Abuse of Power, Anger and Abortion Politics: Extremism Exposed

A McCain supporter at a Friday rally said he was "scared of an Obama presidency", linking Obama "hanging around with Ayers" to "who he will choose for the Supreme Court." Two lies, about Ayers and about the Supreme Court, fueled by a Culture of Lies now fomenting rage.

McCain replied to the man saying Obama is "a good and decent person and you do not have to be scared of him being President of the United States."

On Saturday Gov. Sarah Palin was proving that the huge crowds are mostly interested in extreme right-wing abortion politics by tossing the crowds some red meat, and more lies about abortion. Palin said a vote for Obama is "a vote for activist courts that will continue to smother the open and democratic debate that we deserve and that we need on this issue of life." She also misstated Obama's statements and positions on a range of abortion issues.

These are the lies that, because they connect to a core belief for so many, allow all the other lies to to take root and drive the anger and rage we now see on display.

McCain once welcomed the enthusiastic crowds to his lackluster campaign, a result of his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as running mate. Palin swept the far-right, anti-choice, extremists off their feet, creating a political phenomenon -- the Palinistas. She even seduced a few independents for a week or two, with her coy and carefully crafted banter.

What a difference a month makes. Rabid crowds now demand blood, and a bi-partisan report from Alaska confirms Palin is guilty of an "abuse of power". We should all pray for calm given that angry mobs amped up on lies, in the midst of global economic crisis, led by people comfortable abusing power, make for a volatile mix.

After only a few interviews with journalists Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric, America has learned how woefully uninformed and unqualified Palin is, sending her poll numbers in a decline as steep as Wall Street, and explaining why Palin is a shero to the crowds of rabidly uninformed people "scared" about the Supreme Court. They are scared about the Supreme Court because of lies they have been told by the anti-choice extremists about sexual and reproductive health for a generation. They are scared because of lies about abstinence-only actually working, lies about what comprehensive sex ed is, lies about gay people, lies about condoms and contraception, lies about why women choose abortion, lies about abortion causing breast cancer, lies about "post-abortion syndrome", lies about late-term abortions, and lies about infanticide. All of these and more far-right myths are based on lies that motivate the same extremism and rage we see on display by the Palinistas now.

If you get people to believe lies about the most fundamental aspects of human nature, it is easier to get them to believe lies about political associations.

They have created a Culture of Lies designed to take over the Supreme Court and impose their narrow and extreme ideologies on every American, and their rage is growing as they, for the first time, realize that most Americans do not agree with their narrow values, that the Supreme Court is slipping from their grasp.

They believed the lies, and like an economy built on lies, political ideology built on lies is now tumbling before our eyes.

These lies show up in email forwards, videos, TV ads, and on talk radio and Faux News long before people start parroting them back to candidates at rallies. Seeing the lies come full circle, forcing McCain to address them, is rare indeed.

We now know that this Culture of Lies leads to "abuses of power" by Palin just as it did with ethically challenged, abstinence-only lobbyists and profiteers who now use money they made from the taxpayers to tell more lies about abortion. It's nothing new, this fundamental lack of respect and civility is what too many women face every day, what too many gay people have been beaten and died for, what too many people of color have bled and starved for. This Culture of Lies turned neighbor against neighbor, caused parents to turn their backs on gay children, delayed smart public health strategies based on medical science in the fight against HIV/AIDS -- and continues to do so 27 years into the pandemic -- all these lies in the name of "traditional family values." All these lies in the name of Jesus Christ.

Forgive them.

Conservative, Catholic, Republican, pro-life, legal scholars are distancing themselves from these extremists, calling for a change in the dialogue around sexual and reproductive health, a hopeful sign. Other conservative writers are distancing themselves from Palin herself, while some are trying to say it's not her, it's the economy, that has caused the reversal in the polls, that she would still be a star if it weren't for the economy. More lies. Dangerous lies. Economic crisis is no time to foment anger and resentment based on ideology. Palin should accept personal responsibility for her abuse of power and McCain should accept personal responsibility for his lapse in judgment selecting her -- those bad decisions should not be compounded with myths and lies that their decline in the polls is only about the economy.

It will take a while for people to work their way back from the lies, and important for us all to distinguish between those who are genuinely pro-life, as an article of personal faith, and others who are anti-choice as a means to pursue partisan power and control over the decisions and lives of others.

McCain is being publicly humiliated by these "agents of intolerance", again. The first time was when he was the target of their lies and rage in 2000.

Humiliation is what these people do, it is who they are. They attempt to humiliate women at clinics. They "abuse power" at the Department of Health and Human Services using ideological lies and pseudo-science to justify making contraception inaccessible, if not illegal. These same extremists who have been directly responsible for bombings at clinics and murdering physicians, bashing gays and stoking racism, and are now so out of control that their own presidential candidate has to try to contain their rage; to prevent rallies from becoming riots.

I once wrote that the way McCain could exact his revenge on these "agents of intolerance" was to select a pro-choice running mate, as he wanted to do, with either Sen. Joe Lieberman or Gov. Tom Ridge, appealing to centrists that overwhelmingly support a pro-education, pro-prevention, pro-choice agenda.

Boy was I wrong.

The way McCain appears to be destroying the far-right, extremist, anti-choice movement, is by selecting one of their own, making her famous. We know her name. We see the crowds she hangs out with, and how she governs. Palin is an anti-choice shero, the personification of all their aspirations of power, their political manipulations, their Culture of Lies.

Maybe McCain has found his last ounce of maverick, and perhaps because of his long distinguished service to this country, his last act of patriotism for the country he loves is exposing extremist elements and making Americans more aware of how this Culture of Lies has taken root.

We'll see if that John McCain shows up consistently in the final weeks of the campaign.

This article originally appeared on RH Reality Check.

The "scared" Supreme Court question begins at 5:05.

Comments

[limerica]

Alaska has found power was hers to abuse.
But Palin continues to deny and refuse.
I'm so tired of her lies,
and her "Drill Baby!" cries,
Can't wait 'til November 5 when she is just old news.

[anniegirl9]

As a non religious person observing Christianity, here is my view.
-the best thing about Christianity is that you can make mistakes and still be forgiven as long as you accept Jesus Chris as your savior.
-the worst thing about Christianity is that you can make mistakes and still be forgiven as long as you accept Jesus Christ as your savior.

What I mean by this is that It is the best part because everyone is falable - we are all human and make mistakes even with the best intentions.
It is the worst part because even if you are ultra-devout you can get away with acting unChristian, justifying your actions knowing that even if you are wrong in those actions you will still be fogiven by God simply by saying "Jesus is my savior."

Sure there are the 10 commandments and all - but a Christian can put those aside whenever they feel the need to do so is great enough and not be removed from the fold of God. That is how they can justify everything from lying about someone's record to the extreame of bombing abortion clinics. It is the ultimate Golden Parachute which allows them to act anyway they want.

[arachne646]

God loves and forgives us no matter what we do, but Jesus said to love each other as we love ourselves, not to humiliate other women, deny the poor ones medical care, and make abortions difficult to get or illegal for the poor women, while the rich women could get on a plane for a day trip over the border.

The poor and opressed were the ones Jesus ate with and taught. The presidential candidates and the prominent religious leaders today are only as christian as the importance they put on "the least of these" that Jesus said were God's people--the poor.

[Academic]

How activist were the courts - especially the US Supreme Court - that stopped the recount in Florida in 2000, condoned the actions of Jeb Bush and Katherine Harris that illegally disenfranchised well over TWENTY THOUSAND black voters alone in Florida, either by deleting their names from the voter register or simply refusing them the opportunity to vote when they legitimately turned up to do so, and handed a stolen election to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney? Maybe, if Sarah Palin can honestly and truthfully answer these questions sensible people might consider listening to her. But in the absence of any such behaviour, why should they? Since we all know that the only people who will, are empty headed morons who are the epitome of Sarah Palin herself. And all she's doing is giving us a glimpse of what will happen under a John McCain administration with herself as VP.

Professor Dr. Stanley Collymore
London, England.

[Bitter Clinger]

Speaking to San Francisco “elites” this past spring, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said, “You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, it’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion.”

[Rrhain]

You pretend like that was the full quote. Could you try again and this time provide the complete context?

[DCtrain]

Palin is a mixed bag.

She says that she's of 'faith', opposes abortion (a typical stance amongst american religious and probable the only correct stance in her faith), speaks half truths to achieve her goals (this is not consistent with speaking the truth in love and turning the other cheek. It seems that Obama has done more of turning the other cheek), incites anger and hatred (this is clearly spoken of and spoken against in the Bible, Palin's guide in life.)

So what does she stand for? she by her 'said' standards is shallow and wrong. Confusing and a bad representation of what she believes

[dutchgirl55]

I think you just may be right about John McCain. I've been wondering if he's smart enough, or subtle enough, to exact this kind of revenge on the Republican party for the way they treated him in 2000.

I guess years from now people will still be writing books about this era in our country's history. I'm glad that I'll probably see an African American president in my lifetime...I only hope that also in my lifetime I can read a book that really explains what the heck has been going on since Clinton was first elected president and the Republicans abandoned any pretense of putting country first.

[Jesster]

As much as I wanted to (figuratively speaking) "strangle" Bill Clinton for unbelievably stupidly self-indulgences that he says he committed "because he could..." The GOP showed their true colors about what they really put first, power and their benefactors.

The GOP shares blame with Clinton for his failures, since from day one they hounded him with lame and irrelevant "scandals" - and finally impeachment - which distracted from his job. 9/11 may have been pre-empted if he and his entire staff weren't so busy fighting off this constant onslaught of petty and irrelevant accusations (Travelgate, "The HairCut" Hillary's "ancient" billing records, shooting watermelons to prove Vince Foster was murdered (by the Clintons?)

If Bill Clinton could have put his good mind (never mind his hopelessly immature hormones) and genuine "intellectual curiousity" - he might have been a great president (for US!/ the USA) - But no, the GOP released their army of rabid dobermans and pit bulls and the rest is history.

Don't exhale yet - while McCain has even high-ranking conservatives shaking their heads - the machinery is all in place for a (another) stolen election or political coup d'etat. If WE and the media let them get away with this AGAIN, we are doomed.

[Maury66]

"...lame and irrelevant "scandals"...which distracted from his job...9/11 may have been pre-empted..."

The sort of truth that no court could ever confirm, but no reasonable person could ever dismiss as impossible....yes, instead of concentrating on the country and what might have been best, the right indulged in the worst kind of petty attacks and obstructionist behavior...for years.

Now we are asking to what extent this history will repeat. Yes, they have the will and the means, but people are better armed now against it than before....the "conservative" philosphy is on the decline...their tactics are more transparent than ever and the cast of characters have taken on an even more cartoonish nature. Not to say that Reagan wasn't a bit Disney himself, but now Palin...she's a joke and McCain is a terrible candidate. If elected, they will destroy not the USA,. but the Republican party as we know it.

[davism97]

Another lesson about the fundamentalist Pentecostal mentality:

Agreeing with their views == Being open minded
Disagreeing with their views == being closed minded.

When Sarah Palin says she wants an open and Democratic debate on abortion, she really means that she wants to keep talking about it until everyone agrees with her.

[Maury66]

She didn't by chance come with an instruction manual? That's ok, we can figure it out ourselves, it ain't rocket science. And we've seen it before.

[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!

[mmcdonald]

Thank you. You are the sort of intelligent, honorable voter with integrity that I fervently hope and try to trust is in the majority in the United States. Thank you for looking the truth in the face. Even if you are not fully swayed by Barack Obama's positions, at least you see that he is a person with the same integrity you possess - and I hope you see that he has more intelligence and insight than the vast majority of us - and that the Republican ticket offers nothing whatsoever to compare with those virtues.

[Quaoar]

You did the right thing. The Republicans claim to be ethical, fiscally responsible and for keeping Government out of people's lives, but their actions have proven that they're the polar opposite of what they claim to be. The Republicans will have to suffer time in the doghouse and reinvent themselves before they can be taken seriously again.

[crease]

This quote says it all to me, "What a difference a month makes. Rabid crowds now demand blood, and a bi-partisan report from Alaska confirms Palin is guilty of an "abuse of power". We should all pray for calm given that angry mobs amped up on lies, in the midst of global economic crisis, led by people comfortable abusing power, make for a volatile mix. John McCain has sold his soul and integrity and his honor and all it has gotten him is Sarah Palin and a LOSS come November 4th, bye bye Johnny.

[schatsie]

WE are taking our eye off the BALL, the WALL STREET BAILOUT being run by the arsonists,,,
The deal is that we have WHISTLEBLOWERS who would be perfect for this activity... THEY PUT their lives, including their jobs and their futures on the line for us and THEY HAVE not been hired by the CORPOROCRACY because the fraud and deception is so extensive...

A 35 year old from Goldman Sachs? This is a good choice? no he is part of the club... We need some integrity in this program so that WE AMERICANS can rebuild TRUST in our GOVERNMENT AND OUR FUTURES and OUR CHILDRENS FUTURES... This is just as bad as that Paulson asking for the BLANK CHECK and then saying capping outrageous salaries would be PUNITIVE... This is their last best shot before leaving.....If they believe McCain was going to win, they would not have had to pull this stunt and would have done it incrementally over the next 4 years... I SMELL ROVE.

[ramblingjohnny]

You know what Obama need to do... A quick trip to Alaska to have big rally in Juneau!

[Falafel]

Beautifully put Scott! I'd always wondered what the right "base" looked like and now we know. The crowds that Palin panders to are shockingly uninformed, angry and stupid.

[caterpol]

I have some faith that while we may see some Bradley effect in the elections, we'll see a Palin effect as well.

Surely there must be an equal number of true conservatives who are horrified by the idea of this woman anywhere near the oval office.

If Obama had chosen someone this unsuitable, this extreme, I can guarantee you many Democrats would not be voting for him.

[Notblindedbyhate]

He did choose someone unsuitable, himself!

[justobserve]

Of course if you cut off all of his records, Obama has nothing to show the same way your employers don't want to look at your records: all of your hard works meant nothing to them! Just a reminder of Obama's education, experience, leadership: 3 years as a brilliant community organizer created a voter registration drive of 150,000 new voters to exercise their constitutional right, first black President of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, 12 years as Constitutional Law professor, 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people (bigger than the entire state of Alaska of 670,000) and co-sponsor of the first Ethics Rules in 25 years, chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 14 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, and ran the most efficient campaign and biggest donation fund ever in the history. McCAIN-2008 AND SARAH & TODD PALIN: ETHICS VIOLATORS, POWER ABUSERS AND LIARS WHO WRECK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

[jfor]

When and if the maverick takes responsibility for picking Palin and then holds himself accountable by dropping out of the race and issuing an apology to the majority of Americans who are not crazy religious extremists who hate this country I might start taking hope in essays like this.

[Notblindedbyhate]

You sound so uneducated it's unbelievable.
Just because the Republicans hold a different point of view than you do, you start spewing this hatred.
We are still one country, Republicans and Democrats.
The Muslim radicals that hate America hate us because they don’t agree with our way of life or our point of view.
This hatred didn’t start on 9/11.

[jfor]

I saw your profile. I would say that explains it.

[ymuttley]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rUAFUoz3jc

Listen to the first part of this ,It was in Pa, where I live, The mCCain camp says they dont know of anyone saying hateful things, well watch this! then pass it along to all ,because not only the hate stuff, it's now that Obama does like babies, and in iowa a minister says pray Obama doesn't win, the very same thing Palin's pastor preaches in his sermons, In 2004 her pastor says to them if you vote for Kerry you will go to hell!,I heard this being said when I listened to her pastors tapes. What we should do is put out her tape of the witchdoctor and send it to republican voters to see wha they think.

[MissyPat]

Why is the news media so protective of Sarah Palin???? She didn't misstate Obama's position on abortion. She F**king LIED! Say it like it is for christ sake. She LIED! See, that's not so hard to say.

[SoCalNick]

That is why they do it becaues they KNOW the Media will cover for them.
A LIE is a LIE