Rage rising on the McCain campaign trail

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN.COM

With recent polls showing Sen. Barack Obama's lead increasing nationwide and in several GOP-leaning states, some Republicans attending John McCain-Sarah Palin campaign rallies are showing a new emotion: rage.

At a rally in Minnesota on Friday, a woman told McCain: "I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab."

<snip>
Another man was more pointed.

"And we're all wondering why that Obama is where he's at, how he got here. I mean, everybody in this room is stunned that we're in this position," another man said at Thursday's rally.

"I'm mad. I'm really mad. And what's going to surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country," one said.


Former Michigan Gov. William Milliken, a Republican, told the Grand Rapids Press he was "disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign."

"He is not the McCain I endorsed," Milliken said Thursday.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/mccain.crowd/ind...

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The last time I checked, inciting to riot is a crime.

[hobbit709]

1. It's not a crime if the repukes do it.

EVERYTHING is a crime if the Democrats do it.

[4lbs]

4. Yup, look at the hateful words at a McCain-Palin rally and the law authorities do nothing about it.

They just do some cursory "just for show" investigating and drop it.

Yet, the protesters at the RNC convention get tear-gassed and arrested.

[saltpoint]

2. McCain's supporters forgot to put on their American hats.

[tanyev]

23. Wasn't that an interesting line at the convention?

An admission that they can't be Republicans and Americans at the same time.

[saltpoint]

37. Yes. It was close to freak-show caption. Kind of shocking at face value alone

and of course, the idiot media all but ignored. it.

[Realityhack]

3. Sounds like McCain is trying but can't control the crowd.

I imagine it is some of the mixed signals but the quotes show him trying to calm the crowd down and failing.

[PatrynXX]

6. lack of leadership

and imagine Howard Dean got screwed because he seemed to lose it. Which was completely misunderstood. (but that's that left wing media the Right is always talking about) as if nobody had been to a pep rally. But I'm pretty sure Howards rally was a pep rally. Not a KKK rally. Which I wouldn't be surprised if many of the attendees at McCain's rallies really are KKK members.

[Realityhack]

18. definately a lack of clear leadership.

His mixed messages contribute to this and they know it.

[HereSince1628]

7. It's Push me - Pull me. People take away what the want from rallies

what they want.

I'm quite skeptical of this new found voice for comity and moderation.

A couple of planted operators in the audience shouting feeds the mob, at the same time McCain generates television momements of moderation for the camera. It's a great manipulation if you can pull it off. You get to appeal to 2 audiences with different messages simultaneously.

[Realityhack]

19. Cynical but possible...

OTOH it could be quite natural to end up with a few extremist/racists in the crowd. McCain's television spots definitely play the hate/fear everything different card.
It does let him appeal to both audiences, but at this point if it were plants I think they would end it because it is generating more bad press than good and they would barely have enough time to spin it as McCain cleaning up his campaign as it is, never mind if they wait.

[mascarax]

14. But then he's erratic

A few minutes later, according to a news article I read, he went back to Obama starting his career in Ayers' living room or something similar.

So yes, constant mixed signals from him. He's disgusting.

[Realityhack]

20. It is very clear that they want to use the hate...

they just wish it were not on display so openly.
Cheers to the republican who called him out on it in that article.

[Realityhack]

5. This vividly demonstrates the hatefulness...

of a large chunk of the republican base. There are a large number of fairly ignorant hateful people who they are relying on. Obviously not all republicans are that bad, but we are hearing a lot from the foaming at the mouth, full of BS, openly racist variety.

Obviously while McCain 'encourages respect' for his opponent he is sending mixed signals in his ads and stump speeches. I don't think this is in any way unexpected and while it may be more obvious to the media than intended... I do not think it was unintended.

[MissDeeds]

16. Hatred and intolerance is the core

of the Republican party now. They are fueled by it and consumed by it. I really worry about election day and what may occur in the street across this country. The hatred they are spewing is menacing and frightening.

[PatrynXX]

8. The last time I checked, inciting to riot is a crime.

Yeah if all those people who were pre arrested for supposedly inciting a riot in the Twin Cities... well come one. Lets be equal. And most of those arrested were completely innocent.

[BREMPRO]

9. this is the result of years of brainwashing by RW radio and politicians...

they've built this fictional world that is now crumbling around them and attacks their very faith. This is a VERY DANGEROUS toxic mix of politics and circumstances and the McFlame campaign needs to put "country first" and stop the unsubstantiated attacks before their is some nut job who takes his gun to an Obama rally. I'm really afraid of this, I think about it every day now... They want to take away our hope.

[chrisau214]

10. Socialism is a Meaningless Scare Word for These People

Look at this quote;

"I'm mad. I'm really mad. And what's going to surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country," one said.


This guy clearly doesn't have a clue as to what socialism is if he doesn't realize that the concept of socialism is inextricably tied to the economy.

I suspect that most of the people who spout such nonsense don't have the slightest idea what the difference is between socialism, capitalism, communism, hedonism, Buddism, feminism, and botulism.






Chris

[Realityhack]

17. Well just look at the other quote about Obama being an Arab.

In my (admittedly narrow) experience people who are this full of hate are very ignorant and typically proud of it.

[Wednesdays]

24. If they fear Arabs, (like a broken clock) they've finally got one thing right

Because it was guys from Saudi Arabia who caused 9/11. But then in response, we went and attacked two NON-Arab countries.

And Obama, an Arab? What planet are they living on? Ignorance, sheer ignorance.

[Realityhack]

32. Planet ignorance? n/t

[dipsydoodle]

11. He's upsetting the Unions

and I sure wouldn't want to upset the Teamsters.

[pipi_k]

12. What scares me is...

it looks like a lot of that hatred has its roots in race, and that if those people can't find a way to act out their rage on Obama himself, they could turn around and find other "suitable" targets. Black men, women, and even children...who are just as innocent of any wrongdoing as Obama is, but who share one thing with him...

skin color.

[Burma Jones]

13. If there's violence, the Republican Party should be designated a terrorist organization

Man, we would have to build high rises at Guantanamo........

[Juneboarder]

15. Don't forget about the

astronomically high HOA fees of $5-1000/month to cover the valet parking, room service, gym, spa and all the other amenities at Guantanamo-by-the-Bay.

[Burma Jones]

22. Who wouldn't want to visit Club Fed?

[xchrom]

21. spirow agnew is the Grand Father of this --

ronald reagan the Father and mccain the ineffectual Uncle.

the republicans have been proudly touting Hate for the Democratic party for years -- and yet the media manages to discover it when barack is running.

[Turbineguy]

25. Welll, consider this:

The fundamental premise is that everything that has gone wrong in the past 8 years is Clinton's fault. If that is your premise, would you want a Democrat in the White House next year?

It's merely the opposite of what we have here. Everything that has gone wrong is Bush's fault. That is our premise. Do we want more of the same? OK, it's dumber and illogical too. But they don't know that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

26. They have a lot to fear.

They control small towns through a network of backroom dealings and agreements and that's all about to be challenged like never before.

[mcollier]

Such misplaced anger

bush is where the anger should be directed.... mccain and cheney are in the same sinking boat as bush.

There are still too many coco nut headed people in America...

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. What the hell did you mean by that last derogatory remark?

Bush, McCain and Cheney are just the federal level of this multi-headed monster. If you think what they're doing is limited at a national level, you know nothing.

[mcollier]

27. Such misplaced anger

bush is where the anger should be directed.... mccain and cheney are in the same sinking boat as bush.

There are still too many coco nut headed people in America...

[mcollier]

28. Such misplaced anger

bush is where the anger should be directed.... mccain and cheney are in the same sinking boat as bush.

There are still too many coco nut headed people in America...

[Odin2005]

31. As a person who grew up in a little rural town I know EXACTLY what you mean.

You can't do anything in small towns if you don't have the right connections and beliefs.

[The Backlash Cometh]

33. You are my new best friend.

I live in a Country for Old Men. Incredible lack of ethics, no matter where you look.

[Odin2005]

34. You would get along well with my mom, then.

She's not a "native" of the town (Ulen, Minnesota, about an hour's drive NE of Fargo), she grew up in Fergus Falls, MN. Not only that, she is a Democrat. Both those things, her lack of local family connections and her liberalism, keep her from getting a good job at the local bank she is more then qualified for (she has an accounting degree), so she is stuck working as a bartender at the local VFW. It's all one big Old-Boys-Club

[The Backlash Cometh]

35. I know her hell, so well.

Give her a big hug for me.

[Spritz57]

30. I simply wish when the MSM covers this. . .

They also show copies of the e-mails which have been referenced by so many McCain supporters, e.g. the woman who called Barack an Arab. In the follow up interview she references her visit to the library (internet access) and e-mails which a friend(s) have sent her. I would love to see an investigative piece on the origins of these hate filled distortions. Why can't they equate these tactics with the Rovian tactics which were used against McCain in 2000? Same players, same tactics. Some of these e-mails have been posted here at DU, so exposing them to the light of day would not be a problem.

[applegrove]

36. A certain portion of the American public have been schooled to be repukes and afraid

of government regulation. All I can hope for for them is that Obama wins and they see how great Democracy can be. Perhaps they will unlearn the propaganda. And then they will be ruled less by fear and more by their own needs.