Wingnuts Out In Force

I have been viewing some video of recent McCain rallies.  In one a woman said she had been   reading a lot and told McCain that she could not trust Obama because he was an Arab.  The press interviewed many of McCain's supporters at that rally who believed the same about Obama,  saying he was not even an American and was a Muslim.  In fact, they could not find anyone at the rally who did not share those beliefs.  All of those McCain True Believers consider themselves to be informed and would think someone who begged to differ as a  liberal elitist, which is what they would say when they know they are going to be quoted in the press and are on their best behavior-but really wanting to say-  when in the company of True Believers- something like "communist, scum bag, traitor, terrorist, fag, pinko, pervert, loser"  or what passes as intelligent and informed conversation in that crowd. 

  At  McCain and/or Palin rallies this week people shouted "off with his head", "terrorist" , "traitor" and "kill him" when McCain mentioned Obama's name. McCain booed after trying to calm anti-Obama crowd  ABC News:   McCain sees no connection with his ads trying to link Obama to Bill Ayers or Palin constantly mentioning Obama "being pals" with a terrorist as stoking the wingnuts fears, hatred and obvious racism.  There was an article in yesterday's Baltimore Sun from  Frank Schaeffer wrote this about McCain and Palin:  "If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence."   baltimoresun.com

  I have just read a similar story about the wingnuts at the debate between Saxbe Chambliss and his democratic challenger.  The crowd would boo when Chambliss mentioned Obama's name and once there was a shot from a woman in the crowd  "bomb Obama".BostonHerald.com Why isn't the Secret Service arresting these people?  While those of us who know these kind of people, this is not unusual and is sadly to be expected.  The media seems to be surprised by the hostility shown them at rallies, racial epithets being thrown at a black reporter, threats being made publicly against a Presidential candidate at McCain rallies, and all matter of disinformation share by many if not most in attendance.   see also, Washington Post:  CBS washingtonpost.com CBS News

 Politifact classified McCain's ad  trying to link Obama with Ayers as a "Pant's ON Fire" claim.  PolitiFact | Not a radical group, and Ayers didn't run it

PolitiFact | A radical Ayers allegation

 Factcheck. org refers to the ads as "false and misleading" so what else is new from the straight talker. FactCheck.org: "He Lied" About Bill Ayers?

But isn't the purpose of McCain and Palin's ads and campaign rhetoric at their rallies intended to convey the image of Obama as a terrorist, someone foreign and not really an American, possibly some kind of deep cover sleeper agent Muslim from Osama's terror group. 

   
Some may not remember Saxby Chambliss' last campaign for the Senate in 2002.  He always reminded me of a smoother version of Lester Maddox.  I have no stake in Georgia politics but I remember that campaign and seeing a political ad by Chambliss who was running against Max Cleland, a Vietnam veteran who had lost both legs and an arm in combat.  Chambliss avoided the Vietnam conflict.   Chambliss dodged military service claiming that he had a bad knee. Columns: Georgia Republicans pander to those who prefer the ignoble past As a Senator, Cleland had a strong voting record on national defense issues and was considered by many to be a moderate.  The commercial that I remember from Chambliss channeling the spirit of Lester Maddox opened with picture of  Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and then there was a voice over asking does Cleland have the courage to lead.  They stoke these false assumptions and then feign surprise that their supporters actually buy into their claims.  Chambliss is a disgrace and an embarrassment to the conservative ideals of this country.   

No one should be surprised about the legislative report by a bipartisan panel from Alaska that found Palin abused her power in firing the Safety Commissioner for refusing to fire her former brother-in-law.    CNN.com   It was obviously a personal vindictive, vendetta for her.  The New Yorker had run a good in depth article about her and quoted a tape of a phone conversation with Frank Bailey, one of top advisors, who was clearly talking on her behalf and using her influence to get the trooper fired by any means rather than using the process for reprimand and dismissal of someone in his position.

Letter from Alaska: The State of Sarah Palin: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker

I have never been fooled by the false image being created about her as a reformer and a maverick, to me that is just nonsense  but it is not hard to see why so many are willing to assume its truth.  As soon as the fact checkers got to work testing her claims about the bridge to nowhere, her environmental claims and her positions on earmarks as Mayor of Wasilla and as Governor, just as starters in the first week or so, then it became obvious to me who she was and everything that I have seen since then has merely confirmed it.    Here are some additional links that I have not yet cited in these blogs: Palin comparison | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist  FrontiersmanABC News:ABC News:  CNN.comPolitico.comFact Check:  CNN.comThe CNN Wire: - USATODAY.comPolitiFact ABC News: