California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown says he hates attack ads and political mudslinging. Sure he called Republican candidate Meg Whitman an “apostle of darkness and ignorance” and “intellectually embarrassing”, but there’s no need for him to spend millions (like she did) to make her seem any more anti-gay, pro-porn, or out of touch than she already is. Why oh why then did Brown bother comparing Whitman to Hitler’s propaganda chief while jogging with a local journalist?
Brown boasted about his legendary frugality. “I’ve only spent $200,000 so far. I have 20 million in the bank. I’m saving up for her.” It’s true – his stay-on-the-sidelines, bare-bones primary run cost him almost nothing, at least in California political terms. But he also fretted about the impact of all those eBay dollars in Whitman’s very deep pockets. “You know, by the time she’s done with me, two months from now, I’ll be a child-molesting…” He let the line trail off. “She’ll have people believing whatever she wants about me.” Then he went off on a riff I didn’t expect.
“It’s like Goebbels,” referring to Hitler’s notorious Minister of Propaganda. “Goebbels invented this kind of propaganda. He took control of the whole world. She wants to be president. That’s her ambition, the first woman president. That’s what this is all about.”
Whitman’s staff has called him out on the ridiculous comparison, as they should have. But stopping the debate there ignores Brown’s crucial point: By the time Whitman’s millions are done being spent, she’ll have the electorate believing he’s a “child molester” by Election Day. No fair! How’s she gonna do it?
The Joseph Goebbels way! He was the Third Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany famous for “Big Lie” theory — namely, that if you repeat a lie constantly, with a massive push behind it, you can get people to believe anything. Like Whitman resembling Hitler’s minions.
Brown should focus on the facts instead of using the tired trope of opponent-as-Nazi that works more against him than her. We get why he said it, but Whitman’s record is bad enough on its own without dressing it up in a red armband and a swastika, eh?
How about we take this to the next level?
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jimstoic
It’s not Brown’s fault that Goebbels was a Nazi.
christopher di spirito
(Nut)Meg Whitman voted “YES” on Prop 8. As far as I’m concerned, Jerry Brown can call her anything he wishes. She’s a douchebag.
James_From_The_Great_City_of_Cambridge
Brown was inappropriate in comparing her to Goebbles. Whitman hasn’t killed 6 million Jews; not that we know of anyway. Anything to the rumor that Meg raped and murdered a young girl back in 1990? Originally I didn’t believe that she’d done it but I haven’t heard her deny it so I’m beginning to believe it must be true…
whatever
Billions of dollars in the bank and she still can’t fix that gummy smile…
Richie
Right on Jerry Brown! Tell it like it is.
San Francisco Treat
Queerty, you stupid shits, he’s calling her a propagandist, not a Nazi.
San Francisco Treat
@ 6 – lol that’s my most popular post ever.
jason
Smegma Whitman is a homophobe who does not deserve one vote.
Phil
@James_From_The_Great_City_of_Cambridge: \
Hey did you know that Goebbels didn’t kill six million jews either? As long as we’re being self-righteous here, that is.
B
No. 9 · Phil wrote, “@James_From_The_Great_City_of_Cambridge: Hey did you know that Goebbels didn’t kill six million jews either?”
James aside, some of us even know that he was behind Kristallnacht and other anti-Jewish activities/pogroms/deportations. Some of his anti-Jewish activities pissed off Hermann Goering, mainly because Goering was not consulted.
He didn’t actually kill six million Jews because that was someone else’s department. As the head propagandist, he “merely” whitewashed it as he encouraged it.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels Goebbels did have one exceptionable ability: “Whatever the loss of real power suffered by Goebbels during the middle years of the Nazi regime, he remained one of Hitler’s intimates. Since his offices were close to the Chancellery, he was a frequent guest for lunch, during which he became adept at listening to Hitler’s monologues and agreeing with his opinions.” Listening to Hitler’s monologues and agreeing with his opinions while keeping a straight face must not have been easy.
libhomo
The GOP is a neo Nazi criminal gang. What’s so terrible about stating the facts about that organization?