Profiles in Cowardice

The hypocrisy of the Republicans is so caustic and damaging in so many ways I hardly know where to begin. But the thing that gets me most is this idea that they put "Country First." What a crock. When they attack people who support their opponents, they're attacking half of the country they say they love and supposedly put first. I've had trouble putting my finger on this for years but there it is. Love isn't something you just talk about, it's something you do.

Think of it this way, Al Gore got more than 50 percent of the votes in the 2000 election. John Kerry got pretty close to 50 percent. Win or lose, Barack Obama will get 50 percent, more or less. So if you love America, it seems you must love the people who voted for Gore, Kerry and Obama too. Otherwise, please explain specifically what it is that you love cause it ain't America.

Another one that ticks me off, as a taxpayer -- the Republicans say that paying taxes isn't an act of patriotism. Well, what is it then? That's a straight question. I've given a lot of money to this country in the form of taxes. I don't resent it, but I do resent people who probably have given less than I have (the Palins) saying it isn't an act of patriotism. I even call it My Patriotic Duty, so I don't feel like it's such a blow when I write those checks to the the U.S. Treasury with all those zeros at the end. It's the price you pay for living in a great country, Ms. Palin. That's something you need to learn about this country and its relationship to its citizens. Esp since you propose to be one of our leaders.

The politics of the Republicans this year has crossed the line, as Joe Biden said today, so well. When one of your supporters yells "Treason!" or "Kill Him!" in one of your rallies, in response to your words, a response is called for, yet no response came. You need to stop and say "Wait a minute -- Country First asshole." We're not going to get anywhere by killing our opponents, the leaders of half our citizens. That's a civil war, Republicans -- we fought one of those, and it came pretty close to destroying us. It's time to back off the precipice Ms. Palin and Mr. McCain.

Further, we're told, often, of John McCain's courage and heroism. I expected McCain, a supposed man of honor, to address the personal integrity issues about Obama in yesterday's debate. He didn't. I visualize McCain as a coward hiding behind the skirts of his running mate, without the guts to say to Obama's face, the terrible things they've been accusing him of when he's not present to defend himself. Either you have the honor to say it to his face, or don't say it behind his back, or don't pretend to have honor and courage, to love your country and to put it first.

Update: David Frum, a Republican who is voting for McCain, seems to agree that all this Country First hypocrisy about treason and killing will leave our country in bad shape after the election, no matter who wins.

Comments

[DemoMom]

Can anyone explain how Fox get away with what they do? How come they are not out of business by now? What about Limbaugh? The man is a crock and he has done untold damage in the last few years yet people still listen to him and seem to believe the lies he puts out.
What happened to balance and fairness in reporting? What happened to straight reporting of news as opposed to bias and spin? I'm just sick of it all and if I have to read one more piece about Hannity and other other Fox morons, I swear I shall turn into a hermit, hidden away from all contact with the media until the election is over. Isn't it November yet??

[McGaladon]

A dear friend who happened to end up out there in red country says the men are angry, almost chronically (I haven't looked it up), and think somehow "we" think we are smarter than they...those of us who earned college degrees, don't get dirty except on purpose...bacially hate them. I don't understand it, but Rush, he of the mulltiple drug busts & scampering off with a pocketful of rocketfuel to vacation, with his good male buds, to small countries so poor that youngsters are willing to be paid for acts not just illegal, but considered revolting in Rush's wonderful USA, is a huge hero to them. And, they will vote against all their own best interests, just to somehow prove They are in charge. I don't get it. It did cheer me up to see, on this site yesterday, a post of a site from a small North Carolina! town: "I like McCain, but I LOVE my job. May it be so.

[ebanks84]

The MSM needs to report how McCain and Palin are the ONLY President and Vice President candidates in history to have "ethics" rulings against them. And they have a nerve to call Obama a liar! Now what's up with that?

They only need to look in the mirror to see the liars in this campaign.

[Alonso Quijano]

The only way McCain/Palin will stop their shenanigans is if it hurts them. Democrats should talk again and again about McCain/Palin's moral and character failings -- his gambling, his having got a marriage license with Cindy before divorcing his first wife -- his having crashed a few Navy planes for being a daredevil hothead (Do you want this pilot to be in charge of our country?) -- his dishonest use of the slogan COUNTRY FIRST which can mean anything he wants (It should be THE PEOPLE OF MY COUNTRY FIRST) -- her association with the Independence Party -- her incompetence as mayor (why else did she need to hire an extra city manager) -- her abuse of power in TROOPERGATE -- her association with her African witch doctor preacher -- Their inciting their supporters to cry out KILL HIM (Imagine what would happen if Obama supporters were yelling to KILL Paulson, Cheney, Bush?) -- her inability to answer questions from the press is just about proof of incompetence or at least coverup . . .

That way they will have to spend time defending themselves from attack, and have less time for their own character attacks on Obama . . . Unfortunately a substantial fraction of voters make decisions by analogy, things like "Where there's smoke there's fire" and thus assume that even if McCain/Palin's attacks are exaggerated or not quite true, there's some dangerous truth behind them. The Obama camp needs to show clearly that there are real doubts

[DragonBuddha06]

Thank you Dave Winer. I have been talking about the idea of "country first" in relation to the people screaming taunts of "Terrorist! Traitor! Kill Him!". By not silencing these claims and refuting them immediately, they are cowards and guilty of putting themselves and not the country first.

McCain and Palin disgust me.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

The Republican party is the 3H Club (no affiliation with 4H)

Republicans stand for Hate, Hypocrisy and Hegemony in no discernible order.

[peacegurl48]

I don't mind if my taxes stay where they are just want those at the top to pay their share including the greedy, immoral coporations. I'm proud to support my country and I want great schools, healthcare, Medicare and my Social Security. I believe in government regulation to curb coporate greed.

Those who support McCain/Palin, especially Palin, do not represent who Amercia really is!

[redsongia]

I agree completely with David Frum.

And I think Frum is going to fall to the reverse Bradley effect. He's going to claim he's voting for McCain, because he's a republican, but then, in the booth, he won't be able to swallow all the nastiness and the VP nom.

[redsongia]

Repubs don't think paying taxes is patriotic. That's why Palin doesn't pay on her improper per diems and McCain doesn't pay on his gambling winnings.

They are more consistent than you give them credit for.

[HuffPoJim]

This is going too far when Cindy McCain essentially accuses Obama of treason. This, however, could be a real problem for Cindy as President of a Budweiser Beer distributorship. If a national boycott of Budweiser could be started to protest her slanderous comments, it's possible that her family could lose this distributorship that has funded their 7 houses, 13 cars and private plane. Most distributorship agreements have "morals" clauses that can cause defaults if the principals do anything to hurt sales.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

I won't drink the crap - drink local, drink micros!

And Sam Adams is the Largest American Brewer since Anheuser-Busch's decision on July 13, 2008 to merge with Belgian-Brazilian giant InBev - sellouts! Cindy McCain outsources jobs!

Boycott Bud!

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1822811,00.html

[mamacat]

I take my beer seriously.
Budweiser as made and sold in the Midwest was pretty good, the last time I was there, but the Budweiser sold in California is terrible.
Forty years ago most everyone I knew loved Coors beer. When the old man died and the son took it over, Coors went down the drain. It is undrinkable today, at least the Coors sold in California. Every time I drink it I get a sore throat.
Drinking Mechelob gives me a headache.
For my money, even Samuel Adams isn't all that great, except for one or two of their specialty beers. At least I can drink it without getting sick.

There are so many really good, relatively cheap micro and imported beers, that there is no need to put up with the inferior big-name brands. We even made our own beer one time. It was a lot of time and money, but it was also a lot of fun, and a lot of fun to drink as well.

[wendy82551]

I've been boycotting Budweiser for years now. Yech.

[0whole1]

I fear it won't end until someone at one of their rallies -- a protester, a minority member of a news crew -- gets hurt or killed.

[zetacplus]

Excellent article. McCain is not a patriot, he is an abysmal failure of a human being and his actions speak louder than his words, as they should. He can't even look Obama in they eye, that's how much of a coward he is. I for one was waiting for him to call Obama out about his association with Ayers after all the stuff I had heard from him and Palin but when he didn't I realized his cowardice. I think he knew that Obama would have made him look like a fool had he tried. McCain does not care one bit about our country, just what he can pillage from it. Americans should be demanding more from all of our politicians. Just as our country has changed due to our current financial situation, I believe Americans should demand more accountability from their representatives.

[pprguy]

Wow, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black. One need only to look at the posts here to see who hates.

[McBushMcSame]

Yes. I'm looking right at you. Now back to your GOP White Supremacist Rally! Don't forget your copy of The Turner Diaries.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

strawman argument. pathetic. at least you admit that the kettle is black.

[USA1776]

What is a four letter word for Republican?
Hate
What is a four letter word for Democrat?
Hope

[PioneerKing]

DAVE:

what you fail to realize is that McCain/Palin have gone over the cliff -- they have taken the plunge and there is no return.

one of the most lethal and deadly political strategies has been writ large and is playing out before your eyes

the republicans kow well that in harsh economic times one of the most successful tactics is to employ fear and racism

on the first three days that Palin and McCain employed their strategy to foment racial unrest the bigots at the McCAin/Palin rallies were plants and were scripted just as the sheriff was scripted

the questions by McCAin and Palin were never meant to be rethorical or left unanswered both Palin and McCain made very obvious pauses to allow for the plants to shout out their hateful comments and McCain and Palin both followed up with smiles of acknowledgement and head nods

this is an old strategy for inciting hatred and violence from neo-nazi, KKK and anti-desegregation, anti-Gay and anti-semetic playbooks

[crewmaster]

A bravo to David Frum. His words have given me some relief to know that there are conservatives out there who are really concerned with the plight of our country.

He reminded me that the loud mouth bigots, (and that includes Sarah Palin and John and Cindy McCain), in the Republican Party, are the ones getting the the press and attention.

I hope he reconsiders and casts a reluctant but more honorable vote for Barack Obama.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

And don't forget the crew at Fox News who have run up a relentless advertising budget for the Republican hate, hypocrisy and hegemony.