What constitutes a “smear?” Is it the falsehood or the particular religion involved that renders an assertion that Obama is Muslim a “smear?” Or does it depend entirely on the motives of the one making the assertion (accusation?)–you know, much like whether a pregnancy is considered a blessed event or a mistake to be corrected depends on the intent of the pregnant woman to either bring the baby to term or abort the fetus. Perhaps if I oppose Obama and am attempting to vilify him, such assertions (accusations?) would be “smears.” But if I were, say, a Muslim who fully supports Obama’s candidacy and joyfully and publicly embraces him as my fellow, they would not. Would it be a “smear” to suggest that Obama’s a Jew (which he isn’t)? Or gay (which he isn’t…as far as we know…not that there’s anything wrong with that)? If I were to express reservations (which I have) about Obama’s troubling embrace of Black Liberation Theology, could I be accused of attempting to “smear” him?
