I'm concerned for Obama's safety

[itsrobert]

Somebody mentioned Bobby Kennedy comparison and all I can think about is June 6, 1968 California. Sorry, to bring it up.

[cynatnite]

1. Secret Service are the best in the world n/t

[itsrobert]

2. Let's hope

they keep him safe.

[Silent3]

33. I've gone to see Edwards, Clinton, and Obama in person now...

...and I'm very surprised by the fact that I've never had to pass through a metal detector to see any of them, and would then standing within mere feet from these people. When I saw Obama a couple of weeks ago, and was lucky enough to get a front row seat. As Obama walked by us at the end of his speech shaking hands, one of the Secret Service guys was making sure people didn't have their hands down in their pockets as Obama approached. Still it seems like it would have been awfully easy for someone to pull a weapon.

I guess a lot of the security must depend on looking for suspicious behavior... that, and probably each of us near Obama was probably in the sight of somebody's gun as Obama drew near. (What a comforting thought!)

[annie1]

3. It'll be ok. : ). i promise. He's no Tupac. He's no Biggie.

[EffieBlack]

10. ?

[annie1]

15. he hasn't said anything yet. we're still on trying to find out what he's talking about.

[tammywammy]

12. What's that supposed to mean

"He's no Tupac. He's no Biggie." ???

[annie1]

14. He's not all that!

[tammywammy]

16. You're still not making sense to me

What does it mean when you say "He's no Tupac. He's no Biggie." ???

[annie1]

18. oh, someone was fearful that barack would be assassinated...

and Tupac and Biggie smalls were assassinated because they were so powerful. and to me, barack is not all that. he's just a politician, just a democrat, no big waves, nothing new.

[beaconess]

19. Chris Rock: "Tupac and Biggie weren't assassinated - them two got SHOT!"

"Martin Luther King was assassinated. Malcolm X was assassinated. John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Biggie and Tupac weren't assassinated. They got SHOT!"

:-)

[tammywammy]

20. ...

:) That's what I was thinking, but I was hesitant to post it.

[IndianaJones]

35. He's wrong on Tupac. nt.

[Anouka]

38. Chris Rock is wrong.

Now 50 cent was shot. And Jam Master Jay and Kurt Cobain were murdered (but those are two whole nother subjects, especially Cobain).

The 'something greater' which makes the conspiracy around Tupac and Biggie something different, however, is real. All assassinations are murder. Due to the circumstances, I think Tupac and Biggie's deaths were a little deeper than just murder. Someone was trying to kill a movement, not two people.

[beaconess]

13. Say what?

[cali]

37. Oh, I know what she said. So do you.

I don't think she does though.

[Anouka]

40. He's only ok because President Johnson didn't want another RFK in future.

The world is full of crazies. ALL candidates are at risk. Who would have thought that that My Sister Sam actress would have been 'important' enough to have a stalker crazy enough to first obsess about her, and then kill her back in the 80s?

And yet, she was (to the stalker); and he did kill her.

Selena was a nice looking, chunky mexican-american chick poised to do some crossover hits; her murder by her obsessed fan club president (of all people!) made her a Legend.

Pope John Paul II had to be forced into using the Popemobile, but it saved his life who knows how many times after that dude tried to kill him. (I don't remember how Pope John Paul I died.)

People are crazy. That's why President Johnson signed that law into effect about viability of presidential candidates and the secret service. Don't trust on people not to be crazy; or not to attempt to take away people's right to choose by the most permanent means necessary.

[goldcanyonaz]

4. He and Hillary have the same protection as the President. I pray for both of them.

[annie1]

8. her i worry about.

[no name no slogan]

5. Unless Obama pissed off the mob or Sirhan Sirhan, he's okay

Don't forget Bobby was also Attorney General before he was a senator

[ihavenobias]

26. I watched a documentary on skinheads last weekend

It was like a car crash I couldn't look away from. Overall it was a so-so documentary because it tried to hard to be cool with the music and editing but it was still interesting at times.

At any rate, I can only imagine what those hateful nuts(and others like them) must be thinking about Obama and it disgusts me (and pisses me off).

[bananas]

6. I panicked when I read Skinner's post

when I read "BOOM!" I thought of JFK RFK MLK Wellstone etc...

[wundermaus]

7. I think we all have reason to fear for progressive candidates...

When was the last time a conservative Elected Official of any kind was assassinated?

[EffieBlack]

11. Reagan and Wallace came within a hair of being assassinated

[tammywammy]

17. And so did Bush that one time

When someone lobbed a grenade on the stage, but it was a dud. It was a few years ago.

[wundermaus]

31. almost ain't close enough

unless you're playin' horseshoes or lobbin' hand grenades... so I guess you score.

[EffieBlack]

9. Bobby Kennedy didn't have Secret Service. Obama does

Cynatnite is right - the Secret Service is the absolute best. He's in very good hands.

[frogcycle]

25. unfortunately

ther is little the Secret Service can do in the mass-public-appearance venues of the campaigns. Unless they keep him in a bulletproof car like the pres, he's exposed. They aren't frisking everyone at every campaign stop. I sincerely hope whatever nutcases might try something screw it up. More than likely they would. But it is still a risk that is there.

[beaconess]

29. There's always a risk, even with the tightest security

But he's getting great protection.

[Beausoir]

21. Are you concerned for the safety of any other candidate?

[itsrobert]

24. Probably all the 3 top tier candidates

Edwards, Obama,and Hillary.

[Beausoir]

32. What about all the other Americans who will get shot tonight?

C'mon.

Pretending that Obama is RFK or MLK is incredibly melodramatic.

Obama hired a gay-basher to carry his torch.

[MadBadger]

22. I'm not so much as concerned, but I do think about it n/t.

[Bitwit1234]

23. I think the same about Hillary

If you would read some of the hate and vile posted about her, it is a wonder some one hasn't tried to kill her. And since the Democrats are more open than the republicans who hide, I was looking for some nut with a gun to walk up to the debaters and fire away. The way people act today you never know. Maybe they should have a bullet proof screen and broadcast the speeches and replies. I would feel better if they did. Look like coulter and fox and malken all call for their readers to kill democrats.

[Beacool]

36. She has received plenty of death threats over the years.

I worry more about an attempt against her than Obama. There are some sick people who have a virulent hatred of the Clintons. I don't think that Obama elicits that kind of hatred, at least not yet.

[K Gardner]

27. I saw him speak tonight at the 100 Dinner thing... it was riveting. Afterward, he

walked out into the audience and people were reaching for him in waves. I was seized with a terrible, heart-wrenching moment of fear and apprehension, because I lived through JFK and MLK and Bobby. And Obama has all the charisma and embodies all the hope of an entire generation. Just like those before him. It concerns me, too.. for anyone who gets too close to capturing the very heart and soul and dream of America.

[beaconess]

30. He is surrounded by Secret Service agents and the crowds are screened

Nothing is failsafe, but he's getting excellent protection.

[Hippo_Tron]

28. It's in the back of my mind as a concern but I'm not overly concerned with it

The KKK and other such terrorist organizations aren't as prevalent as they once were. And Obama has secret service protection.

But I can't help thinking about the end of the first season of the West Wing.

[killbotfactory]

34. Honestly, I'm scared of the muslim emails

If some idiot takes that shit seriously and thinks that America elected an Islamic operative or whatever the fuck he's supposed to be... but, I'm not that scared. You can't live your life too scared to do the right thing.

And the media, I'm sure, will do a heck of a job (in the Brownie sense) in debunking them.

[Hekate]

39. It is a truly haunting prospect for those of us who lived through that era. We lost SO MANY...

...to assassins' bullets. It left an indelible wound.

We essentially lost a generation of leaders -- Jack Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Malcom X, Bobby Kennedy. The blows just kept coming. Imagine the 2000 coup and the 2004 election theft -- imagine how you felt then, and then imagine how we felt as each one of these men was assassinated.

I almost responded to someone's comment here that implied that it is of no consequence if Obama is murdered because in some minds he is a homophobe. There is no getting through a mindset like that, so I will just point out that's what the implication was, and it's disgusting. People can choose to believe what they will, and though I'm sick of what I have concluded is a baseless charge against his character, this type of comment goes well over the line.

I hold my breath for Obama. No more violence.

Hekate

[Anouka]

41. Oh my god. Somebody actually said that??!

"I almost responded to someone's comment here that implied that it is of no consequence if Obama is murdered because in some minds he is a homophobe."

Now that's some hardcore hatred... mostly because THEY'RE WRONG ABOUT HIM BEING HOMOPHOBIC IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Where does that hatred really come from, to hate so steadily and deeply that one has to twist the truth in order to justify one's stoniness?