[Dino]

Originally Posted by CrashBomb

Actually, what John Murtha said, irrelevant of your "spin" on the facts, was that;
"there is no question that Western Pennsylvania is a racist area."
and;
"some of the population may be more hesitant" [to vote for Obama]
But if you'd actually read the Post-Gazette instead of taking Faux News at its word on the story you'd know that.

You see, there's a funny thing about libel and slander. The singular best way to repudiate a claim of defamation is to prove that what you've said is the truth. Libel isn't law to protect people from having unpleasant truths told about them. Libel is a protection of reputation, not ego or emotional well being. Defamation torts deals with false claims; privacy and mental distress fall under false light and breach of confidence torts. But if you knew anything about the trial of John Zenger you'd know that.

Western Pennsylvania IS a racist area, and has been for a very long time. There is absoluely no question of this. It's a running gag around here. They have always broken heavily to the right on every issue. The truth is that we DO have a lot of "bible-thumpin', gun-totin', uneducated rednecks. As a matter of fact, I believe many people would take that as a COMPLIMENT, Murtha could have run on that platform and carried Larwence, Butler, and Beaver counties. But if you'd ever been here you'd know that.

John Murtha made the claim that the racisim of the western part of the state could shrink Obama's lead slightly, but would not be enough to overcome the larger vote of the eastern population centers. Earlier polls had him up by more than ten points, he won PA by almost exactly ten points due to nothing other than the huge numbers for McCain in western part of the state. Race played a key role in the election around here, take my word for it, things have been a little ugly in New Castle for the last couple of weeks and there are a lot of racial tensions. But if you'd driven down Grant Street or Highland Avenue or taken a ride down Route 18 in the last month you'd know that.

The claims Murtha made and the prediction he offered were both unequivocally true. But if you'd ever been here you'd know that.

Thanks you for taking my thoughts and putting them in to words far better than I could have. It is unfortunate that he feels it is ok to judge without any facts and even shuns the notion that seeking out the truth is worth one's time. What makes it worse are the vast numbers like him.