More smoke grenades
It’s time to revisit some old posts about a tactic used by the right now being deployed against the supposed “Biden crime family.” It is a variety of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks (All the president’s lawyers; 9/7/22):
It is a time-tested tactic on the right. Practiced and perfected. Gin up fake controversy over anything and everything. From tan suits to sloppy salutes. From Benghazi to emails. Pimp it like hell until the press can’t stop itself from reporting the controversy. Rush Limbaugh built a career on serving up a daily dose of outrage to his listeners until they would go into withdrawal if it stopped. I’ve described the decades-long, Republican phony effort to convince the public there is massive voter fraud as them lobbing smoke bombs into newsrooms. By the time the smoke clears and we discover, yet again, there was never a fire, all the public remembers is they saw smoke and heard someone yelling, “Fire!” Lather, rinse, repeat.
Digby calls it the “where there’s smoke there’s fire” gambit.
From Media Matters last week:
Fox News host Sean Hannity got a less-than-emphatic answer when he flat-out asked House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer if he will be able to prove allegations that President Joe Biden is guilty of participating in a bribery scheme.
Former Hunter Biden business partner Devon Archer testified for Congress behind closed doors Monday, and Democratic New York Congressman and House Oversight Committee member Rep. Dan Goldman has been outspoken in making the case that the testimony backs up the president, as has the Biden White House.
Here’s that exchange (highlighted):
SEAN HANNITY: I tell you, and this is why the Republicans have one half of one house. The government, one branch of government is so critical because these investors would all get covered up. And both of you put your neck on the line to get to the truth. And we went a long way today. And this. Will you both a, answer yes or no? Do you believe that this is now officially the Joe Biden bribery allegation? And do you believe that you will be able to prove that? Jim Comer.
REP. COMER: I sure hope so. And I do believe that there’s a lot of smoke. And where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Except, of course, when it’s the GOP just lobbing smoke bombs into newsrooms to create that impression (Smoke bombers; 5/16/21):
With all that smoke, casual viewers conclude there must be a fire. And for smoke bombers, the truth is beside the point. The allegations land on Page 1 and on the news at six. Investigation findings showing no fraud occured wind up on page six.
Regarding the truth being beside the point, Laura Ingraham told viewers just that last week while tossing out more unsupported innuendo.
Where readers are most familiar with the “where there’s smoke there’s fire” gambit is regarding rumors of widespread “voter fraud” (Scrutiny Hooligans; GOP Fraud Hunt: A Lack of Electoral Confidence; 4/7/14):
Gaming election results through precision gerrymandering and repressive voting laws aimed at the poor and minorities is political Viagra® for the flagging demographic potency of the Republican base. Voter data matching exercises are not meant to uncover crimes, punish criminals, or even amass credible evidence. They are the pretext for a party suffering a lack of electoral confidence to throw smoke bombs into newsrooms and yell, “Voter fraud!” By the time the smoke clears and no evidence is found — again — of a “massive” problem, all viewers remember is that they saw smoke and heard cries of fraud. And where there’s smoke there must be a fire, right?
Thus spreads unsubstantiated rumors that undermine voter confidence in elections and build public support for tighter controls on voting that serve only to make it harder, you know, for those people to vote.