# McCain can do the decent thing, but some of his supporters can't **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427 "2008-10-11T04:15:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/1 "2008-10-11T04:15:06Z")
[McCain did a decent thing in an increasingly dirty race, and I applaud him for it](http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/McCain_calls_Obama_decent_person_is_booed.html): > [@](#): > > “I have to tell you. Sen. Obama is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States,” McCain said as the crowd booed and shouted “Come on, John!” McCain has also taken on the very worst things some of his supporters believe: > [@](#): > > A woman at the town hall asks softly: “I’ve heard that Sen. Obama is an Arab.” > > McCain quickly cuts the woman off. > > “No, maam. He’s a decent family man and citizen,” McCain says. “He’s not. Thank you.” It’s too bad his own campaign can’t be as honest as he is. There is a deep divide in this country, and it only makes it worse to [attack the people who notice it](http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/10/1529529.aspx): > [@](#): > > Earlier today, Obama remarked on recent outbursts of “Traitor!” “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” at McCain campaign events. “It’s easy to rile up a crowd,” Obama said. “Nothing’s easier than riling up a crowd by stoking anger and division. But that’s not what we need right now in the United States.” > > [snip] > > McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers adds in another statement: “Barack Obama’s attacks on Americans who support John McCain reveal far more about him than they do about John McCain.” So, McCain, how about distancing your campaign from the people who want to kill Obama? Isn’t that the right thing to do? Should your campaign really be attacking Obama because he noticed that some of your supporters want him dead? ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/2 "2008-10-11T04:38:11Z")
> [@](#): > > A woman at the town hall asks softly: “I’ve heard that Sen. Obama is an Arab.” > > McCain quickly cuts the woman off. > > “No, maam. He’s a decent family man and citizen,” McCain says. “He’s not. Thank you.” 'Cause Ay-rabs are never decent family men and citizens, of course. Perhaps he should try even harder next time. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/3 "2008-10-11T11:55:05Z")
Of course, McCain doesn’t speak for the McCain campaign. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/4 "2008-10-11T12:12:55Z")
It is refreshing to see that there is a limit to what John McCain will say or do to get elected. I sincerely say that I am probably more impressed by this than anything else he has said or done in this campaign. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/5 "2008-10-11T12:30:25Z")
> [@ASAKMOTSD](#): > > It is refreshing to see that there is a limit to what John McCain will say or do to get elected. I sincerely say that I am probably more impressed by this than anything else he has said or done in this campaign. Ditto. I have always regarded John McCain as a man of honor. I would be very happy to see him acting again like the man I thought him to be, and not the desperate rabble-rouser he’s been positioning himself as lately. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/6 "2008-10-11T13:31:59Z")
the woman who thought sen. obama was an arab still does. after the rally a reporter from cnn asked her what she thought. she said he’s an arab. the reporter said no, he isn’t. well, he’s a muslim, she then said. reporter, no he isn’t. the woman still believes sen. obama is an arab and a muslim. doesn’t matter to her what sen. mccain and a reporter said, she knows. david gergen said last night that you can tell what a presidency will be like by the last few months of the campaign… gives you a bit of pause, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/7 "2008-10-12T01:28:48Z")
Meh, I’m guessing it’s only because Secret Service warned him to tone it down, because some they’ve been receiving some threats (like the assholes yelling “KILL HIM!”) at the rallies, and that McCain could be in some seriously deep shit and be seen as responsible if anything happens to Obama. That and some of the accusations are heading into lawsuit territory. Color me unimpressed. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/8 "2008-10-12T11:27:41Z")
I figure the woman was a shill and this was set up for McCain. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/9 "2008-10-12T13:04:13Z")
[CT]The people he responded to were plants–part of the McCain Campaign. It’s the old “bash your opponent, but appear to be above it all” technique. All of you stating “wow, that is so honorable of him”, “look at him doing the right thing”, “see, he’s not bad. He’s not saying negative things or running a dirty campaign, it’s the misguided fools who support him…” You’re all being fooled by their genius idea to plant wackos at the rallies for him to publicly rebuke. [/Conspiracy Theory] ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/10 "2008-10-12T13:05:23Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I figure the woman was a shill and this was set up for McCain. Didn’t notice this comment. But, yea, that was my first thought too. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/11 "2008-10-12T15:15:57Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > [CT]The people he responded to were plants–part of the McCain Campaign. It’s the old “bash your opponent, but appear to be above it all” technique. All of you stating “wow, that is so honorable of him”, “look at him doing the right thing”, “see, he’s not bad. He’s not saying negative things or running a dirty campaign, it’s the misguided fools who support him…” > You’re all being fooled by their genius idea to plant wackos at the rallies for him to publicly rebuke. > > [/Conspiracy Theory] It’s a good theory, but I don’t have that much faith in the American people. I’d fully believe there are people out there who _know_ Barack is a Muslim, despite what anyone says. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/12 "2008-10-12T19:04:13Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > [CT]The people he responded to were plants–part of the McCain Campaign. It’s the old “bash your opponent, but appear to be above it all” technique. All of you stating “wow, that is so honorable of him”, “look at him doing the right thing”, “see, he’s not bad. He’s not saying negative things or running a dirty campaign, it’s the misguided fools who support him…” > You’re all being fooled by their genius idea to plant wackos at the rallies for him to publicly rebuke. > > [/Conspiracy Theory] I watched the video and he seemed genuinely frustrated and annoyed by that woman, he inmediately cut her off mid sentence and rushed to take the mic away from her. He is not that good an actor and i have seem several times when his anger was about to get the better of him and this was one of them. If she had been a shill she would have repented when interviewed afterwards by CNN and pretended that McCain had made her seen the error of her ways, instead she stuck by her misguided beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/13 "2008-10-12T19:09:25Z")
Yeah, if she was a plant, she’d have told the interviewer how John McCain corrected her, not how she still believed that Obama was an Arab/Muslim/Terrorist/Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![ladyfoxfyre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@ladyfoxfyre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladyfoxfyre)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/14 "2008-10-12T19:26:12Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > Yeah, if she was a plant, she’d have told the interviewer how John McCain corrected her, not how she still believed that Obama was an Arab/Muslim/Terrorist/Whatever. Agreed. She seemed honestly surprised that McCain disagreed with her. And McCain seemed none too happy to have to address the issue face to face instead of in a campaign ad, or better, to pass it off to Palin to stoke the angry fire. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/15 "2008-10-12T19:27:15Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Meh, I’m guessing it’s only because Secret Service warned him to tone it down, because some they’ve been receiving some threats (like the assholes yelling “KILL HIM!”) at the rallies, and that McCain could be in some seriously deep shit and be seen as responsible if anything happens to Obama. That and some of the accusations are heading into lawsuit territory. > > Color me unimpressed. The Secret Service does not instruct presidential candidates as to the content of their campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/16 "2008-10-12T19:44:27Z")
A few months ago, McCain publicly denounced our local embarrassment, local talk radio host Bill Cunningham, after he introduced Senator McCain at a rally with a speech that repeatedly used Barack Hussein Obama’s full name. His comments following that speech are consistent with his treatment of the woman he called him an Arab: [http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/mccain-repudiates-hussein-obama-remarks/](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/mccain-repudiates-hussein-obama-remarks/) “It’s my understanding that before I came in here a person who was on the program before I spoke made some disparaging remarks about my two colleagues in the Senate, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton,” he said. “I have repeatedly stated my respect for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, that I will treat them with respect. I will call them ‘Senator.’ We will have a respectful debate, as I have said on hundreds of occasions. I regret any comments that may have been made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans.” Might I also add that I’ve heard people, even Dopers, refer to Senator McCain as “shriveled” and “senile” among other things. So it turns out that although Mr. Obama has always acted respectfully towards Senator McCain, some of his supporters cannot follow suit. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/17 "2008-10-12T20:28:15Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > It’s a good theory, but I don’t have that much faith in the American people. I’d fully believe there are people out there who _know_ Barack is a Muslim, despite what anyone says. Sad thing is, my first thought is: “So what if he was?” Now, if he were al qaeda, that’s one thing. Muslim? Fugeddaboutit. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/18 "2008-10-12T20:32:47Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > So it turns out that although Mr. Obama has always acted respectfully towards Senator McCain, some of his supporters cannot follow suit. None of us called for McCain’s death. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-can-do-the-decent-thing-but-some-of-his-supporters-cant/467427/19 "2008-10-12T21:20:02Z")
Although some of Palin’s supporters in Wasilla indicated they wouldn’t shed any tears over it.