During a rally today, a supporter grabbed a microphone and stated that she “don’t trust that Obama. He’s an Arab.” McCain shook his head, said “nonono” and took the mike back, stating that Obama is a decent, honest American who just happens to have a different opinon. The crowd was NOT happy to hear that. Nor were they happy to hear him say that while he intends to fight, people must be respectful towards Obama. The crowd actuall booed him for that and were shouting at him.
I applaud his trying to tamp down the crowds after Palin has gotten them all stirred up over the past week, and to basically renounce his own campaign’s strategy. This is dangerous ground for them to be trodding during a time of national turmoil. Ugly things have happened in the past when this is the case, including the Holocaust in one extreme example.
While McCain seems to have regained his moral footing, his campaign has not, and remains rabid, vitriolic and unapologetic. These fuckers need to be fired (and probably arrested, for that matter) for inciting to riot. Shouts of “kill him” and “bomb Obama” are purely hate speech from the small, lunatic fringe of the right, who need very little to inspire them to do just that.
I am disgusted with these tactics and these people. And if McCain allows it to continue, he will go down in the largest ball of flame in recent memory.
One would hope that the American people are finally about to say to the rabid right, “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”
I’m not impressed at this point. Anyone who has been watching the news for the last three days has heard all the commentary about his behavior and deteriorating public perception. He’s responding to this, not to his conscience.
God he (McCain) looks extremely uncomfortable at that rally. Booed by his own supporters.
No wonder he picked Palin-his distaste for these rednecks is pretty apparent. I feel pretty sorry for him though I know he brought it on himself by allowing Rove to hijaack his campaign.
I kind of got a kick out of how fast he snatched back the microphone from the lady who called Obama an Ay-rab.
And judging from some of the reaction I’ve seen, I fear that people will respond to it positively. “Oh, look, the race-baiting, fear-mongering, dirty politician corrected a woman who called Obama an Arab! He’s turned a corner! What a classy guy!”
Though the only way this election could get more surreal is if there’s a Breaking News headline at CNN along the lines of McCain lynched at McCain rally.
Wait, you think that several people in the thread just imagined a widely reported incident from a McCain rally? You figured that we had nothing better to do on a Friday night than make up a lie that would be bizarre and, quite frankly, pointless?
Don’t be silly, he gave everyone plenty of time to respond to his query. It was perfectly reasonable for him to assume no one would respond with a cite by the time he clicked “post reply.” And darn it, they didn’t! He had you totally pegged.
If there are any still in existence, could a “moderate” Republican tell me what they think about the “base” of the Republican party? What do you think about the increasing reports of these kinds of statements at Palin/McCain rallies? And do you agree that they should forsake a civil campaign and dive further into the mud?
I agree with monstro: this has nothing to with conscience or decency. It’s politically expedient back-pedaling because Palin’s whipped up just a little too much overt hate than GOP can spin away. That’s why she was stuck on the ticket in the first place but hey, McCain could have done something really mavericky, like apply the brakes, way before now. He didn’t. He went right along with the plan until the political backlash became too heavy.
What a wretched legacy to leave. McCain was bitter and mad as hell over how Rove/Shrub treated him in '04. He’s going to lose this election and what an ugly, hateful way to do it. Maybe McCain really did have to dance to the devil’s tune all the way along–to get the nomination, accept ignorant, flashy Palin on the ticket and run the campaign according to the GOP’s scorched-earth play book.
But on some level McCain had to know what goes around comes right back around. What he’s done in this campaign will set how he’s remembered. Maybe he thought the chance of winning justified it all. Wormwood and ashes.
I don’t care why he did it, it was the right thing to do. Props to McCain.
Unless he or his campaign actually did deliberately orchestrate the whole thing with a planted stooge, in which case he just gets a :rolleyes: and a pass. If a candidate is going to put on an act for the camera, I’d sure rather have him stage artificial exhibitions of honor and decency than artificial exhibitions (or genuine ones, for that matter) of malice and lies.