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Profs: Stop false campaign rhetoric

Communication professors from around the country have signed a statement calling on the campaign of Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin to stop "incendiary mendacity" and "false and inflammatory" statements about Democrat Barack Obama.

The statement, found here, urges both presidential campaigns to halt "blatant misrepresentations of their opponent's positions." But the professors say the McCain/Palin campaign's discourse — on the stump and in robocalls — "is unethical and stokes the fires of racism."

"We see an effort to color code the election as between an urban, African-American Obama falsely linked to terms like 'terrorist,' 'unpatriotic,' and 'welfare,' versus small town, white 'patriotic' Americans like the mythical Joe the Plumber," the statement said in part.

The Web site also singles out U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes of North Carolina for his recent comment that "liberals hate real Americans that work, and accomplish, and achieve and believe in God."

The statement was signed by 140 professors, including 14 from North Carolina. The N.C. signers are: Carole Blair, Renee Alexander Craft, Lawrence Grossberg, Dennis Mumby, Della Pollock, Michael S. Waltman and Eric King Watts, all from UNC-Chapel Hill; Jessica Katz Jameson, William J. Kinsella, Craig Allen Smith and Sarah Stein, all from N.C. State University; Spoma Jovanovic and Chris Poulos from UNC-Greensboro; and Kathleen J. Turner from Davidson College.

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Re: Profs: Stop false campaign rhetoric

Submitted by captsfufp on October 27, 2008 - 3:38pm.

Joe the Plumber is "mythical?" I swear I saw him on TV...

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Re: Profs: Stop false campaign rhetoric

Submitted by domewatcher on October 27, 2008 - 2:22pm.

The artilce below this is, "Obama, Perdue on Mailer." That story alludes that Bev previously sent the mailer of her and Obama to blacks. Now, some time later, she is apparently sending the same mailer to whites.

Basing a campaign mailer on race? Is that racism or just campaigning? The fact that the first mailer did not go to white voters....is that racism? Was the first mailer an effort at pandering? How many professors does it take to change a lightbulb?

Can we get a ruling from the 140 professors on this mailer? I think I know the answer to the lightbulb question.

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Re: Profs: Stop false campaign rhetoric

Submitted by domewatcher on October 27, 2008 - 12:28pm.

This idea has some merit. Why don't we allow these 140 self appointed censors to approve any campaign literature of the McCain/Palin ticket. It's sounds like they would be fair and impartial and would give the thugs, racists and inbred rednecks who oppose Obamanation a fair chance.

But then again I don't know how much of this to believe.....140 professors agreeing on anything?

Better leave this up to Andy and Opie.

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utter garbage

Submitted by jonoflocke on October 27, 2008 - 12:22pm.

This "racial code" malarkey has got to stop; these professors are behaving as abominably as they wish for the McCain/Palin campaign to appear, by virtue of their making accusations of racism according to "code" known only to them.

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Re: Profs: Stop false campaign rhetoric

Submitted by rpkt06 on October 27, 2008 - 12:17pm.

Is this a joke?? What we need are professors who aren't incompetent idiots who have never succeeded in anything outside of a classroom. These professors have failed in the real world, so they take their bitterness and anger to our classrooms, pushing their liberal agendas. Stop demonizing the Republican Party!!

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