Shananigans!

Just when I thought I couldn't be appalled enough by the Republican Party, holy crap, they proved me wrong. It makes me utterly sick to my stomach that just to gain a few votes, republicans, as my political science teacher said, “will get this deep down in the gutter." The recent verbal attacks on Obama are not only ridiculous, but down right low and dirty. And I'm sorry, but I think that if you are going to try to win an election with bashing, outright lies, and projecting an unsafe, mob behavior, you have no business running our country. As said by Frank Rich in an article in the New York Times,

"IF you think way back to the start of this marathon campaign, back when it seemed preposterous that any black man could be a serious presidential contender, then you remember the biggest fear about Barack Obama: a crazy person might take a shot at him."

Friends and I have had long conversations about this very topic, and JUST when my fear has started to subside, you have people at republican conventions yelling, "Terrorist," and "Kill him!" and using racial slurs. THIS IS DANGEROUS. If you haven't already realized, people will listen to anything and take things to the extreme! These attacks aren't made to change educated people's minds, because if you’re educated, you know they're false. But stupid, ignorant people will tell McCain that they read he's a Muslim, and truly believe it. And the saddest thing about it is it’s not just a right-radical group fueling these fires, it’s the god damn Vice Presidential Candidate! I think she finally realized what a complete idiot she is, and is now just using her evil powers to destroy Barrack's character. Palin would make an amazing comic book villain. Her glasses can burn through the souls of democrats, liberals, and puppies:)Back on topic though, Palin has hit a new low, and because she can't win votes with intelligence and insight, being as she doesn't have any, she's going to try to take away Obama votes by ensuing violence and aggression towards him.

" What makes them different, and what has pumped up the Weimar-like rage at McCain-Palin rallies, is the violent escalation in rhetoric, especially (though not exclusively) by Palin. Obama “launched his political career in the living room of a domestic terrorist.” He is “palling around with terrorists” (note the plural noun). Obama is “not a man who sees America the way you and I see America.” Wielding a wildly out-of-context Obama quote, Palin slurs him as an enemy of American troops.

By the time McCain asks the crowd “Who is the real Barack Obama?” it’s no surprise that someone cries out “Terrorist!” The rhetorical conflation of Obama with terrorism is complete. It is stoked further by the repeated invocation of Obama’s middle name by surrogates introducing McCain and Palin at these rallies. This sleight of hand at once synchronizes with the poisonous Obama-is-a-Muslim e-mail blasts and shifts the brand of terrorism from Ayers’s Vietnam-era variety to the radical Islamic threats of today."

What's sad is that it took John McCain a whole week to quiet down these attacks, probably because he can't get his hands dirty. And I am SO glad that these attacks on Barrack are not going unnoticed, because he is dropping steadily in the polls. I guess we'll see where this goes and I wonder if it will be discussed in the debate tonight.

"Obama can hardly be held accountable for Ayers’s behavior 40 years ago, but at least McCain and Palin can try to take some responsibility for the behavior of their own supporters in 2008. What’s troubling here is not only the candidates’ loose inflammatory talk but also their refusal to step in promptly and strongly when someone responds to it with bloodthirsty threats in a crowded arena."

"…But we’re not at Election Day yet, and if voters are to have their final say, both America and Obama have to get there safely. The McCain campaign has crossed the line between tough negative campaigning and inciting vigilantism, and each day the mob howls louder. The onus is on the man who says he puts his country first to call off the dogs, pit bulls and otherwise."