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The "Ground Zero Mosque": The Perfect Republican Talking Point

by Spencer Critchley on Sep 1, 2010

From the Huffington Post : In the last post Zach Friend and I wrote , we detailed the recipe for a Republican Talking Point. In the short time since then there has appeared a perfect example: the "Ground Zero mosque."

It isn't at Ground Zero, it isn't a mosque, and the xenophobia aimed at it is shameful.

But that hasn't stopped this talking point from being repeated millions and millions of times. Try Googling it. As of this writing, it yields 105 million hits.

Now trying Googling the more accurate "Islamic cultural center" plus "Ground Zero." I get 2.9 million hits -- a Talking Point-to-Truth ratio of more than 36 to 1.

But remember, a xenophobic frenzy has been whipped up over the idea of peaceful Muslims practicing freedom of religion two big Manhattan blocks from Ground Zero. Without that frenzy we wouldn't be getting even 2.9 million hits. Probably more like the 345,000 hits that come up for "Islamic cultural center" and...Read More >>