Sometimes it can be so frustrating to see the talking heads and pundits make the most absurd arguments - arguments that don't make sense, even in the slightest - and to not have the ability to refute them right there on the spot.
I had one of those moments just now, when reading this quote from Ben Pershing at the Washington Post, explaining why the "Birthers" get coverage in the mainstream media:
Ben Pershing: Perhaps because there is an actual videotape of the planes hitting the World Trade Center that billions of people around the world have seen, while there is no videotape of Obama being born in Hawaii or Vince Foster committing suicide.
Luckily, we now have this thing called "the internets" where we can at least critique these stupid arguments from afar. Below, I do so by imagining what a little debate between me and Mr. Pershing would look like if we'd been sitting together at the time of his quote, C-Span style.
Ben Pershing:
"...And we're back! Let's take a question from the phone lines. Yes, go ahead, you're on the air..."
Caller:
"How come "Birthers" and "Vince Foster" conspiracists get play on the real media while "9/11 Truthers" had to settle for posting a billion comments after articles on everything from politics to sports to dog grooming?"
Ben Pershing:
"Perhaps because there is an actual videotape of the planes hitting the World Trade Center that billions of people around the world have seen, while there is no videotape of Obama being born in Hawaii or Vince Foster committing suicide."
Benjaminwise:
"Hold on now, Mr. Pershing, I don't think you can truly understand how Americans feel about these controversial issues since you yourself are a foreigner."
Ben Pershing:
"What? I AM an American. I'm not a foreigner!"
Benjaminwise:
"Oh no, I'm afraid not, sir... I don't believe that for a second."
Ben Pershing:
"But it's true!"
Benjaminwise:
"You're going to have to provide credible evidence before I will believe you, Mr. Pershing."
Ben Pershing:
"I've got tons of evidence... ah, I have a birth certificate and a--"
Benjaminwise:
"WOAH! Wait a minute, I'm talking about actual evidence, not some flimsy piece of paper. Do you have a video of your birth, Mr. Pershing? Yes or no?"
Ben Pershing:
"Uh... no, I don't think so... "
Benjaminwise:
"AH HA! Case closed."
Ben Pershing:
"Oh come on, you can't seriously be asking for video proof of my birth??? Everyone knows that a birth certificate is the most appropriate evidence of someone's birth..... Oh..... yeah..... woops!"
Ah, I feel much better now that I have helped him to see the error in his argument. Don't you?