Does This Disturb Sane Conservatives?
October 10, 2008
Throughout my life I've known a lot of conservatives. You know, the kind of folks who believe in smaller government, lower taxes, fewer expenditures, a hands off approach by government in the lives of everyday people... I don't always agree with these people, but I understand where they are coming from and I usually am willing to have a discussion about various issues. For the most part, they support and vote for Republicans.
I recently saw this video that was shot outside a John McCain rally in Pennsylvania and wondered, "would a sane conservative feel comfortable around this mob?" Someone might be completely opposed to Obama's proposed policies, but would he or she be embarrassed to stand next to people blasting Obama as a Muslim and a terrorist and a commie?
I attended some political events in 2004 when Ohio was ground zero for political campaigning. Granted, there are always going to be some crazies at any political rally, but I never saw the level of hatred and unsubstantiated ad hominem attacks that have been occurring at McCain rallies over the past few days, attacks that YouTube has put on display for the world to see. Regardless of what I think about a particular candidate or the opponent - I would be embarrassed to be associated with a mob behaving the way the one above is.
Update: During a McCain rally today, the Senator asks his supporters to show some respect for Obama and goes on to call Barack a "decent person". The crowd's response?
Update 2: Michael Schaffer compares his experience at an Obama rally in inner-city Philadelphia to footage of rallies like the ones above.
I recently saw this video that was shot outside a John McCain rally in Pennsylvania and wondered, "would a sane conservative feel comfortable around this mob?" Someone might be completely opposed to Obama's proposed policies, but would he or she be embarrassed to stand next to people blasting Obama as a Muslim and a terrorist and a commie?
I attended some political events in 2004 when Ohio was ground zero for political campaigning. Granted, there are always going to be some crazies at any political rally, but I never saw the level of hatred and unsubstantiated ad hominem attacks that have been occurring at McCain rallies over the past few days, attacks that YouTube has put on display for the world to see. Regardless of what I think about a particular candidate or the opponent - I would be embarrassed to be associated with a mob behaving the way the one above is.
Update: During a McCain rally today, the Senator asks his supporters to show some respect for Obama and goes on to call Barack a "decent person". The crowd's response?
Update 2: Michael Schaffer compares his experience at an Obama rally in inner-city Philadelphia to footage of rallies like the ones above.
Obama is due just after 1 p.m. The mood in the long lines to get into the five blocks in front of the stage is the precise opposite of the surly scenes outside GOP rallies that have made the rounds on YouTube over the past week. It's hard to get anyone to say a nasty word about anything. References to John McCain are conspicuously absent from signs and buttons and sidewalk conversation. "Look how beautiful this is," says Elsa Waldman, 26, a midwife, whose poodle is clad in an Obama shirt. "There's babies, old people, people in wheelchairs. Historically, us young people don't get and vote. It's so exciting." This is what it feels like when your candidate is running downhill: You get to babble about excitement, and not about conspiracies involving opposing candidates' religious backgrounds or voter-registration tactics.
CNN has noticed some of this as well: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/10/mccain.crowd/index.html
Check out the video at the very end when John is trying to switch the topic from Obama to the economy. There's a lady in the background in a black shirt with US flags on it who gives the most disgusted look on her face. It's priceless!
Nate, thanks for the link - that was a classic moment. I wish CNN's video player actually played videos smoothly though.
Fortunately, it is disturbing sane conservatives. George Will, for instance. Even McCain is having to defend Obama now.
This election gets more surreal by the day.
Aoi, in the days since I originally posted this piece, more and more conservatives have stepped up their criticism of McCain. I appreciate the fact that there are people like George Will who are able to see through what the GOP has become. I understand conservative principals. I know why true conservatives believe the things they do. I don't agree with it, but I respect it. Fear mongering, trickery, disenfranchisement, etc. are things I neither agree with nor respect. And yet the GOP seems to be increasing their use of those tactics and principles.