Hate Radio Upset That John McCain Doesn’t Hate As Much As They Do
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) appropriately apologized after right-wing talk radio host Bill Cunningham opened his campaign rally by pejoratively referring to Sen. Barack Obama‚Äôs middle name Hussein while calling him ‚Äúa hack.‚Äù ‚ÄúI did not know about these remarks, but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them,‚Äù McCain told reporters. McCain‚Äôs repudiation stung Cunningham, who bellowed against the senator on his show later in the day. Cunningham claimed McCain ‚Äúthrew me under the bus for the national media‚Äù and then said that he would now ‚Äúthrow‚Äù his ‚Äúsupport behind Hillary Clinton.‚Äù…. Cunningham‚Äôs ‚Äúhate radio‚Äù brethren, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, joined him in indignation over McCain‚Äôs apology…. Right-wing radio host Mark Levin, who also blogs for National Review, called McCain a ‚Äúloser‚Äù for distancing himself from Cunningham‚Äôs caustic comments.
Before anyone gets their panties in a wad because I’m recognizing a Republican, I’ll thank you to remember that common human decency knows no party affiliation. If you listened to Bill Cunningham, you’ll understand why John McCain felt it necessary to repudiate Cunningham’s gratuitously mean-spirited trollery. To say that Cunningham’s remarks about Sen. Barack Obama were beneath contempt wouldn’t begin to fully capture the mean, hateful rhetoric tossed off as if it was self-evident. Focusing on Obama’s middle name- which, yes, just happens to be Hussein- serves no purpose except to serve as proof that the Far Right is out of bullets. They got nuthin’…and so they’ve stooped to mindless, pointless, mean-spirited personal attacks.
I applaud Sen. McCain for stepping up and saying that Cunningham’s sort of ugly rhetoric has no place in ANY sort of political discourse. McCain stated that he wants to raise the level of campaigning this time around, so that it doesn’t sink to the lows of previous Presidential campaigns. Whether or not he and the eventual Democratic nominee can achieve that noble goal remains to be seen. Above all else, though, Bill Cunningham needs to be recognized as the (&^%$#@ idiot and world-class troglodyte he is.
Because he won’t stoop to their low rhetorical level, right-wing radio is now telling McCain that he can “say good-bye to any hope of winning over the conservative base.” Apparently McCain doesn’t have enough hate for “hate radio.”
If preaching hatred and bigotry is the only way to win over the “Conservative base”, McCain seems to recognize and understand that he’s better off without them. Finding solutions to the significant problems that this country faces is not going to happen through hatred, bigotry, and aggressive ignorance/demagoguery. Those on the Far Right who feel that slandering Sen. Barack Obama is a perfectly acceptable tactic should skip the campaign and go straight to Hell. They have nothing to add except their smug, self-righteous, self-perceived brilliance. The fact that Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh immediately rushed to Cunningham’s defeat by attacking McCain only confirms their paucity of ideas and simple human decency.
Even Karl Rove says that conservatives shouldn’t demagogue Obama’s middle name if they don’t want to appear “bigoted.”
DUH…. News flash, y’all; if Karl Rove is telling you cut the crap, don’t you think it might be a good idea to dial things back a tad? What is it about Right-wing Hate Radio personalities that allows them to think that they are the Chosen Ones?, That their viewpoint is so superior to every other political viewpoint that they have the perfect, indeed Divine, right to insult, demean, ridicule, and slander those who don’t think as they do? Why does their brand of political discourse consist solely of bombast, ignorance, and self-superior denigration of others who dare to disagree?
Why? Well, they got nuthin’…and I mean nuthin’. They have no ideas, no platform, no positive ideas for how to make America a better place…nuthin’. They rely on their core issues (Iraq, abortion, religion in school, etc.) and their simplistic, rote talking points to bludgeon those who don’t think as they do…as if shouting down an opponent passes for moral and intellectual superiority.
I applaud Sen. McCain for having the balls to stand up to the bullies, and for announcing that this sort of ignorant demagoguery has no place in his campaign. No, it’s still not going to get me to vote for him- far from it- but it’s comforting to discover that at least one Republican politician still possesses a degree of simple human decency…which should and still does know no party affiliation.
WE DESERVE BETTER…not that we’re ever going to get it, of course.
It will indeed, be interesting to see if McCain will hold his campaign above the shennigans of the last two thefts (I mean elections, pardon me).
No, I think you had it right the first time, Leslie. 2000 and 2004 can only reasonably be described as "thefts".... ;o)
I suspect that your new found admiration of the senator will be as short lived as the republican pundits' professed hate of him.
But on the bright I just don't see the republican's standard shtick of smear and fear working this time around, unless they pull another Gulf of Tonkin stunt or something.
McCain is a nasty, volcanic prick. He's in his good behavior mode at present because he wants to nurture his media-created image of "independent", "middle-of-the road" etc etc, but that might last long. Remember his "joke" about Chelsea Clinton?
The campaign has barely started and already McCain can't make up his mind about Iraq. One day he says we could be there for a hundred years, a few days later he says the war will soon be over.
Now, I realize that the war has dropped off of the radar screen - now that the surge is such a success and all, with democracy and the destruction of al-Qaida just around the corner. But I have believe that even the American people have figured out that there is a considerable difference between a "hundred years" and "soon."
But does John McCain know that?
McCain is the GOP's sacrificial lamb in this election. They know they've buggered things badly enough for the last eight years that they stand little chance of winning.
I respect John McCain the Senator and POW but that does mean I want anything to do with him in the White House.
Just his stance on abortion is enough to make me vote for (almost) anyone else. Plus, he looks beatdown everytime I see him and he panders like its going out of style (oh how I WISH!).
Jack -- for Christ sake get that sexist button off your website.
Sexist...what's sexist about the button? Seems to me to be a play on a historical event. Same theme button could be used about Larry Craig's "friends." With a change of political party. Nothing to do with gender,imo.
Does it seem as if there is a pattern developing? Say, write, or post something outrageous or inflamatory...have someone else "apologize," later in the day or the next day. I don't for a minute think it has anything to do with McCain's decency or remorse. He is a ruthless prick; don't kid yourself.
It is happening with too much regularity lately, it seems to me. I think it is the new swift boating model of the Repug. party.
Patsi...don't you think it's about time to lighten up a tad?? ;o)