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

[Grannysue]

Let's see how they are going to get this genie back in the bottle!

[urojen]

Did McCain have a choice?His strategy was not working,he was feeling the backlash,losing by a bigger margin and now he is trying to come out respectful­.His and Palin's behavior was ironicaly "unAmerican" while he was trying to portray Obama so! I would like to give the man the benefit of doubt and hope finally his inner decency prevailed.­.But still his campaign continues the negative attack as evidenced by Nicole Wallace's statement. Or is he just trying to play bothways just as he did while "suspending "the campaign! Erratic ,that what summarizes him at best. He is not a change candidate,on the other hand,sadly the contest has changed him.The pity is in the end Mccain will be remembered for his erratic behavior of these last few months, undoing all the good thing he ever did in his career.

[rdipent]

There is only one way for McCain to save his sorry campaign and his personal legacy. He must dump Palin and select a real candidate not a pit bull, fire his campaign chief, and go on TV and make a special announcement telling America he is sorry for the way his campaign has behaved and from this moment forward he will only discuss the real issues facing america. At least he would go down with some small bit of integrity and honor.

[kimbari]

He'd probably STILL get booed.

What a vicious, hateful bunch of ignorant people.

[GoBarryGo]

Can the Repubes "de-nominate" him? LOL.

[patianneb]

He's being forced to back off...but unless he takes control of his entire campaign, including MissUse of Power, his gesture is just that, a gesture without significance.

[westportmike]

I really believe that John McCain saw what was happening and was disgusted by it all. Believe it or not, this man used to be someone a lot of us looked up to and respected. People make mistakes and I for one hope we get more of the "old" John McCain back real soon.

I don't agree with this man's ideology, but he will always be an American Hero.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08!

[RhinoCrossing]

After reading the Rolling Stone article about McCain, I'm not willing to call him a hero.

[lykitis]

thank you!!!! read the same article. made me sick for all the other real "heroes" who didn't get to skip along on their connections.

[Georgiadude]

McCain's recent behavior, in my opinion, substantiates the article.

[Icantbelieveher]

He was spouting the same hatred -- he heard people saying those things and he only drew it back because his own people were saying it was reprehensible! There's nothing honorable about him. He's willing to do whatever it takes to be president.

I heard this quote: It's not about winning, it's about winning without proving that you don't deserve to win the presidency! He's proven he doesn't deserve it!

He changes his tact as often as we change our underwear! And he only does it because he doesn't know what people want to hear -- he's watching the polls slide the other way, and he's trying a new tact: I am respectful and honorable!

It's a crock!

[SilverFoxUna]

This is looking alot like the sad days leading up to Nixon's resignation. Different events but the same scenario of a leader being sucked up by his own devices. What a debacle for the whole world to view.

[GoBarryGo]

Westportmike, I used to buy into the myth that McCain was honorable too. His behavior has been consistently reprehensible since the campaign started, and really hit high gear when he selected the Avon Lady Governor to be his running mate. For a very in-depth unvarnished look at who the real John McCain is, I suggest reading the article in the current issue of Rolling Stone magazine. He's been masterful at maintaining the facade, but as is always the case, "the truth will out." It's very disappointing, but better we know all this now, than letting him win the election on his highly fictionalized bio.

[way2interested]

too little, too late for McCain to win back any of my respect

[athenasword]

Continue to write to national and local media outlets. Keep it simple and sweet: do not cover hate.
It seems to be helping, at least to some degree.

[AMERIKA]

I think its very hard, if not impossible to put toothpaste back into the tube

[CorsaGal]

The inflammatory language by Palin, Mrs. McCain and supported by John McCain is an appalling new low in political campaigning. They cannot be ignorant of fanning the flames of hatred, ignorance and racism and the potential for inciting violence against Barack Obama.

[SilverFoxUna]

Have you noticed how little true indignation is being aired on the news channels? Except for MSNBC and some on CNN, there doesn't appear to be a whole lot of coverage of the backlash. It's good to hear from a few decent Republicans, though. Where are the rest? Where's Huckabee, Romney, and Giuliani? Strangely silent. Or, maybe not so strange.

[rebelrebel]

What struck me about the clip of McCain was that the questioner said "Obama is not ... he's an Arab!" McCain shook his head and said, "No, he's a decent family man."

No one on CNN bothered to mention that being an Arab is not exactly a crime. Nor does being an Arab prevent one from being a decent family man. This just shows the depth of bigotry towards Arabs in this country.

I'm not surprised, but it's disheartening, especially when the media completely ignore it.

[robXdion]

The media pundits are either just as stupid as the citizens or they don't know how to handle these discussions. Americans are so dumb they don't realize there are Arab Christians and White Muslims.

[lykitis]

did you see the back of the "questioners" head? the poor woman's hair hadn't been combed in a while. it made me sad to think of what sources she had for information.

[SilverFoxUna]

She was not facing the camera for a reason. Just like the cameras never panned the ones shouting "terrorist" and "kill him." A reporter later interviewed her and she said that she still believed Obama is an Arab. So much for McCain convincing her otherwise.

[delta7777]

this turnaround does not smell like remorse coming from the goodness of McCain's heart----

I suspect that a few choice words may have been made by the secret service that the dangers of inciting mob violence against Obama have led to great difficulty in present secret service protection of Obama, and any act of violence against Obama would instantly become racially incendiary in a manner that this country has never seen.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

He doesn't look too happy, does he?

[wandering girl]

it may be too little, too late - he has unleashed the tiger of hatred, and that beast is virtually impossible to put back in the cage. we now know that tiger's name: Sarah Palin.

[Yve72]

He's still running the Ayres ad. HYPOCRITE.

[ydnas]

Senator McCain should spend some money to buy air time and repeat his backing-off message in no uncertain terms on national TV, etc. He and Palin have created a rabid whirlwind of unsubstantiated fear. Time to man up, Senator, and clean up your mess. And your VP pick should do the same. And I mean NOW.

[BruceHNV]

There's something to this.

The "now, now" BS at the rallieswon't remove the poison from the well. To put it differently, now that the townspeople have heard the bell to assemble and take up arms, the bell cannot be unrung.

McCain is delusional if he believes timid "defense" of the man he painted "dangerous" is going to do ANYTHING to buy off the fury of the mob.

All he could do to walk this back (and it wiould not be entirely successful) is to drop all character ads, repeat in all subsequent ads that Obama is a good man (with whom he disagrees), and hold a national press conference declaring in no uncertain terms that he knows all the implications of danger and low character he has made to be false and unfounded, and saying outright that he did not realize people would become rabid, and he'd never have done this if he knew what it would cause, and he's ashamed and sorry.

Seriously, that's the strength of "walk back" it would require.

Somehow I do not see McCain ever being big enough to admit any of this. If anything happens to Obama, I am NEVER going to forgive McCain, Schmidt, Davis or ANY of that crew. They are culpable for the fire they have started, and will be culpable for anything it burns. This is social crime. Unfortunately, such will forever go unprosecuted. It has the potential to do far more harm than the Weather Underground ever did.

[ydnas]

Thanks, and yeah.... while nothing he does may "save" his campaign, he can do the right thing as a leader and a human being, and help to quell this tide he's put into motion. Really bad stuff does and has happened because movements like this have, indeed, been created, fed, and left to their own devices to grow -- not to mention continuing to feed them either overtly, passively, or by nonaction. We all know this, both on a personal and mass level. Who knows which way the hyperemotional, angry wind might fester and blow, and who might be hurt by it. It has crossed the line from awful and ridiculous to hate speech -- and John McCain should not take it lightly. Suspend the campaign, be a maverick? This would be a good time, at least for, say, 15 to 30 powerful and dare I say honest minutes, to truly suspend it, risk flying in the face of some of his supporters -- to rise up as a man, to open his mouth to the masses, and to really say and do the right thing.

[iRob08]

He released the hounds of hatred only to realize that there ain't no leash that can bring 'em back.

[FdeBear]

James T Harris is the name of the Black "plant" who was doing the "sambo" at the McCain rally. He's a talk show host in Milwaukee. McCain promised him his reward would be in heaven. Couldn't find an email for this snake but I'm sure the radio station will forward any messages.

http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/jamestharris/30810764.html?blog=y

[athenasword]

Thanks for putting a name with the face and with the actions. Accountability is coming!

[RhinoCrossing]

jamestharris.coms.com

[RhinoCrossing]

He used to be liberal, but changed just as he began a consulting business and was offered a radio gig. A former friend shared that he is an "opportunist" who changed political affiliations for greed.