The men and women of the United States Secret Service are tasked with the critical mission of risking their lives to keep our Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates safe. By obvious measures, they have historically and so far in this election cycle done an outstanding job.
No one wants to think the unthinkable, but there are several obvious facts pertaining to Barack Obama that must be weighing on the minds of these brave men and women as the election nears and John McCain, Sarah Palin and their surrogates start to increase the Rhetoric of Hate in their speeches and actions.
With the election each day swinging more in Barack Obama's direction, the McCain camp seems to be getting more and more desperate. Part of that desperation is to appeal to the most base, disgusting emotions hidden beneath the surface of normal discourse. Use of xenophobia, racism and illustrations of "otherness" form the basis of the these appeals. Certainly McCain and Palin are now doing everything they can to cast Obama as an "Other", recycling false rumors about his religion and making jokes about his unusual name.
In the 21st century, with an ongoing global economic crisis, these sickening appeals should be beneath our nominees for elected office. On their face these tactics are desperate, pathetic and sad. But this election is different. Barack Obama is an historic candidate, and the GOP is absolutely rabid when faced with the prospects of losing the presidency. The concern that should be on all of our minds is that the hateful rhetoric espoused by McCain and Palin might spur their most angry and unstable followers to desperate measures:
"Terrorist"
At a rally yesterday, an audience member shouted out "Terrorist!" in response to McCain asking "Who is the real Barack Obama?"
No honest observer would dispute that McCain's speech today was about sowing fears of Obama as a risky, unknown, and vaguely sinister "other," and this supporter, at least, read the subtext, intended or not, loud and clear. And when McCain delivered that line there was a gratified, even visceral roar from McCain supporters....
"Kill Him"
Most ominous are the Palin supporters at rally in Florida, one of whom screamed out "Kill Him" in response to Sarah Palin raging about Obama's relationship with Bill Ayers.
From Josh Marshall:
And later we have Sarah Palin with the same mob racket, getting members of the crowd to yell out "kill him", though it's not clear whether the call for murder was for Bill Ayers or Barack Obama. It didn't seem to matter.
These are dangerous and sick people, McCain and Palin. Whatever it takes. Stop at nothing.
Conclusion
I won't dispute that McCain and Palin are acting like "sick people" as Josh puts it, but I am more worried about the actions of their followers.
As the election date gets closer, as the hardcore partisan right-wingers get more desperate, I am wondering to what levels they will allow their boiling rage to take them...?
.
.
.
I am not a superstitious person, nor am I particularly religious, but today I am praying that our Secret Servicemen and Women keep Barack Obama and his family safe from harm. I also pray that McCain and Palin stop inciting their followers with disgusting and hateful rhetoric, but I suspect that their better angels have long abandoned them.
Update for Atheists
Join me in hoping that the training and instincts of the Secret Servicemen and women do a great job in protecting Barack and his family.
Update for HARDCORE Atheists
Join me in acknowledging that even though you think praying is a stupid waste of time, you (like the time wasters in the dKos community who pray) would very much like for the secret service to protect Barack Obama and his family from harm that could arise from the GOP rhetoric.