eligible.

Congratulations Barack Obama on your historic victory.  May I give you a proper hand shake tomorrow with a more uplifting post.

Live Blogging Election Night

1:26 EST: That lost steam.  Obama wins.

8:13 EST: NBC News is projecting Pennsylvania to be won by Obama.  PA was a huge battleground state where McCain spent a good portion of his campaign time and money into during the latter stages of the race, essentially putting his hopes in PA.  NBC has also called NH, IL, MA, CT, NJ, DC, and MD for Obama, while giving McCain OK, TN, and SC.  That puts the electoral votes at Obama: 103 McCain: 34.

7:43 EST: Fox News calls West Virginia for McCain.  Electoral votes: McCain 13.  Obama 3.  West Virginia went Republican in the last two elections, so no surprise there.

Redskins Lose; Obama Wins?

Since 1936 when the Washington Redskins were known as the Boston Braves, this franchise was been the predictor for the winner of the Presidential election.  Every time the Redskins won their last home game before a Presidential election, the incumbent party retained the White House, while a home lose was a predictor that the incumbent party would lose.

This streak kept up from 1936 till 2004 where the Redskins lost 28-14 to the Packers, but George W. Bush and the Republican party won a second term.  But for that one exception, the Washington Redskins seem to know something we don’t.  Last night, on Monday Night Football, the Redskins were routed by the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-6, and given the overwhelming historical evidence, can we say that Barack Obama will triumph at the polls today and unseat the incumbent Republican party and John McCain?  Sporting a 94.4% accuracy rate in 17 Presidential elections, the Redskins are hard to argue with.

(Note: Correlation is often mistaken for causation due to our tendency to “connect the dots” across history.  We need a narrative to understand the random, non-linear nature of our world, and one of the side effects is mistaking correlation for causation – in this case, more specifically, confusing coincidence for prognostication.)

How To Get Your Blog Hits

Every blogger struggles for readership.  Some bloggers, such as myself, can barely scratch together an audience period.  Well, I have some easy tips to help you and me that will start attracting people to your blog, and getting those all important hits.

1. Create blog.  There are numerous free hosting sites such as WordPress or Blogger.  Registration and user interface are both easy and intuitive.
2. Select a central theme that deals with a highly controversial subject.  A good one would be politics.
3. Pick a side in whatever controversial subject you choose to focus your blog around.  Just remember – never, under any circumstances wander over into the “other side”.
4. Ensure that all your posts appeal to the most rabid and irrational supporters of the side you’ve choosen.  The best way to do that is to always only present the evidence that supports your side even if that means only presenting half the evidence.  Always make your posts as viral as possible.  Omission is your best ally.
5. Under no circumstance should you allow evidence regardless of it’s substance or sound logic to infect your comment section.  The best way to deal with this is to either resort to insulting opposing viewpoints with generic, repetitive slander or, if necessary, heavily moderate your comment section and do not approve/delete comments that threaten the viral nature of your blog’s topic.
6. Finally, always promote your blog as the self-righteous truth.  Be sure to demean and condescend your opposition.  Your “truth” is best discovered through the negation of your opponent, not the validation of your belief.

With these six easy steps, you’ll be well on your way to owning a blog with plenty of readers and commentors to interact with.  Good blogging and good luck to you all!

Tom Donahoe on The Mort Report

I’ve listened to every Mort Report, the weekly football radio show hosted by ESPN’s Chris Mortenson, this NFL season, and in it he has a football pick ’em segment featuring former Buffalo Bills General Manager, Tom Donahoe.  Nine weeks into the NFL season, Mortenson and Donahoe have never picked a game that involved the Buffalo Bills.  Not even in Week 7 when the Bills played the San Diego Chargers which was a featured national game of the week.

Is Tom Donahoe so petty and vindictive that he steadfastly refuses to have to utter the words “the Buffalo Bills” in any public capacity?  Why is ESPN allowing it’s viewership to suffer because of one man’s insecurities?  I wonder if and when the Buffalo Bills make it into the playoffs this year, will Chris Mortenson sacrifice his journalistic integrity to cater to the whims of a selfish Donahoe and exclude the Bills from the pick ’em segment?  I have a suggestion for Mort – dump Donahoe.  His analysis during the pick ’em segment is so mundane, cliche, and elementary, you’d be better served replacing Donahoe.