Obama Caught by Affair Rumor
A rumor that Democratic candidate for President Barack Obama may have had an affair with a staffer during his run for the United States Senate in 2004, is gaining some traction. According to the rumor, the staffer worked for Obama but was transferred to work at the Caribbean after Michelle Obama complained about the ‘close friendship’ between her husband and said staffer (whose name is Vera Baker, according to the Daily Mail).
Although newspaper the Daily Mail condemns the rumors as ‘unsubstantiated,’ some believe that there is more to the story than Obama would like. According to these individuals, it is likely that a report about the possible affair will be published in one of America’s major newspapers in the coming weeks, shortly before the elections.
October is traditionally the month in which controversial stories, that break (seldom make), candidates are published. These stories even have a name: ‘October Surprise.’ Historically, this was the month of the year in which some dirt about a specific candidate surfaced and destroyed his career.
Several rumors about Obama that could evolve into such an October Surprise were covered at a variety of websites in recent days. Thus far, however, they are not more than just that, rumors, leading many to the conclusion that Obama’s opponents are throwing dirt at the wall, hoping something will stick.
Interesting about the Baker rumor is that it did not originate from Republicans, but from Democrats. Several individuals who call themselves partisan Democrats have raised the issue, and have talked about it with journalists for the Daily Mail but also, according to the daily, to journalists working for the Los Angeles Times. The story is now also pushed by partisan Republicans who hope that it may cause Obama’s poll numbers to fall, and McCain to rise.
Critics would say that most of these rumors are a symptom of John McCain’s low standing in the polls. Although that may be true to one degree or another, it should be kept in mind that many ‘October Surprises’ were successful in destroying a candidate’s campaign in the past precisely because they were true. Imaginary stories gain less traction and have historically been less effective. Also, many of the bloggers pushing the Vera Baker rumor were also those who accused Democratic former Senator and candidate for President John Edwards of cheating on his wife. The mainstream media did not want to touch the story; the rumor was proven true. Edwards did indeed have an affair, he may even have made his girlfriend pregnant. If he would have been the Democratic Party’s nominee, he would have almost certainly have lost.
However, as is usual in American politics, a lot of dirt is slung around, most of it either entirely false or spun to hurt a candidate, in this case Obama. Whether the rumor about Baker will prove true or not remains to be seen. In the meantime, it would be wise for observers and voters to consider this one of many rumors, nothing more, nothing less.
John McCain is married to the woman that he CHEATED ON HIS FIRST WIFE WITH.
John Edwards would have still been elected because he was too strong on the economy for an affair to sink him in these tough economic times, especially with McCain being married to his former mistress.
Same may be true of Obama, but if it becomes media fodder right before the election, it may make the race close enough for the GOP to steal it and cover up the theft.
Fair is Fair - If Bill Clinton’s sex life was fair game, than so is everyone elses.
Key phrase there, HGG, is “married to.” Americans are willing to forgive past (LONG past, closing on 30 years) behavior that follows through into public responsibility, and after their uncontested divorce McCain’s first wife remained (and remains) one of his supporters. An affair that leads to a new marriage (one that has now lasted 28 years) is not all that comparable to a sneak affair that results in one party being shipped off to far realms to hide the issue and break up the affair. Especially when one comes out of it with Wife #1 still on one’s side, still friendly.
Of course, at this point on the Obama Affair story we have as yet no solid confirmation, just a bunch of rumor. The rumors fit the facts of the known people movements and verifiable events, but don’t tell us a damn thing about actual motivations or what happened in private. One can fit all kinds of interpretations to otherwise innocent events–it’s stock in trade with wingnuts. If the story breaks into the campaign it will be late enough that truth will not matter as much as the allegtion itself, and the resulting press.
Why would this site publish unsubstantiated rumors? None of the links go to reputable sites.
Newsbusters loves to spread Obama smear and is 200% for McCain.
It is irresponsible to spread rumors that could affect the election without reliable sources and facts.
Several months ago I told myself (and myslef can verify this statement
)we’ll hear rumors about an Obama affair some time in the fall. Haven’t we heard rumors of most major presidential candidates over the past many years. Its like the changing of the leaves. Having said that I have to agree with Jim. Why mention it?
I seem to remember on oddly similar story about another candidate in this election.
Oh yes! John McCain had a “story” in the NY Times about a supposed affair. I seem to recall conservatives were pretty unhappy about that. After all, it used insinuations, unnamed sources, and a lack of facts. I seem to remember it fell apart.
This story seems to go along the same lines. Much on insinuation and rumor, but not much on fact.
and did you comment with your disapproval with it being posted MM?
Michael;
“This story seems to go along the same lines. Much on insinuation and rumor, but not much on fact.”
Well, FWIW one was covered by the NYT and this new one now has been covered by the National Enquirer. Does that difference impugn Sen. McCain or the NYT? I don’t know
John McCain had countless affairs - even his relationship with Cindy was the result of an affair. I doubt he’s going to want ALL his affairs brought to light while trying to smear Obama.
I think c3’s point is very valid. Look at the way the McCain nonaffair was covered (elevated to status of some credibility by the NYT-which wrote a story basically explaining all of the negative evidence, the denial by the woman in question and by everyone else involved, the allegation that there must have been a problem simply because campaign staff wanted to limit this woman’s access to McCain over the concern of impropriety, etc.) Note that they never claimed that there really was any evidence- but simply because this was the NYT, a lot of people went, hmm, maybe there was something there.
This Obama story is similar- consisting of unsourced rumor and denials by the woman. But would the NYT even considering publishing a feature article explaining all of the denials in a way that made people wonder if there was fire behind the smoke?
Mostly what these stories tell us about is the double standard of news coverage. As it turns out, the Edwards story really did have some newsworthiness because he paid off his mistress with campaign funds (voters have a right to know where their contributions go) and because he’d made his wife’s cancer and their joint decision to run a theme of his campaign (that part, though really despicable, is less relevant to me but an awful lot of voters certainly complain about right wing politicians who two time their wives despite campaigning on family values so if I take such people at their word that hypocrisy like that matters to them, I’d have to assume they’d want to know.)
Bare with me for a moment. Is Vera Baker tied to payments to Acorn?
Who is Vera Baker and why did she go to Martinique. Is she the link to the Obama campaign and the fictitious donors found in the Obama finance records? Did she ever work with Tony Rezko helping Obama raise fund when he ran for his state offices. Did she and Rezko raise or move funds for his US Senate Run!
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These are all viable questions that need to be answered. Rezko starts singing to Fitzgerald and Sunday the Cape Caribbean web site vanishes in to sunset as we started chatting about her on Free Republic with a lead from HillBuzz.
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There are questions to be asked and answered.
Why did here web site disappear yesterday when the posters of Free republic outted her web site and the possibility of her being tied to a credit card money factory for Obama in Martinique.
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Was she Barack’s love interest or just a Fundraiser bundler of soft money? She has ties and history raising funds for Barack and for the Congressional Black Caucus.
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Why did the DNC allow the campaign to move from DNC HQ in DC to Chicago where David Axlerod and his minions could hide and control the dirty games that possibly have taken place with illegal contributions for across the world like the $35,000 from the Edwan Brothers in Ga. No that’s not Georgia but Gaza Strip in the Middle East. But we all know that Barack is a friend of Israel and that the Brother’s got carried away in the moment of donating $35,000 to Obama.
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I hope that somebody has the sense to check bank accounts, credit card records and transaction prior to the election as this really reeks of money laundering. The FEC and other Government agencies need to make this a top issue before the election.
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Did some of this Laundered money go to Acorn. Can an audit of Acorn’s sources of funds be tracked to domestic and foreign bank accounts? We already know that Obama’s Campaign gave acorn more then 800,000 for voter registration. Wanna bet its bigger dollars from offshore accounts?
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So yes this is a smoking gun! Does it involve Rezko ,Axlerod and Obama I bet it does. Does the Main Street Media pick it up! Probably not as we are just bloggers and speculators of what occurred and don’t have any power to do much about it unless we spread the word to our friends and fellow bloggers on the net. Please make your voices heard on the net.
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