Intelligent voters?

Ariana Huffington (http://tinyurl.com/2d4gtf) writes about GOP politicians who get a pass on claims that al-Qaeda and other anti-American terrorist organizations support Democratic candidates for high office and are happy when these Democrats succeed because they see the Democrats as ready to capitulate to the bad guys. An egregious recent example is the following widely reported claim by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa- not to be confused with the respectable fright fiction writer of a similar name) about Sen. Barack Hussein Obama (not to be confused with the well-known terrorist nor the much despised former dictator (now deceased) of similar names:

“If he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11 because they will declare victory in this War on Terror."

Outrageous assertions such as King’s about terrorist attempts to influence our elections one way or another are just another example of pundits and politicians talking to voters as if they are stupid. Intelligent people who have read up on the issues can tell when something is being spun or just downright fabricated. One of the main reasons Sen. Barack Obama resonates with voters is that he assumes the listener has a brain and can think for her or himself. I'm an older (age 55), white, male, Democratic voter who finds the respect Sen. Obama shows to his audience refreshing; but, I wonder if many of my age peers are so used to being on the receiving end of spin that they are numb to it. How intelligent people can maintain self-respect when posting talking points is a mystery. The current example that comes to mind is the repeated characterizations of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Trinity UCC as "hate mongers" and "racists." Just a little research quickly proves that neither is truly racist. I know, I had to check it out for myself when the clips of Rev. Jeremiah Wright making inflammatory statements in his sermons emerged. Discerning voters take a critical look at themselves and their candidates. They don't accept everything their side says without doing their own fact checks. And what does it mean that Gov. Mike Huckabee speaks up for Sen. Obama's relationship with Rev. Wright and presenting his articulate and thoughtful views on MSNBC's Morning Joe? Imagine a presidential race between two candidates who present a clear choice but address the voter as a rational being who is capable of independent thinking?