Guardian Columnist invokes Presidential Assassination

international | arts and media | other press Monday October 25, 2004 23:44 by Michael Hennigan - Finfacts.com

Guardian may help Bush Campaign

The Guardian's Operation Clark County appears to misfire following publicity in the US that one of the paper's columnist advocated the assassination of President Bush.

Following the third presidential debate, the TV reviewer Charlie Brooker wrote last Thursday: 'On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod's law dictates he'll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr - where are you now that we need you?'

One poster on the Guardian blog wrote: 'That Booker (sic) article asking where the next Booth, Hinckley, or Oswald could be found is the worst example of journalism i ever saw. First your insist on telling people how they must vote then if they do not listen you look for a killer?'

This was the Guardian's reaction to 'Operation Clark County' before reaction to the Brooker piece started building- and likely helping Bush more than Kerry.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/story/0,13918,1332041,00.html