In Which Ben Shapiro Blatantly Twists Obama’s Words (Again)

The dishonest propaganda never stops
Wingnuts • Views: 58,791
Shapiro of the Corn

Right wingers do this ridiculous word-twisting game all the time, distorting absolutely anything President Obama says to make it look like he’s an evil tyrant who hates America. But this one is especially egregious and flat stupid, and it comes from Breitbart clown Ben Shapiro, published at something called “The Daily Wire,” another in the endless series of right wing cookie-cutter websites: Obama: Americans Love ‘Cheap Jingoism’ and Xenophobia.

Oh really? Obama said Americans “love cheap jingoism and xenophobia?” Sounds pretty awful!

But of course, you realize this absurd spin is completely unrelated to what he really said, right? Yup. Here’s the context Shapiro tries to elide, from the Hollywood Reporter: Obama Makes Plea for Gun Control at Hollywood Fundraisers.

“There’s almost no measure by which we’re not better off now than when I came into office,” he said.

But problems remain, most prominently the failure of wages and income to grow for ordinary Americans, making people feel anxious about their finances, he said.

“And when people are anxious economically, the politics of fear oftentimes can override the politics of hope,” he said.

That anxiety can express itself in anti-immigration rhetoric and “in cheap jingoism and militarism and nationalism that’s not grounded in our national security interests. And it’s a dangerous path.

That’s pretty far from saying Americans “love” jingoism and xenophobia. He was making a very different point, obviously: that anxiety can lead people into negative thinking. This isn’t expressing “scorn for the American people,” to quote Shapiro; it’s actually expressing understanding and sympathy for the negative emotions anxiety and worry can lead to. In other words, exactly the opposite of how Shapiro tries to picture it. (And he didn’t even use the word “xenophobia” at all.)

Just another day for an utterly dishonest propagandist — a guy who actually does emit a daily deluge of cheap jingoism and xenophobia. How does Shapiro look at himself in the mirror?

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69 comments
1
dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Oct 12, 2015 • 4:59:14pm

Americans Love ‘Cheap Jingoism’ and Xenophobia.

especially the ones that think ‘jingoism’ is too expensive for them to buy at whole foods and ‘xenophobia’ is a band their kid listens to

2
Dr. Matt  Oct 12, 2015 • 4:59:22pm
And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy toward people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.
~Candidate Obama in 2008.
3
Backwoods_Sleuth  Oct 12, 2015 • 4:59:25pm

just because:

4
Higgs Boson's Mate  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:01:21pm

Conservatives should be more grateful to Obama; he’s providing them with the excuse for their blunders through at least 2027.

5
bratwurst  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:02:53pm
6
Dr. Matt  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:04:31pm

re: #5 bratwurst

[Embedded content]

I plead ignorance on this topic. What happened regarding MLB-related gifs?

7
Backwoods_Sleuth  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:04:57pm
8
Blind Frog Belly White  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:05:04pm

re: #5 bratwurst

Money.

9
jaunte  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:06:35pm
10
Dr. Matt  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:08:27pm

re: #9 jaunte

[Embedded content]

11
jaunte  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:10:10pm

re: #10 Dr. Matt

Very Trump-like.

12
Dr. Matt  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:13:29pm

re: #11 jaunte

Very Trump-like.

Both born in New York and both born entitled.

13
bratwurst  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:14:20pm

re: #6 Dr. Matt

I plead ignorance on this topic. What happened regarding MLB-related gifs?

Non-MLB accounts that dare to post clips or gifs of game action often find themselves suspended.

14
b.d.  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:16:57pm

Shouldn’t Ben be worried about finding a Speaker?

15
Dr. Matt  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:17:53pm

And in Flori-duh news:

16
jaunte  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:21:32pm

Oh it’s the media.

17
Timothy Watson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:23:10pm

re: #16 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Oh it’s the media.

Party of personal responsibility, y’all.

18
Dave In Austin  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:23:40pm
19
jaunte  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:24:23pm

Ideal: when an armed man holds you up, don’t point to the cashier and say “take him.”

20
Timothy Watson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:24:51pm

re: #19 jaunte

Ideal: when an armed man holds you up, don’t point to the cashier and say “take him.”

And don’t brag that you did that either?

21
No Depression  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:24:55pm

Maybe being a lying asshole has negative consequences after all:

Bye, Carly! Fiorina Loses Debate Bump After Planned Parenthood Fiasco

22
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:25:34pm

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Bratfrats complaining about “jingoism”, when they are specialists in that field.

23
jaunte  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:25:38pm

Alternate Ideal: when you make up a story to make yourself look good in a campaign, don’t make up a story like that one.

24
Timothy Watson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:25:46pm

re: #21 No Depression

Maybe being a lying asshole has negative consequences after all:

Doubtful, there must be some other factor at play.

This is the GOP we’re talking about here.

25
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:26:02pm

Or, maybe they just feel like they’ve been exposed?

26
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:26:42pm

The Image Library has a new feature - when you’re adding tags for an image, it now auto-saves the tags as you add or delete them, so you no longer need to click the Save button. Streamlines the process quite a bit.

The same auto-save feature is in the tags for newly uploaded images.

27
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:27:06pm

There is a video here of Donald Trump having a tantrum like a 2-year-old because Obama said A Mean about him on 60 minutes. I was able to watch 5 minutes of this tantrum before turning it off.

The difference between Donald Trump and a toddler is there is no parent to put him in timeout.

28
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:30:47pm

On a not-unrelated topic, I just saw the graphic for tomorrow’s Democratic debate… and I felt weird, sort of out of place.

What I see are 4 old white guys and an older woman who’s been battle fatigued after 24 years in the spotlight and usually on the hotseat.

The more I reflect on our leaders the more I feel that this nation is really coming to a crossroads - when will the people at the top truly reflect the nature of the society at large?

Or maybe it never will? Maybe it’s not supposed to be? That is, maybe there is a small group of people who really are the only ones who will be part of the inner circle, and the masses will just go from circus to circus, munching Doritos and drinking Mountain Dew.

29
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:32:52pm

re: #28 freetoken

On a not-unrelated topic, I just saw the graphic for tomorrow’s Democratic debate… and I felt weird, sort of out of place.

What I see are 4 old white guys and an older woman who’s been battle fatigued after 24 years in the spotlight and usually on the hotseat.

The more I reflect on our leaders the more I feel that this nation is really coming to a crossroads - when will the people at the top truly reflect the nature of the society at large?

Or maybe it never will? Maybe it’s not supposed to be? That is, maybe there is a small group of people who really are the only ones who will be part of the inner circle, and the masses will just go from circus to circus, munching Doritos and drinking Mountain Dew.

OMG they’ll actually be talking about THE ISSUES and not repeating the same lame talking points in their “style”

30
Blind Frog Belly White  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:33:32pm

re: #28 freetoken

On a not-unrelated topic, I just saw the graphic for tomorrow’s Democratic debate… and I felt weird, sort of out of place.

What I see are 4 old white guys and an older woman who’s been battle fatigued after 24 years in the spotlight and usually on the hotseat.

The more I reflect on our leaders the more I feel that this nation is really coming to a crossroads - when will the people at the top truly reflect the nature of the society at large?

Or maybe it never will? Maybe it’s not supposed to be? That is, maybe there is a small group of people who really are the only ones who will be part of the inner circle, and the masses will just go from circus to circus, munching Doritos and drinking Mountain Dew.

When Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho is inaugurated, with Attorney General Funbags at the helm of the DOJ.

31
Timothy Watson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:33:59pm
32
b.d.  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:34:05pm

The guy living large in Putin’s Russia tells all that they need to make sure and have a backup plan.

33
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:34:17pm

Just in case wingnuts give you a sad about their “Diversity” when all Dems have is HURR HURR OLD WHITE GUYS & ONE OLD WHITE LADY

34
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:34:18pm
35
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:36:16pm

HAHA

36
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:36:48pm

Every time I start watching Terminator 2, I end up unable to turn it off until it’s over. This really was a masterpiece of its kind. Not just packed with action, but with some big concepts and disturbing insights as well. A great film, I think.

37
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:38:27pm

re: #29 The Vicious Babushka

OMG they’ll actually be talking about THE ISSUES and not repeating the same lame talking points in their “style”

I don’t know what they’ll talk about. I will probably miss it because I have to be away from my computer.

I wonder what the ratings will be like for the show? Will they beat Trump and company? If not, I suspect we’ll hear about it from Trump himself.

38
dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:38:43pm

re: #16 jaunte

I simply won’t submit to the nonsense of the left-wing media & embrace the ideals they think I should

as i recall this is about the time in a presidential election where republicans become insanely obnoxious about how obvious it is that they will win big and it’s buh-bye libberuls and hello president romney

39
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:39:14pm

Speaking of Trump:

How Does a White Supremacist See America Today?

It’s about Don Black and how it relates to Trump.

40
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:39:34pm

BRIDGE TROLL NEWS

41
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:40:35pm

re: #37 freetoken

I don’t know what they’ll talk about. I will probably miss it because I have to be away from my computer.

I wonder what the ratings will be like for the show? Will they beat Trump and company? If not, I suspect we’ll hear about it from Trump himself.

It’s going to be boring because it won’t have that “Reality TV” clowncar entertainment factor that the GOP debates have.

42
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:42:20pm

Maybe he should try DWTS instead:

On Tuesday Rand Paul will become the first candidate to live stream an entire day on the campaign trail

That’s an idea that the stodgy old Democratic candidates missed - they ought to have live streamed comments during one of the GOP debates.

43
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:44:35pm

Recently I’ve been realizing how much I rely on the LGF Image Library. It’s become my primary tool for storing and searching for images.

44
Decatur Deb  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:47:32pm

re: #37 freetoken

I don’t know what they’ll talk about. I will probably miss it because I have to be away from my computer.

I wonder what the ratings will be like for the show? Will they beat Trump and company? If not, I suspect we’ll hear about it from Trump himself.

If it’s boring, I don’t want to see it. If it’s not boring, I really don’t want to see it. This is Sanders’ moment to go full-frontal Nader.

45
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:47:46pm

re: #43 Charles Johnson

Recently I’ve been realizing how much I rely on the LGF Image Library. It’s become my primary tool for storing and searching for images.

Maybe you can share some tips for image search. If I don’t remember the exact image file name, forget it. I’m sure I have multiples in there but can’t find them.

46
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:48:16pm
47
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:49:47pm

re: #45 The Vicious Babushka

Maybe you can share some tips for image search. If I don’t remember the exact image file name, forget it. I’m sure I have multiples in there but can’t find them.

Tags are your friends. If it’s an image of a person enter a tag of the person’s last name. If it’s a place, well, you get the idea.

I always tag images now, and with the auto-save feature it just got even easier.

48
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:50:13pm

The Australian media is picking up on Texas:

Black councillor is Tasered by Texas police in city where Sandra Bland was arrested

Eventually we, our society, has to accept what the “police” do, or change it.

I put police in quotes because what are they? Peace officers? What does that mean? Are these the night watchmen of old?

If our Peace Officers are peace officers why are they equipped like military units?

49
Decatur Deb  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:51:00pm

re: #46 Charles Johnson

Rubes have lost their fucking minds.

50
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:51:08pm

For example, all of the images related to Chuck Johnson have a tag “chuck.” I can pull up all of the Chuck-related images just by searching for “chuck.”

51
KGxvi  Oct 12, 2015 • 5:52:27pm

re: #42 freetoken

That’s just begging for a MST3k treatment

52
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:01:42pm

re: #45 The Vicious Babushka

Maybe you can share some tips for image search. If I don’t remember the exact image file name, forget it. I’m sure I have multiples in there but can’t find them.

It’s worth it to spend a few minutes going back through your images in the Image Library and adding useful tags so you can quickly find and reuse them.

53
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:02:52pm

This wire story is three days old but is still finding life:

Small Tennessee school district closes, citing financial struggles, need for new income

Classes in a small, financially struggling school district in northern Tennessee have been canceled until officials can find a way to generate more revenue.

Clay County Director of Schools Jerry Strong said the school board made the decision Thursday night after struggling with budget concerns for three years. He said the district doesn’t have enough money to pay for partially unfunded government mandates.

“Clay County’s inability to generate the revenue to offset the mandates is what’s caused this to come to a head,” he said. “The straw that broke the camel’s back was really the Affordable Care Act for us and it has made it very difficult for us to have our employees properly covered and meet the mandates of the law. That was going to require new revenue and the commission felt like they couldn’t do that through a tax increase.”

[…]

So various outlets run with Obamacare destroying schools and such.

But here is the real important thing in the AP wire story:

This is a poor, rural county and we already have the seventh-highest property tax rate in the whole state of Tennessee,” he [Wright]said. “Our property taxes, they’re high enough.”

The reason they have to raise property taxes and will go with more taxes, even regressive taxes, is because the state of Tennessee underfunds its schools.

Because the state of TN is run by some very backward people, quite frankly. They don’t get as much attention as the yokels in Oklahoma or Texas, but TN pumps out stories of Islamophobia and creationism and what-not regularly.

I suppose that’s all easy for me to write, living here in Southern California which is a cultural mash-up (mostly centered around vanity) and even with the Je$u$ crowd in Orange county we still generate enough taxes to pay for primary and secondary schools.

My message to Tennessee: It’s not the 18th century anymore. Put away your KJV. Put away your guns. Accept progressive taxation and raise income taxes on those with lots of money. If you have no rich people in TN (which isn’t true) then get your Senators and Reps to get more federal money for your state and we’ll just tax the super-rich here in California and in New York and Texas and Florida for you.

54
Higgs Boson's Mate  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:03:02pm

re: #37 freetoken

I don’t know what they’ll talk about. I will probably miss it because I have to be away from my computer.

I wonder what the ratings will be like for the show? Will they beat Trump and company? If not, I suspect we’ll hear about it from Trump himself.

The real danger is that Bingo will break out among those old folks.

55
freetoken  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:05:15pm

re: #54 Higgs Boson’s Mate

I thought cases of Spontaneous Bingo were mostly wiped out under the Obama’s CDC?

56
A Cranky One  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:13:24pm

Well, my holiday shopping just got easier.

Boing Boing

57
The War TARDIS  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:13:50pm

I wasn’t here Saturday for the Liveblog, so I wrote a review of the last Doctor Who episode.

I liked the screaming and howling of the men, and the lamentation of the women, who do not like the Doctor and Clara’s relationship.

It smells like Victory.

58
Charles Johnson  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:14:49pm
59
PT Barnum  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:20:09pm

re: #50 Charles Johnson

For example, all of the images related to Chuck Johnson have a tag “chuck.” I can pull up all of the Chuck-related images just by searching for “chuck.”

All the images related to Chuck should be tagged Upchuck

60
PT Barnum  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:21:00pm

Schroedinger’s Dog: Wants to be both in and outside at the same time.

61
HappyWarrior  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:21:14pm

Of course Ben twisted the president’s words. His ideology sucks so much that’s the only way he can make his shitty ideology look even remotely credible.

62
HappyWarrior  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:25:22pm

re: #48 freetoken

The Australian media is picking up on Texas:

Black councillor is Tasered by Texas police in city where Sandra Bland was arrested

Eventually we, our society, has to accept what the “police” do, or change it.

I put police in quotes because what are they? Peace officers? What does that mean? Are these the night watchmen of old?

If our Peace Officers are peace officers why are they equipped like military units?

I saw the blurb for this during lunch. Had no idea it was where Bland was arrested though. Really something needs to be done about this. I think we need more federal oversight over the police.

63
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:26:00pm

re: #52 Charles Johnson

It’s worth it to spend a few minutes going back through your images in the Image Library and adding useful tags so you can quickly find and reuse them.

I can do that but it will take a while. :)

64
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:26:23pm

THESE ARE THE MOST FUGLY BOOTS EVER==>

65
HappyWarrior  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:27:46pm

re: #64 The Vicious Babushka

THESE ARE THE MOST FUGLY BOOTS EVER==>

[Embedded content]

Those boots don’t even deserve an invitation.

66
lockjawcanbefun  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:29:59pm

re: #64 The Vicious Babushka

I guess the guy at the State Fair couldn’t guess Ted’s weight.

67
PhillyPretzel  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:30:20pm

re: #65 HappyWarrior

They are so ugly that Goodwill does not want them.

68
The Vicious Babushka  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:31:11pm

re: #67 PhillyPretzel

They are so ugly that Goodwill does not want them.

They are so ugly the only place they belong is in Ted’s ass.

69
Shiplord Kirel  Oct 12, 2015 • 6:57:42pm

re: #64 The Vicious Babushka

THESE ARE THE MOST FUGLY BOOTS EVER==>

[Embedded content]

What are those made from? Fossil mammoth hide?


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