I like how the woman says "fist bump", as if it's a dirty word, a seuxal position, or two words that have never, ever been strung together in the same sentence. Also? A "fist bump" is "intimate"? If that's true, then I get "intimate" with my favorite security guard buddy every day when I walk past him on my way to the elevators...

Ooh, wait, then again, he's Puerto Rican and I'm Spanish/Filipino. We both come from cultures that have a long history of terrorism.

I can't believe people are still talking about this. My bf is, as he says, "lily-white" and he uses that gesture. Come on. Are people that stupid?

Oh Liberty, Fox is fair and balanced! Of course Obama's opponents will be able to convince people that there's some truth to the claim. And they'll proudly point to it as evidence of their great influence.

I couldn't even watch the whole video...I felt my IQ plummeting. That has got to be one of the most ridiculous things ever on cable news. The whole Obama is a terrorist and his middle name is Hussein thing just makes me want to cry. Let's at least attempt to keep our eye on the ball people.

"Fox News is doing what it can to make sure its viewers are at best misinformed"

Did you learn this style of writing in Journalism school?

I actually watched the video, and the lady they are interviewing is just talking about body language, not about terrorism.

MM - lol! Me too!!

It doesn't fall on all deaf ears, my very own flesh and blood sister is a crazed republican claiming that Obama is in fact a terrorist. I remind her that Senator Obama should be a respected citizen of the United States running for an office that can only benefit the American people he so strongly wishes to protect.

And I must get intimate every time I (oh my) Fist Bump the custodian of my building! No way!

I saw this video earlier and E.D. should feel like a jacka*s for saying this. It's just makes her look like a fool. They tried pitch the segment as if it was some sort of cultural experiment by using a "body language" expert (definitely adds some weight to the story now doesn't it - and the "expert" should feel like an idiot too). I wish the media would just move on.

The woman interviewed said the only way you could know what the "bump" meant to Obama and his wife is by asking them. I don't see how that's ridiculous.

And if you ever watch CNN or CNN Headline news they have their fair share of FLUFF (like little random boys doing random things in a random town that should not even be on a local news show let alone a national cable one).

that's sick. how stupid do you have to be to believe this sh*te?!

Waste of air time

Seriously? Are AMERICANS THAT DUMB that they would believe such nonsense??

Krradford -- I second that and say the "newsperson" biatch is a waste of space.

I think Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire "invented" this back in the day when they were the Bash Brothers. Maybe the Obamas are on steroids? We should call in a steroids expert and have them dissect this for us because the American public deserves to know!

I am confused. Everytime I read a thread on here and it's referring to one thing, why do we need to bring up something else. Can we stick to the subject at hand. The story above is about people thinking he is a terrioist, do you think so, why do you think people are believing this? Why are we debating about the news stations, let's stay focused for once.

Hey, syako and everyone. I was just giving my take on Fox News' decision to associate an often used celebratory gesture with terrorism — a frightening threat many Americans take very seriously.

The beauty of this site is that you can of course offer your disagreement with my assessment in the comments!

I'm interested to see what people think about this too, bellaressa! What do you think? Will the rumor stick?

I can't view all 3:20 minutes of the interview, so I guess I'm not getting where they are making the connection between this fist bump and terrorism.

Does this mean that all sports athletes who give the congratulatory fist bump are also terrorist covert operatives?

IMO, this isn't anything more than an explanation about the fist bump in an effort to dispell myths.

Em1282, to answer your question - I believe yes. But, I like to think people are just set in their ways. I am on many politial boards during the evening when I go home and I am amazed at how many people believe he is a terrioist, racist, and that a "blk man" (their words) shouldn't be running for president. So, I am not sure what you call that. Some people still think MC is not a citzen of the US, so who knows.

Syako, there is a HUGE difference between a pure fluff story on random boys in a random town and implying that a Senator of the United States and a candidate for President is a terrorist. HUGE difference. The story itself on the body language was obviously the result of not having 24 hour news for the 24 hour news cycle, but the lead in was irresponsible to say the very least.

From what I hear from many Republicans, yes Americans are dumb enough to believe that he is a terrorist. I have no idea why that is other than perhaps allowing Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter undue influence over their thinking.

I don't think the rumor sticks. I don't think the rumor is even really a real thing (meaning number of people who actually believe it). I've never heard of it until reading this post.

It will probably fall away to the side much like all the 9/11 conspirator theories.

LibertySugar, sad enough I believe it will. I believe there is a small number of small minded people in the US that believes this. It's evident on many political boards with people voicing their opinions without being outed.

The piece was on BODY LANGUAGE. why is that falling on deaf ears.

The sad thing is yes, people are that STUPID and will believe every word of it!

mm don't act like the dems don't have their fair share of crazies spouting off "misinformation" and lies.

Bella - there is a small number of people anywhere who you can get to believe anything you want them to. Don't draw conclusions on the rest of us because the voices of the minority. Not all conservatives are bassackwards like those misguided minority.

This news clip was about body language. I have no idea where the anchor got the "terrorist..." thing because that didn't come up again. It seemed rather random and unconnected to the rest of the story because one example was Obama and the "fist bump" and the other President Bush and the "chest bump".
So I agree that seemed rather unconnected but as for jumping to the idea that FoxNews is trying to connect Obmama and terrorism...seems like a bit of a stretch for me.

The issue isn't the piece on body language, the issue is that in the lead in she asked if it was a terrorist fist jab and that that sort of rumor mongering seems to have taken hold among some people.

I am just so flabbergasted as to why that gesture became such a HUGE issue in the first place. Is there nothing else to inform people about?!

Sy - can you watch all 3 minutes? Does the reporter ever draw the connection between the fist jab and terrorist?

For one thing Dave, I was not specifying a specific party b/c their are many crazies on each side. What I said it what I meant, their are people who believe whether they are a small party or not they have power and influence.

A coworker and I were discussing the fist bump and I was saying I liked it more than the Tipper Gore mack session, and my coworker pointed out how the fist bump showed his wife as not just this sexual person to throw down with in celebration, but more of a partner in this race that he is undertaking.

I am appalled, but not shocked, that there is a way to spin it into terrorism. It is just such a ridiculous accusation... but those have worked in the past and insinuations have a way of sticking (secret muslim)... it is just so dishonest.

Like I said before stick to the issues. This is not party specific for me and I am not even looking at it like that but I see others always are.

Sy, I'm not saying that Democrats don't do that. But the idea of Obama as a terrorist seems to be quite entrenched among SOME Republicans.

The reporter says that first line and then the entire piece is about body language and what the "jab" means to the couple and then it's about Bush giving a chest jump with an air force graduate. Nothing about terrorists.

Well, here's the thing--the piece was on "body language", but the word "terrorist" was thrown in there. Why? What body language to terrorists have?

And not to get off topic, but I'm really not a big fan of either CNN (anyone read Chez Pazienza's blog, Deus Ex Malcontent.com?) or Fox News, but the fact that this is still being discussed at all AND being thrown into this weird mix with body language and terrorism is pretty sickening, IMO.

also - since when are we doing body language critiques? It is like ET or extra on a slow news day having the body language expert on to discuss how brad and angie are leaning away from each other and it means trouble in paradise. Glad news ppl have the same slow news day go to stories...

I just happen to think that it's a very VERY SMALL minority of crazies that think that. Everyone else doesn't like Obama because he's extremely liberal.

I get what you're saying, Syako, but IMO I don't think the word "terrorist" should have been brought up at all.

Ok, fine. I agree. But to make this huge mess about this like it's a whole segment calling Obama a terrorist seems a bit like misinformation to ME.

I hate Fox News, and I didn't have to go to journalism school to figure that out.

I don't think any of my conservative family members or friends honestly believe Obama is a terrorist, but it still irks me when they say things like, "No one with the middle name 'Hussein' will ever run my country."

It's a very ignorant view to take. I won't be upset if you don't like Obama simply because you're conservative, but say that instead. I have even more respect for people who cite specific policy ideas of Obama's as reasons for not liking him.

The terrorist slander tactic is just dumb and it's sad that some people might actually fall for it.

my 2 cents:

1: reporting that fox news is a propaganda machine is TOTALLY necessary -- and people realizing that this is true, and not just kinda true, is also totally necessary. that is not a political view point. that is a fact. i suggest anyone who disagrees with this go and do some simple research about where the money trail leads.

2: all they need to do is mention terrorist and obama in the same sentence and they are fulfilling their mission. whether or not the piece draws a substantive link between obama's gesture and terrorism is not really important - they've now got people (including us) talking about it. and some people are stupid enough to wonder. this is how propaganda works. again, go do some research.

when did this turn into let's all be really harsh and condescending day?

syako: do you work for fox or something? why defend this?

because we have all been hanging out here so much we are now all on the same cycle.

I'm not defending this. And no, I do not work for Fox. And I don't appreciate the way you've been talking down to me. But that's another tangent.

I'm not defending Fox. I'm saying that after I watched the video I was shocked that Liberty felt the need to do a WHOLE post on this because of one stupid sentence. And I feel like no one else is watching the video, which irks me even more, because that's what the whole post is about.

probably.

After watching the whole video, I do agree that calling it a "terrorist fist jab" was totally random and thrown in there just to associate Obama with terrorism. Nowhere else in the whole video does the expert tie it at all with terrorism.....just the host in the intro.

"(like little random boys doing random things in a random town that should not even be on a local news show let alone a national cable one)"

SY Ive missed you so.

I dont think many people will buy into this muckraking. I have heard this rumor before. If you google Ole Obama you can find a whole slew of things. My favorite is the guy on Youtube who describes in detail a scandalous encounter with the Senator ... that was comical.

What people will say for a few minutes of fame.

I think people who want to believe that hes a terrorist will continue to believe that no matter what anyone says. Just like they will continue to try to convince people hes a muslim- even though I still don't see why that would be a big deal if it were true- and probably that he kicks puppies while he walks down the street.

I do have to agree that after you get past the 'terrorist fist jab' thing it is a pretty simple story on body language. I just cant figure out why the word terrorist even needed to be thrown in there. I dont know how closely we watch our terrorists that we know that their victory celebrations include 'fist jabs' but it does seem very weird to even mention it. Then the fact that they dont talk about it again to say 'this has nothing to do with terrorism' makes me a little squirmy.

Also syako just for the sake of argument, having gone to journalism school and seeing as how this whole site is based on opinions, I do think its quite possible LibertySugar did learn about this style of writing in school. Since even though this is in reference to a news article it is at heart her opinion not a statement of fact.

You know that phrase "Them's fighting words"? Tossing the word "terrorist" into the beginning of a piece on Obama and body language is the equivalent of "fighting words", IMO. It would be the same if the first sentence of a piece on McCain was: "McCain French kisses his wife! Intimate gesture OR secret handshake indicative of membership in the Aryan Nation????????"

Betty. Missed you too!