Florida GOP Figure Traffics In Obama Death Jokes

The issue of campaign tone came up in last night's debate, with a false equivalency drawn between the Obama campaign calling McCain erratic and people on the campaign trail referring to Obama in shouts like "Traitor!" and "Terrorist!" And as this false equivalency is being allowed to stand as proper and just, it's no wonder that people continue to find it okay to promulgate jokes in which the Democratic candidate's death is broadly mocked.

Via Spencer Ackerman, we learn of one more: Tampa Bay's Al Austin, "a longtime, high-level Republican fundraiser," who thought it would be a good idea to forward the following joke on to his political contacts via email:

The joke concerns a group of schoolchildren discussing the definition of "tragedy" as opposed to "great loss" or "accident." The punch line comes when one child says that if an airplane carrying Obama and his wife, Michelle, "was struck by a 'friendly fire' missile and blown to smithereens," the event might be a tragedy "because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss, and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."

Yes. Ha. Austin should, truly, take his act on the road. Specifically the middle of Interstate 4, during rush hour. Austin was found out because two of the people on his email list happened to be reporters. According to Tampa Bay Online, "Austin acknowledged sending the e-mail to his list of political contacts but said he forwarded it without fully reading it and didn't know what it said."

Sure he didn't. Anyway, as John McCain might say, this is me, making Al Austin famous.

Comments

[DinSea]

These are exactly the kinds of OLD politicians that must go. Thankfully many are short timers anyway. The world has changed -- we MUST work together or we will all perish together. Period.

[grf67]

It's time for the Secret Service to arrest him.

[sak]

Nice.
God would like that.
Family values.
United we stand
Not

[Cambridge9]

The song from 'South Pacific' comes to mind. Paraphrasing - 'You have to be carefuly taught to hate'! We could all take a few lessons from children. They don't care what color someone is, or what religion they have, or how much money the family has, or what kind of house someone lives in. A child will accept others just because --------------.

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[Progress08]

I used to believe that patriotism was the last vestige of a scoundrel, but apparently it's Racism

[CharlesJ]

Republicans like this is exactly why I will not vote republican for a very long time. McCain, Bush, and the Republican party, with all their lies, deception, hate producing rehtoric have put a sour taste in my spirit that will effect my vote for a very long time.

[wolfi101]

Yup. You and me both.

I'm an Independent, so the whole party-thing is beyond me. But I have to say, that I have never been more angry or insulted by a campaign before, as the one currently being waged by the GOP. I will probably vote against every Republican on my ballot this year.

[walk0nwalls]

I'm not even sure how that's funny.

Unless it's like an "Aristocrats" funny but even then it's not nearly insane enough.

Comedy school Republicans, comedy school.

[ritenow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8Bzp0Fxq28&eurl=http://www.manifestobama.com/

[Yermammy]

I have associates that have been wanting another civil war for years. Be careful what you wish for, comes to mind. The only glimmer of this not happening is there are too many minorities in power now. And as bad as corporations are (and they certainly are), it goes against all business sense to be racist, that is if they hope to compete in a world market. The hood and cape guys have no such worries, nor do the Taser thugs. Job security, don't you know.

Let's get Obama elected (with conditions)

[Whinger]

Using little children to demonstrate how sick in the mind he really is!

[YunekFlava]

We need to create a Republican and MSM Hall of Shame. I have a list that I will post tomorrow. Any and all nominees need to have an explanation as to why you nominate them. Get started on your list, and I will get back with you tomorrow. So that you will know what thread I am on, google me, and check my Huffpo comments page.

[mydoglucky]

My comment is not really about the above story but why does this Acorn and Ayers story get all the play and McCain's connection to G. Gordon Liddy, lobbyist representing Saddam Hussein, special cell towers at one of his houses and over 50-100 lobbyists working in his campaign never gets mentioned?
And we are all suppose to believe that the media is baised towards Obama? McCain gets a pass on all of this. I won't even start on Sarah Palin's problems!

[YunekFlava]

The MSM wants to make this a close election. Do you remember whan everyone was saying "Obama should be leading in the polls by a wider margin, why isn't he? Now that he is leading Mccain, they are bored and some of them are just like those people in those hate-filled rallies, they just have more prestige, education and reputation. I will never look at any of the MSM the same after this election. I will always wonder if the article that was written, the story that was reported and endorsements were because they felt Mccain would have made a better president or if they were just out-and-out bigots. Personally, I think it is irresponsibility when so much is at stake.

Just think how some Black and White people feel, when they see their neighbors, co-workers, people who work in stores they shop, publically saying some of these most despicable things about Black people in general and what could be, the next president of the United States.

I think about it, all the time, and I wonder who will step up and be next.

John and Sarah, you've doing a bang-up job, and thanks for putting your "Country First".

[wolfi101]

Not all media is for sure. I have never witnessed a more biased, hack-job done to a candidate, as the one Fox News did with Rev Wright - all the while saying, that "the media talks more about Obama than anyone else."

I used to like Fox News... I can't watch it anymore.

[neocon666]

I've said from the beginning of this campaign that the GOP will end up making this the most racially devisive one in the history of campaigns, and I probably made an understatement.

[ChiGuy]

I don't usually like to generalize, but the term "typical Republican" becomes more apropos every single day.

[prettycreatures]

disgusting and actually what I heard in the debate was McCain equating ads attacking his health care plan as being just as hurtful and negative as the personal and character based attacks he, his running mate, his campaign and his supporters have made against Obama. Then he went on to support and condone everyone that has been to his rallies and / or has taken part in these ugly, hateful acts. shameful.