McCain tries to dial back the hate

[Lurker]

Looks like McCain has finally started speaking out against the ignorant hate speech he helped create.

Indeed, he just snatched the microphone out the hands of a woman who began her question with, "I'm scared of Barack Obama... he's an Arab terrorist..."

"No, no ma'am," he interrupted. "He's a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements."

This is just amazing. An ignorant nutcase actually got a microphone and asked him that question at his own event. Not someone on a sidewalk yelling at a liberal blogger. At his town hall event. And no code words. She put into words exactly what McCain / Palin have been trying to imply the last week.

McCain had no choice but to try to tamp this down. I don't think he's going to stop his dishonest ads or dial back his character attacks on Barack and Michelle, but he might be more mindful about wiping his mob into a frenzy. I also don't think he's doing this out of honor or respect. This is pure political survival. Too many people had called him out for the hate speech and lynch mob mentality he was stirring up.

[Harlowe]

There were too many former supporters, military and fellow Republicans speaking out to this for him not to do something. Thank god he's dialing it back, but I think once you give ignorant and scared people something to get in a lather about, they don't let go. Hopefully he can do enough between now and the election to diffuse some of that bigoted hatred. My god....more than a few people saying he's a fucking ARAB? Really now?

However, he's really going to have trouble reigning in to a respectable level his hillbilly pitbull. This is the kind of fight she likes.

[Ddrak]

Good to see he stopped the question.

Dd

[Freecare Spiritwise]

From a newsweek article:

You'll notice that McCain never really bothered to say what we don't know about Obama and Ayers--let alone why what we don't know matters, or what Obama isn't telling the truth about. The point, it seems, is to create a false air of mystery around the Obama-Ayers relationship--and encourage voters to fill in the blanks with their own biases, suspicions and fears. It's the same reason McCain keeps asking "Who is Barack Obama?"


Here's how the strategy works. First, say the word "terrorist." Then characterize the Obama-Ayers relationship as murky, assuming that listeners don't know--or don't care to find out--that Obama has already characterized Ayers' past as "detestable" and discussed how the two crossed paths in Chicago. Next, insinuate that Obama's alleged evasions--and the mere fact that he encountered Ayers at all--call his character into question. And--last but not least--hope voters conclude that Obama is some sort of radical left-wing terrorist-sympathizer unworthy of the Oval Office.

[Ddrak]

The SS must be going through hell because of this.

Dd

[Harlowe]

No doubt.

With one breath he dials it back, then he goes on to talk about the Ayers bullshit and then listen to the shit from the Pastor giving the invocation at his recent Iowa rally.

"I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons," [Pastor] Conrad said.

"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day,"

This is the kind of intolerant, arrogant shit we want to invoke, really? Telling God to "man up" and show these other Gods who's really the shit by helping McCain win the election. This is how a grown pastor talks to God?

Wow. You know, I've never been so utterly repulsed by so many fellow citizens of my own country. Along with the torture going on right on our own soil, on top of Gitmo, this ridiculous war we are in and the intolerance and pure hatred that has crawled back out of the woodwork during these rallies...I'm fucking disgusted.

An interesting thing going on - Republicans that are in "purple" states seem to be backing away from McCain (kind of like Bush). Locally here, Norm Coleman didn't appear at his rally yesterday.

Coleman told reporters that he would not be appearing at a planned rally with McCain this afternoon. Could it be McCain's sliding polling numbers in Minnesota? His attacks on Obama? Coleman said he needs the time to work on suspending his own negative ads.

"Today," he said, "people need hope and a more positive campaign is a start."

[Embar Angylwrath]

That quote cracked me up. The Pastor was patronizing god, telling him to protect his "reputation". Too funny!

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

I'm inclined to believe that this is the McCain we remember from 10 years ago or more. Too bad he hasn't run his campaign from the get go the way he responded at the rally. I'm also not entirely sure McCain has ment to whip up the hillbilly mentality in people, but since it HAS happened I think it's safe enough to say he manned up to take responsibility and TRIED to make an effort, albeit late.

[Minute]

Wow. You know, I've never been so utterly repulsed by so many fellow citizens of my own country.

Really? My peek was when we elected W for a 2nd term. I searched and tried and failed at an attempt to comprehend more then half the people in our nation not being able to see how bad things had gotten, and were about to get in 2004. That election was never about John Kerry being a better candidate, it was only about getting W out of office. I thought it should have been an overwhelming landslide in Kerry's favor, and I would have been disgusted if he had only won by a small margin. When I heard the numbers come in and he had lost I was literally sick to my stomach.

And really it wasn't even about W. It was the dawning realization of just how ignorant and malleable the people surrounding me were. Not because they didn't agree with me, but because of how easy it was for the media to somehow make a person with purple hearts into a coward while presenting a draft dodger as a hero. How they cast a candidate as 'looking French' and that for some reason actually meaning something. The blind sheepish behavior makes me ill, and worse angry. I don't think I'm smarter then most people or somehow more enlightened or even more informed. I just think that by the year 2004 there is a certain level of common sense and lack of bigotry that I should be able to expect from a human being who has been on this planet at least 18 years. I was wrong. And it was never more apparent then on that day.

[Harlowe]

Ariannda it was a very weak and half-hearted admonition and after fanning this hatred - it's almost too little, too late. At least he said SOMETHING, but it's not enough. It needs to come from him and Palin and be more authentic.

Minute I've been disappointed and even angry for a while with this administration, but what has been going on recently has filled me with disgust. Real disgust.

From the author of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... inionsbox1

Never mind that this evokes -- and brazenly tries to resurrect -- the unsavory, cruel days of our past that we thought we had left behind. Never mind that such jeers are deeply offensive to millions of peaceful, law-abiding Muslim Americans who must bear the unveiled charge, made by some supporters of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, that Obama's middle name makes him someone to distrust -- and, judging by some of the crowd reactions at these rallies, someone to persecute or even kill. As a secular Muslim, I too was offended. Obama's middle name differs from my last name by only two vowels. Does the McCain-Palin campaign view me as a pariah too? Do McCain and Palin think there's something wrong with my name?

But never mind that..

The real affront is the lack of firm response from either McCain or Palin. Neither has had the moral courage, when taking the stage, to grasp the microphone, turn to the presenter and, right then and there, denounce the use of Obama's middle name as an insult. Instead, they have simply delivered their stump speeches, lacing into Obama as if nothing out-of-bounds had just happened. The McCain-Palin ticket has given toxic speeches accusing Obama of being a friend of terrorists, then released short, meek repudiations of some of the rough stuff, including McCain's call Friday to "be respectful." Back in February, the Arizona senator apologized for the "disparaging remarks" from a talk-radio host who sneered repeatedly about "Barack Hussein Obama" before a McCain rally. "We will have a respectful debate," McCain insisted afterward. But pretending to douse flames that you are busy fanning does not qualify as straight talk.

[Harlowe]

Also he's back-pedaled on the comments. Now it's Obama's fault that people are so upset at his rallies. They are upset about his tax plans or some other nonsense. Also Palin is still pushing the terrorist thing so, it was utter limp-dicked fluff.

[Ariannda Kusanagi]

Is it really better to never have said anything then to be late in saying something ? You've said before Harlowe you've wondered if you hadn't been snowed by McCain the past (10-15 ) years and this seems like the old John McCain, when he stood on principles. I never said it wasn't weak, but I'm of the mentality that it's better late then never on certain things. He'll never be able to undo the damage thats been done, and it's simply one of the reasons I won't be voting for The POW and the Pitbull.

Palin is a whole nother Pandoras Box in and of herself =/

[Ckador]

Once the words are out, there is no way to get them back. It's like adding too much salt to whatever you're cooking. That's the reality of it.

But the trick of saying such stupid shit and then back-peddling on it is to put the thoughts into other people's heads and then afterward, disavow any responsibility for what was said. At that point it's already out there, insinuating itself and all the while, the person who initially said it can come across as level headed and even conciliatory. I'd say I'm surprised by people still falling for this, but I know I tend to underestimate other people's stupidity.

[Kulaf]

That election was never about John Kerry being a better candidate, it was only about getting W out of office.

And that's why he lost.

[Minute]

No it isn't, but it should have been. They lost for the same reason they always lose. Democrats are a bunch of fucking pussies. The never get in the mud and sling with the Republicans. Which in this fucked up media induced coma that our nation lives is what it takes to win. Once again the after 8 years of the worst presidential administration in American history the Democratic candidate should be leaps and bounds ahead in the polls but it's taken some extremely bad moves (VP Pick, bs campaign suspention, retarded mortgage fix proposition, and general fuck ups) to even give him this big of a lead. The truth is John Kerry had so much fucking ammo to use and until the very end of the campaign used none of it. Even that last spout was weak.

Clinton had it 100% right. Do whatever it takes to get into a position where you can actually make a difference. The masses are too stupid and media zombified to try to appeal to appeal to them with something as silly as Issues. That holier then thou shit means nothing when the cheaters are running everything.

[Harlowe]

Is it really better to never have said anything then to be late in saying something ? You've said before Harlowe you've wondered if you hadn't been snowed by McCain the past (10-15 ) years and this seems like the old John McCain, when he stood on principles. I never said it wasn't weak, but I'm of the mentality that it's better late then never on certain things.

Did you even read what I said?

Also he's back-pedaled on the comments. Now it's Obama's fault that people are so upset at his rallies. They are upset about his tax plans or some other nonsense. Also Palin is still pushing the terrorist thing so, it was utter limp-dicked fluff.

He back-pedaled. He's not even continuing nor supporting the meek comments he previously made. His campaign is also now saying that Obama is slighting/disrespecting the people at McCain's rallies. Which is gasoline on the whole damn thing.

[Lurker]

As I said, McCain is a coward.

His campaign is still pushing the Muslim / Terrorist angle, they are just trying to be less visible about it. They have taken no steps to prevent their own campaign staffers from sending out smear emails, and their neighborhood canvasers are still hitting on the "pals around with terrorist" bullshit. And just yesterday, McCain isn't sure if it's wrong to compare Obama and Osama.

Coward.

[Harlowe]

One of the GOP campaign offices has more than one worker that actually sends out "Obama as Arab" sort of pamplets. The woman admitted to it, because she thinks she's telling the truth.

[Lurker]

And it's none other than the "he's an Arab" nutcase from the McCain rally. Can you imagine the news coverage and outrage if Obama campaign staffers were running around telling people McCain was a brainwashed Manchurian Candidate? McCain is running a disgusting campaign from top to bottom.

[Klast Brell]

They could accuse him of being an African.