Clarion Fund's Scare Tactic Video in Charlotte Observer Today(NC-08)

The DVD Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West from the Clarion Fund was in my Charlotte Observer Newspaper this morning.  It comes with a glossy 10"x10" cover that makes the film sound like a glamorous major award winning feature.   The DVD shows a long series of interviews trying to equate radical Muslim movements with the German Nazis.   Many images of Muslims desecrating places of worship.   It blasts MSM and Michael Moore for not being SCARED enough.  

Some claim that 27 million copies of this DVD were given away in battleground states.

The Clarion Fund who created "Obsession" is a right wing group.  "Obsession" appears to be mostly the concept of one man, Peter Mier.   Sadly the Clarion Fund is a tax exempt group.   I wonder if it is legal for them to use their tax exempt status to try to manipulate an election.

The cover said:

AS SEEN ON CNN AND FOX NEWS BY MORE THAN 20 MILLION VIEWERS WORLDWIDE

The "F" word tipped me off to this being election manipulation by the far right.

Here's a quote from the DVD's cover:

Obsession is a film about the threat of Radical Islam to Western Civilization.  Using unique footage from Arab television, it reveals an insiders view of the hatred the Radicals are teaching, their incitement of global jihad, and their goal of world domination.  The film also traces the parallels between the Nazi movement of World War II, the Radicals of today, and the Western world's response to both threats.

Do I think everything in the show is false.  No.  Some Muslims have gone off the deep end of hate.

If you want to see the results of such hate go to the Oklahoma City Memorial to see what a Scots-Irish American Christian right wing Terrorist did.

But just because Timothy McVeigh  was of the same religion and ethnic background of John McCain does not make me want to advertise McCain's similarity in name, religion and looks to McVeigh.

We all know that McVeigh had just fallen for the crazy white supremacy doctrine that led him to perpetrate a terrible act of terrorism against the American people.

Unfortunately I bet the Clarion Fund video is just the start of a new scare assault by Karl Rove’s Pundit Army.   They will probably reference "Obsession" then repeat Obama’s name over and over to create a false link in voter’s minds.  "Obsession" blasts MSM and figures like Michael Moore for not taking the treat seriously.  Oddly the Clarion Fund uses Nazi Germany as a BAD example.  Is, the Clarion Fund using Nazi German scare tactics?

As a southerner who remembers the pre-Civil Rights era, these tactics are pure Dixiecrat.   Scare the poor whites into voting for segregation and the interests of the rich few textile mill owners.  Robin Hayes (R-NC) is from that background and still uses those tactics to get elected.  His mother was a Cannon an heiress to Cannon Mills.  The Charlotte Observer (where the video was given away), is in Hayes district.  Democratic challenger Larry Kissell is giving Hayes a tough challenge in this election.

If in Charlotte, I recommend visiting The Museum of the New South to see the near slavery levels millions of southerners lived in during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.   Child labor, private mill armies, murder of union organizers, etc.

Get ready,  it is going to be a very rough couple of months.

•  tips n/t

  by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 05:58:46 AM PST

  •  Wow, very scary! They're desperate.

    Please add (NC-08) at the beginning of your title so this diary can be archived in the Election Race Diary Rescue this evening. Important development in Larry's hard-fought race! Thanks.

    by Joy Busey on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 07:34:03 AM PST

•  27 million copies going to battleground states

  Paid for by deductible charitable deductions to this bogus non-profit "educational" charity.

  by jan0080 on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 05:58:47 AM PST

  •  and the GOP could not even get bin Laden

    They fed the masses this crap to say they are tough on terrorism to then use the political power to enrich themselves and their buddies.  

    Very very sad

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:16:20 AM PST

  •  do you have a link to the 27 million quote?

    I'd like to put that in the diary

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:37:13 AM PST

    •  Our business was an inadvertant sub-contractor

      Thus I have no link just personal knowledge.  I commented on this on Aug 20th and notified the campaign through 3 separate channels.

      by jan0080 on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:41:19 AM PST

      •  ok, I did a "some claim"

        sentence at the front of the diary

        by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:48:29 AM PST

  •  Showcased at the Republican convention

    "National security is a key theme of the Republican National Convention," stated Tom Trento, director of the Watch Obsession Citizen Education Program. "We're here to help inform and educate Republican leaders about terrorism. Our leaders must have the courage to explain just how deadly the threat of radical Islamic terrorism is to our country."

    http://ibloga.blogspot.com/...

    There should be no doubt that this is part of the Republican dirty tricks.  This organization has spent millions and this is fading off of the Daily KOS radar.

    by jan0080 on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 08:10:47 AM PST

•  After reading this

  I still have no idea what the DVD is supposed to be about other than vaguely Muslims, Obama, Nazis and Michael Moore when Timothy McVeigh would have been as appropriate. What's it saying?

  by MKSinSA on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:15:35 AM PST

  •  I've worked on it some more

    see if you like it better

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:27:48 AM PST

    •  I like it better BUT

      You took out the part where you said that 27 million copies were going to be distributed in battleground states.  That's important, I think.

      by Shesk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:33:16 AM PST

      •  I'm trying to get a link to the quote

        hopefully one will show up sone

        by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:40:38 AM PST

    •  Thank you! Much better ...

      Being seriously below my morning caffeine intake requirement, I was wondering why a financial service was putting out something like this! So I was confused but quite intrigued. Update clears things up. Gracias.

      Oh, and despite protestation to the contrary, who took their eye off the ball and aided the resurgance of Islamic extremists? Republican White House, I do believe?

      by MKSinSA on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:37:39 AM PST

  •  This is McCain's theme song

    McCain feels that if the public feels that radical Islamic terrorists becomes the issue that the public focuses on than he wins the election.  Only he can cature bin Laden (he has a secret plan that he won't share until he is made President because he puts Country First).

    by jan0080 on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 07:37:15 AM PST

•  You have to change the title

  of this diary.  It implies that this is a video clip to promote fear.  But as you know, this is a dvd complete with glossy sleeve and "awards" listed on the cover.

  One of my family members from a blue-colar area of Pennsylvanis brought it to my house to convince me about how serious the Muslims are about destroying us.

  This is HUGE, because it comes off as an unbiased source (aside from the Fox reference).

  This is the new McCarthyism/Communism.  But the real fear this year is McCain/Palin.  Be afraid.

  by Shesk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:16:09 AM PST

  •  I think of it as a sophisticated "scare tactic"

    slick marketing but biased

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:39:11 AM PST

  •  New McCarthyism: it's also new Swiftboating

    The hidden implication seems to be, once again, that Obama is a Muslim, or has Muslim sympathies, etc.  Everyone in the political world must be pressured to condemn the video.  And I think it would help if some university presidents (such as Erskine Bowles, head of the UNC system) did likewise.  

    I don't think "Communism" (which you mentioned) offers any better analogy than "Capitalism" when it comes to fear-mongering, but the idea of getting people all worked up against a mysterious foe is how the pogroms worked.  I fear there are still people in the south who enjoy the thought of a fearsome enemy, and would only need a little nudge to go on another Krystallnacht if they could get away with it.  

    by Eikyu Saha on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:43:38 AM PST

  •  Perfect time to turn it around...

    One of my family members from a blue-colar area of Pennsylvanis brought it to my house to convince me about how serious the Muslims are about destroying us.

    and make the case that Bush hasn't made us safer; only diverted lives and money for his own agenda and that of his cronies... and enriched them financially.

    We've lost credibility in the world.  If we had it back, they'd be MORE willing to help us defeat these so-called radicals who want to hurt us... as depicted in the movie.

    Another angle:  John McCain wants war, war, and war.  He's not saying it now, but the more wars he plans to entangle us with will inevitably raise the certainty of a draft.  

    To assume that republicans can make us safe from "radical whatever they're being called now" is a myth that needs to be debunked.

    by gooderservice on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 08:57:25 PM PST

•  Here's the DVD cover and link to its site

  

  http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/

  What's scary is how this is being distributed.  There needs to be a lot of press on this.

  by Shesk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:29:00 AM PST

  •  thanks, I hyperlinked it

    to the to of the diary

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:34:38 AM PST

•  It was also in the sister/brother paper

    in Raleigh at the N&O. There was a below the fold front page article explaining how divisive this DVD may be. It tried to be balanced. I had never heard of the DVD and when I tried to get it to play, it didn't work. I'll probably go over to youtube to watch a few minutes.
     Many of the backers of this mailing are far right wing Israelis. I guess they want to bring the focus back to the Middle East and Iran and off the mooseburgers and Georgia.

  by NC Dem on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:30:24 AM PST

  •  mine did play

    In my TV's DVD player.  I was afraid to put it in a computer.   I figure it would install spyware or some other malware.

    by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:35:37 AM PST

  •  Did it perchance mention gratitude

    to Gov. Palin for unquestioningly supporting whatever action they might decide to take ... no "second guessing" allowed?

    by MKSinSA on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:42:19 AM PST

    •  they portrayed other views as stupid

      MSM and Michael Moore were denounced for not taking the threat serious enough.

      It sounds like a Hitler speech from the 1930's blaming the Jews for Germany's problems.

      by Maaarrrk on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:44:25 AM PST

    •  And Lieberman?

      And Bush?  And the whole neo-con crowd of hyper-right "pro-Israelites"?  

      by Eikyu Saha on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:47:04 AM PST

•  Is it legal? So far, sadly, yes. (It seems.)

  Sadly the Clarion Fund is a tax exempt group.   I wonder if it is legal for them to use their tax exempt status to try to manipulate an election.

  This came up a couple of days ago in Pennsylvania. (Diary ...)

  Tax exempt nonprofits (501(c)3 groups) can exercise a degree of free speech and try to influence people.  They're not supposed to explicitly endorse a particular candidate or party.  Of course, in our current political climate, some groups seem to get away with a lot more than others.  (It's okay if...)

  I should disclaim that I'm not a lawyer, just someone who's been involved with some nonprofits and noticed how some get away with more than others.  If someone can find an actionable illegality in this group's actions, I would be as happy as anyone to see their incendiary rhetoric damped.

  by etbnc on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 06:47:18 AM PST

•  Write a letter to the editor

  Try to get a letter published in the Charlotte Observer complaining about the DVD -- not only the content but that they would agree to distribute it.

  If people don't complain, a lot of readers will accept the video's point of view as being accurate.

  by Getreal1246 on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 07:50:26 AM PST

•  Who are the 17 people who voted NO in the poll?

  by gooderservice on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 08:48:17 PM PST

•  I hate to say it, but this is ingenious.

  Has it ever been done before?

  Having said it was ingenious... I actually mean WHY didn't we do it first?

  I wish Michael Moore would release 27 millions DVDs of Sicko.

  Maybe Bravenew Films would be willing to mix some of their DVDs and give them out for free... we could financially contribute to them to help out.

  by gooderservice on Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 08:50:45 PM PST

  •  Sicko would work

    How about it Mr. Moore.   Maybe Moveon can finance it.

    by Maaarrrk on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 07:18:31 AM PST

•  Bush said, "Islam is peace"

  Bush-McCain are Saudi slaves.  They shouldn't be playing the Muslim card.  And Islam is full of sects, some amenable to democracy, some not.  Generalizing makes little sense.

  http://www.whitehouse.gov/...

  by antisoros on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 12:26:59 AM PST

•  My Big Fear

  Is that people watching this may be stirred to violence against anything and anyone that's even remotely Muslim or Middle Eastern. People who distribute such fear-mongering material don't think or care (or maybe they do) about stirring up Klan-like attitudes and behavior against people who have nothing to do with Al Queda. People who have been born here, people who have peaceful dissent about Palestinian-Israeli policy, it doesn't matter.

  Also, America has already spilled a lot of blood and treasure in the Middle East with little real return on its investment. Lately voices here and there are questioning it all-the financial investment, our presence in Iraq. Lately people are at least paying attention to the other side and seeing perhaps that some people do have justified grievances-while all caring people decry terrorism, it does not mean that the people don't have real issues that need to be dealt with. This group fears the new changes and want to make sure that there is an Administration that blindly follows their outmoded lead.

  by CarolDuhart on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 01:43:07 AM PST

  •  That's why I brought up McVeigh

    McVeigh shows how some people are easily inspired to violence.

    It also shows how a common ethnic group in the USA and a dominate one in the US military can have members that go bad.  

    Of course the Scots-Irish also provide good leaders to the US like Jim Webb and lots of military personnel.

    Just because some Arabs, Persians or Chechians go bad  does mean they are any worse than other ethnic groups.

    by Maaarrrk on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 07:24:37 AM PST

•  Philadelphia Inquirer sent it out

  got it trashed it.

  by Philly Quaker on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 03:40:42 AM PST

  •  I played it

    to see what the enemy is up to.  

    by Maaarrrk on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 07:25:33 AM PST

•  Raleigh NC paper sent it out, with story

  The News and Observer included the DVD but also wrote a story about it, oddly interviewing themselves refusing to comment.

  Jim McClure, vice president of display advertising for The N&O, declined to say what it is charging to deliver the DVD as part of today's newspaper. He dismissed allegations that it is inflammatory.

  They also reported about further distribution:

  The DVD has already been inserted into copies of The New York Times distributed in midwestern states. This weekend and next, it is slated to be distributed in many newspapers in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado, in addition to North Carolina.

  by saluda on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 06:06:40 AM PST

•  we got it in michigan...

  seems like part of a very choreographed, nefarious attack plan.  My husband received a hate-filled anti-muslim email this week as well, and there's a link to a slick video series that's being emailed around too (over 500K views at this time):  http://www.youtube.com/...

  by sallys on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 08:51:36 AM PST

•  Mail

  Not only did it come in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer (I live in suburban Philadelphia Chester Co.) but I received it in the mail too during this past week.  I thought I got on some whacko right wing mailing list.  I guess they did a mass mailing in the surrounding suburbs.

  by domestic goddess on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 09:08:33 AM PST

•  I received the DVD in my Sunday Pittsburgh paper

  If you look at the bottom of the card you can see this is being distributed widely accross the US. We need to call out this BS.

  by wisteria on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 10:47:50 AM PST

•  You know when Glen Beck gives his thumbs up

  that is propaganda trash.

  by wisteria on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 11:04:15 AM PST

  •  And, I'm sure GWB can appreciate it ...

    ... no reading required. Just watch and be mesmerized brain-washed.

    by PoliticAl2008 on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 02:28:40 PM PST

•  Got it here in the St Pete Times ...

  ... who now lose a lot of credibility in my book.

  1st Amendment rights or not, this is a scare tactic we can do without.

  Maybe Morgan Spurlock will donate unlimited copies of "Where in the World is Osama bin Laden" to the DNC/Obama to be mass distributed in newspapers and on non-cable television stations!

  by PoliticAl2008 on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 02:27:08 PM PST

  •  St pete reader

    Funny you mentioned Morgan Spurlock; I just wrote an Op/Ed asking what would happen if Michael Moore started his own charity and did the same thing.  Would they distribute it, and what reaction would the Rush-Hannity-Beck monster have?

    by Diablo Diamond on Wed Sep 17, 2008 at 09:46:08 PM PST

•  it came with the Sunday Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel

  thanks for confirming my suspicions it's right wing trash. The DVD will make an interesting drink coaster.

  by Pan Zareta on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 06:57:05 PM PST

•  Obsession

  An article was posted by Greg Mitchell on Huffington last night regarding distribution of this DVD.  Mitchell links to a site that  lists of all the news agencies participating.  An estimated 28 million copies have distributed ONLY in "swing" states.  The message is fear mongering, threat of Islam plans afoot to destroy us has been circulating via e-mail by Republicans since the last election, re-intensified this time around. It is obviously aimed a low information, visually educated voters.  It is unclear at this point who has funded this round of distribution.  But read Mitchell's article and newspaper distribution list.

  eyeontheprize

  by eyeonprize on Sun Sep 14, 2008 at 08:39:12 PM PST

•  Obsession DVD

  "RIYADH, Sept 14 (Reuters) - A senior Saudi cleric has said purveyors of horoscopes on Arab television should face the death penalty, a paper said on Sunday, days after another cleric argued death for TV owners."

  Maybe some of you nuts should be a little less obsessed with yourself and more about the world.

  by listener on Mon Sep 15, 2008 at 07:44:48 AM PST