Dear Sarah Palin, Please leave - we don't need your sort in Ohio!

In the old days of the West, when someone did irreparable harm to a community, the Sheriff took the culprit to the edge of town. He told that person to leave, never to return.

Ohioans need to do the same with Sarah Palin. Firmly, politely, and kindly.

Since no one else has done this, I am publicly sending this memo to Governor Sarah Palin:

Dear Sarah, please leave now. Don't ever come back. We don't need your sort in Ohio.

I realized that I needed to send Governor Palin this memo when I heard the irrational comments in the election story caught by Casey Kaufmann on the Al-Jazeera news network. It burst upon Europe and the Middle East on Saturday, October 18, and it's now making the rounds on the internet.

Interviews for the story were captured at a rally for John McCain and Sarah Palin in Houston, Ohio. I was horrified by the blind hatred for blacks expressed by the folks at this rally. I couldn't believe the anti-Muslim sentiment, the sheer stupidity of the comments.

"I'm afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over," says one white woman. What? Obama's life stands for tolerance, not racism.

"He seems like a wolf in sheep's clothing," says a young man. "And I believe Palin - she's filled with the Holy Spirit." Again, what? When did Pentecostal fervor become a requirement to be President?

Seriously, what kind of racist and theocratic filth is erupting from the Great State of Ohio? I know Ohioans. They are kind people. They are tolerant people. They are giving people. But not in the eyes of the world today. Wake up, my fellow Ohioans. Welcome to the post-election world of 2008. Thanks to the asinine comments of a few Ohioans, our good reputation may now be in the toilet.

Remember those jokes about West Virginia? Ever notice how they can't get rid of them? Well, around the world, our great state is becoming the butt of similar jokes - grounded in racial hatred.

I'm a proud Buckeye. I love my native state. And I am livid. Isn't anyone else angry about this? This is the state that has brought forth eight American Presidents. Ohio maintains the title Mother of Presidents. It's a bellwether state. As goes Ohio, so goes the nation.

Is this an indication of the way Americans think? Have we gone from the Home of the Brave to the State of the Stupid?

When I was a teacher, I was responsible for the tone of my classroom. Had I let my students start shouting murder threats or use the N-word, I would have lost my job. I was expected to take decisive action - call the miscreants down or send them to the principal's office.

Sarah Palin has failed to take this kind of action.

The caustic and careless words of Governor Palin have lit racial fires across America. Her "classes" have been out of control. Her audiences have shouted verbal threats about the man who very well may be our next President - with nary a word of reproach from Governor Palin. Her fans have used intolerant, racist language designed to intimidate minorities.

It's clear that Governor Palin can't govern a crowd. Instead of controlling the blaze of emotion within civilized boundaries, she whips it up. A callow leader, she bullies the minorities and the weak. Pit bull with lipstick is exactly the type of leader she is.

At least John McCain has tried to stop the poison, at least in public. His moment with the woman who stated that Obama is a Muslim showed John McCain's best side. Unfortunately, that side is mostly gone now. The soul of the man I admired so much during the 2000 Presidential campaign has withered, due to his single-minded pursuit of the White House.

In contrast, what a relief it was to watch Colin Powell give one of the finest presidential endorsements I've ever seen. It inspired me.

My African-American friends declare that a black man has to be twice as good as a white man in order to win. If that's the case, I'll take my odds on Obama as our next president.

Because he's been whipping McCain's little-you-know-what. Starting with the $150 million he just raised last month.

In past blogs, I've questioned Obama's readiness to be president. I've questioned his strength of purpose. I've wondered whether he had the stones to make the toughest decisions. I didn't know if he was pragmatic enough to be president of a country I love.

I have no doubts now. I was convinced when I saw the way he handled the economic crisis - calm and steady. I was convinced when I saw how he has run his campaign - a brilliant ground war. I was convinced when I saw the people who wish to serve in his administration - top-ranked leaders. Obama is running for President in the same way he plays basketball: cool, smart, and on his game.

In contrast, look at the scattered campaign of John McCain. Can you remember ANY campaign in which party leaders conceded the election over two weeks ahead of time? How badly does the Republican leadership hate McCain?

Most important, can you imagine a nation run the way McCain runs his campaign? Lurching from crisis to crisis with no master plan?

Do we really want a president who acts thoughtlessly and carelessly, causing damage to people's lives? How many times will he appear on David Letterman with the "I screwed up" punch line designed to get a laugh - before we begin to feel manipulated?

These are the actions of a child - not a man.

There's another similarity between George W and John McCain - something Obama has failed to mention. They're both spoiled brats.

Last night I watched the new Oliver Stone film W. Too much of the film felt like an extended skit on Saturday Night Live. I was checking my watch 35 minutes before the film ended.

But Stone got one thing right. The essence of W's character is that of a spoiled brat who was used to having his daddy clean up his messes. And the tragedy is that W's daddy can't clean up his latest and greatest mess.

Do we really want another spoiled brat for president? Electing John McCain would give us another administration run on fights and temper tantrums - writ large in places like Iraq and Iran.

Look at his record. John McCain has always acted like a spoiled brat. He calls it being a Bad Boy. And he's always gotten away with bad behavior by slathering his apologies with charm.

Yes, I agree with Sarah Palin and John McCain. They're mavericks. If you understand that the word maverick is code for undisciplined.

But there's hope.

Take a look at The Canton Repository. It's my hometown paper in Stark County, Ohio. It takes conservative positions. It accurately represents the bellwether state of Ohio.

Catch this: The Canton Repository supports Barack Obama for President.

That's right. You read that correctly.

Perhaps - just perhaps - the same 12% of Americans who think Obama is Muslim (and that Muslim is another word for black) is the same minority who simply cannot pull the lever for a black person.

If that's true, then at least 88% of Americans are NOT racist. At least 88% will pull the lever for the best candidate - rather than the whitest candidate. And I'm betting that the latter percentage is made up of good, tolerant people who view the world through color-blind eyes.

That's something to be grateful about.

Comments

[Michale32086]

PART THREE

Consider the repudiation that Obama issued when the Rev Wright issue came to pass. There was NO ambiguity, no hemming or hawwing, no contradictory statements or outright lies coming from the Obama campaign.. Senator Obama, personally and with great passion addressed that issue head on and completely devastated it as a campaign issue..

Now we have Ayers.. Senator Obama has mentioned it once or twice in a mealy-mouthed way when pressed. His surrogates have issued contradictory and outright false statements regarding the issue. And Senator Obama seems to duck it at every opportunit­y..

WHY???

What is it about the Ayers issue that prevents Senator Obama from addressing the issue in the same passionate and righteous manner he did with Reverend Wright??

These questions bother me more than a little... While it probably won't be a deal breaker, my support for Senator Obama has slipped from enthusiastic and idealistic and is approaching being the lesser of two evils..

Sorry, didn't mean to go on and on... and on about this.. But it's an issue that really bothers me about Obama...

Michale...­..

[Michale32086]

PART TWO

To put it another way..

If you were asked right now, today, "Hay Marc, we want you to serve on a charitable board to help refugee Palestinia­ns.. One of the other members of the board is Osama Bin Laden."

Would you serve on that board??

Or say you were asked, "Hay Marc, we want to attend a social function at the home of John Wayne Gacy."

Would you want to go to that social function??

Regardless of how tenous the connections to Ayers may or may not be, the simple fact is they were completely voluntary. Anyone who is in their right mind would go out of their way NOT to associate with the likes of Bin Laden, McVeigh, Gacy or Dahlmer..

So, why would some voluntarily associate themselves with the likes of Ayers??

Even though I am a confirmed Obama supporter, I have my misgivings about the associatio­n..

Assuming for moment that Senator Obama KNEW about Ayers (and it's almost inconveicable that he could NOT know) then one of two things are possible.

Either the good Senator AGREES with Ayers actions. Or, Senator Obama didn't really view those actions as "terrorism" at the time..

I don't think that Senator Obama agrees with Ayers' actions.. Obama has made that abundantly clear.

But that is where Senator Obama stops..

CONT

[Michale32086]

PART ONE

@MarcSinger

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Good questions.
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I have my moments. :D

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The nonsense of the Ayers association is that it is being used to suggest Obama is a terrorist, a sympathizer with terrorism, or an accommodater of terrorism.
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I agree. Any suggestions that Obama is a terrorist or has terrorist sympathies is ridiculous­..

Those from the Left who address this issue appear to be in two camps.

Camp #1 seems to believe that Ayers isn't a "real" terrorist or is a "nice" terrorist who never really killed anybody.

Camp #2 seems to believe that Ayers IS a terrorist but that the connections to Obama are to tenuous to have any relevance.

Judging from the remainder of your post, you appear to be in the second camp.. This is to your credit, as I can assure you from a wealth of training and experience, there is no such thing as a "nice" terrorist. And the fact that Ayers and his fellow terrorists didn't kill anyone was only due to their incompetence, rather than their desire to be "nice"...

Regardless the "tenuous connection" theory is also easy to debunk. Simply change AYERS to "Bin Laden" or "McVeigh" or "Dahlmer" or "Gacy"...

Remember, we're not talking about simply bumping into somebody on the street as a "connectio­n".. We are talking intentional and voluntary connections, associations, working AND social encounters spanning at least a decade..

CONT

[kuppusamy]

Believe me there are Ohioans who are livid with this rhetoric. My husband and I live in an intercultural and inter-racial home. He tells me all the time that if he is to succeed in his job he was to be twice as smart and work twice as hard as the white guy. Its sad. Even sadder are all the comments from fellow Ohioans. Its hard to live in a state that is so divided, we are the bellwether. And, nothing rings truer than to see the division in the state itself that is seen across the nation.

I loved reading your articles, now even moreso knowing you are a hometown boy. Sara and John are coming to Green on Wednesday. I`d like to get some peace keepers from the Obama camp there. Not as antis but as supporters of all races and religions. This republican division stuff is getting old.

[MarcSeltzer]

We give politicians too much leeway because we expect their fierce, sometimes-ugly, competitive behavior. The accusation that Obama palled around with Ayres, while nonsense, does not cross the line, but portraying the African-American Senator as a suspected enemy with terrorist connections and then tolerating the resulting overtly racist and violent rhetoric does.

This country fought a civil war and spent a hundred years struggling to extend constitutional rights to all its citizens. From Abraham Lincoln to Martin Luther King and beyond, Americans have sacrificed to give meaning to the Constitution and liberty and justice to its people. We may at times forgive our forefathers some of their racism or misogyny because they didn't know better, but we cannot excuse it today.

Palin’s crowds mouth anti-black, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim sentiments and call for violence against a Presidential candidate. If a fringe radical were provoking this, we would condemn it stridently as race-bating bigotry. Is it not, in 2008, un-American to malign African Americans, Arab Americans and Muslim Americans because of their skin color, national origin or religion? Yes, it is protected speech under the same First Amendment that gives freedom of religion to Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and Muslims alike. Does that make it acceptable? Why give Palin a free pass? We must not allow our expectation and desire for political combat to trump our cherished values. This is more than a ballot box decision. Such intolerance must be universally condemned when it occurs. -- Marc Seltzer

[Michale32086]

{{{{
The accusation that Obama palled around with Ayres, while nonsense,
{{{{

Question.

Why does the issue of Ayers association constitute "nonsense" in your opinion?

Is it because you don't view Ayers as a "real" terrorist??

Or is it because the actual connections are tenuous?

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Palin"s crowds mouth anti-black, anti-Arab, anti-Muslim sentiments and call for violence against a Presidential candidate.
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How is this any different than the Obama crowds who mouth anti-Right, anti-Military and anti-Christian sentiments and calls for violence against a Presidential candidate??

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Such intolerance must be universally condemned when it occurs.
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I completely agree..

Does that mean you condemn the violence, bigotry and hateful/hurtful rhetoric that comes from the Left??

Michale...­..

[MarcSeltzer]

Good questions. The nonsense of the Ayers association is that it is being used to suggest Obama is a terrorist, a sympathizer with terrorism, or an accommodater of terrorism. Ayers is what he is, but the connections between Obama and terrorism are too tenuous. Obama's links to Ayers may or may not bring an issue of judgment. Should Obama or people in Chicago speak to or be seen with a one-time domestic terrorist who now operates at a high level in the education community? Should they refuse to participate in educational programs with him? Should they associate, but not be friends? These are interesting questions as well as the obvious one, can someone ever disavow their past? But Obama has rejected what Ayers did. Obama was not involved in what Ayers did, and yet this is really where the Obama attacks point.

[MarcSeltzer]

You ask about anti-Right or anti-Military rhetoric. I would prefer that the rhetoric be reasoned rather than ugly banter better suited for a football game. These comments lower the level of political discourse and weaken the fabric of our country. In that way they are similarly harmful. However, political parties and the military are great powerful institutions. We do not discriminate against their members in the broader society. If we began to, as I think we did in the Vietnam era, then we might have to speak up to protect those at risk of oppression as we do when criticism on either side is based on race, national origin or religion. That seems to be against the spirt of the Constitution. Senator John Sununus (R), New Hampshire, can be proud of his Arab decent and distinguished service. His ancestry should not be sued against him. Similarly, Colin Powell should be admired or criticized as military leader and Secretary of State, not his race.

Criticism of Christians does offend. Freedom of religion was a founding principle of the nation. There is a clear history of oppression based on beliefs. It should be obvious that it doesn't matter which religion is under attack. If one is, all are. The challenge is to distinguish criticism of people for their religious belief, from criticism of political words, actions, and positions of religious persons. I will have to pay attention to the rhetoric to know where I come down on this issue.

[Miravanguild]

There are the old and sadly so many of them are racist... I live in Arkansas and today I am going to proudly cast my vote for Obama.. I am white and was a young girl when civil rights was a real issue, and the nightly news was full of the violence and the sacrifice that many made of all colors to make this moment happen.. This morning, my brother in law came to pick up my husband, and he had to first pick up a friend from the doctor's office. His friend has a heart condition and had to move because of the offensive conversation he heard in reguards to Obama, was so upsetting.­. The words used by these eldery people cannot be repeated here... So for some, they cannot overcome a lifetime of conditioni­ng... But we can... Yes, we can...

[zanzig]

I sincerely hope you are correct about the 88% and even more, that the 88% get out there and VOTE. But I think you are being unduly harsh about Gov Palin. I am truly sorry to say this, but the theocratic racist attitude you decry has been much of the world's view of Americans for the past 8 years at least. It is not something that has just occurred because of Palin, although she has certainly let them off the leash. No one from outside is all that surprised seeing the you tube videos and the blogs etc showing this hateful behaviour in this campaign. It is a natural progression from the rise and rise of Christian fundamentalism in America over the past few years. What else could you have expected from the Hagees and others. It appears that your media did not hold the mirror up to your society, while the rest of the world saw BBC, French documentaries, Al-Jazeera, Scandinavian documentaries - all of which were ruthless in providing the FACTS. Documentaries on Abu Ghraib, rendition, Guantanamo, the missing $20billion from Iraq... Lyndie England didn't just appear out of nowhere. The tragedy is that the people responsible for this deterioration in American society will not recognise their faults.

[vegas9999]

I bet you would welcome Code Pink???

[seeger]

A perfect description of the Republican neo-conmen and neo-conwomen.
In the words of Vice President Henry Wallace in 1944.
"The really dangerous American fascist is the man who wants to do in the United States in an American way what Hitler did in Germany in a Prussian way. The American fascist would prefer not to use violence. His method is to poison the channels of public information. With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power. They claim to be super patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise but are spokesman for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective toward which all their deceit is directed is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjugatio­n.”

[nancytheragingliberal]

I am interested in people from Ohio, MO, W.VA, etc. I hope their minds realize that they are voting for competence, intelligence, a calm personality, under pressure, and the ability to smooze with leaders from around the world. The W. Administration, in the last eight years, screwed up this country beyond recognition. It is time for Americans to rise above thinking about who they want to have a beer with, and decide the best leader for a country left in shambles.

[Michale32086]

{{{{{
Had I let my students start shouting murder threats
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There were no "murder threats" ever shouted. This fairy tale has been thoroughly investigated and thoroughly debunked.

Michale...­..

[moAb]

If there is a fairy tale in this election it is that John McCain and Sarah Palin are fit to hold the two highest offices in the land.

[Michale32086]

That's your opinion.

I happen to agree with it, which is why I am voting for Obama. This week, most likely.

But don't make the mistake that your opinion has any factual value.

Many people would say the same thing about Obama & Biden and their opinion would have as much value as yours.

Regardless of all that, the simple point of my original post was that the Left shouldn't have to stoop to promoting wrong information to propel Obama to his inevitable win.

Michale...­..

[Michale32086]

Actually, I misspoke.

I meant to say that, while I don't necessarily AGREE with your opinion, I do respect it.

Michale...­..

[loril]

Thank you. As an embarrassed Ohioan I agree that we need to clear our name. Please remember, however, that McCain/Palin look for their base when they plan rallies. They look for the most assbackward regions in any state to find it. I would venture to guess that one could find a racist and under-informed burg in almost any state in the Union if one chose to look for it.

The BEST way for Ohio to repudiate this verbal filth is to vote Obama/Biden on election date and revert to Blue State status. In my part of the state (NE Ohio) this outcome looks very promising. I see Obama/Biden signs springing up all over the place and even more people wearing Obama campaign buttons. The young people seem especially motivated. (I wish more of them were eligible to vote.)

To balance this impression of Ohio, please remember that Ohio is the home of Dennis Kucinich, a vocal progressive and anti-war representative.

[customgreen]

Sarah Palin was thrust onto the national stage for all the wrong reasons. Watching her pathetic struggle in front of millions I have come to relize two things. She is a good politician for Alaska, and that she will fade away into obscurity after the election. Her place is in Alaska, not the mainstream. She is rabbid when the country wants calm, she is exclusionary when the country wants inclusion, she is crass when the country yearns for elequence. Sarah Palin thought she could wow the electorate, but in fact she only appeals to the Republican base that is exactly like her. Like the man once said about national politics. This aint no pillow fight. She found that out in a big way.

[UTooSouthZone]

Well said. After weeks of hearing all the racist remarks coming out of Ohio, I was starting to think I was wrong about the entire state and that everyone there was living in the past. It is nice to know that it is just the vocal minority who are giving you a bad name. I would suggest that more people do what the author of this editorial has done and speak out against all the hate mongering loudmouths because your state is getting a terrible reputation. We don't need this kind of ignorance leaking out into the world media. The failed policies and "go it alone" attitude that led to the Iraq war have already made us the laughing stock of the world. We need someone like Barack Obama in the White House, and the sooner the better. We have a long way to go to rebuild our reputation and begin the healing that we all need.