The Price of HATE as a Political Strategy (Image Fixed)

[WillyT]

<snip>



This is an image from a political advertisement that was circulated in Dallas -- the day before John F. Kennedy as assassinated. The image is from the national archives. It is a chilling reminder of the power of hate-filled rhetoric.

This image should be a wake up call for all of us, and especially the McCain-Palin ticket, who's supporters have been chanting that Obama is a traitor, a terrorist, a socialist, and a muslim. None of this is true. It has been caught on camera: McCain-Palin supporters yelling "kill him!" and "off with his head" when Obama's name is mentioned. Sarah Palin seems happy to encourage these hate-filled statements, claiming that "Obama doesn't see America the way you and I do" and that he is somehow not like 'us.' Who is US, anyway? On most issues, McCain and Obama have similar views.

John McCain is showing the good sense to pull back from some of this rhetoric, but it seems almost too late. On Friday, McCain was booed by his own supporters when he described his opponent as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

Whether it is intentional or not, McCain and Palin are inciting violent behavior and fear, especially in the extreme fringes of the right wing. If Palin and McCain want to save their campaign, they need to go back to the issues - the economy, the war, entitlements, health care - and if they can't win based on this, then call it a day. All of the Presidential and VP candidates have skeletons in their closets, but this is minor compared to the issues. McCain still has an honorable past, a good record of service, and is a great candidate. He should be able to stick to the high road and still be a competitive candidate.

Our country has a tragic history of violence, especially in terms of race. Palin and McCain need to take the high road, and stop encouraging hate. They need to dispell fact from fiction and stop encouraging extremism.

<snip>

Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-206-Baltimore-Art-Examiner~topic26663-McCainPalin

[Bucky]

1. Agreed

I think McCain figured this out a little bit. I don't think his running mate quite understands.

[gateley]

2. Yes. And check out Rachel's piece on it from last night's show. Chilling.

Edit to add link to Rachel -- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x211954

[54anickel]

3. Chilling and on the minds of so many callin on McCain to stop. Thanks for posting.

[holiday]

5. He needs to make Palin understand! Now she's moved on from

terrorists stuff to baby killer. Which there are just as many whack job pro-lifers as there are racists. She is still trying to get him killed.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

4. I dig what you are saying, but were those

not put out by the CIA to help with the aftermath investigation of the deed?

I am sure I read that somewhere, this was part of the cover up, if things went bad and more than just Oswald was caught.

[WillyT]

6. I Read That They Were Put Out By The John Birch Society...

The days before the assassination.

:shrug:

[begin_within]

7. If you just substitute "terrorist" for "Communist" and replace Kennedy's pic with Obama's,

you pretty much have the Mc/P crowd's sentiments right now.

[Essene]

8. yea, we need to relax and stop pushing this "he's gonna die!" thing more than it already is...

[PatGund]

9. Something I've noticed....

I've been blogging about the Philip Berg lawsuit against Sen. Obama, and there's something I've noticed more and more in the comments.

Basically it's gone past "guilty until proven guilty", into "String the bastard up". These people are so convinced Sen. Obama is guilty - of anything - that they really see legal proceedings and the like as a mere formality until he's removed from his Senate seat, stripped of US Citizenship, jailed, and then exiled.

Examples of comments are:

"written by tminu, October 06, 2008
He does not have a birth certificate except from Mombasa.
If he can just get this delayed until after the election, which at this point it looks as though he will win, then he will carry sway to create conditions
which will prevent investigations, which could most assuredly lead to violence at the intimation of his losing his "win".
Please look at blogatroid.com and see what Obama's experiences are with Odinga: Obama campaigned for genocidal Odinga knowing full well he would commit genocide if he lost, and he did so, and it was Odinga thugs sicked on hapless citizens who were raped, hacked, burned alive, or displaced by the hundreds of thousands.
Odinga used his thug power to wield a shared presidency with Kibaki.
In any case, Obama wants power in any way shape or form that he will get it. He has Narcissistic Personality Disorder; the British Press Minister was censored for calling Obama a "cold person"; what I'm insinuating is that Obama has had no trouble with a little rubbing out (Bland and Young) or genocide here and there as necessary.
Please youtube Obama's paramilitary groups springing up, and note that the Homeland Security has stepped up its infiltration of certain areas prone to violence and anarchy."

or:

"obama needs to be arrested
written by Vickie C, October 06, 2008
I hope to hell that judge does the right thing for the American people
I don't want McCain in office either but with obama out it gets a step closer for Ron Paul .

The bastard wants us to be his slaves and I show him and his flock what tar n feathers really is.

I wish I could say what I would really like to do to the closet gay crack smoking punk

what a piece of shit your are obama and your flock of rising shit kicking bastards

when you leave take mischelle with you "

Or from an on-line petition supporting the Berg lawsuit:

"Mon., Oct. 6, 2008 12:11 PM Deborah J. | Waterville, MN
Anyone who wish to run for president needs to lead by example. SHOW YOUR BIRTH CERTIFICATE!
Show your passport!! Show us your senate records! show us your college grades and degree!

tell us why we should believe that all your extremely radical "associations" are all just coincedental????

Shame on you Barack Obama!!!

you're not eligible to be president much less fit to be an American citizen!!

I guess i better cling to my guns and religon while i sit here and wait for your "citizen army" to come try and take them away."

or

""Wed., Oct. 8, 2008 4:01 PM Chuck H. | Phoenix, AZ
Why hasn't he?? Because hes not a real American! Hes a Soros (Soros = Soetoro!) funded marxist socialist

THANK GOD that brave real Americans like Polarik and Techdude have shown everyone that B. Hussan Mohammed SOETORO OBAMA birth certificate is a fake. And also THANK GOD for brave patriots like Philip Berg and Pam Jeller and other that SHOW THE TRUTH!

Nows not the time to waste with legal mumbojumbo, we need to deport him back to kenya or indoasia or anywhere else that will have his halfbreed druggie hide, and save our nation from his evil. Him and his socialist sister and his entire tainted family. Michele obviously lost her citizenship when she married this ILLEGAL ALIEN, just like his mom did, so deport her too! He wants the white house let him paint a kenyan hut white!

Save this county, deport SOETORO OBAMBI!!!""

or

"5808 Todd Hubbard This is a serious issue, he still does not meet the requirement of the Constitution. Natural born citizen is a must or Americans may bear arms to get our government back."

So yeah, there's some wingbat elements that are very much in a lynch mob mentality. I hope the Secret Service is keeping an eye on such things.

[Honeycombe8]

10. It says he "illegally invaded a sovereign state," and he's betraying our FRIEND Cuba!

:rofl:


hahahahahahahaha! A few decades really changes a lot, doesn't it??

[WillyT]

11. Kick !!!

:kick: