David Barton Lies Shamelessly on the Daily Show

Religious right fantasyland
Wingnuts • Views: 30,309

Here’s David Barton, blatantly lying about the founding fathers and Thomas Jefferson again. Barton is not a historian — he’s a religious propagandist who engages in wholesale historical distortion. This kind of stuff sells big to the religious right.

Comedy Central Video

For a thorough debunking of Barton’s lies, here’s a lengthy video by Chris Rodda, Senior Research Director of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. There are so many falsehoods in Barton’s absurd book, it takes hours to list them all.

Vimeo
Also see
Chris Rodda: Pseudo-Historian David Barton’s New Jefferson Book Is a Load of Crap — and a Bestseller

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23 comments
1 dragonfire1981  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:26:10pm

Continuing a discussion from last thread: is adultery considered normal and acceptable in American society.

2 kirkspencer  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:28:41pm

Back when I was checking out churches to attend in my new city of residence, I listened to a minister tell the congregation that he was a history major and he was there to tell them Jefferson never said anything about a wall between church and state.

The attempt to erase the real Jefferson and replace him with a Christian "Father" is not new. It's also still reprehensible.

(oh. I have long regretted I did not walk out immediately. Instead I waited till a break came and we left. I did get to tell a neighbor who went there that I would never go back. "If he lies about the things I can check, how do I know he's telling the truth about anything else?")

3 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:28:53pm

re: #1 dragonfire1981

Continuing a discussion from last thread: is adultery considered normal and acceptable in American society.

Not if you are married to me, it isn't.

4 Kragar  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:29:04pm

What a douchebag.

5 HappyWarrior  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:29:05pm

re: #1 dragonfire1981

Continuing a discussion from last thread: is adultery considered normal and acceptable in American society.

Only if you're Newt Gingrich. In which case, it's not only normal and acceptable but also patriotic too.

6 Schadenfreude 'r' Us  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:29:10pm

Pity it was the Daily Show, Colbert would have eviscerated him (not that his victims ever understand what just happened to them).

7 Charles Johnson  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:30:38pm

It's frustrating to watch Jon Stewart lob softballs at Barton, but one of the reasons why freaks like Barton go on The Daily Show is because they don't feel like Stewart is hostile to them. Is it better to expose them, even if their views aren't challenged? That's a hard question.

8 HappyWarrior  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:31:24pm

Barton's views on church and state would be a great fit for the dark ages. Where's Doc Brown and the Delorean when you need it.

9 Mostly sane, most of the time.  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:33:40pm

I did enjoy sitting in the Episcopal church in Colonial Williamsburg that they all had to attend (or be fined) while the colonial House of Burgesses was in session.

The guide said that Washington would sit near the back and slip out quickly after church, probably because he was hungry.

Possibly, but we don't really know his motivations. I don't believe he wrote it down.

They have the Virginia Founding Fathers' names on the pews where they would have sat.

Yeah, Jefferson's name was on a pew. I thought about how important it was to him to have the link between the Episcopal church and the state of Virginia severed, and smiled.

This church is still owned by the Episcopal church, and therefore they were just being nice to let us in.

10 kirkspencer  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:34:50pm

re: #1 dragonfire1981

Continuing a discussion from last thread: is adultery considered normal and acceptable in American society.

In an almost stereotypically Victorian fashion, yes.

We SAY we are prudes and upright (as well as uptight) about philandery and fornication. Yet it is inserted into almost every television show and advertisement. A measure of the success of a man is how many women want to be with him.

Caveat: it's "OK" for men. It's abominable for women.

11 Kragar  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:44:57pm

re: #10 kirkspencer

In an almost stereotypically Victorian fashion, yes.

We SAY we are prudes and upright (as well as uptight) about philandery and fornication. Yet it is inserted into almost every television show and advertisement. A measure of the success of a man is how many women want to be with him.

Caveat: it's "OK" for men. It's abominable for women.

Luckily, I know all women want to be with me, but I modulate my own manly essence to make some of them think they don't so I can preserve order and morality in the community.

12 EdDantes  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:45:47pm

I know little about Barton but I do know that Jefferson was a very complicated man (much like shaft) and he was very contradictory. In his draft of the Declaration of Independence he blamed King George for slavery, he was a slave holding abolitionist who thought that that slavery demeaned both slave and slave-holder. Like many geniuses he was very difficult to figure out.

13 Decatur Deb  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:45:50pm

re: #6 One of the Seventeen

Pity it was the Daily Show, Colbert would have eviscerated him (not that his victims ever understand what just happened to them).

I'm convinced some of Colbert's rw authors and pols never figure out that he's not a conservative. That's a symptom of terminal derp.

14 Decatur Deb  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:49:53pm

In the most drawn-out death scene since Camille, Gringrich has officially dropped out.

15 EdDantes  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:51:15pm

re: #11 Kragar

Luckily, I know all women want to be with me, but I modulate my own manly essence to make some of them think they don't so I can preserve order and morality in the community.

I agree. Women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Kragar...but I do deny them my essence.

16 Kragar  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:52:07pm

re: #14 Decatur Deb

In the most drawn-out death scene since Camille, Gringrich has officially dropped out.

Longer than Peewee Herman's death scene in Buffy?

17 Mattand  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:52:35pm

re: #7 Charles Johnson

It's frustrating to watch Jon Stewart lob softballs at Barton, but one of the reasons why freaks like Barton go on The Daily Show is because they don't feel like Stewart is hostile to them. Is it better to expose them, even if their views aren't challenged? That's a hard question.

I haven't watched this yet, specifically because the last time he was on TDS it felt like Stewart was going easy on him. Based on what Charles is saying, I'll be avoiding this.

The only thing I can think of is that Stewart kid-gloved Barton so he'll return for future TDS appearances. I absolutely do not understand why Stewart softballs guys like Barton. Maybe Barton will be on Colbert soon and Jon will let Stephen do the dirty work.

It's not like Stewart is afraid of humiliating people; hell, I've seen him do it at one of his stand up gigs. Chris Matthews was on to promote a book a few years back and Stewart basically told Matthews the book and its subject was a horrible.

18 Decatur Deb  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:52:56pm

re: #16 Kragar

re: #14 Decatur Deb

Longer than Peewee Herman's death scene in Buffy?

Dunno. I've an aversion to the classics.

19 EdDantes  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:53:18pm

re: #14 Decatur Deb

In the most drawn-out death scene since Camille, Gringrich has officially dropped out.

Happily, I missed almost every word of his dropping-out-of.

20 Kragar  Wed, May 2, 2012 12:53:19pm

re: #15 EdDantes

I agree. Women sense my power, and they seek the life essence. I do not avoid women, Kragar...but I do deny them my essence.

/toasts you with grain alcohol and rainwater

21 abolitionist  Wed, May 2, 2012 4:27:59pm

I love how Ms Rodda launches her red air rocket desk toy from time to time, after debunking some major lie --as if to say f*** that.

22 Batman  Wed, May 2, 2012 5:19:59pm

Shame on Jon Stewart. This is atrocious.

23 John Q  Wed, May 2, 2012 9:57:30pm

Dunno about Jefferson's beliefs - but Barton's story about the kid being suspended for praying at lunch is completely bogus.

See [Link: www.rightwingwatch.org...]


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