What will people remember about John McCain’s campaign and the nadir of the modern Republican Party? The angry mobs that resemble the brown-shirts of the 1930’s. And, John Weaver is correct, they are a threat to our civil society.
John Weaver, McCain’s former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior.
“People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain,” Weaver said. “And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive.”
“Senator Obama is a classic liberal with an outdated economic agenda. We should take that agenda on in a robust manner. As a party we should not and must not stand by as the small amount of haters in our society question whether he is as American as the rest of us. Shame on them and shame on us if we allow this to take hold.”
At least some members of the Grand Old Party are embarrassed and concerned to see the real face of their political base on display. Take a look at this mob from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
That’s what a degree in right-wing talk radio earns you. You come off little better than a caged animal. Hand those people a bunch of Nazi flags or white robes and hoods, and they could have a proper march. Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh eggs them, and McCain, on:
“You are running for president. You have a right to defend this country. You have a responsibility to defend this country and not just fulfill some dream you had eight years ago running for president against Bush. It’s time to start naming names and explain what’s actually going on, because Senator McCain, the people of this country are dead scared about what we face if you lose.”
If you make $250,000 or more a year, I can see you being scared that your taxes will go up. If your life-long dream has been to see Roe v. Wade overturned, I can see being fearful that you won’t live to see it happen. If you like dumping toxic waste in rivers and streams, I can see being afraid of new regulation and oversight. But, what does Rush mean when he says people are ‘dead scared’?
That the Muslims will take over? That urban blacks will rise up, march on the exurbs, and get their own form of reparations? Seriously. If in 2000 I had foretold to you what George W. Bush would do to our country and the world, what could have been more frightening than that?
John Weaver, McCain’s former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior
Since when do national-level Republicans care about responsibility? They’ve gone to the ends of the earth to fix blame on everyone else but themselves. Name the problem, it’s the liberals’ fault. Name an issue, it’s the liberals and their agenda.
And the worst thing is that many conservatives like to talk about personal responsibility. Too bad the national level people don’t believe in that.
Oh, just get a job, BooMan. Can’t you see these are the people of the heartland, salt of the earth, morally centered church going people…..who all just happen to have the day off to go to a barn burning I mean McPalin rally…
As Mike Gravel would say, “these people frighten me”. Morally justified hatred and death threats coupled with chants of “U-S-A, U-S-A” at the rallies? How long till Kristallnacht II, only this time they round up all the libruls and brown people?
Politico Obama takes on the McCain angry mob:
This is the ugly face of fascism. Real, genuine fascism. Fascism doesn’t work unless it can get a significant portion of the population to get angry and scared about things that are phony. Germany invaded Poland on a lie. It marched Jews to concentration camps on lies. Everything that the Republicans have stood for and by which they continued to reap financial benefit have been lies. They must create fear and division.
In some ways, these ugly last few months can be seen as the death throes of this particular fascist eruption. Or it could be used as a justification of some version of martial law by the national security wing. But this seems to be the beginning of the end of something.
More reasonable Republicans:
Gov. Milliken is the only Republican I voted for in my life. He was a great Governor and is a man of honor and character. I’m pleased to read this. Thanks for posting it.
They are panicking, these people in the video. Evolution has passed them by, and they are panicking.
Frankly, I do not think that they are any kind of real threat.
Two, three generations ago? When they still had the taste of red meat in their mouths? When they ruled their communities by the use of terror? By the use of force?
OH yes!!!
Now?
Now they need Viagra just to get themselves up in the morning, most of them. They are helpless little shades of their savage grandparents.
Thank God for small favors.
AG
P.S. Now Blackwater and the other mercenary corps? ? The right wing-dominated armed forces? Intel? The angry, God-obsessed Xian right?
Now that’s a whole ‘nother ball of burning wax.
These people?
Ain’t much to ’em. really.
All’s they’re gonna do is vote and blather.
Bet on it.
Vote, blather, settle down in front of their Fox network-tuned TVs and then slide on down into extinction by overeating.
Thank God for large favors as well.
It only takes one unstable loon to…
There’s a reason that reasonable Republicans are raising a flag on this.
And there is a reason why unreasonable Republicans are fanning the flames, as well.
It’s their only hope.
AG
Well here’s a tale from my backyard. Hunting season starts tomorrow. I always have a few gorgeous bucks in my yard this time of year and the neighborhood, to protect ourselves, post our property and chain up the driveways – normally tonight.
This morning about 4:30 I hear crashing outside. My favorite buck is racing to the backyard followed by 2 big hunters, fully outfitted, carrying guns. Dogs break out, lots of shouting and as I’m dialing the police they start screaming at me that the govt is collapsing and they are just trying to feed their families so get out of the way…
So it starts.
Press charges, I know it’s a pain, the property is posted and there is probably a law about firing within a certain range of a residence. My wife’s Mom had to to get it to stop. This type has no respect for your property or the law.
Our local law enforcement are great here and I learned a long time ago not to confront by myself. So these hunters are already on their way to the pokey.
It’s the raw aggression referring to the govt as failing and having to take matters into their own hands that sets these guys apart.
Buck cracks me up, he’s already back munching grass about 10 feet from the window.
That video made me feel sick. I would never yell those things at McCain supporters. I would ignore them. The level that non-issues are sinking through to the people in this video is stunning.
I’ve only been to two Obama events and it’s all hopeful and good natured. No one yells bad things about the opponent, there is no name-calling. These videos coming out of the McCain rallies, they scare me too, Toni.
Obama talks about change and working together, but if elected, he’ll never get a chance. There are too many people deeply wedded to the fissures that divide our country. Many people, like Rush, are making money and earning fame due to this visceral hatred.
Angry mob provoked violence – a concern, but I’m more concerned that Bushco will use the violence to cancel the elections, that that is part of their current strategy
This reminds of the comments hurled at us when we protested at a Dole/Kemp rally.
The crazy and hateful are still with us.
One of our group was even told to get off welfare. LOL!!
I want someone to ask one of these clowns for a definition of socialism.
Re Hannity, Savage, Limbaugh and the battalion of public hate mongers, it’s about time we brought back the Fairness Doctrine and allowed these malicious and slanderous charges to be refuted on company time. That’s right, by those who have been so victimized. They get a chance to respond on the same media that the original charge was made and at no cost to themselves. That would go a long way, I think, in muzzling such pathetic and vitriolic statements.
Another responsible Republican:
I am so disgusted with all of this hate. I am appalled that the two rallies where people yelled out “He’s a terrorist” and “Kill him” should have been stopped right then and there. Palin and McCain should have condemned these words right then and therre but what do they do and continue to do? Ignore it and then repeat it.
Arthur says don’t be afraid of these people? Are you kidding me? These are the people that used to wear white sheets Arthur. This is what this country and eight years of fascists ruling has brought us to. These former closet bigots are now out.
I was speaking with someone yesterday that is a born again and she is stocking up for the “end times”. That to me, that people think that way and feel there is nothing they can do that this is all God’s Will is what is scarey to me.
This comment may not go over well, but most of these themes were raised and tested during the primaries by the Clinton campaign. Drugs, association with terrorists (Ayers) and so-called radical black activists (Jackson, Wright), etc. Among certain groups of voters, they worked. The Republicans are the refuge for lots of these voters. I am not one bit surprised that McCain and Palin are using what has already been shown to be effective with a certain kind of voter. Hopefully, they will experience a massive blowback or backlash.
Yep, and most of us called the Clinton campaign out for that very thing.
And were afraid it would be used as it is being used.
I saw this work for Hillary in the later primaries especially West Virginia but then came the shift in the polls for Obama. This may be the backlash. McCain agrees and is afraid of the backlash (not because he would do the right thing at his own expense) because he tried to tone down the hate message. It made me proud of America to see Obama lead in West Virginia.
I guess once your reputation is shot, you can shill for ANYTHING:
Gen. Powell calls Senator Steven’s word ‘sterling’:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27120339/
I do supposed it is some sort of seriously tarnished silver, sir.