NYT Editorial: McCain-Palin Have Sunk Into "Race-Baiting And Xenophobia"

The New York Times harshly criticized the McCain-Palin campaign in an editorial Wednesday:

It is a sorry fact of American political life that campaigns get ugly, often in their final weeks. But Senator John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin have been running one of the most appalling campaigns we can remember.

They have gone far beyond the usual fare of quotes taken out of context and distortions of an opponent's record -- into the dark territory of race-baiting and xenophobia. Senator Barack Obama has taken some cheap shots at Mr. McCain, but there is no comparison.

...

[Palin's] demagoguery has elicited some frightening, intolerable responses. A recent Washington Post report said at a rally in Florida this week a man yelled "kill him!" as Ms. Palin delivered that line and others shouted epithets at an African-American member of a TV crew.

Mr. McCain's aides haven't even tried to hide their cynical tactics, saying they were "going negative" in hopes of shifting attention away from the financial crisis -- and by implication Mr. McCain's stumbling response.

We certainly expected better from Mr. McCain, who once showed withering contempt for win-at-any-cost politics. He was driven out of the 2000 Republican primaries by this sort of smear, orchestrated by some of the same people who are now running his campaign.

Of McCain's relatively civil debate performance, the paper said:

Ninety minutes of forced cordiality did not erase the dismal ugliness of his campaign in recent weeks, nor did it leave us with much hope that he would not just return to the same dismal ugliness on Wednesday.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[dbawden]

Perhaps you have seen this on race relations and unions...i­f not, it adds some important context to the conversation.

http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2008/10/02/richardtrumkaftw/

[2StepsAway]

McCain has set the tone his campaign. He is responsible for the actions of his supporters at the rallies. Putting out a statement afterwards that the actions & words at the rallies are not condoned does not excuse it & clearly does not inhibit it from occuring again.

Palin fails to realiize that in less than a month, she wil be back as the full time governor of Alaska. She has to act in the best interest of ALL members of her state. How do you function in such a dirty manner, then turn around to business as usual?

Oh wait. This behavior is business as usual. McCain will return to his senate seat & until the election in 2010 probably won't have anyone that will want to sit next to him....


Shameful. Irresponsible. Not for America.

[EmotionDetector]

Well said. I have also said that McCain, if he were man enough, would do more than have one of his staffers put out a 3 second statement. He must do a press conference to publicly and emphatically denounce it. Anything less won't do.

That is unless of course, he is being the whole thing.

[Twinkie]

John Howard used these same tactics successfully in a previous election in Australia, but with the added impetus of a refugee problem. Unfortunately most people are all too easily swayed by such base tactics. Even more so at times of recession and hardship. Even worse is the divisiveness it causes which takes many years to heal. If McCain and Palin win it will do a lot of harm to American society and put back the cause of racial harmony and social cohesion 20 years.

People like these two are not leaders, they are merely opportunists. Many of America's enemies will be hoping for a McCain/Palin victory so that their incompetence reduces US influence around the world even further.

[PBOHIO]

Here is the # of the Sheriff in Lee County FL. 239-477-1000. Ask for the Comment Line and leave this despicable man, who disgraces the uniform he wears, a "comment".

[nanotubz]

The Feds are. Seems the good ole boy may have run afoul of the Hatch act. If he did, the county may have to repay $300K to the treasury of Federal funds received.

[cody58]

I hope the book is thrown at this loser! He and Palin are going to like HELL.

[suvbaby]

You can also email him your comments.

sheriffleefl.orgorg

[evekendall]

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[ImVotingforThatOne]

That's awesome. I'm buying it right now.

[Ivygreen]

I would but cafepress wants 7.00 to mail a bumper sticker? Doesn't a stamp cost like .42?

[JohninHouston]

I know the McCain plan. You need to know it. A couple of months ago the McCain election committee realized that he is likely to lose. They needed something BIG and FLASHY to generate press. Sarah Palin is their Hail-Mary Pass.
If, by some unlikely chance, McCain/Palin should win, this is what will happen: after McCain's cabinet officers have been confirmed by congress and the administration has settled into office- maybe four to five months into 2009, Palin will tearfully resign from office. She will have a family emergency- her baby is sick, her daughter's baby is sick, something like that. McCain will then appoint a vice- president who is actually qualified(someone whom congress will approve but who wasn't going to bring excitement to the ticket). He may already have decided on the actual vice-president.
Palin will become a tragic heroine- giving up the vice-presidency because family is more important than politics. Everyone will breathe a great sigh of relief.

[remc]

That may be McCain's plan, but it sure isn't Palin's. That woman wants to be POTUS, she won't be going away quietly.

BTW, she already has a sick baby, a troubled teenage daughter, and a very angry 7-year-old. SHE DOESN'T CARE!!

[golf18]

It seems that Mac is a tired old man and is out of his league. When you are too tired to think all you can do is go negative. He has had his day ,so he should get out of politics.

[thestargazer]

The reason they continue to use Barack's middle name at speeches???

This video pretty much says it all..... This is the voter that they are trying to atract. This is the element that they want/need in their party.

You have to see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wroj0FLvzs&eurl=http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

Doesn't it make you republicans proud?

[hannitizer]

WOW is all I can say! But didn't she yell repeatedly "Hillary Clinton for President"?

Another one of PUMA's finest.

[ofcoursejesusisblack]

Anyone see Katrina from the Nation on MTP smack down Palin?

[hopefulinflorida]

It's always the short guys who start name calling when they don't get their own way

[JNagarya]

That's idiotic nonsense. There are plenty of hateful people who are tall.

[Jaykgirl]

Oh but they are the party of Christians? They would never treat thy neighbor badly?

[ebanks84]

Everyone needs to know that the Bush family are all from the same lineage which includes the English dynasty as well. Diana was chosen to be in that family and when she found out who they really were and tried to break loose, she was taken care of.

Now that ailin Palin is found to be of Diana's lineage, you must know that they ALL know each other, have known each other, and she was not a "drop in the bucket" running mate as they wish you to believe. They are KEEPING THE DYNASTY in motion if McCain/Palin is elected and that will truly be a BUSH FIFTH TERM if you add in his daddy's half and whole terms.

These people have an agenda and if you know nothing about the Bilderbergs or the Illuminati, then maybe you need to investigate these terms so you'll know who you are electing for your president and VP. Don't vote in ignorance. You will forever be sorry if you do.

[BannedInBoston]

It all goes back to Jesus and Mary Magdalene.­...

[moonie1]

Holy crap, Batman! If I read "The DaVinci Code" again will I be able to spot the conspiracies within conspiracies within other conspiricies? And where does Opus Dei fit into all of this? Let's just stick to the obvious. These supposed Christians do not live by the principles they swear they uphold. They are just a bunch of the worst hypocrits one can imagine. There own qualifying benchmark, "WWJD?" has no meaning when seeking to win the highest offices in the land. All bets are off like tossing their Christian values into the dumpster.

[2cntswrth]

Well in maybe four weeks we can send Sarah back home. We really wouldn't want to mess up the great scenic view she has of Russia and "Putin rearing his head right there over Alaska as they do trade deals back and forth." She's had her 15 minutes of fame. And "Thanks, but no Thanks."

[cmonppl]

Yeah, how about her, as a role model for our girls - huh. Nooo, thanks. Maybe she will replace Elizabeth Hasselbeck on 'The View'... cut rorm the same hypocritical, 'blame and shame game' cloth.

[BannedInBoston]

Not only "blame and shame" but mindless, ignorant blame and shame....

[Old time Dem]

Palin has simply destroyed John Mccain's reputation and credibility and honor./it is beyond repair.

Palin had nothing to lose. John had everything to lose.

John McCain is simply one more victim of Palin's ambitions - a very foolish man to give all that he worked for all his life......­.......

[obamagal]

No, John McCain destroyed John McCain's reputation and credibility.

The John McCain of 2000 and the John McCain of 2008 are completely different - and thankfully people are finally realizing this. He sold his soul for his ambition. His ultimate ambition in life was to be President, no matter what it took..... he has done what he feels was necessary to achieve his objective. I'm sure he was pushed into choosing Palin but he didn't have to do it - if he'd had any semblance of honor left, he would have refused. Whatever it took was his creed. He gave into Schmidt. We all now see the result.

With all due respect, blaming Palin is a cop out. Most assuredly she is (as David Brooks said) a cancer to the party but she's pure honey to the base. Most certainly, they will be voting on the 4th. I just hope enough decent Republicans, the actual conservatives of the party will not follow suit - hopefully they still retain their integrity and patriotism.

[Pegi]

John McCain is totally devoid of honor, are you kidding me? well, i have a nice bridge in alaska for sale, cheap too!!!!

[DangitRuss]

Can someone ask if she read THIS in the Times?

[KGinSanFrancisco]

She never read the NYT in her life! Someone just gave her the distorted talking points, all digested in bullet points and flash cards. If she read the article she wouldn't see any meat in it, it debunks the relationship, saying they were not close.

[Tzimisce]

From Ben Smith of Politico:

"An Obama supporter, who canvassed for the candidate in the working-class, white Philadelphia neighborhood of Fishtown recently, sends over an account that, in various forms, I've heard a lot in recent weeks.

"What's crazy is this," he writes. "I was blown away by the outright racism, but these folks are f***ing undecided. They would call him a n----r and mention how they don't know what to do because of the economy."

Disgusting.

[judyc]

We don't need Fishtown. Philly will go overwhelmingly for O.