Anger spilling over at McCain campaign events
This was inevitable after John McCain and Sarah Palin started ramping up the personal attacks.
The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama’s character, he described the Democrat as a “decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States.”
A sense of grievance spilling into rage has gripped some GOP events this week as McCain supporters see his presidential campaign lag against Obama. Some in the audience are making it personal, against the Democrat. Shouts of “traitor,” “terrorist,” “treason,” “liar,” and even “off with his head” have rung from the crowd at McCain and Sarah Palin rallies, and gone unchallenged by them.
McCain changed his tone Friday when supporters at a town hall pressed him to be rougher on Obama. A voter said, “The people here in Minnesota want to see a real fight.” Another said Obama would lead the U.S. into socialism. Another said he did not want his unborn child raised in a country led by Obama.
Is McCain sincere? Is he starting to see that he’s creating a mob mentality?
There are many Americans who have very legitimate disagreements with Obama. He’s a liberal. But we know that there are crazies on both sides of the political spectrum, and if you whip up fear and feed their anger at political rallies, you run the risk that the angry mob takes over your message.
Hopefully, McCain will recognize that he risks what’s left of his reputation if he doesn’t tamp down these personal attacks.
I am glad McCain has tried to calm the waters, but I hope he can get the toothpaste back in the tube.
This is another example of how McCain doesn’t seem to have put much thought into his campaign. They lurch from one point one day to the opposite the next.
He is disorganized and he is running against a very organized man. Obama is the first true internet era candidate, using all the most modern tools to their max, while McCain seems to me to be sitting at a 1932 IBM typewriter, typing his plans out with one finger….
This is such remarkable, liberal, bullshit-press garbage lies. All the liberal “blogs” and media outlets are pressing this “mob mentality” crap, and this chanting “treason, liar, off with his head” bull- and not one of the sites has any video or audio – give me an f’ing break, already.
Contrast that to Bush protests, or Palin protests (here in Pittsburgh last night as a matter of fact), or McCain protests (think the nutjobs at code pink) and THAT’S where the REAL mob mentality, off the reservation idiots are.
That older guy that stood up and railed on McCain about this country going socialist- not the economy- being the real issue was HUGE and I hope McCain understood that’s what is driving most Americans CRAZY about this nut Nobama and his possie of lib congressmen and women.
McCain MUST “take the gloves off,” and defeat this communist radical and we’ve got to – at minimum- keep close tabs on un-American groups like ACORN, ACLU, code pink, and individuals like the Ayres nut, Farakhan (BO IS the messiah bullshit), and even Keith Olberman!!!!!
The poles are starting to tighten again– McCain, from what I hear, firmly believes the race is won or lost in the final 72 hours of the campaign– Look for him to push the truth about Nobama– and hopefully American will make the right choice on November 4th.
One more thing I cannot resist to say, until yesterday I thought for sure that McCain was going to hire Michael Richards to do some campaigning for him.
http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=amjUNF_R_PY
Nick, to quote Gerardo:
Nobody’s denying that the fringe left is just as loony as the fringe right. The difference here is, McCain and Palin are stirring up all of this hatred at their events, whereas the wacko protesters you mentioned were on their own. You don’t see Obama or Biden fueling any of this kind of pure hatred at their rallies, the way McCain has been by insinuating that Obama is dangerous, radical and un-American. They’re trying to make him into the Boogieman. After all, his middle name is Hussein and he crossed paths with a rehabilitated member of the Weather Underground, a college professor who all sorts of other public figures have also known.
It’s astonishing to see you and others so casually dismiss what’s been happening at GOP rallies, as if they’re a figment of the liberal media’s imagination. You want to see video of how ignorant and hostile some of these people are? Click HERE and HERE. Or how about the woman at McCain’s rally last night who said that Obama was “an Arab”?
Stirring up this kind of hostility is dangerous and deplorable, though I’m betting you see nothing wrong with anything in these videos. I give McCain credit for trying to dial it down a couple notches last night, but you reap what you sow. McCain and/or Palin should have taken action when things first started getting out of control.
“…defeat this communist radical…”
That’s such a lazy characterization. He’s a liberal, not a communist, and having a view different from yours doesn’t automatically qualify someone as a radical.
And by the way, if these questions about Ayers are so serious and important to have answered, then why didn’t McCain bring it up at the last debate? I’m not saying it’s not relevant, but why didn’t McCain look Obama in the eye and accuse him of “palling around with a terrorist” when he had the chance last week?
Jamey,
No offense- but those links of some liberal clown goading people to say that Nobabma is a terrorist scores NO points in your very weak argument. First, the original “news” item was people were saying all sorts of horrible things at a campaign event and that’s a complete lie (surprise, surprise – the main stream media being completely dishonest). Second- NONE of those people said BO was a terrorist- but he ASSOCIATES with admitted, non – repentant terrorists– which is TRUE.
Look at your own liberal nut side. For 8 years the libs have said and printed the most vile and hateful things about Bush, Rove, Republicans, Conservatives– at protest events Bush has been made to look like Hitler is signs, he’s been burned in effigy, your stupid lib Randi Rhodes hinted he should be assassinated on her ridiculous liberal radio talk show (that no one listens to) and you’re going to post something about hate coming from the Right is horrible– I don’t know what type of weed you’re smoking, or what you’re doing, but it’s had an effect on your distorted view on what is reality.
And Obama not a radical?????? Are you posting from Cuba or Venezuela? He’s a radical in the vein of Saul Alinsky, from his ACORN nutty associations, to his not voting FOR and Born Alive Infant Protection Act (evil) to his wanting to raise MY taxes to help the poor in other countries (retarded) to his hand in pushing the CRA to let clowns get loans that has us in a very nice mess.
McCain SHOULD have brought up BO’s ties in that debate- he was weak for not doing it– and now Republicans and his supporters are obviously giving to him on his tour.
Please, don’t talk to me about hate from the right.
Obviously, there’s hatred on both sides. I’m not suggesting otherwise. My point was that, up until last night, McCain and Palin’s latest strategy seemed to be to get everyone at their rallies all lathered up about the Boogieman, Barack Hussein Obama. People introducing McCain and Palin at recent events have gone out of their way to use his middle name as some kind of slur, and it’s helped ignite a firestorm of hostility at the events. No wonder people at McCain’s rallies think that Obama is “an Arab” — your surrogates have gone out of their way to draw that parallel. (And I’m fairly sure there were some people in those videos who either said he was a terrorist — one woman said “a domestic terrorist,” I believe — or refused to answer the question when they were asked point blank.)
You can claim some kind of conspiracy regarding whether or not those things were actually said at the events, but if those types of things weren’t in fact happening, then why did McCain feel the need to say the things he said at his rally last night? Something caused him to change his tune…. (By the way, here’s a YouTube video that allegedly has the “Kill him!” soundbyte. It’s a little unclear if that’s what the guy actually said, but you can see that whatever he said caught McCain’s attention.)
All I know is that, as a newcomer to this arena, I’ve been stunned by the sheer abhorrence a lot of conservatives harbor for liberal views. Whatever happened to “differing opinions”? Everything is black and white to some people — you’re either for us, or you’re against us, and if you’re against us, you’re an anti-American idiot. I’ve seen this kind of reaction on this website, I’ve heard it when people find out I’m an Obama supporter, and I’ve even heard it from (GASP!!) the so-called liberal media. It’s like you can’t have an exchange of opposing ideas without bashing the guy who has the opposing idea in the process.
Nobody has all the answers, but a lot of conservatives seem to think they do.
I think John Lewis was wrong to compare McCain Palin to George Wallace. A more apt comparison would have been to compare McCain Palin to Jean Baptiste Aristide of Haiti.
The bottom line is that is one of the biggest crisis in American history, the best McCain Palin can come up with is to enflame hatred against a black man and the reason is that they are completely devoid of ideas.
The Wallace comparison is relevant in the sense that, assuming people really are saying these things at the rallies (and I agree, Nick — I haven’t seen/heard any definitive proof), that’s the kind of boiling hatred that could drive someone to bomb a church. A lot of people are rightfully concerned about what could happen if the tone at the McPalin rallies continues to deteriorate.
At the same time, Lewis could have made his point without invoking memories of such a racially charged tragedy. That’s not the kind of mojo anyone needs right now.
(By the way, I’ll be writing “McPalin” going forward rather than McCain/Palin because it’s a hell of a lot easier!)
Liberals are hopeless!
Have a wife and kids, try to teach your kids right from wrong and personal responsibility, have waaayyyyyyyy too much in taxes come out of your income with most of that money going to causes you do not support– continue to see the losers want more and more handouts (and getting them), understand abortion is the killing of an unborn child, know that we’re spending something like $18 grand a year and the f’ed up teachers unions say that isn’t enough (and we have an atrocious education system)– and finally, be a manager at a union run place of business and then come and tell me liberalism is a good idea (oh- and another one– try to run a business with high taxes, FMLA, unions, regulaion, blah blah blah), and THEN come and tell me you’re a liberal.
that’s $18 grand a year per student
My wife and I talk to our daughter all the time about responsibility. We also talk about fairness, equality and respect.
I’m sure everyone here agrees that wasteful government spending is out of control. And guess what — you guys aren’t the only ones who would prefer lower taxes. But how are we supposed to pay down this monstrous debt — a debt your president gave to us — without paying taxes?
You EARN fairness, equality and respect– you’re not my equal if you sit on your porch swiggin’ s 40 ounce all day and not even knowing what time card looks like— and I CERTAINLY do not respect or pity you.
I think that’s one of the fundamental differences of conservatism and liberalism– conservatives earn what they get, and libs want to give that away
.
oh– if you want to pay down this big debt– cut entitlements and give aways.
Nick: I read that Americans have the lowest savings rate on the planet. I know a lot of Republicans who are up to their ears in credit debt, even while they are preaching less government themselves.
on the government side, the last 16 years give us an example. Bill Clinton ran surpluses most of his 8 years and George Bush has run up record deficits. Now George Bush is expanding our governmen in ways that would make Fidel Castro seem meek by comparison. I just read that Bush wants to Federalize some banks. That’s borrow, spend and bailout government at it’s worst
Nick, we teach our kids that everyone deserves respect, no matter their circumstances. Remember “do unto others…”?
I’ll say again– everyone does NOT deserve respect. Does a murderer deserve respect? Does a child molester deserve respect? Did Saddam Hessian or Adolf Hitler, or Pol Pot deserve respect? Not in my book- and I’ll bet not in yours either, and that has NOTHING to do with “Do unto others…”
I think Pol Pot was actually a very nice man. I took a ceramics class from him some time ago
JP- you’re confusing Smoking and Pol Pot…but you still may thing they are both very nice.
I think Nick drank too much coffee today
Nick: I was trying to be humorous…..
Not you JP
Marino for an Ass post
ahhh…. I drank too much coffee too
Nick -
“to his hand in pushing the CRA to let clowns get loans that has us in a very nice mess”
You’re like a crack addict with this CRA stuff. You keep going back to it even though it’s already been debunked.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/722379.html
Federal Reserve Board data show that:
-More than 84 percent of the subprime mortgages in 2006 were issued by private lending institutions.
-Private firms made nearly 83 percent of the subprime loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers that year.
-Only one of the top 25 subprime lenders in 2006 was directly subject to the housing law that’s being lambasted by conservative critics.
As for abortion, if we were to overturn Roe v. Wade, what do you think would happen to all those unwanted kids? Do you think they grow up to be productive members of society? (I’m not trying to F with you here – I’d really like to hear what you think would happen to them, as a group.)
As for education, the national average cost per student was somewhere around $8300 in 2007.
http://empirezone.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/the-highest-per-pupi
l-spending-in-the-us/
I’ll start from the bottom of your post and work my way up.
First, try again on your figures for per student cost. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/04/AR2
008040402921.html. Your figure includes public and parochial type schools and doesn’t include total cost— never believe what you read in the New York Times-the definition of dishonesty.
Second, the answer to “unwanted kids” is not to get into the situation of making the “choice” not to have them. Lets extend your argument out– why not choose to get rid of the prison population? Or the homeless, or all the poor? Because killing is wrong, it doesn’t matter if you’re in a womb or out– either way it’s killing and it’s wrong. I don’t know how anyone could justify that- especially if they have kids.
And, finally, with CRA– I’ve made many points on this post, that was only one of them. Laws were specifically changed because of CRA and it allowed for looser lending practices, then greed took over– the seed of the problem was CRA—a retarded concept that’s come around to bite us all in the ass.
Conservatives are tired of paying for liberal mistakes- THAT is where the anger comes from when we talk about Obama.
Nick: I am tired of paying for
- Bush’s war in Iraq
- Bush’s tax cuts to the rich
- Bush’s bailout of wall street
- Bush’s bailout of Bear Stearns
- Bush’s bailout of AIG
I suppose you will try to argue that the entire subprime crisis is due to liberals but even if I were to agree with you, which I don’t, it goes against every conservative principle to use federal resources to bail all these folks out.
Bush is a communist. McCain votes with him 90% of the time, that makes McCain a communist too. In the end, they are communists for the rich which makes it all the more galling.
Bottom line:
Obama will destroy this country
and, like when Tommy DeVito get’s wacked in Goodfellas,
And that’s that.
Let’s see, should I trust numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau or do I trust numbers from Nick, a guy on a blog that blames all the country’s problems on liberals?
http://ftp2.census.gov/govs/school/06f33pub.pdf
The per student cost is right there on page 12. The pie chart on page 9 details all the revenues, which include local, state and federal sources.
I can’t follow the Post’s calculations. Sorry.
I agree that the best way to avoid abortions is to avoid the unwanted pregnancy altogether, and it’s amazing to me that conservatives are the first ones to protest when educators want to teach birth control and sex education in schools.
I just had a baby and my perception on abortion has changed…for me. It would no longer be a decision I would make or that I would want my wife to make. If you are in a position to raise and care for the child, and can provide him/her a good home, I think you should have it.
However, Genesis 2:7 says that the “breath of life” made man a living being. So your pronouncement that abortion is murder doesn’t jive with the Bible. I don’t know if that’s a source of information for you, but it is for much of the pro-lifers. There’s a difference between life and the potential for life.
This probably infuriates you, but we can both agree that the way to attack this problem is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Unfortunately Republicans want to push abstinence only campaigns (which don’t work) while resisting birth control education (which does work).
“The seed of the problem was the CRA”
That’s BS. The seed of the problem was greed and deregulation. For all your talk about “looser lending practices” only one in five of the subprime loans were given by banks governed by the CRA. In this case, the free market (which conservatives usually push) and the “greed is good” crowd is mostly to blame.
But go ahead. Blame liberals for all of America’s ills. Conservative thought is right all the time. Yada yada yada.
Tall Man,
“Conservative thought is right all the time.” The smartest thing you’ve ever posted.
Having your baby changed your perceptions of the abortion debate for you- I submit you now think more deeply about the issue and you’ve made a correct choice….many liberal thoughts are gut reaction/reflex reaction thoughts that often lead to disaster (ie current financial crisis – admit it or not).
And, yes- I firmly believe many of the problems (especially social problems) that we face today can directly be traced back to liberalism.
I’m in a position to care for a child. I’m not so sure about the dumbass teenager who didn’t make her boyfriend wear a condom and/or wasn’t on birth control. There are studies that have linked the passage of Roe v. Wade with a drop in the crime rate 15 years later. Which is why I asked you what you thought would happen collectively to those unwanted kids. I think a lot of them would grow up to be the people you seem to despise.
It’s all about when you believe that life begins. Clearly, you believe it is conception. I believe it is sometime later. The Bible says it is when the baby takes its first breath. Obviously, this is waaaay too late for the both of us.
If conservatives had their way, there would still be slavery, blacks and women wouldn’t have the right to vote, segregation would still exist, there would be no such thing as social security or medicare, no such thing as the Clean Air or Clean Water Acts, no such thing as equal rights in the workplace, workers wouldn’t have the right to unionize to negotiate for safe and fair working conditions, there would be no regulation of the free market, there would be no minimum wage, etc.
Maybe that sounds good to you, I don’t know.
I agree that we need to find a way to eliminate the sloth and freeloading that takes place in our society. But there has to be a way to help people and/or to give them opportunity without giving away the store…or ignoring them altogether.
“I agree that we need to find a way to eliminate the sloth and freeloading that takes place in our society. But there has to be a way to help people and/or to give them opportunity without giving away the store…or ignoring them altogether.”
I couldn’t agree more. Weren’t we all taught as kids that too much of anything isn’t good? We’re seeing it now in the housing market, where there was merit behind the original deregulation push to help more people buy a home, but it spiraled out of control thanks to continued deregulation and unbridled greed.
Meanwhile, conservatives rail against all liberal values and ideals, but what’s wrong with government helping people who otherwise can’t help themselves? Again, as long as it’s not taken to an extreme, there is a role for government to play here — to help willing and able workers secure quality health care, for example. That’s not asking for a handout; that’s asking for help. Too many good and honest people are being left behind, and something needs to be done to help them.