I honestly had no idea that it was this bad

Okay so here's my *almost* final word on this thread, something else that the rest of you know to be true.

There are different types of people voting for McCain, but mainly I'll highlight the ones we see in this thread:

There are those in the videos that the OP and others brought up. I'm not even sure you would go so far as to call those people 'Republicans' because I believe the only reason they are voting for McCain is because they are racist and voting against Barack Obama. I doubt seriously that many of them even know where Obama stands on the issues, or even where McCain stands on the issues. Fear and hate drive these people.

Then there are people like myself. I am a conservative who falls into the Republican category. I'm voting against Obama because I do know where Obama stands on the issues and I disagree with him on many of them, just as Sen. McCain does. I'm not thrilled with the choice of McCain as the Republican nominee, but he's the best we've got. I don't happen to believe Obama's skin color has anything to do with how well he will do as POTUS if elected. I do question Obama's background and some of his ties to other people and organizations.

You guys that loop these racist folks in with McCain and those of us who actually do care about the issues are JUST as ignorant as the people in these videos. Do you realize that? Do you realize you're making the same baseless associations that these people are making when they say Obama is an "Arab" or a "Terrorist"?

Also a question for the rest of you - if Colin Powell were running for POTUS on the Republican side, do you think the Democratic rallies would be free of racism or contain far less of it? If you said yes, then you're seriously deluding yourself. Racism isn't a Republican thing and it's just as rampant on the other side of partisanship.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by sos37]

Originally posted by ImaNutter
Here we are, in 21st century and people are as hateful as ever. I don't care if you're a Republicrat or Liberalcan or Indendentacratan or White or Black or Hispanic or Arab or Asian, you're a damn human being. Open your eyes and say no to ignorance. I can't believe the nerve of people who proclaim America to be the greatest nation on Earth. As far as military prowess goes, yeah, but as far as everything else goes were as backwards as anyone else...

What a statement. What a guy!

Speaking as an outsider (I'm in the UK) - I must say I've found this whole issue surprising, not to say alarming. Not because it's a huge surprise that there are idiots out there, as there are in every country. Just because it's been raised as such an issue. I don't remember it ever being part of republican politics in the past, so I assume it isn't now. This is just racist people not wanting to vote for Obama, isn't it? Is that a huge surprise?

The England football team (soccer in your language) has just vetoed playing a game in Madrid because it's experienced racist chanting there before. Doesn't make Spain a racist country, or racism any more prominent there than it is anywhere else. It's just that football matches are where racist idiots tend to hang out in Spain. It's because you get a group of people coming together at an event under the aegis of what is nominally a unified cause.

Well, my argument would be, if you will turn your politics into a bizarre sort of sporting event, with all the cheering supporters and razzmatazz of a sporting event - then you're going to attract the same sort of people as we get at football matches in Spain....

LW

reply to post by Karlhungis


I usually stay away from political discussions here on ATS out of respect for my opposing side. It's a "free" country after all.

However, just based on the coverage from McCain/Palin rallies my hunch is slowly confirmed:

The group of people that remain as hard core McCain/Palin supporters are, compared to any random cross-section of the American population, more violent, angry, vocal and unintelligent. And probably have more guns than the rest of the population. I'm sure there are exceptions and that rallies bring out the worst out from people. The IQ of a mob is usually lower than the IQ of the most unintelligent member of the mob.

Sadly, I am almost convinced that election day will be a violent day for some towns in this country with extremists attacking black voters, and I hope that police departments nationwide are prepared in anticipation for those risks.

-rrr

Originally posted by dragonseeker

Originally posted by shockedonlooker
I didn't think it was that bad either and it's shameful. I guess I thought we'd evolved from the Archie Bunker mentality. Apparently not.

What surprises me, is that anyone is surprised. I'm black, I'm american..this is what white america really thinks of black folk, by and large. I know it's not all, or even the majority that would act the way these people do in this video..but, racism goes a lot further and deeper than anyone not subject to it will admit to. It's not that it's not known, it's just denied...

I will agree we HUMANS have a long way to go to get past our hate for others based on race (which includes everything from looks to culture/language). But to blatantly say that "this is what white America thinks of black folk" is exactly the type of generalized sweeping "assumptional" thinking that keeps HUMANS from maturing to a level of universally applied racial acceptance.

Do you really think you personally know what my internal feelings for black America are? Do you have any real reason to believe that most white people hate black people? Is it because of something that happened to you or someone(s) you know? Is it because the media has convinced you? Or do you just feel hated because you are black and this is America so therefore you must be hated?

I can only speak for myself, and I will not speak for others by assuming that all blacks hate me because I am white. I could say "This is what black people think of white America", and then refer to your comment. I could easily let anger enter my heart over comments like that and take it out on the next non-white person I see, but that would be stupid. Racism is stupid.
As long as individual races assume the others hate them because of their race, trust will never be established and racism will forever fester.

I honestly believe more people are angry at other races because they feel hated by those other races, not because they are different. To put it another way, although there are obviously ignorant fools that hate over differences, I would venture that that motivator is in the minority of motivations for racism.

I long for the day when we can all be like Carlos Mencia and make racial jokes and everyone can laugh because they know there is no hate behind the words. But hate is a disease, and I fear there is no way to get the cure of education to everyone.

This is the kind of stuff that the world view's and gives us the lovely name of Ugly American. What I find incredible is the mob mentality and how the hate feeds and grows. As it grows it becomes "truth" to those who follow and spreads like a wild fire... it is truly ugly.

I was watching the Maddow show on Friday and there was a reporter that was traveling with the McCain campaign and she had some interesting vantage point on how this grew to what you saw in Minnesota when McCain finally stood up for Obama. We saw a glimmer of who McCain used to be before he has been tainted by this campaign. But we have to remember that for days the fuel was added to the fire and McCain was an actor in that along side Palin who I believe is a key tool in the box of hate and tricks his campaign has been wielding. This kind of campaigning is not coming from the Obama campaign.

(Just a side note I felt a similar disdain for Hilary in her campaign and I feel we didn't see her back until she gave the speech at the DNC.)

"White Commies!"

lol

Mod Note: One Line Post – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by GAOTU789]

Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask
I love how you all are so desperate that you are going out and finding the most idiotic videos of the most backwards Republicans on the planet and posting it as if it were ALL republicans

I have yet to see a single video from a Democratic event where people we acting like idiots in remotely similar proportions. To even be a part of Republican crowd like the one in Ohio would be an embarassement for me.

"-Do you think Obama is a terrorist?"
"-Yes!"
"-Why?"
"-Look at his name!"

And that's the kind of people Republicans are trying to engage... Root vegetables..

Originally posted by Karlhungis
reply to post by DarkStormCrow

 

Maybe I have blinders on here, but I think that comparing "booing and jeering" with some middle fingers tossed in to shouts of "kill him", Terrorist, muslim, monkey...etc that was at the original video is a bit of a stretch.

I realize that people will see things the way that they want to see them, so again.. I could be wrong here, but I would think that an unbiased observer would say that the two videos are comparing apples and oranges.

The video you linked even says that they went to "liberal mecca" to march with McCain Palin posters. If you ask me, they were looking to cause confrontation. So their response doesn't seem all that unexpected. The racism and bigotry in the original video is not something that I would have expected and really is disgusting behavior that could easily lead to someone being seriously hurt or killed. I don't think that there is anything very dangerous about the video you linked.

Note: I do not have audio right now, so I can't speak for anything that may have been said in the video.

Yes, the "Palin is a *snip*" shirt is classless. No arguing that.

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 10/13/2008 by maria_stardust]

Seriously, Karl, the only reason you're not seeing it come from the Democrats side is because the Republicans aren't running a black man or woman for office.

You don't remember all the hateful crap that came out of the Democratic machine the day that Sarah Palin was announced by the McCain campaign and how many women were enraged by it?

That's another reason why you're not seeing it so bad - a woman is running for vice president on the Republican side, but you can't attack her for being a woman or a mother without offending half or more of your own party.

The mere fact that some Democrats would stoop to this level (www.hillaryclintonforum.net...) to where even a woman would wear it tells me that when the Republicans one day do nominate a black person for POTUS, the Democrat rallies will produce the same kind of crap.

*snip*

This is one of the least intelligent things I have ever read. 'The U.S.A. will be the best country in the world with equality and justice for everyone'- once the genocide is over.


Mod Edit: Removal of previously removed quote.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by GAOTU789]

reply to post by Mister E


what do you think they are doing when they are smearing palin and mccain? If you seriously believe that Obamas camp doesnt run a dirty campaign then i have to say you are very sadly misinformed......however i did notice there wasnt any replies to the rest of my post......you know why? Because no one wants to face the fact that their candidate might be a closest racist himself.....just like you accuse republicans of being......no? hmmm perhaps you should take a look at his wife too and some comments shes made.....people in glass houses should not throw stones.......

Had to edit, i forgot to add......Lets not scream at republicans so much for racism, hes its wrong, but there are racists on both sides......and if i remember correctly its the Obama camp that has made this such a non issue, issue....hes the one saying he woulnt make it an issue, and from the BEGINNING of his campaign, he has done the exact opposite.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by ManBehindTheMask]

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask
I love how you all are so desperate that you are going out and finding the most idiotic videos of the most backwards Republicans on the planet and posting it as if it were ALL republicans

I have yet to see a single video from a Democratic event where people we acting like idiots in remotely similar proportions. To even be a part of Republican crowd like the one in Ohio would be an embarassement for me.

"-Do you think Obama is a terrorist?"
"-Yes!"
"-Why?"
"-Look at his name!"

And that's the kind of people Republicans are trying to engage... Root vegetables..

1. When's the last time an African American Republican ran for POTUS? That's why you never saw it.

2. "And that's the kind of people Republicans are trying to engage... Root vegetables.." - Nice ignorant mindset you've got going there. For your information, that's not the type of people we're trying to engage. We're just as embarassed by those idiots as I'm sure John McCain and Sarah Palin were/are. It's horrifying to watch those people act that way and to watch it rub off on their kids.

But what makes you so much better? You're doing the same thing on this board that they were in the videos - making baseless assumptions and spouting your narrow minded crap in hopes someone would side with you.

Hate on the campaign trail.

This was the segment on the Maddow show that I was referring to. The reporter is toward the end of the vid.

Im not American, but the same show in every country in the world. There is always people who takes these kind of thing by the wrong way. America is a great country.
Thanks

OK...My objectivity meter is buzzing a little and I have to point some things out.

- The video was obviously edited to show the worst of the worst from whatever was gathered at this "Rally"

- The video doesn't show us what these folks are responding to. What was on the other side of the street that provoked them?

- The video was created by a group with an agenda.

Those tidbits out of the way the video shows some McCain supporters...or more likely Obama opposers saying some really DISGUSTING things.

What always freaks me out the most in these situations is how comfortable some people are shouting hateful and racist remarks IN FRONT OF THEIR CHILDREN. It makes me want to b*&ch slap those people!

Children are born full of love and look to their parents to learn how to navigate the world and how to treat people.

These foul people are perfectly comfortable screaming hateful and racist things in front of their own children and seem proud of it. What do those children learn wathcing the one they love and respect most in this world screaming those things?

If this is those peoples' "public face" imagine what they say in front of those kids at home! They are really setting up those children for misery in life teaching them that it is good to hate and be angry.

Politics aside...it's gross and it's sad.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by maybereal11]

Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask
reply to post by Mister E

 

what do you think they are doing when they are smearing palin and mccain? If you seriously believe that Obamas camp doesnt run a dirty campaign then i have to say you are very sadly misinformed......however i did notice there wasnt any replies to the rest of my post......you know why? Because no one wants to face the fact that their candidate might be a closest racist himself.....just like you accuse republicans of being......no? hmmm perhaps you should take a look at his wife too and some comments shes made.....people in glass houses should not throw stones.......

Had to edit, i forgot to add......Lets not scream at republicans so much for racism, hes its wrong, but there are racists on both sides......and if i remember correctly its the Obama camp that has made this such a non issue, issue....hes the one saying he woulnt make it an issue, and from the BEGINNING of his campaign, he has done the exact opposite.

[edit on 13-10-2008 by ManBehindTheMask]

What is this about!? I've not commented on any post by you.

Originally posted by sos37
2. "And that's the kind of people Republicans are trying to engage... Root vegetables.." - Nice ignorant mindset you've got going there. For your information, that's not the type of people we're trying to engage.

How come they flock to your rallies like flies? How come McCain did not stop the member of the public who shouted extremely hateful slogans directed at Obama?

We're just as embarassed by those idiots as I'm sure John McCain and Sarah Palin were/are. It's horrifying to watch those people act that way and to watch it rub off on their kids.

Thanks. That's encouraging.

But what makes you so much better? You're doing the same thing on this board that they were in the videos - making baseless assumptions and spouting your narrow minded crap in hopes someone would side with you.

I'm sorry, but expressing my exteme dissapointment with people who profess narrow-minded hate and in fact racism towards Obama (his name etc) has nothing to do with "baseless assumptions". If you want to see the base of my feelings, go and watch the video again.


[edit on 13-10-2008 by buddhasystem]

reply to post by Mister E


lol my apologies mister E i hit the wrong reply to button. I havent been on this website for very long so im still trying to get this whole thing down! Sorry my friend!

reply to post by Karlhungis

Can you post any videos of this type of hatred at a democratic rally? I haven't seen anything like this from the dems.

As an independent observer from outside the US I have to say I was shocked to discover that passions are running so high. I came across suggestions that trouble was being deliberately stirred from the top within the Democrat camp, and found it highly disturbing. The discussion that ensued likewise started from video evidence, albeit of a more subtle type:
Former McCain Strategist Warns Against "Angry Mob"

If (non-orchestrated) evidence of such stirrings from the other camp were to come to light, I would immediately join you in condemning that with the same indignation.

Actually, reading more of this thread I've just come across this comment from FlyersFan:

There is plenty of hate in the Obama crowd as well. This isn't a 'GOP' problem. It's an American problem.

If that is the case, I hope decent Americans (the majority) make their voices heard that stirring up hatred and deep division is not what their society is about, and doesn't reflect the future they want for their kids.

If not, there will certainly be people who know how to manipulate the anger to their own ends...