McCain Walks It Back: Obama Is Decent, Nothing To Be Scared Of

John McCain sought to walk back some of the hostility that he and his crowds have projected towards Barack Obama in recent days, saying he wanted to run a respectful campaign and urging his supporters to think of Obama as a decent person.

After an attendee at his town hall said he was concerned about bringing up a child under a president who "cohorts with domestic terrorists such as [Bill] Ayers," McCain didn't take the bait. Rather, he sought to calm the questioner's obviously emotional tone.

"[Senator Obama] is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared about as President of the United States," he said, before adding: "If I didn't think I would be one heck of a better president I wouldn't be running."

McCain was subsequently booed.

Later in the townhall McCain was pressed again about Obama's "other-ness" and again he refused to take the bait.

"He is a decent family man and citizen that I just have disagreements with on fundamental issues," he said.

Earlier in the campaign stop in Lakeville, Minnesota, he told the crowd that while he was "going to take the gloves off" when it came to bringing up Obama's voting record and past associations, the campaign would remain "respectful."

There are two possible interpretations to the somewhat conciliatory tone. McCain could be sensing a political backlash to the vitriol of his crowds, which have labeled Obama a terrorist and traitor, accused him of treason, and called for his death. Certainly, polling suggests raising the Ayers issue has done relatively little to advance McCain's electoral cause. Or he could be playing a classic political game, in which he leaves the mudslinging to his campaign and vice president while he himself stays clean and above the fray.

After all, just hours before McCain spoke, his aide Brian Rogers sent a statement to reporters defending the McCain-Palin audiences as everyday Americans.

Comments

[Hawaii4Obama]

The comments of the two Neanderthals that keep showing up on every news channel should be embarrassing to McCain. What rock has that old woman been living under that thinks Obama is an Arab? I am certain, however, that Hockey Mom enjoys them as she appeals to this lowest common denominator of the electorate.

It's too late to try and get the "Straight Talk Express" back on track. McCain sold his soul to the devil a la Rove-type politics and I hope it continues to backfire on him. Am sure he has a stockpile of Xanax and Ambien to calm him down and help him sleep as he continues with these asanine 'town hall", watered-down lynch mob settings and gets to now 'reap what he has sown'.

[DaOne]

Agreed, it's over........

[OhComeOnNow]

Wonderful! I was chagrined to my bones when those two Neanderthals from my BLUE state spewed such reprehensible nonsense.

[ChescoMom]

It was a shame that we couldn't see that woman'sface--so everyone that came across her path afterwardscould mockher.

[GoBarryGo]

It was a shame to see the back of her head, too, because based on the flattened pattern of her uncombed hair, it looked like she had just rolled out of bed.

[GwenElle]

How Little Ole Lady From the Racist Past could believe Barack is an Arab boggles the mind. She is a U.S. citizen yet does not understand that by decree of the Constitution only natrual born citizens can run for or be elected to the POTUS.

You'd think a 7th grade education or just a bit of common sense would nip most of this crap in the bud.

[kurtlockwood]

Nuremburg!

[Itsmyland2]

Did you see the film of this on TV. McCain reminded me of a drunk coming out of a blackout and realizing where he was and being immediately repentant. It took a long time for it to sink in that he was inciting hate and violence towards someone he actually respects. It was sort of sad to watch. He does not have the temperment to be in the white house but somewhere deep inside him is still an honorable man. Will be interesting to watch the Pundits react to this and to see what Palin and Cindy have to say over the next few days. I am sure FOX noise will find a way to say it was Obama's fault that McCain remembered he is running for President and not Grand Dragon.

[PinkyBear]

He'll find as Pandora did that once the box is open, you can't just shut it closed again. This is so shameful. McCain will be remembered for this--his legacy of hatred.

[xxxDjoolsxxx]

The damage Palin and McCain did cannot be undone.

[Fishingmom4obama]

I guess his lawyers finally caught up to him. Too late, though.

Your plans for the economy still stink to high heaven, and where are the jobs?

[kadene]

With such poor judgment, can you imagine the havoc he'd wreak with executive power?

[mercuryguy]

too late grandpa!

[partyofone]

Sorry, McCain you rang the bell of hate and racism and you can't unring it.

In rejecting McCain, his campaign, the GOP, Bush and his horrible record, it is only honest to also note Democratic complicity. The Democrats in Congress have been enablers of Bush and all of his incompetence and crimes. Hillary and other Dems voted for the Iraq War and have taken no action to end it. The Clintons began meaness and dishonesty, the division and hatemongering in the primaries that McCain has adopted and taken to historic heights. And Bill Clinton as president signed into law the deregulation of the finanical institutions that has led to the current economic crisis. After leaving office, he has cashed in for mega-millions in "consulting and speaking fees" from those who coporations and their leaders who benefitted from that deregulation. Aren't bribes with deferred payments still bribes?

ALL of our political leaders have let thenation down. Not in a small way, but in an enormous, epic way that has ruined lives, undermined the Constitution, and shaken our democracy to its very foundation.

Nothing will change as long as we continue to elect the same incumbents and allow presidents to employ the same revolving door advisors who earn millions from corporate interests and then serve them in government agencies.

[xxxDjoolsxxx]

Just another example of John McCain's poor judgment. First fuelling anger and rage and then trying to control the damage.

[aliceinthewater]

Sen. McCain you had your chance the first time this happened. The only thing you did was make a funny face and move on.

[partyofone]

The anger and hate he and Palin are encouraging is part of the plan to keep the diviided so there is no consensus to address the unchecked corporate profiteering that is collapsing the eocnomy, giving us unaffordable health care, a trillion-dollar war in Iraq, and historic gas prices with no commitment to alternative energy. They are continuing the general election, the same role the Clintons played. Their hope is that the nation will be so divided if Obama wins that he will not be able to govern and coprorate control will continue.

Americans who draw distinctions between Republicans and Democrats are naive and believe their rehotric. In action, there is no difference.

[JenMI]

Are the voters, now, expected to believe this is the "REAL" John McCain? Who was the guy we've been seeing on the campaign trail the past month?

[Jinxykb]

The man's campaign is a colossal disaster. Next elections the Repubs are going to go extremely conservative--I predict Newt Gingrich v. President Obama.

[grf67]

McCain is still a disgrace to the uniform he once wore. Palin is just a disgrace and insult to decent Americans everywhere.

[kadene]

He made a studied effort to avoid saying Barack is an American. I am not impresed with the fact that he did this; it's jjust like him changing his mind about canceling the debate.

He is completely amorphous, and will continue shifting as he tries to find the perfect combination necessary to win

[GoBarryGo]

EXACTLY. My 15 year old daughter and I observed the same thing -- he couldn't get that out -- he managed "citizen" but not "American." He is out of touch, out of ideas, and out of time. What a disgrace. He could run the most positive campaign imaginable (won't happen, but hypothetically) from here on in and it would not change the results. They didn't just cross the line, they eradicated the line, and now there is no going back.

[imsosure]

John Boy is getting briefed by David Duke, it was reported in the Klan Daily news just today. Who would have ever thought that but it's true, him and Sarah had an hour long meeting with the Klansman just today.