# I'm officially disowning my hometown. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 14, 2008, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860 "2008-10-14T13:03:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/21 "2008-10-14T15:36:26Z")
How long before the fact his middle name is Hussein gets tired? I really don’t think that if McCain’s full name was John Adolf McCain III they’d think it was anything more than coincidence, and it’s not like he _chose_ his name. And the Muslim thing… Isa bin Maryam, have they just honestly never heard of snopes or factcheck or seen any of the 20,000 talk shows where that’s been discounted or even heard McCain himself say “no, he’s not a Muslim” (let alone an ‘Arab’, which some of these people don’t even seem to realize isn’t a synonym for Muslim or that there are Arab Christians or that Kenyans aren’t Arabs)? Of course as an Alabamian I find the clip refreshing. It’s always good to know we really don’t have **all** of the idiots and race-baiters and Fundie wingnuts not afraid to look like ignorant loudmouths down here. (In fact some got all the way up to Alaska.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/22 "2008-10-14T15:45:14Z")
The big Florida rally (of Palin’s) took place at The Villages, a giant retirement community near Ocala (armed-response, ain’t gonna let no nigger date my daughter-type territory). The Villages has the highest rate of gonnorhea and syphilis in the state. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/23 "2008-10-14T15:45:53Z")
My brother’s wife and her family are all from that area of the state, and frankly I’m with Terrifel here–it’s a scenic, charming area with a lot of people who could stand to be washed away in the next flood. They’re all voting McCain, too, even my brother. Lousy single-issue voters. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/24 "2008-10-14T15:49:58Z")
Pardon the slight hijack, but to avoid yet another “Fundie idiot supports McCain” thread, the [Reverend Arnold Conrad invocation](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g0d3_KE5js) before McCain’s speech in Iowa this week was one of the oddest things I’ve heard. Emphasis mine on a couple of lines: > [@](#): > > Conrad’s prayer: > > "Please energize Senator McCain as he seeks to share his vision and what he > thinks we need to do for the problems that we face in this country. And > Lord, help us to be good listeners, ready to hear what he has to share. > > “\* I would also add Lord that your reputation is involved in all that happens > between now and November\*, because there are millions of people around this > world praying to their God — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his > [McCain’s] opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord I pray that you > would guard your own reputation, _because they’re gonna think that their god > is bigger than You_, if that happens. So I pray that You would step forward > and honor Your _own_ name in all that happens between now and Election Day. > Ah Lord, we just commit this time to you. Move among us, make your presence > very well felt as we are gathered here today in Jesus’s name, I pray.” It seems 1- Reverend Conrad is a henotheist rather than a monotheist 2- Reverend Conrad actually feels the God he believes created and sustains and governs the universe needs the advice of an Iowa preacher, which must set a new record in arrogance 3- Reverend Conrad doesn’t believe that any Obama supporters are Christian 4- McCain doesn’t feel the need to challenge or address anything Conrad said since he went onstage, did his dance/made the sailors drink/scolded a protester but never made a comment about the prayer Religious people and politicians are weird. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/25 "2008-10-14T15:52:30Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > I grandpap was a “hero” in the 77’ flood\*. Most of my relatives lived in Tanneryville, which was in the direct line of the flood waters. Sadly my family lost a few relatives in the flood but the best came out as well. My pap carried a few elderly neighbors up a hill before his and there homes washed away. He likes telling the story of tricking the National Guard into letting him get through the blockades so he could get to work. He tells the story telling us how lazy we are calling off for such silly things as being sick. 😉 > > - My mom and dad had us in Wyoming at the time, when she heard the story on the radio she got scared, no phones no way of knowing anything but Tanneryville had been decimated. She spent a day crying, fearing the worst, when she heard her dads voice on the radio talking about getting the neighbors to safety. Now, see? That’s a wonderful heartwarming story. You couldn’t share that story if you truly disavowed your roots. Surely there’s still plenty of decent folk back there who deserve your support and best wishes; don’t turn your back on them. Embrace your past. Besides, you and I both know that most of the people in that video were probably from Blairsville anyway. They’re just nothing but freaks over there. Beady-eyed little monkey-guy? He’s got “Blairsville spawn” written all over him. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/26 "2008-10-14T16:10:07Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Folks, despite what you see in that clip, western Pennsylvania is quite scenic and charming in many areas, and cheerfully welcomes your investment dollars. Also, please remember that Johnstown is routinely devastated by floods, and so most of the people in that rally will eventually be washed away. And Pittsburgh’s not like that. In my neighborhood, there are Obama signs everywhere. I think I’ve seen three McCain signs total. More good news: Population of Johnstown: 21,832 Population of Squirrel Hill (my neighborhood in Pittsburgh): 24,915 ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/27 "2008-10-14T17:07:20Z")
I’m making a collection of all of this videos. Nov 5th after Obama wins in a landslide im going to rewatch every single one of them starting with the ones from Hillary supporters back in the primaries spouting almost the same things with the biggest smile on my face. Fuck you assholes, you are going to lose and lose bad and by god im going to fucking rub it in every chance i can. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/28 "2008-10-14T17:20:22Z")
Wow! The worst thing I heard when I went to an Obama rally in New Mexico was a vendor bellowing, “Buy your Obama playing cards, then play a Republican to get your money\* back. Bush and McCain are the jokers!” Nobody in the crowd was yelling anything, good or bad, yet you could still see the excitement and passion on everybody’s face. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/29 "2008-10-14T17:59:26Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > All of those people have nothing to say about McCain. McCain and Palin know this is going on at their rallies. Their reaction, or lack of reaction, speaks volumns about them. None of it good. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/30 "2008-10-14T18:12:54Z")
> [@RyJae](#): > > I will say this, hopefully this is not a view commonly held but contained to the redneck areas around south central PA. Are you saying Johnstown is South-Central PA? Because anything that’s closer to Pittsburgh than Harrisburg is Western PA, IMHO. Or maybe I’m just trying to geographically distance myself from these freaks. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/31 "2008-10-14T18:18:37Z")
These are people who have decided beforehand to show up and make assholes of themselves in a misguided attempt to influence the election, and they are a tiny, tiny minority of the right. To see people being assholes in their natural environment and caught unawares as they go about their daily business, [take a look at this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQalRPQ8stI). ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/32 "2008-10-14T18:21:52Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Religious people and politicians are weird. Yes. I’d comment more, but I’m still so nauseated from all these videos. People suck. **SA** –So, that makes it all right, then, does it? To see some liberals jeering makes the racial slurs, the hate and the vitriol all just politics as usual? The woman yelling “wake up!” --man, that’s some hate speech for ya. I will say your vid has better music. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/33 "2008-10-14T18:27:33Z")
Missed the edit window. I doubt that these are “people caught unawares”–it’s a demonstration. I didn’t watch the whole thing because I am sickened by these videos. I am less and less proud of my country every day. I will never understand this meme of “if I can tar the other side with the same brush, then it evens the score.” It doesn’t. Dems behaving badly does not make Reps behaving badly better or OK. If it gives you comfort to think so, I hope it helps you. ---
**Author:** ![RyJae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@RyJae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RyJae)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/34 "2008-10-14T18:30:36Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > These are people who have decided beforehand to show up and make assholes of themselves in a misguided attempt to influence the election, and they are a tiny, tiny minority of the right. > > To see people being assholes in their natural environment and caught unawares as they go about their daily business, [take a look at this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQalRPQ8stI). Was that at a Obama rally? Do you think it would have been appropriate for a McCain/Palin aide to tell the guy carrying a monkey with an Obama sticker to get the hell outta there? If so why wasn’t that done? And Starving Artist, I am more to the right than this board skews, so this isn’t a political leanings rant, this is bullshit. If Powell would have ran for President as a republican do you think the democrats would have carried a monkey with a Powell sticker on it? I think the democratic candidate would have shot that shit right down. Honest opinion, I think McCain hates the racism, despises those who are jumping on board with it, but is too concerned with them votes they have to really crack down on it. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/35 "2008-10-14T18:30:51Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Yes. > I’d comment more, but I’m still so nauseated from all these videos. > People suck. > > **SA** –So, that makes it all right, then, does it? To see some liberals jeering makes the racial slurs, the hate and the vitriol all just politics as usual? The woman yelling “wake up!” --man, that’s some hate speech for ya. I will say your vid has better music. Come on, **eleanor**. You know I like you, but that is just b.s. The point is that the righties acting like assholes are a small minority who planned their assholish behavior in advance. The screaming liberals in the video I posted, with faces contorted in anger and giving everyone in sight the finger are just ordinary, everyday liberals going about their business and acting the way they are normally given to act. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/36 "2008-10-14T18:32:28Z")
Wow. You really are just a complete and utter fucktard, aren’t you? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/37 "2008-10-14T18:32:45Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > These are people who have decided beforehand to show up and make assholes of themselves in a misguided attempt to influence the election, and they are a tiny, tiny minority of the right. > > To see people being assholes in their natural environment and caught unawares as they go about their daily business, [take a look at this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQalRPQ8stI). Huh. That was the day of an African-American Day Parade in Manhattan. I wonder why the McCain supporters chose that day to march en masse? ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/38 "2008-10-14T18:33:01Z")
I wouldn’t cease to vote for Obama simply because of who supports him. Racist bastards have to vote for _somebody_. But I can cease to vote for a candidate if I don’t like the direction it takes the country. In no way do I wish to see an America of KKK-1930s reborn, where the racist bastards feel justified in their tiny-minded discriminations. I can only shudder to think how the racists who support McCain would be overjoyed at his victory; they would treat it like a mandate. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/39 "2008-10-14T18:40:10Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Missed the edit window. I doubt that these are “people caught unawares”–it’s a demonstration. It looked to me like they were just going about their business when the demonstration came upon them, though I couldn’t say for sure. > [@eleanorigby](#): > > I didn’t watch the whole thing because I am sickened by these videos. I am less and less proud of my country every day. Well, you really ought to watch the whole thing. It contains much worse than some lady yelling wake up. > [@eleanorigby](#): > > I will never understand this meme of “if I can tar the other side with the same brush, then it evens the score.” It doesn’t. Dems behaving badly does not make Reps behaving badly better or OK. If it gives you comfort to think so, I hope it helps you. No, it isn’t evening the score; it’s pointing out hypocrisy. And it’s quite germane to point out that these people appear to represent a very large segment of the liberal population, vs. the tiny percentage of conservatives represented by the deliberately assholish McCain supporters. Why is it okay with you for conservatives to be broad-brush painted with the deliberate assholish actions of a very few conservatives, but wrong to point out in response that the other side seems to be worse, and to come by it naturally? ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860/40 "2008-10-14T18:44:31Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Well, you really ought to watch the whole thing. It contains much worse than some lady yelling wake up. Yes, it also contains a bunch of people giving the demonstrators the finger and one old guy who does that thing where you put your thumb on your nose and waggle your fingers around. :eek: > [@](#): > > No, it isn’t evening the score; it’s pointing out hypocrisy. And it’s quite germane to point out that these people appear to represent a very large segment of the liberal population, vs. the tiny percentage of conservatives represented by the deliberately assholish McCain supporters. > > Why is it okay with you for conservatives to be broad-brush painted with the deliberate assholish actions of a very few conservatives, but wrong to point out in response that the other side seems to be worse, and to come by it naturally? It’s worse to boo and give people the finger than it is to shout “commie faggot”, “terrorist”, and have monkey dolls that are supposed to represent an African-American Senator? Interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-officially-disowning-my-hometown/467860.md?page=3)