McCain Shouts "Terrorist!" in a Crowded Theater

McCain today released a shockingly inflammatory Obama-is-a-pal-of-terrorist-Bill-Ayers ad. Here's the link via Andrew Sullivan.

Sullivan, who has been a mensch on McCain-Palin, calls the ad "dishonorable."

His Atlantic colleague Ross Douhat calls it "Gloves, Off."

In both their cases, the hell it is.

McCain has crossed over into territory where the dark stuff of politics seethes and boils. He is shouting "terrorist" in a crowded theater, and juicing things up with creepy racist touches (notice one of the images of Obama in the ad uses the main one from the Obama-Is-A-Pedophile ad).

Forget the ad's disgraceful content and distortions of fact (see Gail Collins op-ed in the Times today for a deft spiking of these).

I keep recalling: the poisonous climate revved up by right wing fundamentalists in Israel prior to Rabin's murder.

I keep recalling: the radio campaign by Hutu extremists against Tutsi "cockroaches" prior to the Rwanda horrors.

I keep recalling: the stabbed-in-the-back rhetoric that always seems to go along with some of the scariest movements of modern mass politics.

Are my recollections uncalled-for exaggerations? I sure as hell hope so.

But there is a seething proto-violent ugliness that McCain and Palin are whipping up in their dead embers.

If something were to happen to Obama... can you imagine what will result in this country? No, you do not want to go there. You do not want to recklessly tease any such possibility.

Republican politicians with half a soul or brain left--Schwarzenegger? Bloomberg? Hagel?--better tell McCain to shove the dark genie back in the bottle that is Steve Schmidt's catastrophic bullet head.

Comments

[PanRight]

11:24 AM on 10/10/2008

I urge EVERYONE to read excerpts from Sam Keen's FACES of the ENEMY: REFLECTIONS OF THE HOSTILE IMAGAINATION (published 1986; the documentary made in 1987) -- in particular the section titled "Apparations of a Hostile Imagination". It's a brilliant treatiise on the ways in which societies and governments create and use enemy images either to destroy their political enemies (Barack Obama as an "unknown" and 'pal of terrorists.', eg) as well as to rally populations around wars against a dehumanized "Other". (One might also review Mark Twain's short piece entitled THE WAR PRAYER which succinctly points to the irony that when we wish for "victory" (John McCain and Iraq) that we implicitly wish for the suffering of others.

[mommadona]

10:53 AM on 10/10/2008

"When the Republicans unexpectedly seized control of the House in November 1994, the
opportunity to experience firsthand the impact of the new majority on
what had appeared to be an utterly ossified institution was too good to
miss. I had the good fortune to be selected as an American Political
Science Association Congressional Fellow in 1995-96, which enabled
me to work on Capitol Hill as a congressional aide and view the 104th
Congress at close quarters."

http://www.questia.com/read/3970749?title=Conservative%20Reformers%3a%20The%20Republican%20Freshmen%20and%20the%20Lessons%20of%20the%20104th%20Congress

[missjabez]

08:55 AM on 10/10/2008

I find it chilling that McCain/Palin not only want Obama defeated;they want him dead. Compared to McCain/Palin's campaign, Hillary Clinton's campaign was sweetness and light, but even Hillary hinted that she would like to see Obama dead. It upsets me that these sleazeballs are willing to incite violence just so they can win a damned election. I'm also concerned that in this country the decent political leaders are the ones who get picked off.

[deb123]

08:03 AM on 10/10/2008

Please keep speaking out about this. I am appalled and absolutely scared to death at the tone these so-called leaders are exhibiting. They are stoking the fires of hate, racism, classism, anti-intellectualism and every other ism we know. People are on the edge because of their financial prospects. We don't need any more fuel for this fire. What McCain-Palin are doing is absolutely unconscionable. Someone has GOT to appeal to these people's rationality before it's too late.

[rex2112]

09:03 AM on 10/10/2008

I've been saying this everywhere I can and in some cases have been blocked. If something happens to Sen. Obama, or President Obama because these hate attacks, we will have race riots the likes of which have never been seen in this world. This needs to stop NOW! Why isn't everyone calling upon them to stop. Frankly this seems like hate crimes to me, if not it's running pretty close to the edge!

[BassMent]

10:16 AM on 10/10/2008

You're right rex. I believe most major metropolitan areas in this country would be razed. and the bloodshed would be unfathomable.

[MizFlagPin]

07:06 AM on 10/10/2008

Unfortunately, this is not only dangerous for O but for minorities in the USA. An example is the verbal attack on the black cameraman at one of the JMc/SP rallies.

The GOP race-riot inciting speeches now have dangerous consequences for any minority in this country. JMc/SP from their important positions as the GOP presidential/vice presidential candidates are now saying it is ok for bigots to publicly hate again.

[zanzig]

04:58 AM on 10/10/2008

Sad to say, I see the same trends as you, and awful as the thought is, if anything happens to Sen Obama, what happened in the wake of the abuse of Rodney King will pale into insignificance. I can't believe that these racists are so emboldened as to consider that their hateful attitudes are palatable. What has America come to that hate speech is totally acceptable as public discourse? Free speech is one thing, but this...?

[ajax2]

11:48 PM on 10/09/2008

AFP,
However, he cautioned that at the McCain rally, "no Secret Service agent overheard any threatening statement and no threatening statements were reported by law enforcement or the general public."

"We did make some inquiries after the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that a someone had yelled 'kill him,'" he added.

Donovan said it wasn't clear whether the threat was actually vocalized or, if so, if it was meant for Obama or even Ayers, both of whose names were uttered by Palin at that moment in her speech.

For those reasons, he added, the investigation was dropped."

[londongal]

11:19 PM on 10/09/2008

My concern is what some nut(s) would try to do should Obama be elected. The McCain/Palin camp have definitely crossed the line. No doubt. By getting the crowds all whipped up into a frenzy, they're literally pitting American against American.

[Freesia2]

10:53 PM on 10/09/2008

Mr. Yourgrau,

McCain/Palin are scaring me to death. And if - the dear Lord please forbid - they become my President/vp, I'm not sure how I'm going to be expected to look on them with anything but revulsion and total fear. Not because there's something to fear from Obama that they've pointed out - but because of what they've shown about themselves.

[convictbush]

09:55 PM on 10/09/2008

Personally, I wonder if organized crime is alive and well in the Republican Party. They have seized control and govern with shadowy deals and payoffs in the right places. They fill out their ranks with religous and patriotic extremists. When that isn't enough, they rev up less than informed supporters with lies in hopes of appearing to be the ambassador of this rheteric rather than the instigators. We need to clean house! Put these criminals out of business and prosecute them! Only by prosecuting as many as possible can we send a clear message that we have had enough and we will not stand for it any longer. We need to get "HOOVER" (as in J Edgar) on their asses!

[polyfoamworkshop]

05:26 PM on 10/09/2008

It's so amazing how low the bar has been set by Mr. Bush's presidency and it's even more amazing that Mr. McCain, the "reformer" has decided to mirror Bush's ways. His (McCain) actions do nothing but inject fear and racism into main street America. History reveals this type of behavior as dangerous and evil. This is like a nightmare that won't end. The horror, the horror! McCain in my opinion is a wounded messenger who has lost his way. Under stress, his tortured past reveals with clarity his exhausted soul. This is a person that should not be a world leader.

[Via]

05:07 PM on 10/09/2008

I just started reading "The Nazi Seizure of Power" and there are already alarming similarities. The marginalization and 'otherizing' and thuggish behavior at McCain and Palin rallies is really disturbing. Why aren't the media calling them out on this?

[rwt1138]

06:10 PM on 10/09/2008

Because drawing such comparisons would inevitably be seized upon as proof of "liberal bias", and rather than risk that the media will continue to pretend that this is all just ordinary campaign rhetoric and not an active attempt to stir up hatred, resentment, and violence.

Like everything else he does, McCain hasn't really thought this through. I doubt it has occurred to him that if some McCain/Palin supporter goes nuts and takes a potshot at Obama, the media--and the country at large--will likely connect the same dots and hold him and his latest round of hate speech directly responsible.

He is playing with fire. He'd better hope it doesn't burn him.

[CelticDragon]

11:15 AM on 10/10/2008

Normally, invoking Nazis in a political setting gets you a "Godwin" award for hyperbole. Not today. I have noted some of the similarities as well. Krystalnacht, anybody?

[rwt1138]

03:38 PM on 10/09/2008

It's sad to say, but you have to realize: McCain doesn't care. He doesn't care that he is inciting and fueling hatred and racism.
He doesn't care if his actions are honorable or not.
He doesn't care whether or not he is behaving morally.
He doesn't care if it leads to violence, and he doesn't care if someone or lots of people get hurt or killed.
He doesn't care about anything but winning this election and being president.
He doesn't care if the divisions and rage he is stoking burn out of control, making governance harder; he's not interested in the governing part, anyway--just the title.

The "Country First" slogan has become supremely ironic since August 29th. That was the day he jettisoned "Country First" as anything but an empty rhetorical vehicle. Selecting Sarah Palin was a cynical move to win the election; he knows damn well she isn't qualified. He knows his health. He knows his age. He knows he may lot live out his term. It doesn't matter, he doesn't care. If something happens to him and Palin is left in charge, that won't be his problem. He'll be gone.

No appeal from any member of his party to honor, reason, ethos, morality, or decency will be futile.

Because John McCain doesn't care.

[rwt1138]

06:05 PM on 10/09/2008

I misspoke, I meant, of course, that any appeal would be futile.

[JBCinSD]

11:03 PM on 10/09/2008

Well stated, rwt. In fact, John McCain has never cared about anyone but himself. Rolling Stone has a fascinating profile in the latest edition:

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/23316912/makebelieve_maverick/print

Read it and you'll see how McCain, in all stages of his life, has never been about anyone but McCain.

While no one dares to say it, he was only one of 600 POWs; he survived. Is that for country or is that what anyone would try to do? And how, exactly, does that qualify anyone to be president? IMHO, he suffers from untreated PTSD. I know I don't want that shaking, angry finger on the nuclear button.

[redsongia]

03:03 PM on 10/09/2008

Another very bad idea, brought to you by John McCain.

[PanRight]

11:22 AM on 10/10/2008

I urge EVERYONE to read excerpts from Sam Keen's FACES of the ENEMY: REFLECTIONS OF THE HOSTILE IMAGAINATION (published 1986; the documentary made in 1987) -- in particular the section titled "Apparations of a Hostile Imagination". It's a brilliant treatiise on the ways in which societies and governments create and use enemy images either to destroy their political enemies (Barack Obama as an "unknown" and 'pal of terrorists.', eg) as well as to rally populations around wars against a dehumanized "Other". (One might also review Mark Twain's short piece entitled THE WAR PRAYER which succinctly points to the irony that when we wish for "victory" (John McCain and Iraq) that we implicitly wish for the suffering of others.