home | opinion index

May 14, 2008

Candidate X does not believe in nor advocate white supremacy. If Candidate Y attacks Candidate X because a white supremacist says he supports Candidate X, Candidate Y is committing guilt by association and is engaging in slime politics.

Early this month, May 2008, a Hamas political adviser, Ahmed Yousef, said, "We like Mr. Obama, and we hope that he will win the election." Yousef likened Obama to John F. Kennedy. Obama has repeatedly labeled Hamas a "terrorist organization." But John McCain tried to advance his candidacy by mentioning Yousef's statements.

In October 2008 the vice-presidential campaign employed guilt-by-association against Obama by speaking of Obama "palling around with terrorists." And Senator Elizabeth Dole tried to demean her opponent, Kay Hagen, by associating her with atheists. Hagen filed a lawsuit. She defeated Dole.