Rage
If Ed Rollins and David Gergen are afraid of McCain's supporters and what McCain is doing on the stump, then what are we to think?
During the waning days of the primaries, we talked a lot about how the way you lose is important. It took her awhile, but ultimately Hillary Clinton realized timing was not her friend this go 'round and that her position as a party leader depended on making sure she did not bring down the likely Democratic nominee even as she continued to make her voice heard (and maybe get a little luck) over the course of the final primary contests. If Democrats felt that she had so damaged the nominee that a November victory was hopeless, she would have done even more damage to her own political future. She got that and called for party unity even in the midst of her bitterest supporters.
McCain has given up on being a national leader. Indeed, he seems to be giving up on attracting undecided voters (women just love an angry mob). Instead, he wants to simply feed off the rage of the conservative base at a crucial moment in our nation's/the world's history. While it's unlikely to help his political fortunes, it could very well be effective in delegitimizing the next president of the United States. At a time when strong, steady leadership and some kind of national unity -- however fleeting -- is so desperately needed.
If you've been coming here for awhile, you know that I prefer to be snarky and not so earnest in posts. And this ain't my first rodeo, as they say. But the anger I'm seeing, fueled by a particularly toxic combination of financial fear, racial hatred, the unmooring of the Republican Party, and a need for someone -- anyone -- to "pay" is starting to terrify me.
The odd thing is, when I watched that rally in Wisconsin, I wasn't worried about Obama's safety. I'm worried one of McCain's "supporters" is going to punch the old man for not doing enough to stop Obama.
Oh, and in the video linked to above, kudos to Paul Begala for calling out Rollins on trying to paint Obama as being just as negative as McCain. Sure, Obama has run negative ads...about McCain's policy prescriptions, not his character.
During the waning days of the primaries, we talked a lot about how the way you lose is important. It took her awhile, but ultimately Hillary Clinton realized timing was not her friend this go 'round and that her position as a party leader depended on making sure she did not bring down the likely Democratic nominee even as she continued to make her voice heard (and maybe get a little luck) over the course of the final primary contests. If Democrats felt that she had so damaged the nominee that a November victory was hopeless, she would have done even more damage to her own political future. She got that and called for party unity even in the midst of her bitterest supporters.
McCain has given up on being a national leader. Indeed, he seems to be giving up on attracting undecided voters (women just love an angry mob). Instead, he wants to simply feed off the rage of the conservative base at a crucial moment in our nation's/the world's history. While it's unlikely to help his political fortunes, it could very well be effective in delegitimizing the next president of the United States. At a time when strong, steady leadership and some kind of national unity -- however fleeting -- is so desperately needed.
If you've been coming here for awhile, you know that I prefer to be snarky and not so earnest in posts. And this ain't my first rodeo, as they say. But the anger I'm seeing, fueled by a particularly toxic combination of financial fear, racial hatred, the unmooring of the Republican Party, and a need for someone -- anyone -- to "pay" is starting to terrify me.
The odd thing is, when I watched that rally in Wisconsin, I wasn't worried about Obama's safety. I'm worried one of McCain's "supporters" is going to punch the old man for not doing enough to stop Obama.
Oh, and in the video linked to above, kudos to Paul Begala for calling out Rollins on trying to paint Obama as being just as negative as McCain. Sure, Obama has run negative ads...about McCain's policy prescriptions, not his character.
Labels: angry mobs, Fuck You 08
posted by John at 11:07 AM
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