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How Important is Corsi?

Submitted by Sean Hackbarth on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 20:31
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Sen. Obama's campaign and the Left are going all out to discredit Jerome Corsi and his book The Obama Nation.

I'm inclined to think this Corsi's book won't have the punch as the Swift Boat one did in 2004. What made the Swift Boat attacks so effective were they cut straight to the heart of Sen. Kerry's message. Throughout the campaign Kerry made so many references to his Vietnam service it became a running gag, but it still played a key role in making Kerry present himself as a possible President. The Swift Boat veterans swooped in undercutting his narative.

In Corsi's case there's no people lining up to appear on television and around the country to counter Obama's biography. Now, if William Ayers were to renounce his terrorist past and campaign again Obama, that would be something.

Instead, we're left with a best-selling book that won't have much traction beyond the anti-Obama Right.

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Corsi himself. . .

Submitted by Walt Gilbert on Sat, 08/16/2008 - 21:50.

. . .won't be important at all, in my opinion.  I think the important thing is the Obama campaign's reaction to his book.  It seems to me that they've put themselves out on a limb by declaring that they're going to "fight the smears" (or whatever motto they're using these days) and make sure that he doesn't get "Swiftboated" like Kerry did.

Unfortunately for them, that means that they've now set expectations too high, and Corsi's book is going to be the easiest target they'll have from here on out.  By launching into assault mode against Corsi, and consequently doubling his sales through the publicity they generate, what they're doing is just encouraging more and more digging.

And, like I said. . .there ain't gonna be anymore targets as big as Corsi. 

Ignoring Freddoso

Submitted by Sean Hackbarth on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 02:44.

I do think it's interesting Team Obama has gone balistic on Corsi while ignoring David Freddoso. He's doesn't have Corsi's vulnerabilities and it might be a more accurate book.

Precisely!

Submitted by Walt Gilbert on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 03:21.

The Case Against Barack Obama will end up being a much more influential book in the end.  And, I suspect Stanley Kurtz and Byron York will both have a serious impact, as well. 

Kurtz has already been targeted, but I don't think anyone will ever be able to make a serious case against his credibility beyond the fact that he's a conservative -- no sin in American politics.  I could be mistaken, of course.  But, it's my understanding that he's a pretty diligent (sp?) investigative reporter.

York may not be a study in down-the-middle objectivity, but he's laid the wood to McCain on more than one occasion -- much to my chagrin.  And I can't imagine that he would bite on anything that he couldn't document.

I really think the Obama campaign has overplayed the "Swiftboat" hand on this, and left themselves open to making a lot of denials that they'll wish they didn't have to deal with.

My biggest concern is that the right will get caught up in the birth certificate story.  If I could have one wish right now (politically speaking), that whole issue would just disappear.  I really find it worrisome.

 

 

 

Wholeheartedly Agreed, and Freddoso Sits at #5 on NYTBL!

Submitted by lagomorph on Sun, 08/17/2008 - 13:00.

Hugh Hewitt agrees as does Bill Sammon, former senior White House correspondent for the Washington Examiner and newly minted Washington Bureau Senior Editor for Fox News.  Both Sammon and Hugh Hewitt, whom I always think of the smart guys on the block, feel that Corsi's character and integrity flaws are irrelevant to the conversation and that any inaccuracies in Corsi's book are minor, and are equally matched by the similar inaccuracies in the 40-page Obama Campaign rebuttal Unfit for Publication.  The main point both made, and that Mary Katherine Ham also agreed with, was what a mistake the Obama camp made by "protesting too much" - way too much. 

All of the above journalists sang the praises of David Freddoso's book for both its accuracy and integrity.  By the way, The Case Against Barack Obama is #5 on the New York Times Bestseller list today!  Mad props to David Freddoso!!