Not huge on Yankee politics but that seemed pretty harsh when I heard about it this morning. IMO that's one step too far these guys are supposed to be professionals, don't they realize the world is watching?

Originally posted by RRconservative

Originally posted by justyc
politicians should just be banned from mentioning the opponent or opposition before elections. they should just stick to talking about what THEY are going to do if they get in (and be held accountable for it if they do get in).

WOW!

It's amazing how quick people are ready to throw out the 1st Amendment when it effects their favorite candidate.

It's amazing how many things you can't say about Obama.

1. Can't mention his former pastor and mentor, Reverand Wright.
2. Can't mention his middle name is Hussein.
3. Can't mention his questionable Muslim roots.
4. Can't mention he is one of the most liberal Senators.
5. Can't mention that he voted for infanticide.
6. Can't mention that he is closely associated with terrorist Bill Ayers.
7. Can't mention how he worked out a deal with slum-lord Bill Rezko to obtain his mansion.
8. Can't mention he has big ears....just ask Maureen Dowd.
9. Can't mention the possibility that he is not a natural born citizen, and is not eligible to run for President.
10. Can't mention his lack of experience.
11. Can't mention that he tried to legislate defeat in Iraq.

This is just right off the top of my head....I could go on and on.

There are so many things about Obama that are "off-limits", then you have the spector of racism if you disagree with him.

If Obama refuses to address these mysterious issues about him, how can you blame the public from forming opinions that may or may not be correct?

You can bring any of it up... just keep in mind that most of it would just make you sound stupid to anyone who is not a hard-core GOPer, and that your guy has plenty in his past too. As I said in another thread, if you want the politics of personal distruction? We can do "scorched earth" that turns Johnnie into a crispy critter.

Originally posted by justyc
politicians should just be banned from mentioning the opponent or opposition before elections. they should just stick to talking about what THEY are going to do if they get in (and be held accountable for it if they do get in).

I somewhat agree with you. Maybe not for the banning part but they do need to concentrate more on the country rather than "attacking" each other.

Just the fact that we are reading a Huffington Post article here brings forward serious issues. This "News Source" is as biased as they come, and actually makes MSNBC look like a bipartisan affair.

As for the alleged shouting from the crowd, can you blame Americans for feeling such emotions? We are talking about a Candidate who has friends and acquaintances that retain and actually brag about their having committed acts of terror, and you seriously expect American Citizens to not be outraged by this? This is potentially OUR Next Leader, and he has close ties to Individuals who not only preach hatred against America, but some of them have in fact literally launched attacks against this Country as well. I would say emotions in regards to such should be expected to remain heated, especially given the recollection we all have of September 11th, and what a Terrorist attack actually looks like. Friends with Terrorists = Terrorist. That is the connection that many Americans are making, and in many regards, rightfully so.

The McCain campaign has produced many character assassination ads, many of them seeking to portray Obama as a traitor of sorts. Clearly, these ads are fanning the flames of extremists. It is dangerous and it is irresponsible. I think the McCain campaign would be partly at fault if anything terrible were to occur to Obama.

The Daily Show tonight pointed this out well. The McCain campaign and media is doing massive hit pieces on Obama. Mostly false and people cant see past that.

Hello all, been a while since I posted. I thought this was important enough to address. Every election we see personal attacks, half-truths, outright lies, etc...whatever these politicians think they need to do to win for their own selfish partisan reasons. What I've seen this week, though goes above and beyond what we've ever seen before. When you watch Palin in her "rallies", one thing comes to my mind. A lynching. I'm not saying this because Obama is black, if it was Clinton up there we'd be seeing exactly the same thing. What the McCain/Palin ticket is doing is whipping up the base, getting them so excited that they are not using rational thought.

An irrational group is always going to have a couple crazies in it. What are these crazies going to do as they identify their opponents as terrorists? It frightens me to think about it. Back in the 2004 election, I had a Kerry/Edwards sticker on my car (I live in the conservative mecca of Brevard county Florida). I was called a terrorist sympathiser, my car was keyed, my tires were slashed, and I was told by one woman with a frightening gleam in her eye,"If it was up to me, you'd be in a prison camp." People have been brainwashed by fear. Fear of what's different from them, fear of the unknown, fear of their neighbors, fear of their things being taken away from them, etc....

A group whipped into a frenzy, being led by fear can accomplish anything: fixing elections, killing their "enemies", damaging others' property, etc.... The more I see of the McCain/Palin ticket, the more frightened I become for the future of our great nation. My Stepdad keeps telling me that he thinks we are on the,"verge of civil war." People just need to use their critical thinking skills, and listen to what the candidates are saying. I just hope no one is killed because of this bull%^&*. Good luck to us all.

I just hope that blacks will be energized to go out and vote for Obama (at least those that share his views). I have never in m life seen so much racism, when polls show that 30% of registered democrats won't even vote for Obama simply because he is black. Wake up black America AND GO OUT AND VOTE! I am white and cheering Obama on from the top of the bleachers. I detest my own race that after all these years, they are still so firmly entrenched in such racism. The whites say he is too black, they blacks say he is too white. WTF people, get over your dam**n selves!

This is what makes me so sick with this constant BS rhetoric "America is the greatest," "Christians are loving and Moslems are hating" blah, blah, blah, and here we sit in the 95% Christian US still firmly entrenched in the same hypocritical racism and hatred after all these years.


[edit on 8-10-2008 by whatsup]

Gentlemen and ladies... I am truly amazed at the depth of feeling this thread has brought to the surface... take a deep breath and repeat after me... its only politics... it's only politics.

Before we go any further let me state a few things that should be obvious...

... first off the fact that the article cited comes from the Huffington Post doesn't matter one iota... if you listen to the McCain speech in question (and the Palin ones as well) you can clearly hear shouting kill him from the crowd.

... second, I don't know what has happened to the person in question but if the SS was doing their job that day they would have retained him for questioning because it is an implied threat against a candidate... and they are supposed to be protecting both of them.

... third, while neither McCain or Palin would be directly responsible should anything happen to Obama... it could be successfully argued that their rhetoric has if anything been fanning the flames as it were.

... fourth it is the height of irresponsiblity for either McCain or Palin to let such comments as kill him go uncommented upon or denounced.

It is a matter of simple decency... if such a thing had been reported from an Obama rally and the candidate had said nothing... the McCain camp and the conservatives would be screaming bloody murder about it.

I repeat... it is the height of irresponsiblity for either McCain or Palin to let such comments as kill him go uncommented upon or denounced.


[edit on 8-10-2008 by grover]

Originally posted by whatsup
I just hope that blacks will be energized to go out and vote for Obama ...and here we sit in the 95% Christian US still firmly entrenched in the same hypocritical racism and hatred after all these years.

Comical hypocricy at it's worst.
(and someone actually starred it!)
Who exactly is the racist here - 95% of Christians or you?
Got any proof that 95% of Christians are 'firmly racist'??
Of course not.

oy

It will be a sad and pathetic commentary about our country if the election comes down to those who vote for Obama because he is black and those who vote against Obama because he is black.

Originally posted by grover
... second, I don't know what has happened to the person in question but if the SS was doing their job that day they would have retained him for questioning because it is an implicit threat against a candidate... and they are supposed to be protecting both of them.

I've heard reports that the SS folks are investigating the situation. Reports are they did not themselves hear the shouts.

My concern here, based on no solid evidence, is that Bush has politicized the Secret Service, ala the Justice Dept, so that they are less stringent regarding non-Republican candidates. Stuff of conspiracy, and as I say, I have no evidence at all to back it up. My hope is the SS is a level above most everybody else (and they have been, historically) and have not allowed such shennanigans.

I totally agree with your other points... at the VERY least, for McCain and Palin both to ignore this stuff is irresponsible at best, and implicit agreement at worst.

Whether you like Obama or not is up to you but regardless, his candidacy and the very fact that he has gotten this far is magnificent and historic. Even if he loses, it will be easier for the next black person to run and thanks to Hillary the same is true for women...
... Palin is a straw dog and does not matter in this.

Mind you while I support Obama now I do so reluctantly... I have serious reservations about him.... but I am not about to vote Republican and I am not going to waste my vote by either sitting it out or going 3rd party. I did that in 80 and I will not vote 3rd party again unless they have an actual chance of winning.



[edit on 8-10-2008 by grover]

Originally posted by grover
and I am not going to waste my vote by either sitting it out or going 3rd party. I did that in 80 and I will not vote 3rd party again unless they have an actual chance of winning.

It's a catch twenty two.

A 3rd party doesn't have a chance of winning because it's a two party system, so people don't vote 3rd party. Since people don't vote 3rd party it remains a two party system

Originally posted by Open_Minded Skeptic
In modern US politics, it is one of the very few absolutely unacceptable behaviors to threaten, or even appear to threaten, a president or presidential candidate.

You are preaching to the choir. I already said that it was vile unacceptable threatening behavior and that it should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

For this kind of behavior to be happening at McCain/Palin rallies,

From what I've seen it isn't at 'rallies'.
It was at one rally.
And I have no idea what the response, if any, was from the campaign.

What has been the Obama response to the calls from some on the left for riots and civil unrest if Obama doesn't win? There's plenty of it. Just look at democraticunderground and some 'black blogs', etc. Any call from Obama's camp for these people to stop instigating or instructing this kind of lawbreaking?

I haven't heard either side say anything.

Originally posted by grover
the very fact that he has gotten this far is magnificent and historic.... same is true for women...

I fully agree with that as well. It's just too bad Obama isn't a better qualified candidate to go along with the 'historical' part.

I am not going to waste my vote by either sitting it out or going 3rd party.

Vote for who ever you wish. I was mearly making conversation and a comment back to your comment about the sad state of affairs in American politics. I am saying that I can't vote for either of them and I'm so sickened by it all that I HAVE to vote Constitution party. My conscience won't let me do anything else.