# McCain Supporter Attacked? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 23, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272 "2008-10-23T23:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/21 "2008-10-24T01:09:46Z")
> [@Whiteknight](#): > > Some are saying Barack, but what if it’s Bush!? It’s either someone trying to drum up publicity for their crappy soul, or a man returned from the dead to warn us about his brother trying to drum up publicity for his brother’s crappy show. It can mean only one thing. Belushi. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/22 "2008-10-24T01:13:54Z")
She’s got quite a shiner going there, so I’m going to assume for now that some sort of assault did take place. There’s too little to the story as it stands to draw any further conclusions. Now, as to whether right-wing talk will be all over this story like a cheap suit tomorrow, I feel pretty confident the answer is “Hell, Yeah”! The meme’s too great to resist: African-American racist criminals want Obama in the White House! ---
**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 24, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/23 "2008-10-24T01:34:14Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > She’s got quite a shiner going there, so I’m going to assume for now that some sort of assault did take place. There’s too little to the story as it stands to draw any further conclusions. Said shiner though is showing up a wee bit too soon, and there’s no swelling, and her eyes are wide open. It wouldn’t be hard to create something like that with common eye make-up. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/24 "2008-10-24T01:50:49Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > Sorry: what is the “B” supposed to represent? 😕 The mugger has a deep emotional investment in the outcome of the _vice_ presidential race. It stands for “Biden”. ---
**Author:** ![tygre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@tygre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tygre)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/25 "2008-10-24T02:00:08Z")
No apparent other injuries. No swelling of the eye (I’ve had a black eye twice and both times, it swelled THEN discolored). The Twittering is very odd. The attack happens outside the camera range (how convenient). B.S. is my call. She did this to herself. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/26 "2008-10-24T02:08:17Z")
The “B” obviously stands for Blowout. So I guess it was an Obama supporter. Damn! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/27 "2008-10-24T02:43:25Z")
I’m dubious. If you look carefully, you’ll see that the B was obviously made with a 1980s-era IBM Selectric III typeball, which the mugger couldn’t possibly have had access to. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/28 "2008-10-24T03:01:36Z")
A couple of other observations: First, in her twitter communication, she talks about going to Starbucks for a latte. What? A latte drinking elitist working for McCain’s campaign? Secondly, she talks about calling people during commercials and pretending to be a Steeler fan. I don’t need to tell you what I think of someone pretending to be a Steeler fan. There are no Banks of America in Western PA. If she hasn’t been around for long at all, perhaps she might search for one, but she has been here for at least several days. Finally, Bloomfield isn’t really a “side” of Pittsburgh. It’s kind of right in the middle. It’s not all that bad either, but you might actually see some black people around, and for a scared white conservative, that could be pretty scary. ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/29 "2008-10-24T03:02:51Z")
The B stands for Barr. The mugger is a libertarian. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/30 "2008-10-24T03:07:37Z")
> [@mrpayday](#): > > The B stands for Barr. The mugger is a libertarian. Could also be Baldwin, by a Constitution Party voter. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/31 "2008-10-24T03:17:14Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Richard said the woman refused medical treatment after the assault If this is true I’m calling it a fake. Someone carves a B on her face with a knife and she doesn’t go to an emergency room or at least have a check up with a doctor? :dubious: Heck, my GF gets a pimple on her cheek and runs to the skin clinic as if she caught ebola or something. But leaving practical matters aside, if she want’s to draw attention to what allegedly happened, the first thing she’ll do would be to get a physical exam to certify that, indeed, some punk clocked her and hacked a B on her face. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/32 "2008-10-24T05:19:16Z")
If Malkin declares it dubious, that’s good enough for me! Well, no, not really, but looking at that picture… that B is NOT “cut” into her face - the skin isn’t broken! Someone roughed the skin up, using something like a comb or some other object until she had a “b” shaped welt. Like a rope burn, an abrasion. If she really was mugged, I’m horrified! But that “B” is just… not convincing. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/33 "2008-10-24T07:35:37Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Well, no, not really, but looking at that picture… that B is NOT “cut” into her face - the skin isn’t broken! True, yet so many of the sites reporting this story use words like “carved,” “mutilated,” or “maimed.” Of course if she really was attacked, it was a despicable act and must have been horrifying for her, but it’s interesting so many reporters - including those in the “mainstream media” - feel the need to sensationalize it beyond what the facts support. On a side note, the timing seems particularly bad for [www.yeswecarve.com](http://www.yeswecarve.com). ---
**Author:** ![Rachm\_Qoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Rachm\_Qoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachm_Qoch)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/34 "2008-10-24T09:15:03Z")
I guess Rick Davis figured it’s not too late to swing the youth vote their way. Another brilliant play to indentity politics. CUTTERS FOR MCCAIN!!! ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/35 "2008-10-24T11:48:37Z")
> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#): > > Secondly, she talks about calling people during commercials and pretending to be a Steeler fan. I don’t need to tell you what I think of someone pretending to be a Steeler fan. THAT’S IT. It’s a pissed off Steeler who did it. It was **B** en Rothlisberger. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/36 "2008-10-24T12:20:46Z")
Am I the only one who was afraid to click on the "Sarah Palin Coming To Beaver Tonight " link at the bottom of that story? ---
**Author:** ![BlueOhio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@BlueOhio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueOhio)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/37 "2008-10-24T12:26:57Z")
Wouldn’t someone carve an ‘O’ instead of a ‘B’ anyway? ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/38 "2008-10-24T12:36:18Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Well, no, not really, but looking at that picture… that B is NOT “cut” into her face - the skin isn’t broken! Someone roughed the skin up, using something like a comb or some other object until she had a “b” shaped welt. Like a rope burn, an abrasion.. There’s actually a medical condition called [dermatographism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermographia) where the skin will readily form welts when scraped with a dull point or pressed with a dull edge. It lends itself quite well to writing on oneself. I know because I had this as a teenager. I can attest firsthand to the thought of thinking “wow, this is cool, how could I freak someone out with this?” Maybe that’s what’s going on here. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/39 "2008-10-24T12:37:08Z")
Whether she was attacked or not, the cycle is predictable – a fury on right-leaning blogs, followed by skepticism and disinterest from the MSM, followed by fury over the MSM not running the story mixed in with a little fury that she’s being “attacked” on left-leaning blogs then they’ll move on to something else to be outraged about, maybe Obama pandering to the elderly vote by doing chores for his grandmother. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2008, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272/40 "2008-10-24T13:16:19Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > THAT’S IT. It’s a pissed off Steeler who did it. > > It was **B** en Rothlisberger. Or maybe it stands for Baltimore. Anyone know where Ray Lewis was at the time? I hear he’s pretty handy with a knife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-supporter-attacked/469272.md?page=3)