All of a sudden, George W. Bush is being held up as a role model for Republicans by Democrats. What did Bush do to deserve this? He formulated the "Islam is peace" slogan as a way to describe Islam in the wake of September 11.
The Democratic National Committee has cut an ad in which GOP hopefuls talk about "radical Islam," before a sober George Bush comes on to say that "Islam is peace" and that we are "not at war with Islam."
Much of the media and Democratic Party obsess about narratives. It is not enough for reporters to report facts, data, and events. They must all be shaped into story-telling elements to tell a larger story or narrative. This approach has become common among both the press and politicians. The Obama administration, in particular, has become obsessed with narratives at the expense of our national security.
Saadiq Long is one data point in the quest for narratives. In 2013, liberal journalists wove the facts of Saadiq Long into the greater narrative that the United States was still an oppressive regime under Barack Obama. The "no fly list" was but one example, and Saadiq Long was on the no fly list. The cause of Saadiq Long was championed by MSNBC, Glenn Greenwald, Mother Jones magazine, and more.
