Fox News Trumpets Rick Perry's "Dog Whistle" Accusing Obama Of Waging "War On Religion"
Fox News is amplifying a Rick Perry attack ad claiming that President Obama has launched a "war on religion" -- a claim that Politico has called "one of the most audible dog whistles so far this cycle about President Obama."
Perry Ad Accusing Obama Of Waging "War On Religion" Called A "Dog Whistle"
Politico: Perry Ad Has "One Of The Most Audible Dog Whistles So Far This Election Cycle About President Obama." In an article headlined, "Rick Perry TV ad hits gays, President Obama 'war on religion,' " Politico reported:
Rick Perry's latest spot in his Iowa ad buy rotation is another faith-based appeal, but one that is openly critical of gay rights and that has one of the most audible dog whistles so far this cycle about President Obama.
In the spot, entitled "Strong," Perry says, "I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a Christian, but you don't need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school. As president, I'll end Obama's war on religion. And I'll fight against liberal attacks on our religious heritage. Faith made America strong. It can make her strong again."
The hit on gay rights has become a staple of Perry's faith pitch, after getting a hard push yesterday, but the comment about Obama's "war on religion" will rather easily be read as trying underscore the perception among some voters of the president as "different," and a reminder of the false assertions that the Christian chief executive is really a Muslim. [Politico, 12/7/11]
Fox Helped Amplify Perry's "Dog Whistle"
Bill O'Reilly: Perry "Hail Mary" Was "A Smart Move." Bill O'Relly claimed that Perry was "turning to his Christianity" with the ad, calling the ad "emotional" and "a Hail Marry pass." O'Reilly concluded that running the ad was "a smart move." [Fox News, The O'Reilly Factor, 12/8/11, via Nexis]
Fox's Hemmer: "Some Would Say" Perry's Ad Is "Powerful." During an interview with Perry on America's Newsroom, host Bill Hemmer said: "You're on the air already with a, some would say, a powerful ad that goes toward what you consider liberal attacks on religion in America." [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 12/8/11]
Tucker Carlson: The Obama Administration Hates "Traditional Christianity." During a panel discussion reacting to Perry's ad on Hannity, Daily Caller editor Tucker Carlson said, "That ad's not right. There's not a war on -- they don't hate religion. They hate traditional Christianity." [Fox News, Hannity, 12/7/11]
Fox's Eric Bolling: Perry Ad "Really Hits Home." On The Five, co-host Eric Bolling said of Perry: "He's going after Obama's war on religion. It's provocative, so we're going to talk about it." Later in the segment, Bolling praised the ad again, calling it "very effective." He added: "This ad really hits home." [Fox News, The Five, 12/7/11, via Nexis]
Fox's Todd Starnes Used Perry Ad To Accuse Obama White House Of Routinely "Attacking The Christian Faith." Fox News' Todd Starnes claimed that in his ad, Perry "decided to address the big elephant in the pew as we head into 2012 -- the Obama administration's relationship with religion -- specifically Christianity." Starnes opined:
The evidence of his White House attacking the Christian faith, however, is plentiful. [FoxNews.com, 12/8/11]
FLASHBACK: Christian Leaders Condemn Attacks On Obama's Faith
Christian Leaders: "The Personal Faith Of Our Leaders Should Not Be Up For Public Debate." In an August 2010 letter, more than 70 Christian leaders "called on the media, public officials, and their fellow Christians to stand with them in opposing those who continue to insinuate that the President is a Muslim, not a Christian." The signatories to the letter wrote:
As Christian leaders -- whose primary responsibility is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with our congregations, our communities, and our world -- we are deeply troubled by the recent questioning of President Obama's faith. We understand that these are contentious times, but the personal faith of our leaders should not be up for public debate.
President Obama has been unwavering in confessing Christ as Lord and has spoken often about the importance of his Christian faith. Many of the signees on this letter have prayed and worshipped with this President. We believe that questioning, and especially misrepresenting, the faith of a confessing believer goes too far. [Open Letter From National Church Leaders, 8/25/10, via Eleison Group]
This ad was offensive to any professing Christian.
It looked like a breakthrough, until that last line, when he had make reality fit into his little box by using "victicrat" to describe a Republican martyr. So close.
I don't think so. From what I've seen in the last few months, I think Perry is rather honest. He announces what he wants to destroy in America and he when he doesn't know something, it's obvious, he can't fake his way out of anything.
mighty impressed with self i'd say
I have had way more then enough of these fake Christian conservative bigots.
I'd ask if you'd like to trade your Good Hair gov for our Wide Load guy, but I'd prefer we send both packing.
Glad you guys got some rain . . . it's horrible here. We've gotten a bit of rain (and a couple inches of snow!) in the past few months, but after our record heat of the summer, we can't catch up.
there are far too many "professing Christians"
what happened to the brand of Christian that actually practices the teachings of Christ and that doesn't just pay lip service for cynical political means?
They've mostly abandoned the Religious Right, which is neither spiritual nor correct in most of their stances. There are indeed a few of us out here, armendale, and I suspect we're the majority, but we don't have the benefit of a 24 hour propaganda network shouting our point of view every day.
Damn that editorial board member.
"Monty Cristo. No, that ain't it"
"Selena. Ummm, no. She dayd."
"Mrs. Ricky Ricardo. Nope. But I'm gettin' there."
"JLo. Ah lahks hur. She purdy."
Etc.
Given the choice between the "War on Religion" that Obama is supposedly (though sadly NOT) waging and the War on Homosexuality, War on Equality, War on Freedom and War on the Constitution that Perry IS waging?
I'll pick Obama's "war" EVERY SINGLE TIME. After all, that's the one that DOES NO HARM.
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IMHO
UTOPIA
...Wait, that wasn't funny. That was really really depressing. For a lot of reasons.
I made myself sad with my joke. :(
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Teh awesome.
Hey Newt, hey Mitt: What's your take on Rick Perry's position regarding gays serving openly in defense of America?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hey, how come all the "opinion" personalities agree with each other all the time?
(sorry just could not resist ;p )
The Nazi holocaust during WWII
Rick Perry is a loser
Then I suppose we should move to the polls and voting on said ad which seem to strongly indicate that pRick Prayerry managed to insult just about everyone who isn't a rabid fundy. I'm a heterosexual atheist and I found it almost as offensive as it is stupid.
Claiming that students can't pray or celebrate Christmas is an absurd lie.
Where in Hell does he get the idea for a "war on religion"? It's another absurd lie if Prayerry, as he clearly indicates, is speaking of Christianity. If President Obama is fighting a "war on religion" it's limited to Islam. One would think that would make freaks like Prayerry happy but, then again, he's a moron.
I misunderstood the headline, before reading the article. I thought it was going to be about Fox finally recognizing a dog whistle.
I've been watching the past few years, as Fox, wingnut radio, and their obedient followers have denied any racism from the teabaggers, feigned outrage at "The race card", accused others of reading to much into words like "man child", "thug", "uppity", etc. ( all while completely ignoring the most blatant racism in mass righty emails), and I mistakenly thought that finally someone had been dumb enough that even Fox got it.
My mistake, once again I screw up by thinking that Fox has some point at which they're embarrassed to be so stupid.
So what about other things that people might oppose, like legally questionable wars, for instance? Or tax breaks for corporations? Essentially everything gets slammed by some group of people or another, so if the idea is that it's wrong to pass something some people don't like, nothing would ever even get on the table.
But of course, it's just "Christians" in question here. They must have special rights, having veto power over the rest of society like that.
However, public schools simply can't SPONSOR religious prayer. Nor should they.
These jokers always want to make believe that liberals don't want kids to pray in school. Hey, if they want to pray, go ahead. As long as it isn't organized BY THE SCHOOL. That's the biggest point they fail to realize. I'm pretty darn sure that if a group of kids wanted to set up a group, there is nothing the school could, or SHOULD do about it.
Someone here mentioned the late, great Molly Ivins and that always reminds me of hairdresser extraordinary and political maven,
Juanita Jean HerOwnSelf aka Susan DuQuesnay Bankston, down in Richmond, Texas.
So Rick dons the jacket Jake Gyllenhaal wore in Brokeback Mountain and bashes gays and attacks Obama on camera.
Genius I tells ya. Genius!
How odd. The whackjobs claim that evidence of Obama attacking the Christian faith is "plentiful", but fail to provide a single example.
I wish I were a pundit, so that I could get away with saying:
"The evidence of the GOP trying to screw America, however, is plentiful." (Unlike the right wing nuts, I could actually provide plenty of examples to support my claim).
Religion is just making our country look foolish.