I just watched the 3 video clips on dirty politics in SC that are in the

[napi21]

political videos here on DU. I'm a little bothered by some of the things that were pointed out in the videos.

The were talking about all the dirty and misleading stories that are delibertely circulated by opposing campaigns, and I know most of them were misleading, like the one about Obama attending a Madrassa and being a muslim. But they also mentioned a story about Rudy's wife Judy killing dogs and another story about Huckaby releasing a rapist who went on to rape and kill.

I've read the stories about Judy and Huck, and I believed them. Have I been duped? I'm now very concerned that all of us could fall for this BS if we see it on the right web site or said by someone we thing we can trust.

How can we really know what's the truth?

[sandnsea]

1. Huckabee did release a rapist

who went on to rape and kill. I don't know what your point is.

[Yael]

2. I just watched those as well.

The first one was especially interesting on what has been pulled down there.

[napi21]

3. Buckle of the bible belt indeed! My point is how do we KNOW

the story we were all told aobut Huck releasing the rapist because he was a distant cousin of the Clintons and he went on to rape and murder a woman a few months later? I'm getting paranoid! I can't believe anything the govt. says, I question what I hear on the TV, and I'm honestly not sure what I can believe of what I read or see on the web. In most of thee stories there's some truth, but how much is grossly exagerated, manipulated, or flat out lies?

[ellacott]

7. Huckabee has addressed this on TV

There might be a youtube link where he answered this. It is true.

[TheDebbieDee]

9. No, no, no.......

the rape victim was supposed to be a distant cousin of the Clintons, not the rapist himself.

[B Calm]

4. Huckleberry thought the rapist was okay, since he raped Clinton's cousin.

That is a fact!

[Yael]

14. B Calm, B Real

The man made a mistake. I am not a fan, but damn. Lets not make it up as we go along, ok?

[B Calm]

15. Google can be your friend...

[thunder rising]

5. That's why the blog exists ... no one entry is the Truth

it is all of it that substitutes for the beauty shop. It is all the facts and opinions that help form an informed vote. It's the same as standing on a street corner listening to all the conversations, except here we can provide links to proof or supportive articles that have not been debunked.

The first signs of a negative attack is that there are no links to support the thesis. The next is that they love to start out with how they are supporters of the attacked candidate (these are called "concern trolls"). From there you have to satisfy your own standard of comfort. Is is true, is it not, and what is the ramifications. If the allegation is true then what is the context of the event, and the facts that complete the story. Finally, does it cloud the candidate in your mind.

[Liz7]

6. you haven't been duped

Just pay attention to the wording. Huckabee pushed for the release of the rapist, was not solely responsible (still doesn't make it OK). Judy didn't kill dogs but worked for a company that did.

[tibbiit]

8. You make it sound a little more benign

Huckie let the rapist go because he believed the right wing spin about him getting harsh treatment and maybe even jail because the girl was a far removed cousin of clinton.

Judy was much more involved... she did presentations to doctors of anesthetics (I think, google it) on dogs... they died.
tib

[Liz7]

12. sorry, made my point poorly

I was just pointing out that Huckabee himself did not let the rapist go. He put pressure on the parole board and they let the rapist go. Which is not in any way to imply that it was OK. It was horrible.

I looked up the Judy story again and you are correct. What I initially read was that she didn't kill them; they were put to death afterward by others. But this says she did the demonstrations and the dogs either died during the demonstrations or were killed afterward because they couldn't recover (http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/2/112738/5344). (It was surgical instruments, by the way.)

I just meant to point out that the facts can be distorted without truly accurate phrasing (which happens all too often), which is a major factor in discerning "the truth."

[skipos]

10. Huckabee is the most pro-criminal and pro-rapist candidate ever. nt

[Yael]

11. Judi was a pharma rep who demostrated on dogs

she didn't kill them herself, but Ms. Giuliani III was most certainly involved.

Google is your freind on that.

[Liz7]

13. you are correct

I was misremembering what I had read.