As the means of communication have evolved, presidential campaigns have grown increasingly multifaceted, with each election featuring layers of complexity that were not present four years before. The most striking feature of the 2008 election may be the sheer volume and variation of the attacks being directed at Sen. Barack Obama. Though they come from many sources, arrive through a variety of media, and cover a wide range of subjects, a close examination reveals a unified thematic structure to these attacks.

As has been extensively documented, many of the criticisms Obama has faced are based on outright falsehoods. The truth is that he is a Christian, not a Muslim; he was born in the United States; he doesn't refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance; he wasn't endorsed by Fidel Castro; and so on. Other attacks are outrageous distortions with a kernel of truth at their core.

The diagram below shows how the seemingly disconnected attacks on Obama all drive in a similar direction. Each begins with some aspect of Obama's history, family, personal characteristics, or beliefs. The attack then moves to one of three broad themes: that Obama is a Muslim or somehow foreign; that he represents a black radicalism more at home in the 1960s than today; or that he is a liberal elitist with a radical, even socialist agenda.

Some of the attacks touch on two or even all three of these themes, which is why they are represented in a Venn diagram. But all the attacks ultimately point to the conclusion that Obama is "not one of us," as the expression goes -- not Christian, not white, not mainstream, not even American.

Just as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth unleashed on the public a dossier of lies about John Kerry in 2004, this new campaign is on a mission to spread misinformation about a presidential candidate. We call it "Swiftboating 2.0" not only because it is the latest model of a political smear campaign, but also because it shares features of "Web 2.0" sites like Facebook and MySpace: significant portions of the content are generated by ordinary people and are spread from peer to peer. Swiftboating 2.0 combines these new information pathways with traditional media -- books from conservative publishers, right-wing radio, and conservative pundits and strategists on television -- to spread the smears as widely as possible and force them into the mainstream media.

To understand the attacks on Obama, one must acknowledge that they operate together, as one coherent, thematically unified campaign: Swiftboating 2.0.

Graphic updated on October 13, 2008

Attack: Michelle Obama is an "angry black woman." The Facts: Michelle Obama is a strong advocate for her husband, but there is no evidence that she is "angry." The Echo Chamber: Fox News Channel, National Review, Michelle Malkin, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (p. 233) Origin & Evolution: In a February 18 speech, Michelle Obama told a crowd in Wisconsin, "What we've learned over this year is that hope is making a comeback. ... And let me tell you something -- for the first time in my adult lifetime, I'm really proud of my country. And not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change. And I have been desperate to see our country moving in that direction and just not feeling so alone in my frustration and disappointment. I've seen people who are hungry to be unified around some basic, common issues, and it's made me proud." Conservatives seized upon her comments. On May 5, the National Review published an online article about Michelle Obama headlined "America's Unhappiest Millionaire"; two weeks earlier, it put Michelle Obama on the cover of the magazine with the headline "Mrs. Grievance." On May 7, blogger and syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin wrote a column calling her Barack Obama's "bitter half." During a panel discussion on the June 14 edition of Fox News Watch, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas said, "In this campaign, we are being asked to accept three things simultaneously, the first woman with a credible chance of being president, the first African-American with the chance of being president and, whoever Michelle Obama is going to be styled, the angry black woman, first lady?" Nearly seven months after her February comments, some media figures continue to repeat the charge. On the September 16 edition of The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly said, "Now, I have a lot of people who call me on the radio and say she looks angry. And I have to say there's some validity to that. She looks like an angry woman." O'Reilly later added, "The perception is that she's angry in some quarters." Permalink

Attack: The "Black Value System" promulgated by Trinity United Church of Christ proves that the church is "separatist" and shows that Obama is a divisive candidate out of the mainstream of American life. The Facts: Trinity United Church of Christ promotes a "Black Value System," whose tenets include "Commitment to God," "Commitment to the Black Community," "Commitment to the Black Family," and "Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect." But contrary to the assertion that Trinity is "separatist," Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity said on the March 1 edition of Hannity & Colmes, "The African-centered point of view does not assume superiority, nor does it assume separatism. It assumes Africans speaking for themselves as subjects in history, not objects in history." Far from shunning non-blacks, Trinity welcomes worshippers of all races, as Martin E. Marty of the University of Chicago Divinity School wrote: "My wife and I on occasion attend, and, like all other non-blacks, are enthusiastically welcomed." Addressing criticism from conservatives, Obama said, "Commitment to God, black community, commitment to the black family, the black work ethic, self-discipline and self-respect. ... Those are values that the conservative movement in particular has suggested are necessary for black advancement." The Echo Chamber: chain emails, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, right-wing news sites, right-wing blogs, Investor's Business Daily, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (pp. 177-178), The Case Against Barack Obama by David Freddoso (p. 158) Origin & Evolution: A February 6, 2007, article in the Chicago Tribune discussing the Black Value System and the mission of Trinity United Church of Christ sparked a firestorm of criticism from conservatives. On the February 7 edition of MSNBC's Tucker, host Tucker Carlson claimed that Trinity "sounds separatist to me" and "contradicts the basic tenets of Christianity." On the February 28 edition of Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, guest Erik Rush of the right-wing news site WorldNetDaily called the Black Value System a "scary doctrine" and compared Trinity to a "cult." For the next several months, co-host Sean Hannity asserted numerous times that Trinity advocated a separatist ideology. Permalink

Attack: The undergraduate thesis written by Michelle Obama at Princeton University reveals a divisive, even separatist, outlook on race. The Facts: Michelle Obama's thesis was based on a survey of African-American alumni of Princeton who attended the university during the 1970s. Obama was purporting to document attitudes among black Princeton alumni who attended the school in the '70s and not asserting her own views. Lines from the thesis that allegedly express her divisive views on race are either completely fabricated or taken out of context. The Echo Chamber: chain emails, Fox News Channel, National Review, right-wing blogs, Slate.com, The Star-Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, The Boston Globe, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (pp. 232-233) Origin & Evolution: Although several news outlets had written about or mentioned Michelle Obama's thesis in 2007, right-wing speculation over the thesis began after it was revealed that the thesis would be "temporarily unavailable" until November 5 at the Princeton University library. However, the Obama campaign gave the Politico a copy of the thesis upon request. After its release, critics seized upon the contents of the thesis as evidence that Michelle Obama harbored separatist views on race. Conservative Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity returned to the subject repeatedly, alleging that the thesis revealed a divisive outlook on race. In fact, the line Hannity quoted was Obama's description of the attitudes of black Princeton alumni who attended the school in the '70s, not her own views. A chain email purporting to contain excerpts of her thesis also began circulating in the spring of 2008. The email falsely claimed that Obama had written that America was founded on "crime and hatred" and that whites were "ineradicably racist." None of those phrases appear in her thesis. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama is closely involved in Kenyan politics in support of his cousin, opposition leader Raila Odinga, with whom he speaks daily. He has given almost $1 million to Odinga's campaign. Obama's support for Odinga against Kenyan President Mwai Kbaki has helped fuel postelection violence in Kenya. The Facts: Obama is not related to Odinga, nor has he given money to Odinga's campaign. According to Kenya experts, Odinga's claim that he is related to Obama is false and was made "to give himself more legitimacy." Obama spoke "for about five minutes" with Odinga in January 2008 in an effort to end postelection violence in Kenya, but there is no evidence that they speak regularly. The nonpartisan fact-check website PolitiFact.com spoke with the original authors of the chain email that made the allegation, Celeste and Loren Davis, who produced documents supposedly supporting their claims of Obama's contributions to Odinga. However, PolitiFact consulted with experts and found that the documents were fraudulent. The Echo Chamber: chain emails, The New York Sun, Investor's Business Daily, No Quarter blog, right-wing blogs, Newsmax, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (p. 93) Origin & Evolution: In early 2008, a chain email began to circulate alleging Obama's ties to Odinga. In addition to the claims about Obama's relationship to Odinga and contributions to his campaign, it also made other false claims about Obama's identity ("Obama IS a muslim and he IS a racist") that had appeared in other similar chain emails. Blogger Larry Johnson also highlighted the alleged familial ties between Obama and Odinga. Some of the allegations against Obama were repeated in more mainstream outlets. A January 10 column in the conservative New York Sun newspaper passed on the smears and called for closer scrutiny of Obama's "Kenya connection." The falsehoods about Obama's connections to Kenya have also spread on right-wing blogs and news sites. Permalink

Attack: As a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, which espouses a "non-negotiable commitment to Africa," Barack Obama maintains an allegiance to Africa over the U.S. The Facts: Trinity's website lists a "10-point Vision" calling for its congregation to make "a non-negotiable commitment to Africa." However, there is no statement on the website that calls for such a commitment to Africa to supersede commitment to the U.S. The Echo Chamber: Melanie Morgan, chain emails, right-wing blogs, WorldNetDaily Origin & Evolution: On the March 5, 2007, broadcast of San Francisco radio station KSFO's Sussman, Morgan, and Vic, co-host Melanie Morgan suggested that as a result of his membership at Trinity, Obama has a stronger allegiance to Africa than to the United States. Morgan stated that "this is a major American presidential candidate whose church that he belongs to -- says he's proud to belong to -- says that their allegiance goes to Africa before it goes to America." Late in 2007, chain emails attacking Obama began circulating that included the allegations that Obama's church has "a non-negotiable commitment to Africa" that excludes the United States and that one had to be black to join the church, a false allegation. A January 9 article on right-wing news site WorldNetDaily questioned whether the church was more about Africa than about God and asked, "Is this what Barack Obama truly believes?" Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama's comments regarding his grandmother as a "typical white person" proves that he harbors racist views and disdains "white" America. The Facts: Following a March 18 speech on race in which Obama said his white grandmother "on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe," Obama explained the comment in a March 20 interview: "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity -- she doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, you know, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there is a reaction. That has been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way." Contrary to the suggestion that Obama's reference to his grandmother as a "typical white person" proves that he harbors racist views and disdains "white" America, Obama was making the point that everyone harbors stereotypes but that it does not make them bad people. At a March 21 press conference, Obama said, "What I was trying to express is something I expressed in the speech, which is that we all harbor stereotypes. That doesn't make us bad people. ... Part of what the speech was about was the stereotypes that still linger in the body politic. The anger, the resentments, and the stereotypes that sometimes serve us publicly and sometimes serve us privately. They're sometimes directed at African-Americans, but African-Americans harbor their own stereotypes, and that's part of what was the failure of Rev. Wright's sermons, was assuming a set of attitudes that weren't necessarily accurate." The Echo Chamber: Right-wing blogs, ABCNews.com, FoxNews.com, Rush Limbaugh, The Case Against Barack Obama by David Freddoso (pp. 166-168) Origin & Evolution: In a March 18 speech, Obama addressed the controversy surrounding Rev. Jeremiah Wright and spoke about his grandmother as well. He said, "I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother -- a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love." In a March 20 radio interview, he clarified, "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity -- she doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, you know, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know, there is a reaction. That has been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way." Right-wing blogs, commentators, and mainstream media outlets seized upon the "typical white person" line as proof of Obama's problematic views toward whites, or even that Obama believes all whites have racist views. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama's pastor and spiritual mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, holds racist and radical political views to which Obama himself subscribes. Obama also shares Rev. Michael Pfleger's sentiments regarding Hillary Clinton -- that she felt "entitled" to the Democratic presidential nomination and that "there's a black man stealing my show." The Facts: Obama has repeatedly denounced Wright's more controversial comments. He has said that "we don't agree on everything." In some cases, Obama criticized Wright for remarks he made before controversy over them erupted. In April 2008, Obama renounced his ties to Wright. Barack Obama denounced the controversial comments Pfleger made about Hillary Clinton. Obama released a statement on May 29 saying, "As I have traveled this country, I've been impressed not by what divides us, but by all that unites us. That is why I am deeply disappointed in Father Pfleger's divisive, backward-looking rhetoric, which doesn't reflect the country I see or the desire of people across America to come together in common cause." Shortly thereafter, Pfleger issued a statement: "I regret the words I chose on Sunday. These words are inconsistent with Senator Obama's life and message, and I am deeply sorry if they offended Senator Clinton or anyone else who saw them." On May 30, Obama sent a letter to Trinity to inform them that he was leaving the church. The Echo Chamber: Stories about Wright and Obama's alleged "pastor problems" appeared on all the broadcast and cable news networks, in virtually every major newspaper, in newsmagazines, on numerous radio programs, and in countless web sites. Origin & Evolution: One of the recurring attacks on Obama has focused on his membership of more than 20 years at Trinity United Church of Christ. Scrutiny of the church and Obama's association with it intensified when video clips of Rev. Jeremiah Wright making controversial statements at Trinity began appearing on YouTube and in the media. On March 12, 2008, Fox News Channel's Special Report With Brit Hume ran a story on Wright that included video footage of Wright's sermons that it said was purchased from the church. Among the snippets featured in the story was a declaration from Wright: "Barack knows what it means living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary would never know that. Hillary ain't never been called a nigger. Hillary has never had a people defined as a non-person." The following morning, ABC's Good Morning America aired a story by Brian Ross in which Wright was shown saying about the 9/11 attacks, "We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and the black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas has now been brought back into our own front yard. America's chickens are coming home to roost." Wright was also shown proclaiming, "The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people. God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human." Although Ross noted that Obama had said that Wright is "like an old uncle, who says things I don't always agree with," at no point did Ross report that when asked about Wright's 9/11 comments in particular, Obama said, "The violence of 9/11 was inexcusable and without justification." The videos began circulating on YouTube and became a topic of extended discussion for blogs and media outlets. The blanket coverage -- which included stories in the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, Rush Limbaugh, and the Fox News Channel, among other outlets -- all but dominated political news for days. On March 14, Obama addressed the controversy in a column posted on The Huffington Post. "I vehemently disagree and strongly condemn the statements that have been the subject of this controversy," Obama wrote. The campaign also announced that Wright had been dropped as a member of its spiritual advisory committee. Several days later, Obama gave a speech in Philadelphia on race and politics where he once again addressed the statements made by Wright and clarified his relationship with the pastor. Obama repeated his denunciation of Wright's statements, and stated that Wright's "comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity." On April 28, Wright appeared at the National Press Club and did not back away from his widely criticized comments. In the wake of that appearance, Obama broke ties with his former pastor on April 29, saying, "Whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed as a consequence of this." On May 29 ABC News' Political Punch blog reported that a video clip had surfaced of a guest sermon given by Rev. Michael Pfleger on May 25, 2008 at Trinity United Church in which the pastor mocked Hillary Clinton. (Pfleger is not a pastor at Trinity.) In the video, Pfleger is shown saying that Clinton had felt "entitled" to the Democratic presidential nomination and mocking Clinton for having cried in New Hampshire, mimicking her saying, "There's a black man stealing my show." Right-wing blogs and mainstream media outlets hyped the story as part of Obama's "pastor problems," comparing Pfleger to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. On May 30, Obama sent a letter informing Trinity that he was leaving the church. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama's Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope contain incendiary and offensive quotes about race and religion. The Facts: The allegedly offensive passages have been taken out of context, altered, or fabricated, as nonpartisan sources have shown. For example, one of the most widely spread quotes is the following: "I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race." This "quote" is not something Obama ever wrote or said; it is a fabrication. The Echo Chamber: chain emails Origin & Evolution: In May 2008, an email began circulating that purported to cite problematic and disturbing quotations from Obama's Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama refuses to put his hand on his heart during the playing of the national anthem and may be breaking the law by not doing so. The Facts: According to Bill Burton, an Obama spokesperson, Obama sometimes places his hand over his heart during the national anthem, and sometimes does not. Indeed, there are photographs of him with his hand over his heart during the national anthem. Even though the U.S. Code states that "all present except those in uniform should stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart," experts on U.S. customs say that the rule is no longer strictly followed. Anne Garside, director of communication for the Maryland Historical Society, says that "there is no obligation to put your hand over your heart" during the singing of the national anthem and that "the bottom line is that you show respect with your demeanor." The Echo Chamber: chain emails, right-wing blogs, Fox News Channel, Associated Press, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (p. 255) Origin & Evolution: An email began circulating in October 2007 asking, "Does this man not cross his heart when the National Anthem is playing, or when the flag is raised or lowered?" The email usually came with a photograph of Obama standing in front of an American flag with his hands clasped in front of him. Beside Obama are Hillary Clinton and Bill Richardson, with their hands over their hearts and all with their backs to the flag on stage, presumably facing another flag or the singer of the anthem offstage. The right-wing blog NewsBusters, in an October 20, 2007, post, noted Obama's posture and suggested that it was a political statement: "Does he perhaps believe that, like wearing the flag pin, the hand on the heart isn't 'true patriotism'?" Permalink

Attack: Michelle Obama was caught saying the word "whitey" on a videotape. The Facts: There is no evidence that such a tape exists, nor is there any evidence that Michelle Obama ever referred to "whitey" in any speech. The Echo Chamber: No Quarter blog, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News Channel Origin & Evolution: On May 16, 2008, blogger Larry Johnson wrote a post alleging that sources had told him that "there is video dynamite -- Michelle Obama railing against 'whitey' at Jeremiah Wright's church." On May 30, Rush Limbaugh repeated the rumor on his nationally syndicated radio show. On June 1, Republican consultant Roger Stone said on Fox News that "[t]here's a buzz, which I believe now to be credible" that the tape exists. On June 5, a reporter from McClatchy Newspapers asked Barack Obama about the rumor. Obama told the reporter, "There is dirt and lies that are circulated in e-mails and they pump them out long enough until finally you, a mainstream reporter, asks me about it. That gives legs to the story." Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen, cannot produce his birth certificate to prove otherwise, and is not eligible to be president of the U.S. The Facts: Obama's birth certificate confirms that he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1961, two years after Hawaii became a state in 1959, making him a natural-born citizen. The Echo Chamber: right-wing blogs, right-wing talk radio, WorldNetDaily, chain emails, National Review Online, Jerome Corsi Origin & Evolution: Conservative blogger Velvet Hammer wrote a March 5, 2008, post asking to see Obama's birth certificate to find out where "Obama's loyalties lie." In June, Jim Geraghty wrote a post on the National Review website highlighting the rumor that Obama is not a natural-born citizen without directly refuting them. In June, the conservative website WorldNetDaily alleged that there was "secrecy" over Obama's birth certificate and asked, "Is Obama's candidacy constitutional?" That same month, chain emails began to circulate questioning Obama's status as a native-born citizen. The Daily Kos and nonpartisan fact-check website PolitiFact.com posted a copy of Obama's birth certificate on June 12, 2008, debunking the smear. Obama has also made his birth certificate publicly available on his website. The nonpartisan Factcheck.org on August 21 reported, "FactCheck.org staffers have now seen, touched, examined and photographed the original birth certificate. We conclude that it meets all of the requirements from the State Department for proving U.S. citizenship." Yet right-wing media figures continue to advance false rumors about Obama's birth certificate. On the September 17 edition of The G. Gordon Liddy Show, Liddy and Obama Nation author Jerome Corsi each repeated the claim that Obama has not released an authentic U.S. birth certificate, and therefore could be ineligible to run for president. Updated on September 29, 2008 Permalink

Attack: In February 2008, a photo of Barack Obama wearing a turban and a wraparound robe began circulating, making the implicit connection with false rumors that Obama is a Muslim. The Facts: The photo shows Obama dressed in the traditional clothing of a Somali elder. It was taken in 2006, during the senator's visit to Kenya. Politicians often dress in the traditional clothing of countries they visit as a sign of respect; President Bush has done so many times. The Echo Chamber: National Examiner, right-wing blogs and forums, Drudge Report, Tennessee GOP Origin & Evolution: The photo of Obama in Somali garb first appeared in September 2006 in Geeska Afrika Online, an African news website. On Feb. 4, 2008, the picture with the headline "Obama's Shocking Al Qaeda Link" appeared in the U.S. supermarket tabloid National Examiner. The photo was posted in the right-wing forum Free Republic Feb. 23. That same day, the right-wing blog Sweetness & Light posted the photo and asked, "[W]hy haven't we seen that photograph until now?" Other blogs wrote about the photo the following day. In the Feb. 25, 2008, edition of the Drudge Report, Matt Drudge claimed that campaign staff for Hillary Clinton had circulated the picture of Obama wearing the traditional Somali clothing, but did not provide evidence for the claim. The appearance of the photo on Drudge sparked a row between the Obama and Clinton campaigns and prompted other news outlets to report on it. On Feb. 26, the Tennessee Republican Party issued a press release which included the photograph and mentioned Obama's middle name, Hussein. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama is a "Manchurian candidate" or sleeper agent sent by terrorists to destroy America. The Facts: Of the many variations on the smear that Obama is a Muslim, one of the most bizarre is the rumor that he is a "Manchurian candidate," or a sleeper agent who will bring about the downfall of the U.S. and the triumph of Islamic terrorists if he becomes president. Obama is not and has never been a Muslim. The Echo Chamber: chain emails, right-wing blogs, Fox News Channel, CNN, NBC Origin & Evolution: In December 2006, anonymous chain emails began circulating alleging that Obama is a Muslim and that "[t]he Muslims have said they plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level -- through the President of the United States, one of their own!" Since then, the smear has been repeated on mainstream media outlets. On the April 30, 2008 edition of CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter asked of Obama, "Is Obama a Manchurian candidate to normal Americans who love their country? ... Or is he being the Manchurian candidate to the traitor wing of the Democratic Party?" On the May 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, Dick Morris stated: "And the determinant in the election will be whether we believe that Barack Obama is what he appears to be, or is he somebody who's sort of a sleeper agent who really doesn't believe in our system and is more in line with [Reverend Jeremiah] Wright's views?" Weeks later, on NBC's Today, Morris said, "[T]his whole debate about what kind of president Obama would make has swirled around almost an existential level. Is he sort of a Manchurian candidate? A sleeper agent? Or is he the great hope of the future?" On the June 6 edition of Fox News' America's Pulse, E.D. Hill teased an upcoming discussion of a gesture shared between Obama and his wife Michelle following the final the Democratic primary by saying: "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently." Permalink

Attack: Obama took his oath of office for the U.S. Senate using the Quran instead of the Bible. The Facts: Obama was sworn in using his family Bible. The Echo Chamber: chain emails Origin & Evolution: In 2007, anonymous chain emails began circulating spreading lies about Obama's religion. One of the falsehoods propagated was that Obama took the oath of office on the Quran. Nonpartisan fact-check website PolitiFact.com posited that the smear was inspired by the 2007 swearing-in of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim sworn into Congress. Ellision used a Quran that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson. Permalink

Attack: Barack Obama has been endorsed by Hamas for president. Obama in turn supports Hamas and is anti-Israel. The Facts: Hamas did not endorse Obama. Although one Hamas official was quoted in April 2008 saying the organization liked Obama and hoped he would win the election, in June a Hamas official said, "Hamas does not differentiate between the two presidential candidates, Obama and McCain, because their policies regarding the Arab-Israel conflict are the same and are hostile to us, therefore we do have no preference and are not wishing for either of them to win." Obama has also repeatedly denounced Hamas as a terrorist organization that should be isolated until they renounce terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist. Obama has said that "as President I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security." The Echo Chamber: chain emails, right-wing blogs, right-wing news sites, Weekly Standard, John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Karl Rove, Fox News Channel, Rush Limbaugh, The Obama Nation by Jerome Corsi (pp. 257, 269), The Case Against Barack Obama by David Freddoso (p. 138) Origin & Evolution: In January 2008, the leaders of several Jewish organizations released an open letter condemning slanderous chain emails accusing Obama of being secretly a Muslim that were reportedly circulating among American Jews. But the idea that Obama was "bad for the Jews" has continued to spread in the months since, despite stories in pro-Israel outlets affirming that Obama is a staunch supporter of Israel. In an April 13 interview with conservative radio host John Batchelor and WorldNetDaily Jerusalem bureau chief Aaron Klein, Ahmed Yousef, chief political adviser to the prime minister of Hamas, reportedly said that he liked Obama and hoped he would win the election. That statement came despite the fact that Obama in the past had denounced Hamas. Obama had also repeatedly stated that his willingness to meet with international adversaries "does not include Hamas" and that he "does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements." When Robert Malley, an unofficial foreign policy adviser to Obama, revealed on May 9 that he had met with Hamas as part of his work for a conflict-resolution think tank, the Obama campaign promptly severed ties with him. Nonetheless, the incident prompted right-wing blogs to accuse Obama of being pro-Hamas. In a May 12 interview with The Atlantic Monthly's Jeffrey Goldberg, Obama said, "My position on Hamas is indistinguishable from the position of Hillary Clinton or John McCain. I said they are a terrorist organization and I've repeatedly condemned them. I've repeatedly said, and I mean what I say: since they are a terrorist organization, we should not be dealing with them until they recognize Israel, renounce terrorism, and abide by previous agreements." On June 4, Obama gave a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in which he said, "We must isolate Hamas unless and until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements" and that he would "never compromise when it comes to Israel's security." Following his speech, a Hamas official stated, "Hamas does not differentiate between the two presidential candidates, Obama and McCain, because their policies regarding the Arab-Israel conflict are the same and are hostile to us, therefore we do have no preference and are not wishing for either of them to win." Yet members of the media continued to perpetuate the falsehood that Obama is supported by Hamas. On the June 6 edition of Fox News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, guest host Laura Ingraham complained that Obama "did not talk about the Hamas endorsement" at a fundraising event for Orthodox Jews in New York. On June 24, right-wing talk radio host Rush Limbaugh said on his nationally syndicated radio show: "Hamas has endorsed Obama. Hamas has endorsed Obama!" John McCain's campaign has also used the Hamas endorsement smear, writing in an email to donors: "Barack Obama's foreign policy plans have even won him praise from Hamas leaders." McCain also reportedly said that "it's very clear who Hamas wants to be the next president of the United States . ... If Senator Obama is favored by Hamas, I think people can make judgments accordingly." Permalink

Attack: A Cuban flag with an image of Che Guevara on it adorning an Obama volunteer's office in Houston is indicative of Barack Obama's politics. The Facts: The image was seen in a news report from a Fox affiliate in Houston, Texas. The office was run and funded by Obama volunteers and not sanctioned or in any way controlled by the Obama campaign. The Obama campaign stated: "We were disappointed to see this picture because it is both offensive to many Cuban-Americans -- and Americans of all backgrounds - and because it does not reflect Senator Obama's views. Barack Obama has been very clear in putting forward a Cuba policy that is based on one principle: freedom for the Cuban people." On the TV station's Web page with the video, a disclaimer now appears: "The office featured in this video is funded by volunteers of the Barack Obama Campaign and is not an official headquarters for his campaign." The Echo Chamber: right-wing blogs, National Review Online, Los Angeles Times, Investor's Business Daily Origin & Evolution: A Feb. 6, 2008, report on KRIV Fox 26 in Houston included footage inside an Obama volunteer office. At one point in the report, a Cuban flag with the image of Che Guevara is visible on an office wall. On Feb. 11, several posts were made on conservative blogs about the Che/Cuban flag attempting to draw a connection between Che's politics and Obama's (here, here, here). On Feb. 12, KRIV ran a report on the controversy over the flag featuring Obama campaign spokesman Josh Earnest saying, "It's important for your viewers to understand that the office that was featured in the previous story was opened independently and separate from our official campaign." The smear has also been perpetuated in mainstream outlets like the Los Angeles Times and Investor's Business Daily. Permalink

Attack: Fidel Castro has endorsed Barack Obama. The Facts: Castro did not endorse Obama. In August 2007, conservative outlets made the claim that Fidel Castro endorsed a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama ticket based on a column Castro had written in the Cuban newspaper Granma. In fact, Castro's column did not contain an endorsement for either Obama or Clinton. While Castro commented that a Clinton-Obama ticket would be "seemingly invincible," Castro actually criticized their pro-democratic stance toward Cuba as an "error." More recently, in an article in Granma titled "The empire's hypocritical politics," Castro primarily criticized Obama, calling the embargo that Obama pledged to maintain "an act of genocide." The Echo Chamber: Fox News Channel, CNN, WorldNetDaily, Florida GOP, chain emails, Chicago Tribune's The Swamp blog Origin & Evolution: In an Aug. 28, 2007 column for Granma, Castro called a possible Clinton-Obama ticket "seemingly invincible," but criticized both for their Cuba policy. On that night's The O'Reilly Factor, right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin falsely stated, "And Fidel Castro, of all people, endorses a Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama presidential ticket." The following morning, Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends ran a story that featured the false onscreen graphic: "CASTRO'S DREAM TEAM: WANTS CLINTON AND OBAMA IN '08." On May 23, 2008, Obama gave a speech to the Cuban American National Foundation in Miami in which he sketched out his Cuba policy. On May 26, Castro wrote an article that, while praising Obama for his "great intelligence, his debating skills ... [and] work ethic," condemned Obama's speech and called his support for embargo on Cuba "an act of genocide." On May 28, the Republican Party of Florida sent out an email with the subject line, "Fidel Castro endorses Obama." Inside the email, there was a doctored image of Castro holding up an Obama poster with the caption, "I love this guy!" The email also contained a link to Castro's article, which it called "a qualified endorsement" that called Obama "the most advanced candidate." As the nonpartisan fact-check site PolitiFact.com stated, "Castro actually spends most of his words criticizing" Obama's speech. Contacted by PolitiFact, Katie Gordon, press secretary for the Republican Party of Florida, said the email was a joke and that the "cartoon" image was not meant to be taken literally. In a related smear, chain emails have also claimed that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is financing Obama's campaign. Permalink