At first blush, this Politico article seems like sweet justice. It is all about the McCain campaign being forced to cancel all townhalls because they riled up the haters a bit too much.
Then we get to the bottom of the barrel. First, the writers ignore the fact that the "high school students in varsity letter jackets huddled together to stay warm" were bussed in by force. Then, the coldest "joke" of the campaign.
Even though no one had the chance to ask a single question, Graham attempted to warm up the freezing crowd with some jokes.
"Anyone see the infomercial last night?" he said, referring to Obama’s half-hour commercial. "Thank God for cable. If we had played that at a prison camp, it would have violated the Geneva Convention."
Lindsay Graham, you have crossed the line.
Torture? With one of the blackest marks in our American history being played out as we speak in Gitmo? Do these people have no sense of common decency?
I will leave it to you for more reaction. It makes me too mad this early in the morning.
Back to McCain's loss of his "greatest strength". They had to shut down the townhalls and cut all microphones on the crowds. That, at least, is a small measure of progress.
The town hall format was supposed be the Republican nominee’s favorite campaign forum, highlighting his shoot-from-the-hip style, his broad knowledge on a slew of issues and his irreverent wit. He loved it so much that he challenged Obama to a string of town hall debates.
But with their potential for amplifying unscripted outbursts and attention-diverting disasters, the microphones at high school gymnasiums and basketball arenas across the swing states have gone silent during the final stretch of the presidential campaign. McCain, a man who has prided himself on discussions with the common man, has not entertained a single question from audience members since Oct. 10, when he faced a belligerent crowd in Lakeville, Minn., that at times turned against him.
The common man. I wonder what it says about us, as Americans. I wonder what it says about John McCain, the candidate. He touched a nerve so deeply rooted in hate that he had to cut the operation short and sew it up. It will fester, but it may not be life-threatening. Seeing the crazy lady on Saturday Night Live was a healing moment for me. This article continues to salve.
"I can’t trust Obama," one woman said, rising to her feet and staring into McCain’s eyes. "I have read about him ... and he’s an Arab."
McCain quickly denied it. Obama was "a decent family man," McCain said, and a "citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign is all about."
After another man told McCain he was scared of an Obama presidency, McCain replied: "I have to tell you, Sen. Obama is a decent person and a person you don’t have to be scared of as president of the United States."
"Come on, John!" a man in the crowd yelled out as others booed.
The next day, Mark Salter, McCain’s senior adviser, promised more town halls to come, saying the candidate "loves town halls ... and he’ll continue to do them. He’s doing a couple next week."
But two town halls scheduled for the following week were scrapped.
Props for the scrapping. I feel good about the sense that most of the unadulterated hate was a massive fail. But then, Lindsay Graham's "joke" opens a new wound. One more time...
Even though no one had the chance to ask a single question, Graham attempted to warm up the freezing crowd with some jokes.
"Anyone see the infomercial last night?" he said, referring to Obama’s half-hour commercial. "Thank God for cable. If we had played that at a prison camp, it would have violated the Geneva Convention."
There should be a law against being such a loser. Someone needs to protect that man from himself.