Time to Ask McCain: "Have You No Sense of Decency Left?"

The McCain campaign crossed the line today from negative character attacks to the kind of character assassination that plays to the basest impulses and incites the most dangerous reaction. We've seen the prelude this week in the McCain crowds and in Sarah Palin's well-rehearsed, carefully telepromptered and increasingly ugly diatribes. But the intent became undeniable with the new McCain ad that falsely charges that "Obama worked with terrorist William Ayers when it was convenient"--which all but alleges that the candidate was there planting bombs.

McCain had to back off and almost apologize at an event in Minnesota when a questioner in his crowd alleged that Obama was "an Arab." McCain meekly had to explain, over the evident unrest of his supporters, that Obama wasn't dangerous.

But who was responsible for leaving people to think that he was dangerous in the first place? The McCain campaign grab-bag of tarnished tactics has trafficked in soft hate and hard fears about "the other." It has been said that everything in America ultimately comes back to race. But with Republican campaigns in trouble, starting with Barry Goldwater and continuing with Nixon's "southern strategy" in 1968, it really always does come back to race.

The McCain forces have taken this to a new low; there is no way to deny the deliberate, conscious attempt to portray Obama as unAmerican; not "one of us" as Pat Buchanan said tonight on "Hardball"; someone "who doesn't see America as we do," in the venomous patois of Palin.

In all decency, it is at least worth mentioning, even as we note that Obama is not an Arab or a Moslem, that there is something profoundly unAmerican about denigrating all Arabs or all Moslems as suspect or evil. Or, for that matter, something profoundly unAmerican about playing to the old prejudices that many assumed would prevent any African-American from ever becoming President in their lifetimes. The appeal to intolerance is amplified by commentators like Buchanan and William Kristol, who urge the McCain campaign to pound away at Obama's former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. They have a list of names they want McCain to flourish and a wave of innuendos they want McCain to raise. Joe McCarthy would recognize this; it's the smear technique that he virtually patented. To borrow a phrase from that period, a phrase that shattered his reign of intimidation, maybe we ought to ask the McCain forces, the candidate and his supporting commentariat, "Have you no sense of decency left at all?"

I don't think McCain does.

And in effect he is sending a message to voters that he has no chance at all of winning if the campaign is waged on great issues like the economy. So as things get more serious in a deeply troubled America, the McCain campaign gets more frivolous. The campaign manager, Rick Davis, says the financial crash is for CNBC to discuss every day, not for the candidates. Instead, we hear about Ayers, ACORN (conveniently, a "community organization" that helps poor, and in many cases, black families) --and, of course, Obama's middle name. How much of his vaunted courage would it take for McCain to publicly rebuke, on the spot, any supporter who rolls out the name "Hussein" as an epithet that connects Obama to you-know-who?

The reality is that in a country facing two wars and a mounting economic crisis, these desparate and despicable appeals aren't working. Obama's lead is mounting, nationally and in the battleground states. But there is a threat here too that is all too real. When I heard someone in a Palin crowd yell out "traitor" as the candidate lashed out at the Democratic nominee, I thought of the full-page ad that appeared in a Dallas newspaper on the morning of Nov. 22, 1963. The headline--"Wanted for Treason"-- was sprawled across a poster-sized photo of President John F. Kennedy.

You don't put country first by running this kind of campaign.

Watch appearance on Hardball.

Comments

[StandUpAmerica08]

"Have you no sense of decency left?"

I'll take NO for $200 please!

The problem with Gov. Crist is that he's not as smart as Gov. Palin!

Here's proof!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrzXLYA_e6E

[Sassys]

While I understand the Obama camp not stooping to the lowest denominator, I don't get WHY they don't come back with a little history about Palins husband...­he joined a group in Alaska that was trying to have Alaska secede from the USA...is that not considered traitorous? She knew this when she married him. If Obamas association with Bill Ayers is fair game then why isn't the VP picks husband mentioned? Fair is fair! The difference being that Palin can't divorce herself from this little fact!

[DrCahill]

Senator Obama has been consistent in stating that spouses and family members of the candidates are off-limits in this campaign. He is sticking by this. Of course, bringing up Todd and his AIP will gain him some political mileage, but you've got to remember one thing: President Obama will need to govern a United and not Divided country... and especially not a divided country that he is responsible for creating!! He is NOT anything like John McCain or Sarah Palin. Barack Obama thinks many months ahead, plans his strategy and lives by it. All he asks of you and me is that we Trust him and Trust his judgement.

[TheBlackCat]

good answer to a question I'd been pondering myself

[brynn6]

He (or better a surrogate) doesn't have to go after "the first dude" there are the videos of Sarah herself addressing the AIP, the latest being last June.

[navynorm]

What we see here is what one of our founding fathers warned against.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." --Thomas Jefferson

Those idiots at the palin rallies are the epitome of ignorant. it is truly pathetic that they seem intent upon staying so. the only solution is for sufficient numbers of informed people to outnumber them. for the mccain campaign to prey upon this ignorance and bigotry is completely shameless.

[peggyleg]

The only reasons, navynnorm, that you are speaking out about these rallies, is because:

1. what they are saying is true

2. the rallies are for McCain/Palin and not Obama; if it were Obama's rallies getting this much attention, you'd be all for it.

I feel anyone that says differently is a true hyprocrite.

[CCTNI]

Peggy,

1. It's true to ignorant voters.

2. The only attention McCain/Palin gets is negative attention.

A hyprocite? haha

[quindy]

Hate talk causes civil wars in case somebody wondered what the ultimate consequence could be. Just ask folks in former Yugoslavia. And hate talk is controlled by the media - they can just report it or they can condemn it. If they just 'report' (and some even don't bother to do that much) than they make themselves accomplices in a crime that could occur later. I blame media for everything that McCain campaign did, because they gave them the podium and only very few took a strong stand against McCain's tactics.

[TheIndependenceParty]

It seems that the ghost of hatred never truly dies. America's fertile political soil seems to be a prolific planting ground for mindless, misdirected hatred.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5111/

[Obibrenner]

What is really sad about this is since the cable outlets have been covering Palin's negative hate filled innuendo, in essence free infomercials, McCain/Palin's "HATE TALK EXPRESS" has drawn down an 11 point Obama lead to a 7 point Obama lead in the gallup daily tracking poll.

We keep hearing from Obama supporters that Americans will reject the politics of race baiting and divisive rhetoric, and I suppose someday this Utopia will exist. Sadly, that day is not now.

I call on all of the cable news outlets to stop giving McCain's HATE TALK EXPRESS a free ride, along with their self ascribed McCain supporting talking heads, letting them say whatever they want instead of calling them out for the race baiters they are.

Of course that would be Utopia but doesn't sell ad time. Just like the HATE TALK EXPRESS, the cable news outlets are not putting country first. I wonder if they have run focus groups to see how the American public would react to the controversy of the Palin's direct contact and inclusion in their terrorist anti American group that calls for the destruction of the Union we call the U.S.

Where is that coverage?

[Enid]

Do you remember a certain election four tears ago?

[dfortruth]

Thank you very much Mr. Shrum, i was getting so angry about this hate speech and fear the McCain-Palin camp had been using. I was even more angry about the media allow them to appear on tv, with out point this out.

You do give us hope the all journalist is blind. When the media play this over and over again for a week, it does get into a person's heart. Hate works both ways, and McCain has forgotten that. The blacks, muslins, arab, anyone not born in america christians, people of all faith, even whites, have been insulted by this kind of attack.

If we go by McCain and Palin's judgment, then we would have to ask ourselves, why did we really go to war against Iraq. Because the are not american, or because they are muslin, or their name sounds like Osama;

If you sow hate, you will reap hate.

[Tommygun264]

That ship has long since sailed, struck and ice berg and sunk, Bob. McSame has no honor, no dignity, NO CHANCE.

[peggyleg]

We'll see.

[KintePost]

The answer is: NO!

[PoliticalJNKY]

I pray to God that He protect Senator Obama and his family. I have been frightened for his life ever since he started this campaign, but now with all this hate mongering going on from the McCain/Palin ticket i am terrified.

The conduct of the McCain campaign is appalling, and John McCain should be ashamed of himself and of the campaign he is running.

[quantumspin]

McCain/Palin will go down in history having encouraged skinhead-hatred to a presidential campaign.

We see in McCain/Palin how deep the Republican party hates, truly hates, Americans who are not totally in robot lock step with the 'kill off the Middle Class, love the fetus, hate the child while we pray to Jesus on TV' philosophy the Republicans have been pushing and legislating for years and years.

Enough.

[bluekatz]

It is beyond appalling. But what is even more appalling is those who call themselves putting country first and spewing rac*al hate. These are the most ignorant people ever. Who in the hell do they think built this country? The uneducated are easily swayed and manipulated. But guess what now we know where they are.

[UCSD101]

PoliticalJNKY - Steady as she goes.

No harm will come to Obama. Trust, pray and have faith that he is protected, (not only by security guards - but a much higher power) protected, more so than anyone alive on earth.

OK?

OBAMA-BIDEN

Proud to be an insurgent for Obama-Biden against McCain - Palin.

[scared4ALL]

I pray about that too. I believe that with JFK's daughter being one of Obama's advisors, that says a lot. Like this time>>>"HANDS OFF" we are watching this time!

[JoeBlough]

I wish we could return to the good ol' days when politians lied about how they were going to help the country. Nowadays, they lie about each other. We will have riots in the streets again, thanks to McCain/Palin

[DeSwiss]

It has not been shown to me that McCain EVER HAD any decency to begin with.....

[billbb]

Call you state Republican party and tell them how disgusted you are with this crap. In Wisconsin (where I am) the office number is [phone]. They have a recording, so you can leave a message.

Don't threaten, don't yell, don't talk dirty, just tell them they have gone over the line and you vow never to vote for any Republican ever again. One call is a drop of water, but a million drops of water is a river.

[glamorous1908]

I am on it! It has to end.

Thanks for posting the #

[OmnesOmnibus]

The answer appears to be - a thread, just a tiny thread.

[PDXChick]

Too late. Palin thought it was lint and plucked it.

[kevingiampa]

Don't worry, John McCain will apologize after the election. If he loses, that is. (He will.)