Stephen Colbert claims tohave created the word "truthiness" (which apparently is to appear in dictionaries near you next year), and he may well have. In his contexts, the word seems to mean, "bordering on, almost, near truth, but not quite...and actually missing the mark considerably" [definition by RPW]. Now you can see why "truthiness" is so much easier a term to use.
Paul Ryan has been the subject of many media stories as a result of the truthiness of the "facts" [sic] he used in his VP nomination acceptance speech. I need to select but one example to represent Ryan's distortions: Ryan claimed that the President had spoken to workers at a GM plant in Ryan's home state, in 2008, promising that if he were elected president that plant would still be in operation in "one hundred years." Ryan then pointed out that, even though Obama was elected, the plant was closed. The truth (not truthiness) is that the plant was closed in 2008, before Obama was elected, and while dubya was president.
That inaccuracy (mistake, misspoken, falsehood, truthiness?) was roundly attacked by just about every media outlet.
The most single damning criticism, however, was: "to anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to facts, Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech."
That was from Sally Kohn of FoxNews.com. Finally, "fair and balanced."
Here's the problem, however. Too many voters seem not to care. If they already agree with the people who make such outrageous truthiness-es, they aren't going to change their mind. If anything, they will be reinforced that the the other side just simply has it in for Ryan, or Romney, or Rove, omy.
So all the GOP has to do is to repeat, and repeat, and repeat the mistakes and the falsehoods to retain supporters and believers. And for this they need money. Lots of money. Money to flood the airwaves and online with these falsehoods.
And that's another problem. They have it. I'll address it in my next post, # 13.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/08/30/paul-ryans-speech-in-three-words/#ixzz25F6GyiWO
Sally Kohn of FoxNews.com
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