The Lynch Mob Continues
It seems that Sarah Palin doesn’t just inspire her supporters to hurl racial slurs, her quote doctoring is inspiring those foolish enough to believe her to ever-higher levels of Obama hatred:
“[Obama] said, too, that our troops in Afghanistan are ‘air raiding villages and killing civilians,’” Palin said, mischaracterizing a 2007 remark by Obama. “I hope Americans know that is not what our brave men and women in uniform are doing in Afghanistan. The U.S. military is fighting terrorism and protecting us and protecting our freedom.”
Shortly afterward, a male member of the crowd in Jacksonville, Florida, yelled “treason!” loudly enough to be picked up by television microphones.
Palin and McCain can’t be held responsible for the fact that racists are part of their base, but now she has people thinking Barack Obama is a traitor purely because she’s misleading them into thinking them that he is. This is on her.
65 Responses to “The Lynch Mob Continues”
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October 7th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
give me a break, matt. this is well within the bounds of political rhetoric. at worst, she is stretching facts.
your ‘lynch mob’ idea is silly. blaming her for the people that think obama is a ‘traitor’ is equally silly.
you don’t blame obama for the people who incorrectly think mccain is likely to bring “four more years” of bush. he is stretching the truth to win political points.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
@ morningside
So you are equating Palin and McCain calling Obama a traitor to Obama comparing McCain to Bush? Give me a break.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
How old are you, mornigsider? Some of us were around before Nixon and remember the time before political discourse was completely dragged into the sewer, and shamelessly lying about your opponent’s positions, not to mention deliberately inciting hatred, wasn’t casually accepted as the normal thing.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Uh, morningsider, Palin lied about what Obama said, and lied about the performance of the troops overseas to the point where people in the crowd were yelling treason. Palin is not stopping and chiding people for saying such things; she’s tolerating it at best. And that is frightening.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I agree with morningsider. However, I do think the public should get exposed to both sides of the debate instead of having Palin’s every utterance highlighted to the seeming exclusion of all others. For instance, it’s important to know McCain wears diapers, drools when no one is looking and can’t figure out why this comely blond woman follows him everywhere he goes. Yes, yes, I have to admit these revelations may qualify as stretching the truth just a wee bit, but hey, this is politics. Heat. Kitchen.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
@ C.D.
You missed some of the nuance.
Palin implies that Obama is unpatriotic because he criticized military actions (treason is not mentioned). Obama implies that McCain is the same as Bush because he’s Republican (ignoring a long record of fundamental disagreement with Bush-style conservatives).
Both are cases of sloppy political rhetoric. The patriotism attack is not morally outrageous merely because some guy yelled “treason”.
Voters care whether the candidate demonstrates “love of country”. You may not, but many voters do. It is not “out of bounds”.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
“Palin and McCain can’t be held responsible for the fact that racists are part of their base”
No, but they can be held responsible for egging the racists on. If they don’t make a public plea for this to stop, then they are part of the problem. I’m waiting…. Oops, they just just told a black sound guy to “Sit, down boy.” Okay, I’m still waiting….
October 7th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
“Palin and McCain can’t be held responsible for the fact that racists are part of their base”
Really ? We’ve had 25+ years of Nixon’s “southern strategy” of dog-whistle appeals to racism, and the yet prominent Republican office-holders “can’t be held responsible” for it ?
I’m willing to believe that most prominent Republicans aren’t actually bigoted in their personal views. But in my view anyone in the Republican party that isn’t loudly and actively challenging their decades-old crypto-racist strategy bears a heavy responsibility for the survival of racism amongst Republican voters.
The Democrats took the difficult but honorable course of confronting their party’s racist history long ago. Republicans chose the opposite approach. They don’t deserve a pass on that evil choice.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Obama implies that McCain is the same as Bush because he’s Republican (ignoring a long record of fundamental disagreement with Bush-style conservatives).
You are the one who is ignoring inconvenient facts, namely that McCain has in the past couple of years recanted nearly every point of disagreement with Bush, in order that he might be competitive in the Republican primary.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
imagine for a minute this country on the morning of november 5th if mccain is able to win by riding this wave of hatred. racism will have been legitimized by no less than the president and vice president of the united states.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
The party that let the biggest domestic terrorist attack ever on our soil happen should be careful who it calls out for treason.
There’s no greater source of traitors and America-haters than the Republican party, which has done more damage to this country in 7.5 years than all the wars of the 20th century put together.
These anti-American scumbags, McCain and Palin, know exactly what they’re doing, and they would be personally happy if one of their deranged followers tried to kill Obama, whether before or after the election.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Palin and McCain are purposely ginning up the wingnuts in their base and taking their rhetoric into dangerous territory. They’re doing this because they have made the calculation that ugly is all they have left to win this race. Palin stops just short of saying that Obama, who consorts with terrorists, is a terrorist; and terrorists are obviously unpatriotic as illustrated by what Obama is supposedly saying about the American military.
She’s Ann Coulter with a folksky twang and a brunette updo–the logical outcome of a couple of decades of the politics of rightwing resentment.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Yes. They are.
Anything else?
.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
This is another bone-headed McCain campaign move. This will backfire and revolt a lot of people even on their side. People yelling “Kill Him” about a Presidential candidate is a very serious matter and deep down in McCain’s heart he’s weeping.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
No, it is morally outrageous because some guy yelled “treason.” Palin is basically saying that Obama thinks the troops in Afghanistan are murderers. To a lot of people that view is tantamount to treason; this reaction is basically what Palin’s going for. Presumably you’ve seen the original quote and know that it bears no resemblance to what Palin’s accusing him of:
Now you have narco drug lords who are helping to finance the Taliban,” Obama said, “so we’ve got to get the job done there [in Afghanistan], and that requires us to have enough troops that we are not just air raiding villages, and killing civilians, which is causing enormous problems there.”
What Palin’s saying is a much bigger distortion than saying that McCain is Bush redux, but more importantly “being unpatriotic and hating the troops” is a much more serious accusation than “being like Bush.” That’s why this should be out of bounds.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
That record isn’t so much “long” as it is “old.” McCain votes with Bush more than 90% of the time, and McCain brags about it, so you’re not just guilty of false equivalence, you’re a fucking moron.
.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Why is anyone surprised about this? St. Ronnie himself launched his 1980 Presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Mississippi, for god’s sake. As it becomes more and more obvious that the next President is going to be a black man, American racism is going to move beyond its usual political euphemisms and get back to what LBJ characterized as “who can yell ‘n**ger!’ the loudest”.
It’s ugly, disgusting, evil, and sick, but it’s not surprising.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Palin was a small-time drug dealer and loan shark throughout her college years, and continues to operate a meth lab in the Governor’s Mansion.
Me likey the new rules of presidential politics!
October 7th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Morningside, multiple citations can be found in both the written and spoken record of McCain adamantly stating he votes the Bush position 90-95% of the time. These are not old instances but statements made within the last couple of years. YouTube is littered with such clips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://sandrarose.com/2008/09/04/video-mccain-voted-with-bush-90-of-the-time/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Courtesy CNN Political Ticker:
According to an analysis by Congressional Quarterly, McCain has voted for bills favored by President Bush 90 percent of the time. The nonpartisan publication, which has analyzed voting by members of Congress since 1953, said the report took into account all legislation that Bush had taken a clear position on. It spans from the beginning of Bush’s term to Congress’s recess in August.
Obama surrogates also frequently say McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time. This is a reference to the Republican senator’s record in 2007. That was the highest percentage in the seven years studied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY-iTyN7c0A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To argue that Obama’s assertion a McCain presidency will be four more years of the same policies we’ve had the last eight is disingenuous in the extreme. If we are to judge the public record of McCain and examine his own statements we must conclude he is, as Obama asserts, essentially “the same” as Bush.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
I think Palin just repealed Godwin’s Law. Palin isn’t Bush with lipstick, she’s Hitler with lipstick. When do they start the mass book burnings?
October 7th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Correction: To argue AGAINST Obama’s assertion……..
October 7th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Rich, there is no need to make up stories about Palin’s criminal activities. It seems the Palin’s owe at least $25k in back taxes. Tax Cheats
October 7th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
steve I think you should keep in mind that a lot of what bothers people about Bush isn’t his policies but his character traits (stupidity/”incuriousness,” refusal to admit mistakes, arrogance, etc.). Hillary and Obama probably had 90% similar platforms (although their records are obviously very different re Iraq so I guess it’s not a perfect analogy) but I don’t think they would be “the same” as president. I mean I think McCain would be very similar to Bush as president but policy isn’t everything.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Colonel: You don’t understand the new rules…I don’t make them, I just try to live by them as best I can. What you said is TRUE, but it fails to achieve the desired effect, much like it’s TRUE to say that Obama (lightly) associates with someone who was once a terrorist, but it’s much more effective to say he “pals around with terrorists.” The philosopher Stephen Colbert (brother of the ancien-regime economist–you can look it up) has written and lectured extensively on this distinction, which underlies the New Rules of Politics.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
1) Bush used the same nasty ‘patriotism’ attacks on kerry. They don’t become racial and ‘lynch mob’-inciting just because somebody yelled at a black sound person. This lynch mob meme is ridiculous. Yglesias used to be more reasonable than to push stuff like that.
2) Do you people really believe that McCain will cease his years of going across the isle on the most important issues and simply govern in a straight-forwardly conservative manner? There’s a reason that ideological conservatives (still) hate McCain despite his flip-flopping.
3) McCain is probably stretching the truth more than Obama with his recent rhetoric. This is not a racial issue. It does Obama a dis-service to color it that way.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
morningsider,
I completely agree. For example, calling for McCain and Palin to be put in a cage with a half dozen hungry lions is ALSO well within the bounds of acceptable political rhetoric.
And the thought does indeed bring a smile to my face.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Rich: So, let me see if I can change my comment to comply with the New Rules of Politics.
The Palins are following in the footsteps of vicious criminals like Al Capone.
How’s that?
October 7th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
2) Do you people really believe that McCain will cease his years of going across the isle…
Which isle would that be? The Isle of White?
Tee hee hee.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
aaaaaaa, let’s leave policy aside then and examine similarities in background, attitude and temperment. Each: Drunken frat boys spawned by families of privilege. Incurious, with less than stellar academic accomplishments. Hotheads and prone to fits of pique. Arrogant and presumptuous of always being right. Contemptuous of underlings and those expressing disagreement. Anti-intellectual and uncomfortable with technology and academics. Unsuccessful or inexperienced in the private sector, with the majority of their notable employment spent collecting a government paycheck.
These men share far more than policy similarities.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
That’s entirely too generous. If racists are naturally drawn to your party, you should reconsider your party affiliation.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Morningsider,
I’ll leave aside the fact that, as steve duncan has pointed out, McCain has gone out of his way multiple times to stress the level of agreement he has with the policies of President Bush. Let’s assume you’re right and Obama is “stretching the truth” on this matter.
For you to draw an equivlance between, on one hand, Obama’s “stretching the truth” by implying that McCain shares the same views and policies as the previous standard bearer of his own party and, on the other, Palin’s deliberate distorting of a quote to imply that Obama views our troops as nothing more than thugs who kill civilians is insane.
The point of her broadside isn’t to chide him for criticism of “military actions”. The point is to create the impression that be believes our troops to be twisted war criminals. Surely you see the difference between “stretching the truth” to imply your opponent’s agreement with his own party and the disgusting form of “stretching” that Sarah Palin displayed in this speech.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
morningside, basically what you’re saying is that the Republicans’ 2008 dirty tactics aren’t any worse than their 2004 dirty tactics. I don’t know if I agree with that but even if it’s true it’s not a very strong defense.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Palin and McCain can’t be held responsible for the fact that racists are part of their base
Not responsible for getting their votes, but responsible for getting their votes and letting their vitriol go unchallenged when encountered on the campaign trail by the candidates and their staff. Has anyone ever been to an Obama rally where he doesn’t chide the audience for booing McCain (the man) rather than McCain (the candidate)?
October 7th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
“There’s a reason that ideological conservatives (still) hate McCain despite his flip-flopping.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
McCain is hated for one reason by conservatives: Campaign finance laws. Put your hands on another man’s pile of money and in some locales you get shot. In Congress you just earn a great deal of enmity.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
At the least this demonstrates how empty McCain’s promises to run a clean campaign were.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
multiple typos, equivlance=equivalence, be=he, etc.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
This has a sinister resemblance to the situation in Israel before the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.
There was the same goading of right-wing rxtremists to a high pitch of hatred, until a wingnut actually went and shot the poor man.
The wingnut actually became a hero to some, but most of the right-wing hate-mongers threw up their hands and denied any responsibility.
This will not end if Obama is elected President. I hope the Secret Service are up to the job.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
…deep down in McCain’s heart he’s weeping.
Assumes facts not in evidence.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
yeah, it will be “on her” when someone gets shot over this as well. just wait, it will happen, at least once. the road she is heading down will lead to violence.
and yes, you can certainly hold them responsible for basking in the adoration of overt racsits. its called having balls, getting up in front of a crowd and saying “if you’re a racist get the f#ck out of here I don’t want anything to do with you and I don’t want your vote. now, back to what I was saying…” you cut these scary people far too much slack. these are give and inch, take a mile kind of people.
October 7th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Colonel: Good job! You’re a fast learner.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Will the Obama camp call this out in a campaign? Am I the only one who sees 1930s Germany in the mirror?
“In the early 20th Century, another great democracy was facing economic crisis at home. Some took this opportunity to settle political scores with their opponents at home and soon enough, a nation tore itself apart, resulting in the murder of millions of people and one of the greatest wars in history.”
“Don’t let this happen in America.”
I wouldn’t mention any names but I’d show footage from the recent McCain events and historical parallels.
That would be powerful.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
This is some serious Lord of the Flies shit.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
steve duncan @ 34
Conservatives hate him on immigration, too, although on that one he’s with Bush.
morningside passim
McCain’s policies on Iraq, Afghanistan, foreign policy more broadly, Social Security, taxes, health care, and the budget (both in terms of allocation and in terms of deficits) are all likely to be quite close to Bush’s, no? I’m guessing there are others, as well. Seems fair to say he’d be a lot like Bush.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Unfortunately, none of that would be as nearly drenched in overt fascism as schoolkids singing in a privately-made YouTube video.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Magoo and Goober are patted, puffed up and sent out each day by Joe Lieberman - a wormy little Likudnik with an agenda to “annihilate” Israel’s enemies using Americans as cannon fodder. If that’s not TREASON - nothing is.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I’ve been thinking about the Hockey Mom thing. I first thought I get it, a soccer mom in Alaska, haha.
But then I started to think about the differences. Black and Brown and Yellow people do not play Hockey. This is a subtle way of saying White Mother, is it not?
October 7th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Obama did, in fact, say that the US is air raiding villages and killing civilians - and in fact, the US is doing just that.
The problem is that his “solution” - flood Afghanistan with troops he doesn’t have - is only going to make that situation worse. Some nitwit - who undoubtedly either works for the Pentagon or more likely some military-industrial complex entity that supplies the Pentagon with no doubt very expensive goods - apparently sold him on the notion that “counterinsurgency requires a lot of troops and the lack of troops is why we’re losing.”
Which is true - as far as it goes.
Where Obama doesn’t get it is that you’d need FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND troops to even make a dent in Afghanistan - and as many more in Pakistan. And even then, all that would do is enrage the 42 million Pashtun and eventually we’d lose the entire US military in that region, just as the British lost an entire army there - with one man emerging as the survivor. And the Russians had over 100,000 troops there and a compliant central government - and still lost.
So where the hell does this idiot think he can “get the job done” with another two combat brigades? Is he a moron - or just totally ignorant of anything to do with military matters?
Or he doesn’t care - because he knows if he wants to be President, he needs to feed that military-industrial complex machine with war after war, no matter what it does to the taxpayer, the economy, or the millions of people who end up dead. And since he’s being elected on the notion that he’s going to get us out of Iraq - and Maliki and Iran and others in Iraq are going to insure that - then where is the MIC money going to come from if not Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran?
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