Triumph of the Will: Part II

[prole]

 

This is sure to sway some of those "independent swing voters"!

 

Inflammatory Republican Rallies Raise Concerns

 

Shouts of "terrorist" and even accusations of "treason" aimed at Barack Obama have echoed around Republican rallies, whipped up into alarming, hate-filled frenzies against the Democratic White House hopeful.

 

Republican presidential nominee John McCain has taken to asking, "Who is the real Barack Obama?" at rallies this week, leading one supporter in Pennsylvania, a blue-collar battleground state to shout back, "he is a bomb."

 

Before the rally, local Republican leader Bill Platt warmed up the crowd by several times referring to "Barack Hussein Obama," focusing on the Illinois senator's middle name and trying to highlight his differences with other Americans.

 

Chants of "Nobama, Nobama" mingled with cries of "terrorist," as one banner in the crowd declared: "Go ahead, let the dogs out."

 

The stream of vicious attacks against Obama, who has left McCain trailing in the polls, were ramped at the weekend by Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin who accused the Chicago senator of "palling around with terrorists."

 

She was referring to Bill Ayers, a founding member of the Weathermen, a radical leftist group in the 1960s, who served with Obama as a board member on a charitable foundation from 1999 to 2001.

 

Now when she mentions Obama, some of the crowds' responses have escalated beyond boos and hisses, and there are fears among some observers that the attacks are going too far.

 

On Thursday the McCain campaign issued another hard-hitting negative commercial, slamming his rival's judgement and candor and accusing him of not telling the truth about the extent of his acquaintance with Ayers.

 

Since her first vitriolic attacks, Palin has toned it down, but the campaign is not backing away from its negative tack.

 

"It's about Senator Obama being candid and straight forward with the American people and their relationship," McCain told Fox News.

 

"He has dismissed it by saying he was just a guy in the neighborhood. You know it's much more than that."

 

Democratic vice presidential pick, Joseph Biden, has slammed the tone, telling ABC: "This is volatile stuff and ... I just thought we were kind of beyond this place."

 

If Palin heard hate-filled shouts from the crowds, she should be "at least saying 'whoa, whoa, whoa that's overboard," Biden said Wednesday.

 

And in an email to supporters Biden said Thursday: "I've heard some pretty unspeakable things in the past few days -- deeply offensive smears that we'll hear over and over again until election day.

 

"Instead of focusing on the issues that really matter, our opponents are doing everything they can to encourage this toxic atmosphere."---from AFP 10/9/08

[tvashtarkatena]

The NYT editors slammed the McCain campaign, stating that it was "the most appalling we can remember."

 

It's certainly energized some of his hard core base, but, given his continuing downward slide in the polls, I'd say it's driving away more than a few moderates.

[j_b]

Unfortunately, thuggish baiting isn’t new or rare; leftwingers have faced this treatment by rightwing goons for at least 50 years. It happens all the time on this board. During the cold war, liberals were accused of being commies, now they are accused of being terrorists since we are fighting the war OF terror. It’s contemporary McCarthysm with an orwellian twist: a bunch of war criminals and their accomplices who claim that their political opponents don’t respect human life.

[tvashtarkatena]

The main problem is that even former McCain supporters won't vote for a guy who is slinging mud while the world burns to the ground.

 

No.one.gives.a.shit.about.Ayers.right.now.

 

But, as I've stated repeatedly, McCain is dumber than a post. He'll keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. Or is that the definition of insanity? No matter, both apply.

 

Judgement? Um...no.

Edited October 9, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[billcoe]

Triumph of the Will: Part II

 

Damn, I thought this would be about Will Strickland tagging another horrendous offwidth.

 

Wheres the climbing pictures!???

[dmuja]

 

Shouts of "terrorist" and even accusations of "treason" aimed at Barack Obama have echoed around Republican rallies....

 

I wonder if they train them here?

 

hey, just askin..

Edited October 9, 2008 by dmuja

[prole]

 

At any rate, the same thugs yelling "terrorist" and "sit down boy" will be out intimidating voters at the polls come voting day. And yes j_b, we've seen it all before.

 

[j_b]

we've seen it all before.

 

Which places the NYT "never seen it before" in perspective. I know it isn't a very popular thing to say and it doesn't excuse it one bit, but there is little that we haven't seen before despite the amnesia of the corporate media.

Edited October 9, 2008 by j_b