Former McCain Strategist Warns Against "Angry Mob"

John Weaver, John McCain's former top strategist, says the Republican candidate is making both a moral and a a tactical mistake by letting abusive hecklers have free rein at rallies:

"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."

One of Washington's longest serving political hands expressed bewilderment and fright over the vitriol coming from McCain-Palin rallies, saying that the anger of the crowds could lead to violence.

"One of the most striking things we've seen in the last few day, we have seen it at the Palin rallies and we saw it at the McCain rally today," said David Gergen, appearing on Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday evening. "And we saw it to a considerable degree during the rescue package legislation. There is a free-floating sort of whipping-around anger that could really lead to some violence. And I think we're not far from that."

Gergen's remark came hours after John McCain and Sarah Palin held a rally in Wisconsin that saw attendees pleading with them to go on the attack against Barack Obama over his past associations and "socialistic" behavior. Earlier in the week crowd members at other McCain-Palin events have screamed out that Obama is a terrorist, has committed treason, and should be killed.

Watch:

Questioner: I'm mad. I'm really mad. And what's gonna surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the socialists taking over our country. [applause] Sit down, I'm not done! Thank you. Let me finish, please. [laughter]

McCain: Excuse me. [laughter]

Questioner: Thank you. I think its so important in today's country to see what we are missing and what's really going on. When you have an Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the hooligans up there gonna run this country, we gotta have our head examined. It's time that you two are representing us, and we are mad! So go get em! [applause, chants of USA!]

McCain: Well, I think I got the message. [laughter] Could I just say, the gentleman is right.

"I really worry when we get people -- when you get the kind of rhetoric that you're getting at these rallies now," said Gergen. "I think it's really imperative the candidates try to calm people down."

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Former McCain supporter Frank Schaeffer, writing Friday in the Baltimore Sun, concurred:

John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain.

You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate.

The Washington Post's Dan Balz warned that McCain is headed down the same dirty path George W. Bush took in the 2000 South Carolina primary.

"McCain's tactics are over the line, with no restraint in sight, and threaten to provoke reactions among partisans on both sides that will continue to escalate."

...

I was in contact over the last 24 hours with another veteran of recent Republican presidential campaigns and asked, on a not-for-attribution basis, whether he believed McCain's campaign is taking a big risk with its negative turn. "Yes," this strategist replied. "Big mistake. If this stuff mattered, then why didn't they raise it five months ago. Sad."

Comments

[ajax88]

Hello to all commentators,

All the commercials, pundits, gaffes, personal attacks, and the MSM will not dictate the outcome of this election. THE GROUND GAME IS WHERE ELECTIONS ARE WON, AND LOST!

Before you go to the next left leaning article to comment on, or right leaning article to start an argument with a repug (which will no doubt end with them calling you an unpatriotic socialist wimp) I suggest that you get in the game.

Please visit my personal fundraising page below:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/craigcubberly

If you cannot afford to donate money there are many other ways to help below :

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

Take a look. It is a lot of fun, and very satisfying to get involved. You will really feel as though you are making a difference.

Thanks Craig

[Lori411]

Thanks for the reminder. I am also working the ground game.

[soldiergirl]

Isn't there some law against inciting violence, as in what McCain and Palin are doing? It seems that if you incite a mob to violence, you should be charged accordingly. The mob mentality is taking hold at the republican rally's and it's up to the candidates to shut it down. When the candidates refute each others experiences and qualifications, that's one thing. To actually state, "who is Barack Obama", and to label the man a terrorist goes well past the limits of decorum. The guy at the rally that said that he was mad and was talking about socialists probably couldn't even give you a good definition of what a socialist is. What I am saying is that some of these people are looking for any negative reason to not vote for Obama, so they repeat the same old nonsense that they couldn't even make a good argument about, if asked. People, if you don't want to vote for a candidate, you don't have to spew "facts' that you know nothing of, of create drama. Just simply do like me....I will not vote for McCain because I don't like his policies, and I don't think that he has the judgement or the awareness to look out for the best interest of this country of ours. See, you don't have to make up reasons in order to support your position.

[Manx]

I haven't seen so much exploitation of the lunatic hate fringe since Lester Maddox.

John McCain's reputation will never recover.

[Manelvagorio]

Speaking of the lunatic hate fringe, been to a moveon.orgg" or an "a.n.s.w.e.r..org" sponsored "hatebush" rally over the last 7 years or so?
Lots of burning and stomping going on.

Speaking of stomping - tell me if this video remind you of anything -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSvBCBnulLs&feature=related

[julescator]

That;'s Move on - NOT Barack Obama. This is McCain - not some 527. Therein lies the difference. The candidates can't control these 527s but they sure can control their campaigns and their surrogates. Like the article says, if McCain thought this was such a horrible story about Ayers, why didn't he say so 5 months ago.

Where was McCain when Hillary tried her best to make a BIG story out of Ayers. It didn't work for her and it won't work for him. McCain is so desperate to win that he has lost any modicum of decency. My thoughts are that This is the Real McCain. The other guy was a wannabe for campaign perposes. McCain is a nasty, mean vengeful little man as they have always said. He endured this kind of smear in 2000 at the hands of the same people he now has running his campaign. That says to me that he admires the kind of campaign these Rove people ran. If he thinks he is ever goint to be the President of this country - he and Palin are sadly mistaken. He has too many gimmicks and erractic behavior to be taken seriously.

[coolmaiden]

Oh, I know what scares you about this video.
Any proof of your claims? Because from the attitude of your posts, I am deducing you are not a supporter of moveon.org, so I really don't think you've been to a "stomping party." Provide some proof and I will be happy to read.

[JNagarya]

There is a difference: the Bush*it criminal enterprise bullied and stole its way into office. The began their subversion of the Constitution and laws then and there.

Obama hasn't violated any laws or stolen any elections.

Nor has Obama abused the powers of any office he has held.

Palin's associates are dangerous and worse, unlike Obama's, who are law-abiding.

We are required to hate the lawless for limiting everyone ele's rights and freedoms.

[wookierage]

the difference is that bush stole an election (or two) and is a war criminal. not to mention, he's someone who aided and abetted the greatest embezzlement of taxpayer money in US history (ie, the socialist bailout of his wall street cronies).

if i were president come january, the first thing I would do after the swearing in is direct the FBI to put el busho in shackles right there on the steps of the inauguration.

[alexis d]

I agree. If he'd done a quick and total about face after the first couple of times it happened, He might've gotten off the hook. As it stands, he has been called out by the public, and by commentators & elected officials from all over the political spectrum, and his campaign has responded by defending its rallies and attacking the messenger.

Inexcusable.

[pbley68]

They should have used an ice cold water canon, to cool down that knuckle dragging Rethug mob.

[helenwheels]

Thanks for the chuckle, what a great visual. Hose down those rabid wingnuts!

[winnie47]

I have been on a letter writing and email campaign for weeks, trying to stop this hate-mongering. Some unbalanced person is going to come away from a McCain/Palin rally with the idea that it is patriotic to assassinate Obama. I believe that if McCain/Palin aren't violating the law yet, they are damn close. It is one thing to disagree with another's politics. It is acceptable to say that you believe another person to be unqualified, or weak. But to insinuate that your opponent is evil and should be exterminated is disturbing and sickening. Once this election is over, assuming that no tragedy has happened, Senator McCain needs to have his ass hauled before the ethics committee, to explain running such an unethical campaign against a fellow senator. If some violence DOES occur, McCain/Palin need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law!

[helenwheels]

Yes that is the danger, alright. And sadly, McCain's not the worst inciter. Rush Limbaugh and a whole host of other ones do it on a daily basis. Remember even Bill O'Reilly said Michelle Obama deserved to be lynched. And he's still got a job.

No one reigns in the hate speech because it's becoming more and more accepted. And that is pretty damn scary.

[desertbloom]

Ugly and shameful. The Country First-ers are divisive and dangerous. They cannot lead or unify. They have made a mockery of their own slogan. Time to really "suspend" your campaign, John McCain. Permanently.

[LouisvilleLiberal]

The Republican base is a shrinking 25-30% of the population. They are overwhelmingly older, white and they have been in charge in this country for the last few decades. They are not used to losing and they are angry at the realization that they are no longer the controlling majority.

They also realize that Republican fiscal and foreign policy have run their party aground. They no longer stand for what they did 30 years ago and can only resort to name calling and bigotry to divide and conquer the electorate.

Of course they are angry......they know that they have lost complete control of the government for at least 12 years, probably closer to 20.

[realityczech4u]

Don't count them out for 12 or 20 years. Look back at history. Even after Nixon and Watergate, it only took one dose of 'Jimmuh" and they were right back in the White House.

[LouisvilleLiberal]

Look back a little further.......Dems controlled the White house almost constantly from 1932 to 1968. Vietnam and Civil Rights divided the Democratic Party. Then came Nixon and Watergate. Carter couldn't get our hostages out of Iran and we voted for Reagan.

That was the beginning of the decline of America's middle class.

History tends to repeat itself.

[kinnycut]

This is what happens when you stir up political retards with complete lies and utter nonsense.

[realityczech4u]

I seem to remember, just 4 short years ago, swastikas being burnt into lawns that had Bush/Cheney signs on them, Bush campaign headquarters having windows broken out and being vandalized in numerous cities, and several incidents of cars running up on the sidewalk in Florida, and hitting Bush people. As an independent, I hear repeatedly of the intellectual and ethical superiority of so-called "progressives" (at least according to themselves), so I am left wondering who committed these deeds of destruction and violence. Couldn't have been them, certainly not. The 'political retards'? Seems that, even as stupid as they are, it is highly unlikely that they were vandalizing their own properties and injuring one another. Peplexing. Which side has a history of violence and vandalism?
Left or right? Aside from a small fringe element of zealots that attack abortion clinics, the right are gentle as lambs and scrupulously law-abiding. I've never known of them to engage in disorderly protests, to riot, or to vandalize.

[Buddy McCue]

You have GOT to be kidding.

[bluegrasstafarian]

...any links?

there isn't just a right or left, ya know...its a wide spectrum rather than a simple dichotomy intended for easy digestion by the American idol watching, dorito chomping masses. The media seems to benefit from this polarizing, dualistic breakdown of the political climate...and unfortunately most politicians seem to play into this game.

and the brownshirts never rioted in munich? there aren't reactionary religious figures calling for holy war in the united states?

I guess a patriot never needs to protest because our democracy is perfect.

Jefferson mentioned something about democracy as a "process," that is why we strive for a "more perfect union."

As a patriot, expect to see me in some disorderly protests if this election is stolen again. Am I mad as hell? You betcha! Am I alone? If you think so then you are not paying attention.

[wookierage]

"my friend" I could tell you stories about things done in my neighborhood (here in TX) about what they do to folks with democratic signs in their yards and bumper stickers on their cars. The last three election cycles have been pretty bad, and now its escalating to major vandalism on the part of the repugs.

You may be correct that these folks are just the fringe, but isn't it interesting how its always the dems in red states who get attacked for expressing their beliefs?

[AJWeberman]

PUTTING ON AYERS
YIPPIE STEW ALBERT BOMBED THE CAPITOL NOT WILLIAM AYERS
As leader of the Youth International Party at the time I was privy to who planted this bomb. In May 1971 Jerry Rubin and Stew Albert visited me and Rubin introduced Albert as someone who had just “bombed the Capitol.” The FBI believed that Stew Albert was responsible. http://yippiemuseum.org/stew.pdf along with Leslie Bacon and Judith Clavir. The Bureau presented evidence and a Grand Jury indicted Leslie Bacon http://yippiemuseum.org/indict.pdf and Leslie Bacon was arrested for this event http://yippiemuseum.org/arrest.pdf. The FBI had the trio discussing the bombing on ELSUR devices that had been illegally planted in a Washington D.C. apartment so the case was eventually dropped. The FBI overheard Stew remark that the bomb contained twenty sticks of dynamite that were allegedly supplied to him by Leslie Bacon. The trio was present in Washington that day and when asked about the bombing Leslie took the Fifth. BILL AYERS did not plant this bomb. For more go to http://yippiemuseum.org/ayers

[realityczech4u]

Much like making a distinction between the Taliban and Al Queda. Same book, different page. I do though, understand your jealously guarding a piece of the Yippies' glory from being expropriated to a rival group of murderous thugs.

[marm]

Thank you for setting the record straight. You need to be getting this out to all the media and insisting that it be aired. I have my own response to Palin's "guilt by association" trip: I'm quite sure I have associated with many Republicans over the course of my long life, but I deny that they have had any influence over me whatsoever and would deeply resent being lumped in with them.

[AlligatorShuz]

It appears Hillary Clinton, Harold Ickes, Terry McAuliff and that gang were the first to bring race into this election cycle. Hillary Clinton on purpose started to say she appeals to the white female over 50 voter. Now it appears that the intelligent people have stop attending McCain rallies and now it is the uneducated, very ignorant racist who is attending his rallies.

[HereticalPolemicisit]

It's what Pat Buchanan has referred to as the "culture wars". They are the people who see not only their material well being, but their cultural identity being marginalized. In a hyper analogy you can say they are the Custers at the Little Big Horn in their anxieties and distress. It's been glossed over and neglected for puff news and feature pieces. Their rhetorical hate and anger IS the iceberg under which Timothy Mc Veigh's and other radical nativists showed above on the violent surface.

gmail.comgmail.com

[Mugzi]

Maybe some remember when JFK was elected, since he was Irish Catholic, they were afraid the pope was actually going to dictate policy (Vatican to the White House), that was actually a "fear" back then. Needless to say...

[Marichu]

The supporters of both candidates are a reflection of them.
One inspires hope for a better tomorrow, engenders a grassroots wellspring of volunteerism, motivates those who have never voted or felt disenfranchised by the government and the political process to register to vote, brings forth a sense of unity.
The other candidate's rhetoric and ideology inspires fear, intolerance, and anger.
All that's left to decide by the voters is which candidate is the true representation of all Americans.

[fred edison]

"The supporters of both candidates are a reflection of them. " I think this is true to a large extent, with the usual exceptions, of course. It seems McCain & Palin go from angry mob to angry mob so much that finding a civil crowd at a rally would be unusual. They have created the monster, they have misinformed their supporters, and they are responsible for spreading fear/hate associations and lies about Obama.

Rather than stick to the issues and their differences of policy, which is what should be the primary concerns for their supporters, they chose to use "shady" character attacks and let wild rumors masquerade as facts. So as your insightful quote says, the supporters are a reflection of the candidates. This is exactly why, contrary to certain opinions expressed by others, I thought Obama would be wise to stick to the issues and stay away from the despicable bunk the McCain Spin Posse has inflicted upon the American public. They are reaping what they sowed.

[PhysicsProf]

It is obvious that these hysterical people have been listening to conservative talk radio, which has been spouting off the word "socialist" until it became a mantra for its listeners. Combined with the character attacks against Obama, the combination has led to a bunch of really frightened people. And of course fear is perfect tinder for rage, something McCain has finally noticed. I give him credit for finally trying to calm people's irrational fears, but I feel he will need the help of other respected conservatives -- congressional members should address their constituents, evangelical ministers should address their flocks, and talk radio hosts should tone things down (if that's even possible).

[Mugzi]

I agree.it's sad that on election day people are being told not to wear certain colors or candidate clothing...I thought we were beyond this.

[marm]

Not "flocks" -- packs of wolves.

[wookierage]

please don't disparage lupine americans that way

[RationalDubSteppa]

It's sad to see republicans reduced to the lowest common dominator in their party.

[Mugzi]

Maybe they are afraid of the unknown and need to know it's going to be okay...we have been through a horrendous 8 years, but with Obama we will be better and don't need to be afraid.