Note to the Oxendine campaign: READ SNOPES

by Jason Pye on July 3, 2009

The Oxendine campaign may want to run campaign e-mails containing inaccuracies past Snopes first. Case in point, today’s e-mail about the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Great story, but it has some problems.

H/T: Amy Morton

{ 2 trackbacks }

SWGA Politics » Blog Archive » Yet Another LIE from John Oxendine
July 3, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Oxendine Needs to Check His Campaign Emails : Georgia Liberal
July 4, 2009 at 10:19 pm

{ 45 comments }

Chris July 3, 2009 at 1:57 pm

Snopes debunked the fairtax crap? I need to visit their site more. :)

Jason Shepherd July 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Yeah, I got the expanded version from Chip Rogers and a few GOP county parties. That doesn’t include the countless copies forwarded to me by friends and family.

However, this internet urban legend has made its way into newspaper columns who, like relying on Wikipedia to base a column on, did not do the necessary fact checking to verify.

Also, to put another damper on a supposedly “true” story, Betsy Ross likely did no sow the first American flag and there is no evidence that George Washington even visited the Ross home in Philly. The story didn’t appear in American history until 1876.

MSBassSinger July 3, 2009 at 2:08 pm

Sorry Jason, it appears Betsy Ross did, and that Washington did visit her home.
http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagpcp.html
The evidence supports it quite well.

Jason Shepherd July 3, 2009 at 3:13 pm

I disagree. I am not going to take the word of the Independence Hall Association of Philadelphia, which has a vested interest in maintaining the legend for tourism purposes.

I will quote from an independent and printed source that says, “There was never any evidence to support Canby’s story, but a great deal to refute it. Canby claimed his grandmother was visted by Washington in 1776, and she made the flag in time for it to be unfurled before the Continental Congress meeting at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. However, the flag bearing the stars and stripe was not even designed until 1777. It was first drawn by an artist named Francis Hopkinson from a design probably suggested by Washington, since the flag was similar to the Washington family’s English coat of arms, which included three stars set above read and white stripes.”

Ayres, Thomas, That’s Not in My American History Book; A Compilation of Little-Know Events and Forgotten Heroes, Taylor Trade Publishing, 200

The ushistory.org site tries to dispute that and talks about the Washington crest having 6 point stars. As this book plate form the VA Historical Society http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/images/GeorWashArms.jpg and the flag of Washington, D.C. show, the Washington crest has 5 point stars and it would be likely that he would have had Hopkinson used 5 pointed stars.

USHistory.org only says they believe the evidence supports the Ross claim, but at the end, they say that although they believe the story, it is likely that the truth will never be know for sure.

According to Thomas Ayer’s book, Ross did sow a flag for the government, but it was for a navy ship, not the Continental Army.

MSBassSinger July 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm

Chip Rogers sent the same story. I don’t see anyone on here criticizing him (and I support Chip). The basic premise of the story is 100% correct, and the signers did suffer loss because of their courage to establish an independent nation. The story, in its original form, was originally told to counter the liberal propaganda that the founders were just rich white men who got richer with the Revolution.

Don’t the anti-Ox folks have any better character and honor than nit-picking things like this? I haven’t decided who I will support for Governor yet, but if the supporters of various candidates on here can’t make solid, issue-based arguments, it makes me wonder if the candidate has anything worth supporting.

Also, Snopes is noticeably left wing. I’ve seen a number of articles there that are slanted towards liberalism, and against conservatism and Christianity. They don’t lie, but they do “shape” the text they write. I rely more on http://www.truthorfiction.com.

Jason Shepherd July 3, 2009 at 3:16 pm

I once made a solid, issues based argument. It didn’t go over very well :(

macho July 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm

Ox is running for Governor and Rogers isn’t. There will be lots of things Ox, and other candidates for Governor, are criticized for, while other incumbents don’t reach that level of scrutiny. If you can’t stand the heat, then get out of the kitchen.

If Ox had just been running for reelection, nobody would have noticed, but when you’re a serious candidate for Governor, you’re supposed to have people that can write a press release or email beyond the third grade level.

Jason Shepherd July 4, 2009 at 12:42 am

Then Karen Handel needs to receive more scrutiny for allowing an email go out from her campaign deliberately misrepresenting it as coming from her IPhone.

But the fact is, that, along with Oxendine repeating a legend that countless people pass along the internet, are ridiculous nit picking that isn’t worth the time of anyone but the most dedicated of followers to spend endless hours engaging in.

In Jeff’s track-back above, where he does so far to call Oxendine a liar, I pointed out he has called thousands of Georgians who have forwarded the story as well liars.

The lack of common sense is really what is scary here and it’s not coming from Oxendine’s supporters on here. It’s not coming from Nathan Deal or Eric Johnson supporters either. It’s coming from the dozen or so supporters of one candidate and reminds me of the irrational conspiracy theories, campaign tactics and mud slinging of many Ron Paul supporters that was complained about on Peach Pundit for months.

Jeff July 4, 2009 at 4:55 am

Actually, I used it more as continuing evidence of a theme I’ve been pointing out for a couple of months now. Namely, that Ox is a liar that really doesn’t seem to care about lying nor getting caught lying.

Much like the theme I’m currently running on Handel is her Voter Verification debacle, which I actually recently got information to do another post on – but I’m in Cartersville for the weekend and am waiting to get back to South GA to write that article – trying to spend as much time with the family as possible and not get here or SWGAPolitics.com very much at all.

Bill Simon July 4, 2009 at 10:29 pm

Spend time with your family whilst plotting to go against Karen and her family.

Nice touch.

Jeff July 3, 2009 at 2:14 pm

MBassSlinger:

If Ox and Company can’t do a basic fact check on something so minor as this, what will happen when the issue at hand is much more critical?

Will they not verify their information first, and spread misinformation to the public in an effort to pander and make themselves look good?

GOPGeorgia July 3, 2009 at 2:36 pm

As opposed to sending it from their i-phone?

Jason Shepherd July 3, 2009 at 2:51 pm

Then you better hold the others who forwarded this story to the same standard. Chip Rogers should be reading and researching hundreds of bills as the majority leader. He made the same mistake here. I would not use this to call into question his credentials to lead the Republicans in the senate anymore than I think this makes Oxendine a weaker candidate for Governor.

It’s stupid nit-picking at its finest.

birdfan July 3, 2009 at 3:47 pm

Sarah Palin announces she will step down On July 26th

Jason Shepherd July 3, 2009 at 3:58 pm

When is Mark Sanford going to announce he’s stepping down?

Progressive Dem July 3, 2009 at 5:18 pm

Sarah Palin is without a doubt one of the greatest whack jobs in American politics. A worse speech and explanation is hard to imagine. Could anybody follow that incoherence?

Dash Riptide July 3, 2009 at 5:22 pm

She cut a deal with Rupert Murdoch. That’s what I got out of it.

Bill Simon July 3, 2009 at 6:36 pm

Why are people believing SNOPES all of a sudden? After all, they just mimicked FactCheck on the Obama non-birth certificate.

rugby July 4, 2009 at 11:35 am

Once again Bill, how are you not paranoid?

Bill Simon July 4, 2009 at 6:22 pm

Rugby,

I see you are of the mind that IF it is printed somewhere, it must be true.

How are you not stupid?

rugby July 5, 2009 at 7:17 pm

“I see you are of the mind that IF it is printed somewhere, it must be true.”

So now you just make stuff up too?

Bill Simon July 5, 2009 at 7:20 pm

Rugby,

Your rebuttal to my post points to you believing everything you read. Not making it up. Inferring it based on your actions.

rugby July 5, 2009 at 7:20 pm

So then you have poor reasoning.

Good to know Bill!

Bill Simon July 5, 2009 at 8:20 pm

“Reasoning” is not something left-wingers can ever really grasp.

So, Rugby, your view of me is incorrect. I reason quite well. Too well, sometimes.

But, in order for one to reason lefty-logic (e.g., you and anything you attempt at communicating beyond “WTF?”), one has to do too much regressing back to childhood in order to have any hope of understanding your point of view.

GOPGeorgia July 4, 2009 at 4:40 pm

Grandma said she was there when he was born….not in our 50th state!

North Ga Indy July 5, 2009 at 7:38 pm

Memo to Oxendine: If you can lose my support, then you can lose anybodies. Stop the silliness, run an honest campaign.

Dash Riptide July 5, 2009 at 7:43 pm

Let it go. The elephant in the room has always been that Ox can’t win any more support than he already has.

North Ga Indy July 5, 2009 at 7:44 pm

GO MCBERRY!!!

Dash Riptide July 5, 2009 at 7:46 pm

AND TAKE OX WITH YOU!!!

North Ga Indy July 5, 2009 at 7:49 pm

I’m not an Ox guy anymore. The days of this are over:

“However, here comes Governor John W. Oxendine come 2011. Ah, GO OXENDINE!!!”

Those days are done.

Dash Riptide July 5, 2009 at 7:54 pm

You’ll come around. Again.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 11:17 am

There he goes again.

http://twitter.com/johnoxendine/status/2871483186

“You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”

Rev. William J. H. Boetcker

rugby July 28, 2009 at 12:28 pm

But what about women?

Is SpaceyG able to give us an answer?

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 12:38 pm

Huh? Women are the ones what are supposed to do stuff for us. I’m pretty sure that is the point of the quote. Women need to be persistent in doing stuff for us, because our needs are neverending.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 12:43 pm

I wonder if it’s possible to reply to a comment that is awaiting moderation.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 1:56 pm

Whoa.

Icarus July 28, 2009 at 1:59 pm

I’ve held back long enough, and I just have to say it,

I think it’s very cruel of Jason Pye and Dash Riptide to keep pointing out that the Ox campaign staff can’t read.

ByteMe July 28, 2009 at 2:05 pm

It’s only cruel if you said it to their face and since they can’t read….

Doug Deal July 28, 2009 at 2:10 pm

Reading books is how the devil “gits yuh”.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 2:34 pm

It’s how he gets the geeks, anyway.

Doug Deal July 28, 2009 at 4:30 pm

The part that confuses me is that the Bible is a book too.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 4:32 pm

That’s like saying that human beings are animals, too.

Doug Deal July 28, 2009 at 6:05 pm

True dr, mr apology.

Dash Riptide July 28, 2009 at 2:23 pm

He’s the only politician I follow on Twitter. He should feel honored.

John Konop July 28, 2009 at 2:31 pm

I vote we send INDY!

Dear Supporters,

We are excited to announce that we will be sponsoring a number of “Fair Tax” Town Halls around Georgia to help people learn more about the Fair Tax issue. John will be speaking at each of these and then answering audience questions in a town hall format.

Our first event is in Glynn County on St. Simons Island. Please pass the word if you know of folks in that area or have friends vacationing there on the coast.

Date and Time: August 3, Monday, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Event: Fair Tax Town Hall
Location: Neptune Park Bandstand
(We need greeters wearing t-shirts, people passing out flyers at Pier area, etc. Volunteers—Please meet at bandstand at 5pm)

Tim Echols, our campaign manager, will be there on-site for this maiden event and we hope many can join him. Reach him at tim@johnoxendine.com if you can make it. The Glynn County GOP meeting is at 6pm that night and John will be there as well.

Team Ox

PS If you would be interested in hosting a Fair Tax Town Hall in your area, please contact Tim as well.

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