As they campaign, so shall they govern

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As they campaign, so shall they govern

Submitted by Rick on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 3:34am.

From TPM:

Who They Are, What They're About
So we have McCain today getting his crowd riled up asking who Barack Obama is and then apparently giving a wink and a nod when one member of the crowd screams out "terrorist."
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.

See for yourself:

The look on McCain's face reveals that he in fact heard the man shout "terrorist," and yet he says nothing. As Josh Marshall appropriately says, it's the "Scare-Talk Express."

Rick's blog
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I think McCain...

Submitted by The Fire Inside on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 9:19am.

Is pretty floored, too. I was actually laughing when I saw his reaction, because it's like being at the company picnic and the boss steps up to the podium and says a blatantly sexist remark. Just a sort of, Wow, did that happen?-type response.

It's getting worse

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 9:59am.

Reports about Palin's recent campaign events are disturbing: A shout of "Kill him" was heard at an event yesterday as Palin spoke about Obamba's "terrorist ties."

Where Are The

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 10:51am.

news sources with the videos where the words kill him are shouted. The reports are all blogs and as we all know, anybody smart enough to start a blog is smart enough to say whatever they want and that qualifies them as experts.

There is nothing on the AP or CNN or any other newswire about any of this. So apparently the only people disturbed by this are bloggers and Obama supporters and they're perpetuating the fears.

It's because we live in America that affords us the freedom of speech to be able to say treason during a speech about opponents. There's nothing threatening physically about the word treason.

I'd also add that I've watched the video above numerous times and can not for the life of me hear anybody say terrorist. Maybe I need a hearing aid.

There's no video

Submitted by FRESH on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 10:58am.

But here is the Washington Post article that broke this. The article makes it seem like the "kill him" remark was directed at Ayers, not Obama. Either way, it's not OK to suggest killing someone, and Palin probably should have said something.

Maybe She Didn't Hear It

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:03am.

or she didn't say anything because she didn't think she heard it correctly.

Bottom line is, like it or not, there are just some people who aren't ready for a black man to be President. Obama is well aware of that fact and neither he nor the McCain camp have any control over what people yell at speeches nor are they responsible for stopping their speech to scold an idiot.

Well,

Submitted by FRESH on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:09am.

OK. I guess that's one way to look at it. I'm not sure what his race has to do with this particular conversation, but I think essentially what you say is true. All the more important for the McCain campaign to not fuel ignorant hatred. Stick the issues for christ's sake. We're in for another month of this character bullshit and I'm already tired of hearing it.

Obama, on the other hand, has corrected his audiences in the past. He did it in the primary when they would yell things about Clinton, and he's done it in the general also.

I Refer To Race

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:15am.

because what other reason would there be to yell kill him if that's true?

We're in agreement though about character assasination vs. issues. though. I'm tired of hearing why each other shouldn't be President and want to know more about why they should.

As for Obama correcting audiences in the past, I've never seen any evidence either way of him doing that but bottom line, freedom of speech give the people a right to say what they want and a speaker isn't obligated to censor them.

You're absolutely right.

Submitted by FRESH on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:22am.

Obama, Biden, McCain, Palin, Gregoire, Doug Mah, Jeff Kingsbury, no matter what level, a politician is not responsible for what people in their audiences yell. I do think they can and need to raise the decorum to a level where shouting things like that is unacceptable. They are responsible for the atmosphere.

Also, I believe the "kill him" was directed at Ayers, not Obama, I think some bloggers are taking it out of context a bit. Can you blame them? It sells ads.

race vs connection to terrorists

Submitted by chad360 on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 1:14pm.

I'd suggest that maybe the remark was in context with terrorism vs race...

...I think LOTS of Americans and others ALL OVER THE GLOBE are ready for "black" leaders to lead, as well as female leaders...

chad360

Oh, but they do control people

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:19am.

Nothing like this happened at rallies until McCain and especially Palin started riffing on the terrorist and anti-American themes. I don't remember earlier Town Halls where an audience member shouted "Sit down, boy" to a black soundman. The outward displays of ugliness coincide with the the change in campaign tactics. They don't get a free ride dear leader.

Unfortunately

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:28am.

the terrorist and anti-American themes are campaign hot topics given the war situation. I'm not surprised they're being used to promote and demote candidates campaigns.

I think the term ugliness is a matter of interpretation too. What you find ugly, some may not or may find humorous. Somebody may look at that clip, hear the word and laugh because they think the person yelling it is a clown, no offense Jusby! Some people are just way more sensitive and emotional than others, you can't tell a person how to feel.

So, the differing campaign styles

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:47am.

reveal nothing to you?

Honestly

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:57am.

I haven't watched any of the campaigning. I really haven't paid much attention to any of it in print, video or otherwise!

Generally, about this time in the campaign process, is when the claws come out and I'm really not interested in listening to camps malign each other. The past is the past, learn from it and don't repeat the mistakes.

By now, I've done enough of my own research to know who I'm voting for and watching any of the nastiness is just not going to change my mind one way or another.

I will add, from what little I have seen, heard or read, somebody should remind Obama he is isn't running against Sarah Palin so maybe he should stop making her the focus of his nastiness...

Nastiness?

Submitted by Guglielmo on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:13pm.

You know, some people just think it's "funny."

Hee

Submitted by The Original Yoda on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:15pm.

hee

I Never Said I Did

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:22pm.

though!

oh, and...

Submitted by FRESH on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:00am.

... at the 13 second mark of the video you can hear a man in the audience shout, "terrorist".

You're Right

Submitted by JMK on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:08am.

and thank you but I have to say, I was listening for the word and never heard it. It's one thing to sit & listen to the audience yelling and try and make out what they're saying and another to listen to the candidate who you can clearly hear.

If I didn't know I was listening for the word terrorist in that clip, I would have never noticed it. Thanks to all the Obama for President bloggers for having too much time on their hands and spending too much time breaking down the syllables of the words the crowd yells at speeches.

I'm not a follower, I'm a leader. Just because someone in the crowd yells something doesn't make it true or believable or change minds. It's pointing it out that causes paranoia & rumors.

I completely agree...

Submitted by FRESH on Tue, 10/07/2008 - 11:11am.

...with everything you just said.

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