Yesterday was certainly an interesting day on the campaign trail, more interesting to Obama supporters than to the McCain camp. The McCain folks probably wish the whole day had never happened.
John McCain had to put a lid on on some angry, misinformed supporters at a rally in Minnesota, and got booed for doing so. It was misinformation his campaign has been fostering, by the way. One woman said she was afraid of Obama because “he’s an Arab” and McCain had to take the microphone away from her and correct her.
A man in the crowd told McCain, “Frankly, we’re scared, we’re scared of an Obama presidency.” He said he was worried that “someone who cohorts with domestic terrorists” might be in a position to choose Supreme Court justices. McCain tried to reassure him by saying, “He is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared (of) as president of the United States,” drawing more boos and groans from his supporters. Earlier in the week, at increasingly ugly rallies, supporters had shouted such things as “terrorist,” “kill him,” and “treason” without being corrected or condemned by the candidate.
In other news, Sarah Palin, the campaign’s veep and attack dog, was found guilty of abusing her power as Alaska’s governor. The bipartisan, mostly Republican commission investigating the “troopergate” matter issued its report and conclusions late yesterday, and Palin’s ethics violation was the number one finding. For Alaska’s sake, I hope the redneck, yahoo Palin family is the exception, not the rule, in state government.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBfbFp9M0JA]
Somehow it doesn’t surprise me that a woman who would publicly, almost gleefully, accuse Obama of “palling around with terrorists” would use the power of her office to settle a personal grudge. Bottom line, it just confirms McCain’s extremely poor judgment in putting her on the ticket.
It’s a shame this election couldn’t be decided on issues. It has devolved instead into personal attacks with little consideration of the serious issues that face the nation today. Making it a battle of character and personality, however, does nothing to change my vote. It only confirms it.
This campaign does not fully realize the size and ferocity of the fire they’re playing with. Race, religion, politics all balled into one big atomic bomb of emotion…
This campaign is leading America backward and the destination will be devastating.
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It’s irresponsible and frightening for them to pander to the basest, ugliest emotions in America. I really worry about the McCain campaign’s figurative “red meat” becoming literal.
Some people are born to be president. It’s not easy to change the tide of fate, though I do feel bad for those who try. Poor McCain (and Al Gore).
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Even as far back as the beginning of the primaries, I doubted the Republicans would have a candidate strong enough to win this year. Maybe Bloomberg could have, if he had decided to jump into the race.
If Obama wanted to emulate McCain’s attack ads, we would hear robocalls in the Heartland informing America’s patriots that McCain:
a) was in the pocket of former Lincoln Savings & Loan president and convicted criminal Charles Keating;
b) was buddies with fellow criminal Republicans Ted Stevens, Tom Delay, Scooter Libby, Trent Lott, Jack Abramoff, Don Young, Larry Craig, Tom Feeney, Alberto Gonzoles, Mark Foley…etc;
c) accepted political donations from the Watergate convicted criminal G. Gordon Liddy;
d) picked a runningmate mired in scandal (Troopergate) and has acted “unethical” according to her own people – – and doctored expense reports to bilk her taxpayers;
e) gave up information to his communist captors in North Vietnam, whereas other American prisoners did NOT;
McCain has a lot to answer for, but Obama hasn’t stooped to that level. You can’t call yourself patriot while voting for criminals.
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Yep, if Obama had decided to “go there,” this campaign would have been totally different — and I’ve had more than enough ugliness as it is.