McCain booed by bloodthirsty Republicans

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 7:59pm

I almost feel sorry for the ol' Codger





Raw anger in McCain's crowds as Obama strengthens

By PHILIP ELLIOTT and BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writers


LAKEVILLE, Minn. - The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down.


McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

A sense of grievance spilling into rage has gripped some GOP events this week as McCain supporters see his presidential campaign lag against Obama. Some in the audience are making it personal, against the Democrat. Shouts of "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head" have rung from the crowd at McCain and Sarah Palin rallies, and gone unchallenged by them.

McCain changed his tone Friday when supporters at a town hall pressed him to be rougher on Obama. A voter said, "The people here in Minnesota want to see a real fight." Another said Obama would lead the U.S. into socialism. Another said he did not want his unborn child raised in a country led by Obama.

"If you want a fight, we will fight," McCain said. "But we will be respectful. I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments." When people booed, he cut them off.

"I don't mean that has to reduce your ferocity," he said. "I just mean to say you have to be respectful."

Presidential candidates are accustomed to raucous rallies this close to Election Day and welcome the enthusiasm. But they are also traditionally monitors of sorts from the stage. Part of their job is to leaven proceedings if tempers run ragged and to rein in an out-of-bounds comment from the crowd.

Not so much this week, at GOP rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and other states.

When a visibly angry McCain supporter in Waukesha, Wis., on Thursday told the candidate "I'm really mad" because of "socialists taking over the country," McCain stoked the sentiment. "I think I got the message," he said. "The gentleman is right." He went on to talk about Democrats in control of Congress.

On Friday, McCain rejected the bait.

"I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."

McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:

"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, citizenthat I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."

He had drawn boos with his comment: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

To read the rest of the article:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_angry_crowds

Updated On: 10/11/08 at 07:59 PM

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:17pm

Updated On: 1/12/09 at 08:17 PM

[RadiGal2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:20pm

I have never voted for John McCain, HOWEVER, (a little late in the game perhaps to grab the reigns of his own misguided campaign)that sounds like the guy I have liked to campaign against my entire political career - because no matter how many fundamental issues he is totally, absolutely 100% wrong about - he has always been a decent person until lately.

[The Boy From Ohio]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:22pm

I would boo too if I was at a McSame rally. His and Sarah's rallies were/are getting out of control. I can understand being mad or passionate at a rally, but the pure hate towards Obama scares me.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:39pm

I'm glad that McCain has changed his tune. But is it too little, too late? The tone of his campaign at his rallies made me really lose respect for him. How can someone running for the top office of this country encourage, "kill him", "treason", "terrorist", etc.? It was absolutely disgusting and literally made me afraid of the anger that some people have towards Barack Obama.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:41pm

It made me angry--what if he WAS an Arab?!?! The bigotry of people!

Not to mention the revolting, abominable racist things being said.

People should be ashamed of themselves.

[Yawper]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:48pm

that quote is incorrect according to other sources

the phrase was "Arab terrorist" not just "Arab"

[blueroses]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:50pm

"Another said he did not want his unborn child raised in a country led by Obama."

How do you raise a child that hasn't been born yet, anyway?

[artscallion]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:51pm

They've been showing the video on MSNBC all night. The woman says "Arab" not "Arab Terrorist" The "transcript" of the conversation is here and it pretty accurately reflects the video they've been showing...

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=981373&boardname=off&dt=2&boardid=2

Updated On: 10/10/08 at 08:51 PM

[jasonf]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 9:04pm

Is it bad that I feel quite a sense of shcadenfreude - that sense of hopelessness and anger that all of us have felt for all these years finally being turned back on them...they can certainly dish it, but when it's their turn to take it...

[bwayfan9]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 9:05pm

even republicans are seeing the light now?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 9:50pm

McCain has a Tiger by the tail. The look on his face during those two exchanges really got to me. You can see him thinking "Good God, what have I done?"

[BigFatBlonde]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:06pm

Exactly, Joe!

For a brief moment you could read the shock and realization cross his face.

In McCain: The Musical, that will be the point where starts to sing the big "What have I done?" song.

Here is the Obama is an "A-Rab", exchange:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4Xi8JnfAHI

Could someone post that moment when McCain asks the audience "Who is Obama" and the crowd in unison shouts back "A TERRORIST!"

It is pretty chilling.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:20pm

For once McCain did what was right! The problem is that he selected a VP candidate to play to the base and now he cannot control what he created! He created this mess! Let him lie in it!

[killertofu333]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:20pm

Just out of curiosity, has anyone in the rally crowds shouted the N-word yet? I know they're itching to say it, I'm just wondering when. Instead of saying exactly what they want to say, (I don't want this country run by one of those so-and-so's) they resort to TERRORIST and ARAB.

It's a real shame that people like McCain & Palin don't think about things before they say them. I'm sure they thought about how their comments would rustle up serious animosity toward Obama from Republicans. But they're not ready for the backlash from Dems and their fellow Repubs. It's like he's in quicksand but continues to kick his feet and sink even lower.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:23pm

Here you go, BigFatBlonde.
You're right, it is chilling...

[clever name]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:33pm

Funny. McCain says, "If you ask 'Who is Barak Obama?'" then the crowd shouts an angry barage of insults, then he says "all you get is an angry barage of insults"

[NGD2225]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:52pm

Poor John.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuO34bmZ7BE&feature=related

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:55pm

Is it possible that this ignoramous woman was a secretly embedded "Democratic" plant?? Could the Democratic machine possibly be as evil as the con/Reps? I don't think so, but the thought DID cross my mind for a moment... Wouldn't that be ultimately hilarious? Beating those losers at their own game?? McCain's toast. Yeah, tell those morons that Obama is a US "Citizen"... Ha ha ha. I love to watch that misogynist, xenophobic warmonger stumble! (for the record, I am a staunch Dem/Obama supporter)

[Pippin]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:56pm

maybe it's me being overdramatic, but these people make me scared for Obama's life.

I don't know, I just feel like one of these angry repubs will take the "answer" into thier own hands, and we are going to have an assassination in the near future.

I do not want that to happen. The possibilities of the future frighten me.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:19pm

Updated On: 1/12/09 at 11:19 PM

[killertofu333]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 11:46pm

It's actually really sad that we even have to think about such a horrible outcome. But I agree Pippin, unfortunately I see a horrific scene unfolding much like JFK and RFK. The McCain/ Palin ticket is inciting hate and violence in this election that may very well lead to something tragic.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 8:43am

If the "A-rab" woman was a democratic plant then she's one of hundreds at each McCain rally. She was the second person McCain scolded AT THAT RALLY- the first was a man who gave a touching speech about he & his wife having their first child and he's terrified that his child will have to grow up under an Obama presidency. There are simply too many of these dolts at each campaign stop to be plants.

NBC showed video of a reporter stopping people who were coming into the McCain rally to ask them what they thought of Obama- The result was a montage of "terrorists" and "Muslims."

[madbrian]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 8:56am

Obama acknowledged McCain's gesture in a speech in Philly this morning.

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/10/11/D93OA3B80_obama/index.html

[jasonf]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 9:38am

Pippin, I've thought the same thing, and it's very unfortunate. For that reason, along with McCain's age, the vice presidential campaign ultimately is one of the most important in history. I hope to God we're wrong, but I know that most of us can't understand the way these people think to begin with...