Now is the time at SDA when we juxtapose!
Carol Platt Liebau (Harvard Law Review), February 20th – “[Tom Pirelli] did most of the day to day work. Barack Obama was nowhere to be seen. Occasionally he would drop in he would talk to people, and then he’d leave again as though his very arrival had been a benediction in and of itself, but not very much got done.”
Bill Ayers, October 3rd – “Here’s what I’m going to say. This is my quote. Be sure to write it down: ‘Yes, I wrote Dreams From My Father. I ghostwrote the whole thing. I met with the president three or four times, and then I wrote the entire book.’”
But can we believe Bill Ayers?
Any other sources or support for this?
(I wouldn’t be at all surprized if it is indeed correct.)
But but but O says he hardly knows Ayers. Right? Just like he hardly knows anything about Rev. Wright, Van Jones, Acorn….etc. etc. et.
Still waiting for your “Not Waiting For the Asteroid” post re: your pals at Canwest.
I saw this on NRO this morning — on a different post from the one that Kate links to (but also by Jonah Goldberg). If it’s true — and I wouldn’t take it for granted that Ayres doesn’t have a motive for telling a lie — then this is going to be very big.
It needs much more solid attestation than it so far has. But presumably some people are now going to do some relentless digging.
I think that we should rename Obama”Bobblehead”.When he speaks at a lecturn he looks left,then right,then left.Sometimes straight ahead as he is going from left to right to left……as if he is addressing school children and he is educating his listeners not informing them.
Harry, you don’t get to tell other people what they must or must not write. You do though have the option of starting your own blog and writing what you want.
Your mom can help you with it.
MJ: “If it’s true –”
There’s the rub. True or not, it’s plausible.
True or not, with friends like Bill Ayers….
Obama is a sockpuppet?
Kate: “True or not, with friends like Bill Ayers….”
Right — you have to wonder why a “friend” would allow a rumour like this to take hold if it isn’t true. Because make no mistake — even if it isn’t true, it’s going to have some traction for a while (Fox, for one, monitors NRO’s The Corner). At some point Obama may even be asked about it.
Let’s see now: Gates, Ayers, Van Jones, Acorn …
I don’t know why anybody would be surprised at this. Even if its not true, the plausibility comes from the observation that Obama is and has been, nothing but a front man for certain elements of the DNC. In fact, its not hard to imagine that his entire life, has been nothing but a front for certain elements of the DNC, from his curious Harvard ed, to his senate position – everything points to a puppet being groomed to take the presidency, because he’s black in order for certain elements of the DNC to obtain the power positions they lusted for for so long. Obama is not calling any of the shots here. He’s being handled as a brand, not a leader.
Can’t remember the cat’s name, but he did an extensive literary analysis of Dreams vis a vis Ayer’s own writing. Style. Phrases. Analogies. Figures of Speech, etc. It has also been pointed out that Obama’s own unscripted speaking (scripted too!) is replete with tired cliches and has none of the colour, the originality, of the writing in Dreams. It is also said that the second book pales in comparison to Dreams. It’s not just plausible that Ayers did the writing — it’s highly likely. But it mustn’t be looked at as a rip off. Many folks, believed to harbour tinges of paranoia, have referred to Obama as some kind of Manchurian candidate. It’s not unreasonable to say that Obama is actually Ayers’ creation, while of course Soros was the mere financier.
Considering Ayers previous bombing career, how ironcial to find a proxy with a a bomb-like name. Obomba!
It’s impossible to imagine Obama actually sitting down in front of the blank page and constructing an extended literary work, as Kate (welcome back Kate!) so neatly suggests in part 1 of the juxtaposition.
To expand this a little further, those of you with some marketing background will recognize that his appearances on Letterman and in Copenhagen is about product placement, not politics, not leadership.
If there were a shred of truth to either story, we would have heard about them by now. The media did an exhaustive investigation into Obama’s life during the campaign and would have reported on any lapses, discrepancies, etc.
Yeah, right.
The first story was widely reported during the election, but of course was buried in all the hype.
Leave it to the dems to create a true token for the first non-white potus.
Hugh Hewitt talked about his about two weeks ago. this is the first time that Ayers confirmed it. It is true.
But the MSM has said screw-all since the 3rd – 3 days ago. Can you imagine how fast they would have run with it if GWB was the POTUS?
…
George will has tried the Vain label. I would add liar or rascal. how about VLO – Vain Lying Obama
Gord, I still think TOTUS completely covers Barry. That “his” books might have been ghost written is not much of a WOW! moment.
That it might have been written by Ayers is more of a “no duh!” moment. Ayers or one of his clones writes everything that comes out of the TOTUS’s mouth. Or screen. Whatever.
I don’t think this story will fly much further than the Rightosphere because it’s not in the MSMs interests to do so.
Phantom, I am tending to believe that TOTUS is not really a prompter.
Someone at HA (I think it was) mentioned that they are more likely mirrors.
So is there actually any evidence that this is true other than the Ayers quote at the NR Corner, which seems pretty clearly facetious?
I expect that if anyone runs with this one too far without solid evidence, it’ll come back to haunt them and make the right look like a bunch of rubes.
Didn’t Ayres write Going Roque? … I heard from reliable sources in the MSM that Palin is too stupid to write a book. It must be true.
Just a small point perhaps, but I have seen several mentions – not here, but scattered throughout the blogosphere – of Obama being the editor of the Harvard Law Review, whereas I understand that he was actually the president of the HLR. The title of editor implies literary expertise; the president is the guy in charge.
JFK wrote Profiles in Courage, tho!
Blogged on this topic a few weeks ago. Linked to a WND article, including a video of Ayers (who was with Bernardine Dohrn at that moment) being asked about the book. One could tell he was lying when he denied having anything to do with the book. The look on his face changed so dramatically when asked… I know such a face from a lifetime of observation of people lying under pressure, and I recognize it as the face of a liar.
Anyway, although I can’t post the url to the post right now, suffice it to say that the evidence presented in the WND article, coupled with the caught-off-guard response from Ayers, have convinced me that he, a fine writer, actually, ghostwrote his good buddy, the busy Barack O.’s book.
“Narcissus or Narkissos (Greek:
Νάρκισσος), possibly derived from ναρκη (narke) meaning “sleep, numbness,” in Greek mythology was a hero from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. In the various stories he is exceptionally cruel, in that he disdains those who love him. As divine punishment he falls in love with a reflection in a pool, not realizing it was his own, and perishes there, not being able to leave the beauty of his own reflection.”
Sound vaguely familiar?
As it happens, in this particular instance I believe the little lying shit.
Geeez, check out the link, people. Ayers was actually mocking the National Review reporter, which the writer made quite obvious.
And Kate swallows the bait? what are you people, irony-challenged? Pathetic!
Me No Dhimmi:
Can’t remember the cat’s name, but he did an extensive literary analysis of Dreams vis a vis Ayer’s own writing. Style. Phrases. Analogies. Figures of Speech, etc. It has also been pointed out that Obama’s own unscripted speaking (scripted too!) is replete with tired cliches and has none of the colour, the originality, of the writing in Dreams. It is also said that the second book pales in comparison to Dreams. It’s not just plausible that Ayers did the writing — it’s highly likely.
I have seen more than one analysis myself. Here is one by Jack Cashill at American Thinker:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/who_wrote_dreams_from_my_fathe_1.html
I bought Bill Ayers’ 2001 memoir, Fugitive Days, for reasons unrelated to this project. As I discovered, he writes surprisingly well and very much like “Obama.” In fact, my first thought was that the two may have shared the same ghostwriter. Unlike Dreams, however, where the high style is intermittent, Fugitive Days is infused with the authorial voice in every sentence. What is more, when Ayers speaks, even off the cuff, he uses a cadence and vocabulary consistent with his memoir. One does not hear any of Dreams in Obama’s casual speech.
In my fantasy, Obama orders the CIA to do an “extreme prejudice” on Ayers now; old hippy really oughta learn when to keep his mouth shut, dealing with a dem. pol. from Chicago…
Hugh hewitt got his info from a recent friendly obama biography. Others have lifted complete phrases and sentences that are indentical to books ayers has written.
bleety – Ayers is an amoral, attention-mad, grandiose little geriatric adolescent who probably feels slighted now that Obama is giving him the cold shoulder out of political necessity. I’d say there’s a better-than-even chance that he’s telling the truth here.
It certainly seems to me that Ayers last line about the royalties turns his answer into a tongue in cheek response.
Ironic twist because I think there are good reasons for believing that he did write it.
bleet, you must be logic and empirical evidence challenged. Where’s your link proving your assertion?
And don’t bother to reply unless you have a link. If you don’t provide one, you only prove that you are a marxist bootlicking troll.
Infermed sources say, renowned author/scholar Iffy had his pen in O’s inkwell.
In addition, survey says Iffy wrote the preface to the alleged O’book.
Critics say, this proves that Ayres'(sp?) statement is just an assertion.
…-
“No more Mr Nice Guy: Laurie Taylor on Michael Ignatieff
Once a liberal pin-up and intellectual leader of the global human rights movement, Michael Ignatieff has now fallen out with some of his closest friends. Laurie Taylor tracks an acrimonious battle”
http://newhumanist.org.uk/1299
“scholar Iffy had his pen in O’s inkwell”
Better him than me.
Here is the link to the blogger who “interviewed” Ayers.
http://backyardconservative.blogspot.com/2009/10/bill-ayers-no-dream.html
Further to my first post, Jack Cashill at American Thinker has done more work:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/who_wrote_dreams_and_why_it_ma_1.html
Mr. Cashill’s work is rather extensive. I cannot claim any analytical expertise in the literary realm but his work does convince me that Obama is not the primary author of Dreams From my Father. Mr. Cashill seems convinced Ayers is the author; I do not know one way or the other, but, having been convinced Obama is not the primary author, Ayers is the more likely.
One more link from Mr. Cashill:
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/06/breakthrough_on_the_authorship_1.html
Jerking around or no, Michelle’s biography said the same thing a few weeks back, oddly enough. Not sure if it was written by a right wing blogger though.
Well, I agree with bleet, sounds like a subtle “blank you” from Ayers. That being said, with the history of Obama doing very little, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was ghostwriting behind it.
Perhaps a curious media could investigate.
OK, I’ll stop laughing now – as if!
Barack and Michelle:Portrait of an American Marriage. — Christopher Andersen
‘Obama finally got a new contract to write a book, Michelle Obama suggested that her husband get advice “from his friend and Hyde Park neighbor Bill Ayers.”’
http://pajamasmedia.com/ronradosh/2009/09/23/an-old-claim-arises-once-more-did-barack-obama-write-dreams-of-my-father/
I think Ayers is probably the guy who taught Obama all about lying, so his “confession” is irrelevant to the truth.
The problem with these people is “You couldn’t believe them if they swore the were lying”
continuing a long tradition:
http://www.alexlib.com/English/ghostwriter.htm
Ayers’ telling of a truth is merely the exception that proves the rule that he is a sicko psychopathic liar. Even liars tell the truth on occassion, just as paranoids are sometimes stalked.
Sudden memory: I seem to recall he got got a nice piece of change from the university to write a scholarly book about race relations or something and he delivered a fantasy biography. That said, I’m sure the “scholarly” “hate-whitey” rant would have been equally fantastical (is that a word?).
Finally, we MUST keep focused on the character of the man. Can you imagine him sitting down and actually writing what is widely considered a fine piece of extended writing. I just can’t, myself. There’s nothing in his phony biography that would be consistent with the hard work and discipline required.
I believe that there was also something about using alot of maritime and nautical metaphors that the One never does.
O’s g&l Narcissists March.
*”Feelings of shame and guilt engulf the erstwhile followers of the narcissist. This is his sole legacy: a massive post-traumatic stress disorder.”
…-
“Disappointed with Obama, gays set to march
WASHINGTON – For months, gays and lesbians have been angry and disappointed with President Barack Obama for what they consider a lack of action on gay-rights issues such as support for same-sex marriage and a repeal of the military’s so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
This weekend, they will gather by the thousands in the U.S. capital to demand …”
urlm.in/ddwy
…-
O’s Narcissists:
*”The “small people”, the “rank and file”, the “loyal soldiers” of the narcissist – his flock, his nation, his employees – they pay the price. The disillusionment and disenchantment are agonizing. The process of reconstruction, of rising from the ashes, of overcoming the trauma of having been deceived, exploited and manipulated – is drawn-out. It is difficult to trust again, to have faith, to love, to be led, to collaborate. Feelings of shame and guilt engulf the erstwhile followers of the narcissist. This is his sole legacy: a massive post-traumatic stress disorder.”
*http://www.globalpolitician.com/25109-barack-obama-elections
Irony!
Irony (from the Ancient Greek εἰρωνεία eirōneía, meaning hypocrisy, deception, or feigned ignorance) is a situation, literary or rhetorical device, in which there is an incongruity, discordance, or unintended connection that goes beyond the most evident meaning.
Look who has chosen O’s Hope over Fear.
“Dreams From My Father” helped guide this pilgrim on her journey to applause.
…-
“She has denied the suggestion. “I have chosen hope over smear and ideas over fear,” she told caucus, according to an insider.”
urlm.in/ddxb
Hope and Fear:
“Hope is charming, lively, blue-eyed wench, & I am always glad of her company, but could dispense with the visitor she brings with her, her younger sister, fear, a white liver’d-lilly-cheeked, bashful palpitating, awkward hussey that hangs like a green girl at her sister’s apron strings & will go with her whithersoever she goes.”
(Letters of Charles and Mary Anne Lamb)”
I think it’s pretty clear Ayers is lying to make any right wingers who fall for this look stupid.
I’ll never know. There are a lot of books in the world. I can’t see reading either author.
When Ayers mockingly admitted he ghost wrote Obama’s Me Me books. That ass just another cynical way of denying the truth. There has been enough analysis of Ayers writing and there is scant little of anything by the Obama himself. I do not believe he can write, nor that he has much of a Harvard Degree.
All too vague and ‘fishy’ for me.