In 2004, John Kerry was the victim of one of the dirtiest smear campaigns in modern American political history - but those ugly smears are beginning to pale by comparison to John McCain's ignoble Campaign of 2008.
Now, we're witnessing a concerted and deliberate effort by the McCain Campaign to spread particularly vicious lies about Senator Obama. They can't bring down Senator Obama on policy, so they happily opt for mendacity and not very subtle racial prejudice - and the nature and tone of these latest lies may be placing Senator Obama's life in danger. Either the McCain Campaign doesn't care, or they're doing it, deliberately. The result may be the same no matter the intent.
Please Read On...
The abject irresponsibility of McCain, Palin and their surrogates is astounding. They refuse to shout down the most degenerate hate-mongers at their rallies. The ones who scream "terrorist" and "Kill him" (Senator Obama) as if the words carry no weight - no consequence - no shame. They threaten the Media with bodily harm and demean an African American Sound man from one of the Networks with the racial epithet, "Sit down, BOY." Never mind that his job is to make sure the American people can hear their candidate's message.
Instead, the hecklers and the would-be lynch mob are egged on as the candidates and their surrogates just smile and recklessly babble on about “Hoo-Sane Obama” and his "terrorist friends" who want to blow up the Capital. “What do we really know about Senator Obama?” asks John McCain with venomous disdain in his voice. Yet, few Americans had even heard of Sarah Palin just 5 weeks ago - the same Sarah Palin who repeatedly pounds her flock with the message that “Barack Obama is not like the rest of us" and "doesn’t believe in America.” This week, the McCain Campaign Generals have re-commissioned Air Cindy to drop a particularly sleazy hate Bomb loaded with crap claiming Senator Obama voted against a military bill "because it armed and protected our troops." It's the same bill that McCain voted against but that real-life fact didn't flow with the fictionalized script.
Let's put these simple-minded messages together:
"That one," Obama, could be anybody - but he's probably a Domestic Muslim Terrorist who wants to blow up the capital because he hates America and wants our children to die.
So what moron would believe such absurd and venomous suggestions?
Perhaps a Sirhan Sirhan answering the vile and public call from writer Westbrook Pegler for somebody to blow (the America-hating) "Robert Kennedy's brains out." Ironic, isn't it that Sarah Palin would choose to quote Pegler, of all people, in her Acceptance speech.
You remember, it was that warm and fuzzy line about small-town American values. The incitement to murder part would come later.
If there was ever a time for the Main Stream Media to show backbone, now is that time. This is certainly not the time to play act the role of impartial observer, or trivialize and ignore these troublesome signs. Unfortunately, they're too busy parroting the McCain talking points on Bill Ayres. I guess mindless pap is easier to spoon to the public then a stomach-full of news about a looming Economic Depression.
Secret Service agents assigned to McCain and Palin should respond with ON-SITE arrests and the Justice Department should warn the Campaign that they are treading in unpredictable and potentially dangerous currents. As Justice Potter Stewart suggested, free speech does not extend to "yelling fire in a crowded theater." Nor does it mean inciting a sick mind to assassinate a Presidential candidate.
The fact is, none of us should sit idly by while this particularly ill-considered smear game unfolds.
We all must speak up,
BEFORE it's too late.