This article by Bradley Burston (read Obama-hate, and Sarah Palin's War on Terror here) in the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel offers keen insight on the race baiting tactics being used by the McCain Campaign against Senator Obama. The McCain-Palin crew has decided to change the subject from the looming DEPRESSION to race. Easy for them, they don't have to wait in long lines for gas, worry about how they will pay their mortgage, and are not concerned about their job, savings, or retirement. They have the luxury to spend time talking about race. Even though Palin may not be that exposed to national and international issues, most Americans are and will not be distracted by BS.
If you are planning to vote for John McCain because you view him as a man of rare integrity, demonstrated courage, intellectual and political independence, and because you believe him to be more seasoned and more savvy than Barack Obama in the realms of foreign policy, the applications of military force, and such domestic issues as taxation, health care, social security and welfare reform, you can stop reading this right now.
If you have decided to vote for Sarah Palin because you admire her as gutsy and fresh-thinking and an authentic Reagan Republican, and because you identify with her views on abortion, the right to buy and hold arms, and the excesses and interventions of big government, you can stop right here.
This is not going to be a column about issues, nor fitness for high office. And though this is not about racism in the classical sense, it is specifically about the passion and prejudices - race being just one of them - with which some people hate Barack Obama.
Obama-hate is worth a close look not only for what it tells us about political campaigns, but for what it can teach us about America itself, its divisions and the possibility of healing.
The story goes on to show how McCain is trying to appeal to the "Joe Six-Pack Crew" looking for an excuse to vote against Obama:
As she proved in her speeches accepting John McCain's and her party's nominations, Governor Palin is a person with acute skills of self-expression. She knows exactly what response - and what bigotry - she will elicit when she denigrates the concept of a "community organizer."
Just as she knows precisely what message she's sending when she states that Barack Obama "is not a man who sees America like you and I see America."
She knows to the letter what flags she's flying when she implies that Obama not only does not love his country but reviles it, even to the point of being a fellow traveler to subversives and potential terror murderers.
Nor is it any accident that she uses the term "terrorists" - unnamed, plural, and in general usage in America, often referring to Islamic radicals - rather than focusing on the one man in question.
Sarah Palin has crossed a line. She could have used her powers of persuasion to advance her ideals. Instead, she has joined those who have chosen to fight Obama with prejudice. In the process, she has widened America's fault lines, equating her coy "you and I" with love of country. Her opponent, then, is the Non-Us, the AntiUs, and, by extension, the Unamerican.
After listing 10 reasons the McCain campaign is trying to scare people from voting for Senator Obama, the article sums up the McCain campaign strategy and gives insight on what the rest of the world thinks of the Republicans right now.
In segregating America into Us and AntiUs, Sarah Palin is asking for the votes of all Americans in order to speak for half of them. The half she believes loves the country. In denying Barack Obama his love of country, she has denied the vision, the values, and the profound patriotism of the remainder. In doing do, she does a disservice to both sides, and to America. read Obama-hate, and Sarah Palin's War on Terror here
In the second in our two-part series about the Republican ticket's economic past, we saved the best for last. As we mentioned in our first piece, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin doesn't have a long record, but it's one that would make any economist (or working, middle class American for that matter) shake their head in disbelief.
Arizona Sen. John McCain, on the other hand, has a long, rich history of either screwing up the economy or just ignoring it, hoping the problem will go away or be handled by his lobbyist friends and advisors.
We could start as early as the late 1980s with the embarrassing Keating Five incident, in which McCain used his influence in Congress to help out his friend and donor, Charles Keating, chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. Keating spent five years in jail on corruption charges stemming from his influencing McCain and four other senators. McCain brushes off questions about the incident, saying he's paid for it and learned his lesson. It seems the lesson was "let other people handle economics. It's not that big of a deal anyhow." Read the full story here
There is no way that I can even begin to be objective about the Biden-Palin debate. The bar was set so low for Sarah Palin that it is impossible for me to compare her to Joe Biden. How dare a candidate in a debate announce that she will not be answering the questions posed by the moderator, especially when she is seeking my vote? Bottom line, I just don't like Sarah Palin. I don't like the way she talks, the snide little remarks that she makes, or the way she tries to identify with everyday people. I especially can't stand the way that she says "peeeople". I wish she would go back to Alaska and I am so relieved that there is only one VP debate.
I am trying to understand how anyone can be undecided. What are they considering? The Republicans ruined our country and they are a disgrace to the word conservative. In times of war a good leader would ask the nation to sacrifice, to save, and support the war effort. Our president actually encouraged us to shop and in spite of the fact that we are in debt and cannot afford this war McCain-Palin seem to have a very narrow definition of victory that I believe is somehow connected to his impression of Viet Nam. In times of economic crisis a good leader would step forward to exude confidence in the economy rather than stoking the flames of fear. Above all, it is time for women to make our voices heard and we cannot sing the same old tune. John McCain is a veteran and a hero but it is not true that he is the only candidate that has “fought for me”. I respect and honor is service but I also appreciate the service Senators Obama and Biden and even the contribution that Gov. Palin is making in Alaska.
Low expectations have thrown our nation into a downward spiral in education, work, and now even the highest office in the nation. As I write the media is going on about the fact that Gov. Palin stopped the bleed. It looked to me like the woman was reading her answers and while Palin did a good job staying on the narrow message and few answers that she obviously memorized we are all sick and tired of talking points. Senator Biden is older and more experienced but the point is that I can imagine him helping to get legislation through the congress no matter how it is configured. Sarah would need a tutor. This is not a position for on the job training and is offensive to compare Palin to Obama.
I was so pleased when Joe Biden spoke about Darfur, climate change, and the need for revisions to the bankruptcy laws to benefit the middle class in ways that the wealthy already enjoy. These are issues that many of us care about and I trust Obama-Biden to make a dramatic change for the better, not just for America but for the entire world.
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