McCain: Stop the "Hate Talk Express"

"Kill Him!"
"Traitor!"
"Terrorist!"
"Sit Down Boy!"
"Barack HUSSEIN Obama!"
"That One!"
"Bomb Obama!"

Senator John McCain needs to put the brakes on the "Hate Talk Express." McCain must end the shameful and dangerous hate mongering erupting daily at McCain/Palin rallies. It is so bad that the Secret Service is probing death threats against Senator Obama emerging at these hate fests.

Today, McCain finally calling Obama "decent" is a first baby step but it just isn't enough. The McCain/Palin hot-headed supporters are so worked up that they booed McCain's effort to take the high road.

The frenzied hate genie is out of the bottle, his supporters are unhinged and it's McCain's fault. We must continue to call McCain on his desperate and divisive ploys. Also, McCain continues to stink up the airwaves running 100% negative ads. County first, my ass. McCain, tear down those nasty ads!

Frankly these videos of the unhinged McCain/Palin lynch mob scare the crap out of me. Makes you wonder when they'll break out the pitchforks and torches.

I fear that David Gergen is right. That these McCain/Palin hate fest rallies will lead to violence against Obama or his supporters:

"There is a free-floating sort of whipping-around anger that could really lead to some violence," Gergen says. "And I think we're not far from that."

When Obama started running, many African-American voters expressed fear for his safety. That fear has lingered. I always pushed those fears aside because I never wanted to succumb to those "what ifs".

I remember having a frustrating conversation with a black voter who refused to support Obama just because he felt that voting for him was an automatic death sentence. I vowed to never yield those fears and let those scary thoughts cloud my mind... until now.

Remember this summer when McCain accused Obama of playing the race card?

McCain took on the role of aggrieved victim, his campaign waiting almost a day after Obama's remarks to charge that he had injected race into the presidential campaign. "Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck. Its divisive, negative, shameful and wrong," McCain campaign manager Rick Davis said.

Well, McCain's "hate card" tactics are divisive, negative, shameful and wrong. The McCain campaign is free fall and they are whipping up "his friends" in a final desperate ploy to win.

The good news is the "hate card" won't work this time around. Obama is right. Voters won't fall for these tactics at a time that the country needs to come together to clean up the catastrophic economic mess. McCain's negatives are soaring and Obama's lead grows each day.

We just don't have time and energy for the low road. There is just too much at stake. Voters simply won't believe for a minute that McCain will reach across the aisle to work with "That One"?

I wonder how the once honorable McCain lives with himself. How can McCain use the same Lee Atwater tactics and talent that brought down his own 2000 bid? When Atwater was finally felled by a brain tumor, he saw the error of his ways and apologized. What will it take for McCain to turn the page?

Also, what are we to make of LOSERS like McCain and Senator Clinton who lead their supporters into an angry frenzy in the death throes of their campaign?

When the race was long over, Hillary awkwardly appealed to the basest instincts of "hard working, white American" supporters. Clinton floated yucky Freudian thoughts about the tragic fall of Bobby Kennedy fueling dangerous speculation about Obama's safety.

We all know how Clinton's trip down the low road ended. The PUMAS are STILL plotting their revenge against Obama. Like McCain, Hillary seemed uncomfortable taking the hate road. Let's hope McCain comes to his senses and tries to live up to his empty "Country First" slogan.

We can't let this irresponsible rhetoric continue on our watch. Here's what YOU can do to hold McCain and Palin accountable.

Partner with Senator Kerry by fighting the smears here and join Obama's smear watchdog group here.

We are the change we've been waiting for.

Comments

[MyGuyO]

I am so sick and tired of finding Obama HATE email's in my INBOX every day and this from a so-called friend of mine from years ago. Being diplomatic at first I thought this would work. NOT. The email's have only increased. Am being bombarded with them. Should I try to keep this person as a friend or let this person "have it once and for all?"

[DocUSAF]

Ms Russell, I am a life long Republican. I have served honorable over three decades in the Air Force, so this comment is generated due to my own party's negative display. I currently have a family member serving in the US military, so after hearing the "Grand Old Party's Hate Rally Express", and Cindy McCain's comments against Obama, I have VOTING for OBAMA and the DEM Party ticket in Ohio.
Shame on the GOP for even remotely being connected with any negative rallies that could end up as the possible "root cause of physical harm or endangement" toward Senator Obama.
If anything were to happen to Senator Obama over the next 21 days, the America people will judge McCain for watching and doing nothing as "The Match of Hate was Struck"... DocUSAF

[rsaillant1]

I am both amazed and appalled by the hateful behavior and rhetoric being spewed by the
attendees at the McCain-Palin events.

I am disgusted and astonished by the lack of insight by the media regarding their analysis
of the remarks made by the audience who were seemingly freely handed microphones to
vent their venomous remarks.

When, in the recent past, have any of us witnessed such procedures? The usual policy is to
vette anyone who is to be permitted to speak before handing them a microphone and letting them go "live" on the air, lest they speak something harmful to the candidate, thus screening out any nutcase with a radical view.

My guess is that these people offered up prepared comments, served a hardened "soft pitch" to elicit the response of Senator McCain. The woman who finally called Obama an "Arab," merely flubbed her prepared line which was to be "Muslim" not "Arab." This ad lib on her part flustered McCain so much that he screwed up his response. End of story.

[2belinda]

Willful ignorance is the most difficult to eradicate.
Averse racism is often at work for some who have unconscious biases that do sometimes lead to racial discrimination.
All in all it is a lot to overcome but even during the very dark days of Jim Crow people remained hopeful.
Americans have grown weary of the things that divide us and hold us all back and have instead decided to embrace the politics of inclusion vs the politics of exclusion.

Obama/Biden '08

[Gidster]

Careful Ms. Russel,
Tucker Bounds or Rick Davis might demand an apology from you for pointing the truth out.

Ever since that ridiculous "Race card" comment this summer, reality has not spent a lot of time in the McCain campaign. After two weeks of Hate rallies and "Who is the real Obama" nonsense, Cindy McCain pipes up with calling Obama's campaign "The dirtiest in history"!

Detached from reality. That should be the new McCain campaign slogan!

[rsaillant1]

I am both amazed and appalled by the hateful behavior and rhetoric being spewed by the
attendees at the McCain-Palin events.

I am disgusted and astonished by the lack of insight by the media regarding their analysis
of the remarks made by the audience who were seemingly freely handed microphones to
vent their venemous remarks.

When, in the recent past, have any of us witnessed such procedures? The usual policy is to
vette anyone who is to be permitted to speak before handing them a microphone and letting them go "live" on the air, lest they speak something harfmul to the candidate, thus screening out any nutcase with a radical view.

My guess is that these people offered up prepared comments, served a hardened "soft pitch" to elicite the response of Senator McCain. The woman who finally called Obama an "Arab," merely flubbed her prepared line which was to be "Muslim" not "Arab." This ad lib on her part flustered McCain so much that he screwed up his response. End of story.

[furryone]

RIGHT ON KAREN!!!
what a FANTASTIC essay--this should be read by all progressives!

Obama/Biden '08!

[ahumbleopinion]

I am a registered Republican, but I came out of the primaries as an Undecided Voter. Then the Republican Party selected the dangerously unqualified and ruthlessly ambitious Sarah Palin as their VP nominee and I became a Decided Voter, for Barack Obama. I live in Ohio, so I requested an early ballot to give me time to research some of the local races. However, after hearing one too many of the "pallin" around with terrorists" lies, I picked up my ballot and voted a straight Democratic ticket. I know that is not an intelligent way to vote, but I don"t know any other way to send the message to the Republican Party " if this is the best you can do, you will not get another vote from me!

[Karen Russell - Huffpost Blogger]

See Karen Russell's Profile

Good for you!

Thank for having the courage and intelligence to cross party lines!

Bravo!

Now tell your friends! :)

Best,

Karen

[kitibo]

Ms. Russell is a perfect person who can talk about this issue as far as race baiting and actually being a victim of racism. If you do not know, Karen is the daughter of NBA legend and civil rights champion, Bill Russell. She and her family were victims of racist vandalism in Boston, even when her father was winning championships for the Celtics. So she knows what the relationship is from hate speech to actual violence.

Kudos Karen.

[Karen Russell - Huffpost Blogger]

See Karen Russell's Profile

Thank you very much for the compliment. As I mentioned in my blog, I am afraid for Senator Obama's safety the first time since I have been involved in the campaign.

As you point out, my family has experienced the link between hate speech and violence. As a child, vandals broke into our home, smashed my dad's trophies and defacated in my parent's bed. They smashed my mom's perfrume to cover up the stetch, so it was only later when my parents thought they had cleaned up, did they discover this final shameful and violent act.

The stench from my parent's bed is like the stench coming from the McCain campaign.

I am especially vexed by Governor Palin's hate speech. After a few weeks on the national stage, who is she to question Senator Obama? In light of her "palling around" with her bully, pro-secessionist husband who belonged to a group that believes that the John Birch society hasn't gone far enough?! Senator Obama has no state ethics violations either!

But the responsiblity lies with McCain. He should know better. But he was against the MLK holiday before he was for it. He was for flying the confederate flag on state grounds before he was against it.

Maybe we are just seeing (and smelling) his true colors.

The good news is he will lose and carry the stain of his shameful tactics forever.

Best,

Karen

[larmarch5]

"The frenzied hate genie is out of the bottle, his supporters are unhinged and it's McCain's fault"

I disagree. The fault lies in the hearts of hateful people. We are all responsible for our deeds and actions. The devil didn't make us do it, we do it.

That said, it is good to shine the light on these hate spouters. It is good to shame others who see themselves reflected in these ugly ranters. We've all seen these faces and heard these words in movies, in pictures of spectators at lynchings, and in many cases, in our own families. Show these people, call them out, and call them what they are: hatemongers and racists. Nobody I know wants to be compared to that unfortunate illiterate sounding woman from WV who wondered why Obama didn't wear a flag pin. There hasn't been much, other than jokes, about flag pins since the world saw her face and heard her words.

Finally, after shining the light one the ugly ranters, let us pray that the fear that leads to their anger is replaced by the hope that Obama speaks about. Let us pray they look in the mirror and decide they don't want to be what they see.

[Glenn1441]

Ms. Russell...

As I am sure you are aware, the thread that has led to these recent attacks can be traced to Palin's RNC speech. The speechwriter quotes Westbrook Pegler, writer and infamous racist/anti-Semite, via 'small town values.' Murderous values at that.

To my ears, the Pegler quote -- surely familiar to at least two generations of dyed-in-the-wool racists -- was nothing less than a call-to-arms. We remember too that Pegler ardently wished for Bobby Kennedy's death at the hands of ' some white southerner.'

That such a quote made its way into the Republican vice-presidential nominee's acceptance speech of the first presidential election to include an African-American candidate is no oversight.

It is clear that with Palin's speech, the darkest forces remaining in the GOP were all too happy to toss the deck of hate onto the airwaves with the hope that at least one of the faithful would be willing to play 52-card pick up. Bobby Kennedy indeed.

The ultimate Manchurian Candidate (decorated war hero no less), McCain has allowed himself to become the Trojan Horse of the ultra-right wing demagogues' army of hate. And it's not a matter of win or lose. It's a matter of Obama.

Where does that leave McCain? Off the hook if we allow it. We cannot. By signing his name to 'The Palin Solution,' McCain has moved beyond considerations of mere complicity and instead becomes its author.

[thefirehorse]

Now that's what I'm talking about. You think any of these fools who are trying to say Obama is the Manchurian Candidate ever read the book or viewed either of the movies?

[Glenn1441]

If they had, they'd never have made the comparison, eh? :>)

Those fools are cowards. They poke their gorgon heads above their bunkers long enough to lob grenades at the broadest of targets -- hoping to make a direct hit. They, and their would be assassins, are a weakened and dying breed. The venomous spew we've heard of late is nothing more than the tolling bell of their demise.

McCain has yet to see the repercussions of what he has done. As Senator McCain, he will find himself a pariah, a contagion among the legislative -- a hot wire never to be touched. And if the unthinkable happens and he indeed takes the White House, he will BEGIN his term as the most loathed president in recorded history.

[GrainOSand]

A general without an army is soon defeated. A plan without executors makes no headway or inroads. A bullet and a gun without a person to combine them into a deadly act are harmless tools (as long as the gun is stored unloaded).

A warring general of hate given an army of motivated haters might defeat love and decency. Give a corrosive plan of hate and division a platform and an organization to execute it and that plan may become reality. Couple a loaded gun with a devilish mentality and that could destroy a nation.

I find that to deny evil exists, to not think about it or talk about, does not stop it from existing. I find it is better to make it plain what hate can lead to so that no one can say that a particular outcome was never talked about or that they did not see it coming.

Mrs. Russell, I cannot protect Mr. Obama. I pray for him as I pray for all people. I accept that he has taken the heavy burden on his shoulders to try to vie for the leadership role in a country containing people who see him as less than human. I put my faith in the goodness of the American people but I end with this.

A challenged nation will find its way through due diligence. A nation that allows another leader to perish at the whim of a hateful mindset will be forever lost.

[Philly_Gadfly]

The reality that the most pressing issues of the time took a back seat to innuendo over this Ayers chap for almost a full week in the McCain/Palin campaign is mind numbing.
Apparently, the ticket is unfamiliar with the Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and its famous line:
"You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."

[mamacat]

McCain: he would rather lose his honor than lose an election. Definitely the wrong man for the job.

[Bitter_Clinger]

There's been a lot of talk about "Hate" lately. Granted, most of it is probably just media hype, but it got me to thinking. Do you think it's time we brought back the "Hate Stare" and the "Hate'n-Nannies" of yesteryear?

[rcwblessed]

Believe me, the recent hate rantings of Palin and McCain are NOT "just media hype!" You consider someone yelling "kill him" (meaning Obama) at a rally to be media hype?

[greggegregg]

Sign this petition if you think McCain should stop talking about Obama and William Ayers...and start talking about the economy instead:

http://www.McCainPetition.com

Gregg

[Digeeedad]

Although I am an Obama supporter, I am a little saddened watching McCain's political nosedive, especially realizing that one of his "associations" has been the catalyst for this dramatic slide.

Since first Palin, then McCain and Palin were interviewed by Sean Hannity, and heard him implore them to attack Obama, they have adopted Hannity's talking points almost word for word in many of their speeches! In almost every speech my either of them and almost all of their staffers being interviewed Sean's "UNREPENTANT TERRORIST" is heard over and over, as are MANY other of his phrases.

Is anyone really surprised then to hear some of the comments yelled out at their campaign stops by their audiences? All anyone need do is to visit the Hannity website and his Forums and the topic "Washington Politics" to come face to face with the people who adore Hannity and are his "associates". He apparently agrees with the comments posted there, because even the most vile of assertions seem not to be deleated by his moderators.

Please tell everyone you know to vist Hannity's Forum and the above topic area to see who Palin and now McCain are apparently courting!

I hope that the Republican party and McCain come to realize that their association with and taking advice from Hannity has almost certainly lost this election for them.