The raw emotions worry some in the party who believe the broader swath of swing voters are far more focused on their dwindling retirement accounts than on Obama's background and associations and will be turned off by footage of the McCain events. John Weaver, McCain's former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior.... "People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain," Weaver said. "And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."
Time was when I suspected that John McCain might be capable of running a honorable campaign based on a rational and lucid discussion of the issues facing this country. I had no intention of voting for him, but I thought that he might be able to conduct himself with dignity, class, and respect for those in the opposition. Man, I can be SO naive sometimes, eh??
As this campaign winds to it's inevitable denouement, what we're being subjected to is an increasingly angry and desperate tone. McCain and Sarah Palin have demonstrated themselves willing to say and do whatever it takes to win. No rumor, no innuendo, no dishonorable attempt at character assassination is beneath them. Even as the momentum appears to be trending towards Barack Obama, the tenor of the McCain-Palin effort becomes increasingly more shrill with each passing day. THIS is what we've been reduced to- the politics of desperation, where thinly-veiled racism and rabid hatred directed at Barack Obama is increasingly becoming the order of the day. If John McCain had the courage of his convictions, he'd denounce the haters and make it clear that hate has no place in his campaign. Alas, not only is McCain NOT doing this, he and his handlers appear to actually be encouraging the anger and rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth divisiveness. When a former McCain adviser steps up and calls out the party's standard-bearer for not forcefully stepping on the "angry mob mentality", something is very, very wrong.
Yes, America; this is today's Republican Party: an empty vessel, devoid of ideas or plans for the future, but desperate to hang onto power by any means necessary. Even if it means comparing community advocacy groups like ACORN to the KKK. Truly, the GOP has devolved into self-parody. Not even a McCain supporter calling Barack Obama "a commie faggot" has been enough...until yesterday to draw the ire of John McCain. Yet even when McCain called out a clearly addled supporter for referring to Obama as an "Arab", he passed on a golden opportunity to make it clear that this sort of hatred and racism have no place in his campaign.
How bad have things become? Well, bad enough that McCain is now being disavowed by some who previously endorsed him. Some are even accusing him of being in the same camp as racists and extremists, which is difficult to argue. If you're not willing to condemn those trafficking in hatred and racism, shouldn't that place you in a position roughly equivalent to them? Is silence not the same thing as condoning this foul behavior?
As if all of this wasn't sick and disturbing enough, now you have the McCain campaign putting out not one, but two statements defending those of their supporters calling for the assassination of Barack Obama. May both McCain and Palin rot in the Hell they so richly deserve.
