How Pat Robertson’s remarks helped BushCo (Important!)

[Webster Green]

The keyword in Pat’s flub is not “ASSASSINATE”. The keywords are “STRONGARM DICTATOR”.

When all is said and done, Pat retracts and apologizes for the term assassinate, but the term strong-arm dictator is still in the public consciousness.

I listened to four hours of Air America Radio at work today. Al Franken and crew, including David Brock from Media Matters, shredded Robertson for quite some time, playing the audio over and over, which is great, but I kept waiting for someone to point out that Chavez is not a strong-arm dictator. It never happened. Ed Shultz came on next, and it was more of the same. Finally, a lady called in and said: hey, this man is the popular, democratically elected president of that country, but it took me listening to four hours of progressive radio before I heard that fact mentioned.

This whole deal looks Rovian to me. Pat is a nutcase, and everyone knows that, or they are drinking his brand of Kool-Aid and don’t care. The whole “assassination” thing will blow over soon enough, but they have succeeded in labeling Chavez a strong-arm dictator that needs to be “dealt with”.

Chavez putting the needs of his own people before the desires of BushCo and the multi-nationals, does not qualify him as a strong-arm dictator.

[JamesTee]

1. Makes you think...

that they are prepping the public for another oil grab? Chavez is just as dangerous to their long-term plans as Saddam. Every thing Bushco does is about manipulation of public perception. Nothing happens by accident.

[Webster Green]

13. Yep!...They do like their oil...

Hey!...Welcome to DU! :hi:

[etherealtruth]

2. "a strong-arm dictator" ...

... that was democratically elected and recently withstood a recall vote.

I am fairly aware of world politics and events ... when Robertson spewed his craziness I had to "look up" the details related to Chavez ... how many people knew exactly how Chavez came to power? My guess not many, very few then researched the details.

IMHO you have interpreted the situation perfectly ... Crazy Pat Robertson came through for the Chimp again.

[Webster Green]

4. He took one for the team...

It doesn't even matter if it' a smokescreen cooked up by Rove. If it is, or if it isn't, the end result is the same. Chavez is demonized.

They did the same thing to Aristide in Haiti.

[etherealtruth]

5. Perfect analysis

[mikelewis]

3. "the incredible publicity surrounding my remarks has focused..."

From Robertson Apology....

"Is it right to call for assassination? No, and I apologize for that statement. I spoke in frustration that we should accommodate the man who thinks the U.S. is out to kill him.

Col. Chavez has found common cause with terrorists such as the noted assassin Carlos the Jackal, has visited Iran reportedly to gain access to nuclear technology, and has referred to Saddam Hussein and Fidel Castro as his comrades. Col. Chavez also intends to fund the violent overthrow of democratically elected governments throughout South America, beginning with neighboring Colombia."


"There are many who disagree with my comments, and I respect their opinions. There are others who think that stopping a dictator is the appropriate course of action. In any event, the incredible publicity surrounding my remarks has focused our government’s attention on a growing problem which has been largely ignored."
http://www.patrobertson.com/pressreleases/hugochavez.asp

[bpilgrim]

7. our government’s attention on a growing problem...

"There are many who disagree with my comments, and I respect their opinions. There are others who think that stopping a dictator is the appropriate course of action. In any event, the incredible publicity surrounding my remarks has focused our government’s attention on a growing problem which has been largely ignored." - Robertson

peace

[Cassandra]

18. Carlos the Jackal is in prison

http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/crime/terrorists/carlos-the-jackal/
"Carlos and his wife remained in Syria until Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. Rumors began to reach the CIA that Saddam Hussein was bringing the Jackal out of retirement to lead a series of terrorist strikes against the U.S. as the Gulf War began. Syria threw Carlos out. Without a home, he took temporary shelter underground in various Middle Eastern nations.

After exhausting his options, Carlos ended up in the Sudan, which had become a haven for terrorists such as Osama bin Laden. Under the protection of a local Islamic fundamentalist sheikh, Carlos quickly offended his hosts with his playboy ways, including liquor-soaked parties and lots of wild sex. The sheikh decided to hand the Jackal over to the French.

After an elaborate sting executed with the cooperation of Sudanese authorities, the Jackal was arrested without dignity in 1994, as he was recovering from testicular surgery to treat a low sperm count.

With more than 80 deaths, probably thousands of injuries and millions of dollars in property damage to his credit, the only question was which crime to try him for. In 1997, Carlos the Jackal was sentenced to life in prison for three murders. While further trials may be possible, France has no death penalty, so it's likely the Jackal will remain right where he is for the rest of his life. "

[jean]

6. no - I heard Schultz say Chavez is a duly elected leader early today

[Webster Green]

10. It is possible I missed it...

I was away from the radio briefly, but I was pretty dialed in to the conversation because it was frustrating waiting for someone to mention that.

[jean]

15. someone would have had to tape him but I also think he said outright

'Chavez is not a dictator - the people elected him' or something in that context.

[cliss]

8. Here's my take on the situation:

I don't believe this was a setup to make sure the American public believes Chavez is a "strongarm Dictator". Chavez is not a dictator. He's a democratically elected head of state.

Now, this kind of rhetoric is not new to Washington. I believe Washington is feeling mighty frustrated right now. Chavez is doing his own thing, Damn The Torpedoes. He's giving Bush the finger, and the State Department has been stymied at every turn, trying to to outwit and outsmart this guy.

I think Robberson just echoed the intense frustration they must all be feeling about Chavez. "What's with this guy". "Is he made of Teflon?" "We tried to TAKE HIM OUT about 2 years ago, and he just got away from us!!!!"

They've been using the same rhetoric about Chavez for years now. They keep calling him "firebrand", "strong arm", and yes, "dictator".

I think if anything, Rogue-son just screwed things up for Bush. They've been wanting to kill him. Now that Rabble-rouser focused a lot of attention to Venezuela, they probably can't do anything. If Chavez dies, guess where all the attention is going to be focused?

[WiseButAngrySara]

16. You know, when I first heard this, I thought that maybe Pat R. said this

on cue, so as to give assasination of Chavez an excuse. 'Well,it must have been commited by some crazed fanatical Robertson's followers who thought they were following God's orders,' thus taking the suspicions off the BFEE. Far fetched, I know, but I did give it a thought or two. I thought it was telling that Robertson tried to justify the assasination by saying that it would be less expensive than war, and that the FLOW OF OIL would probably not be affected.

What was the other recent 'slip-up' that Robertson said right before the election? I thought that was Rovian in origin as well. Can't remember (anti-Iraq war?) but it got a lot of press attention diverted from much more glaring problems.

[CantGetFooledAgain]

9. Agreed. Too obviously meant to create controversy

and attract attention. This is a Rovian gambit. Agreed that Robertson "took one for the team". They are putting Chavez in the public eye and demonizing him, starting with the most impressionable group (those who think Pat Robertson is anything but a waste of skin).

Which means that maybe the focus for possible military action is turning from Iran to Venezuela. The proof will be the "links" between Chavez and terrorism that may be "revealed" in the weeks to come.

Oh, and how horrible he is to his people, of course.

[BrotherBuzz]

11. Pat Robertson was tasked by Bushco to vilify Hugo Chavez

It's now official - 'Chavez is Evil' in the minds of all of the Bushbot white-wing fundies, and they will blindly support Bush* in any attack against Chavez.

That my story, and I'm sticking to it!

[Webster Green]

17. Hell, if he was a brutal "strong-arm dictator, I might agree with Pat

I mean, maybe a black-ops take down would be preferable to an invasion in such a situation, and I say that as a non-violent person. You can't justify an extreme solution like that if you are just making shit up though.

[BrotherBuzz]

22. LOL, wake up and smell the coffee...

Hugo Chavez is now a "strong-arm dictator" in the minds of over half this nation. Jeez louise, just last week I was thinking how proud I was of him for all that he was attempting to do for his country, and now, well, I find out he's nothing but a tinhorn run-of-the-mill varity Despot. What was I thinking? LOL

[Webster Green]

26. He's playin' a mean game of chess with the chimp!

He's offering to send cheap oil directly to lower income communities in the US, bypassing BushCo's thirsty middlemen. That doesn't exactly make him look like a strong-arm dictator.


Bwahahahahaha! He just took smirky's queen!

[BrotherBuzz]

28. Chavez is palying a masterful game of chess...

while Bush* insists on playing a lousy game of checkers. King Me!

Bush cheat at the game, too!!! LOL

[Al-CIAda]

12. You raise a very observant point, and your criticism is valid, imo.

Regardless whether this was orchestrated (I do not think it was), the uneducated response of the 'opposition' is allowing them to wiggle out by using yet more lies and distortions.

[BlueStateGirl]

14. Pat did what he was told to do. He served his purpose. Now most

of America knows who Chavez is, and that he doesn't like George Bush.

They have been told he harbors terrorists, and hangs out with Castro. They are being spponfed reasons to hate him. That insipid twit Monica Crowely compared him ti Hitler. Even when Ron gave her a chance to amend her statement she stuck by it. The message is out there.

Chavez is a bad bad man. Now , we can go get him. The Bush administration is rallying the trrops for hostile action of some sort against Chavez.

[SDL]

21. Pat trips over himself and says more crap

Everybody watch the 700 Club at 11 PM Eastern on ABC Family...too funny and yet too sad for words...

[LuCifer]

24. it kills me how that show...

...is on ABC FAMILY! Some Family Values, eh?

Lu Cifer, NEIL? GOD!

[karlrschneider]

29. I can't bring myself to watch the insane fuckwit, but welcome to DU!

:D
:toast:

[Synnical]

19. I totally agree

I thought the same thing immediately. Now the media pundits can glob onto Chavez being a "bad man" who doesn't support "democracy" - instead of focusing on the fact that the BFEE is guilty of massive corruption and what's the term . . . oh, yeah, economic plunder.

-Cindy in Fort Lauderdale

[Cha]

20. You're right..it should be pointed

out that Chavez was Democratically elected unlike bush in 2000 and who the fuck knows what happened in Ohio with dieBOLD in 2004?

Chavez is the Democratically elected leader in Venezuela and bush was rammed through in a banana republican coup.

[MidnightWind]

23. So I'm flipping through the channels and what do I see?

Hannity interviewing someone who was insisting on what a horrible dictator Chavez is. Yep--this scenario makes perfect sense to me-get the guy's name out there in the public consciousness and then "educate" the public on how he needs to go.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Webster Green]

27. I love you more!....

....as Rhandi Rhodes would say!
:loveya: :loveya:

[fishnfla]

30. Well: "we dont need ANOTHER 200 billion dollar war...."

to take out that strong-armed dictator, is what I heard. I said a little 'amen' with a nod. (to the anti-war sentiment, not the assasination)

Dont forget, the chimp told Patty there'd be no casulaties....

[Al-CIAda]

31. Bump for this good point -imo. nt

[Webster Green]

32. Kicking my own thread....

I rarely do but:grr:

[buddysmellgood]

33. Gosh? If a democratically elected Chavez is a dictator, what is an

asshole appointed by the court?