People who begin with the premise that the Democrats must be wrong find inexplicable the electorate's apparent embrace of the Democratic message on healthcare, the economy, the war(s), social security, and energy security.
Comes now one “Dr. William D. Horton” (with an assist from Dr. Rush Limbaugh) to explain this seeming contradiction between what they take to be the natural order and the consensual reality we seem to inhabit.
Can you guess what they say explains Barack Obama's national appeal?
No, it's not the substance — that's ruled out by hypothesis. It's….wait for it…..hypnosis.
Yes, in this demented worldview, the US of A is being subjected to nearly diabolical mind control as the soothing slow voice of Barack Obama gently eases the viewing public to surrender its reason and its freedom via the application of neurolinguistic programming. It's so controlling, so clever, so soothing, that it's JUST LIKE HITLER. (As Dave Barry says, I am not making this up. The video being circulated by these guys culminates with footage of Hitler and jackboots.) The only way to survive is DON'T LISTEN TO HIM.
I know all this because I'm on some weird mailing list I didn't ask to be on in which something called “special guests” writes me all the time and offers me guests, one loonier than the next, for the talk show I don't happen to have. But today's email promoting Dr. Will B. Horton (wasn't he a character in Kudzu?) must surely take the cake.
Links to a nutty article and crazier video for those strong of stomach.
Less than a week to go. Expect even more stuff to crawl up out of the woodwork.
Can’t tell if you missed it or not, but William Horton -> Willie Horton.
Anyway, my mother is Canadian and living in the US. She can’t vote but she’s a big Obama supporter so she’s been helping out the campaign where she can in the swing state in which she lives. She’s apparently talked with several older Jewish voters (and we’re Jewish, ourselves) who have told her that Obama’s oratorical abilities and the crowd response to that talent remind them of Hitler so they won’t vote for him. On the other hand some fundamentalist Christian conservatives she knows out there have already cast early votes for Obama because of concerns about the economy. And for that matter, my youngest sister is basically apolitical but she did the arithmetic on McCain’s healthcare proposal and went out and got an Obama yard sign. It looks to me like some surprise swing voters will more than offset the people who worry about another Hitler.
BTW, I don’t know if you keep up with Adam Shostack but if you haven’t seen it you might enjoy this: http://www.emergentchaos.com/archives/2008/10/emergent_chaos_for_mccain.html
Look at Dr. Horton’s creds…he’s like Sanjay Gupta for paranormalist shut-ins. And he’s a professor. Check out his home study course.
http://www.nfnlp.com/
The “source” for the video is the “Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc”, which is apparently operated out of a PO box in Tucson, Arizona. The head is an MD, one Dr. Jane Orient, who is listed as “Professor of Medicine” at the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, an organization largely dedicated to “debunking” climate change.
Horton hears a who.
Got here through a link chain, but:
The Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine! Never expected to see them pop up in relation to electoral politics. I work at an alternative energy research lab, and we got something from them a while ago–we looked into them and they’re basically some anti-logic nuts working out of an aluminum shed in Oregon trying to prove that global climate change is some kind of myth (along with a bunch of other completely bogus energy-related “research”).
Funded by some surprisingly powerful guys, though you wouldn’t know it by their bargain-basement website.
ah, yes, the American Academy of Physicians and Surgeons- publishing the one Major! Peer-Reviewed! Journal! (!!!!) to denounce global warming.
They have evidently repurposed themselves to multivariate wingnuttery.
While hypnotic powers are dubious, there can be no doubt that a significant portion of the populous is mesmerized by Obama’s rhetorical skills. While some approve of the substance of his speeches, many are simply drawn to his charismatic aura and nothing else.
This is not the sign of a healthy democracy. The President is the Chief Executive, whose primary function is to manage the Executive branch. By my reading of the Constitution, his role is not to inspire or mold people’s thoughts. That is the role of others in society, and more importantly of citizens themselves. Even the most ardent Obama supporter should take pause. Are we electing a President, or King? Of course, it has always been true that ballots are cast based on candidates’ race, looks, and last names alone. But should a healthy democracy not be moving slowly towards more substantive measures of candidates?
As far as “unhinged”…I find it equally ridiculous that some on the left suggest that Florida’s Governor extended early voting hours to help McCain. The impact of extended voting hours on a particular candidate could be argued both ways. But more importantly, PEOPLE IN FLORIDA ARE WAITING 2+ HOURS IN LINE TO VOTE. For an educated person to say that the Governor acted in a partisan manner when he extended voting hours suggests that the theorist’s bias has overcome his reason.
For an educated person to say that the Governor acted in a partisan manner when he extended voting hours suggests that the theorist’s bias has overcome his reason.
Some of us remember our history. Charlie Crist had a long history before he became governor and “political” ain’t the half of it. (He’s tried to suggest he’s post-partisan since, but his judicial appointments suggest otherwise.)