Presidential Politics in 2008

I know that I am not alone in wanting this election cycle to be over. It has gotten so far beyond the usual name calling at presidential elections. I know that both sides are guilty of stretching the truth and that mud slinging is typical at this late stage in the process. But truly, I have never seen anything like the hate and fear mongering going on now. A few months ago I was forwarded an email warning that Obama is the anti-Christ, the anti-Christ! This was from a woman who I previously thought was pretty rational. Today I overheard another woman ranting the same rant. Out of control, don't you think? I wrote in a previous post about how the crowds at McCain's rallies are getting out of control with their ignorance and hate. After looking around on the internet today, I was much more alarmed than ever. Here are some samples...



The Secret Service is following up on media reports today that someone in the crowd at a McCain/Palin event suggested killing Barack Obama, according to Secret Service spokesman Malcolm Wiley. The shout of "kill him" followed a Sarah Palin rant on Obama's relationship with radical Chicagoan Bill Ayers.



McCain was speaking today in New Mexico, doing his usual personal attack on Barack Obama, as the stock market plummeted and McCain asked the crowd "who is Barack Obama?" Immediately you hear someone yell "terrorist." McCain pauses, the audience laughs, and McCain continues on, not acknowledging, not chastising, not correcting. McCain does say in the next sentence that he's upset about all the "angry barrage of insults."




"Now it turns out, one of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," Palin said.
"Boooo!" said the crowd.
"And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,'" she continued.
"Boooo!" the crowd repeated.
"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.




Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."




When politics in America turns to hate we must take steps to stop it. No matter who you think is the best person for the job of president, the hate must stop. I never intended this blog to be a platform for any political party or candidate. I still don't. But how can we stand on the sidelines and not speak out? I know that it's normal to call names at this late hour, but this is also part of John McCain and Sarah Palin's legacy. Make no mistake, people are hurt by this. People are always hurt by prejudice and lies.

After coming home from church this morning, and hearing that fool declaring Obama the anti-Christ, I was pretty upset. When I got home and told Heidi about it she said, you won't believe what Colin Powell said on MEET THE PRESS. Not only did he endorse Barack Obama, but he also very articulately addressed the hate issues into which the McCain campaign seemed to have plunged. I checked it out on Youtube and was so moved by his response to the simple question of, "Who are you going to vote for?" If you haven't seen it, hang on for the story of the Muslim soldier who died in defense of our great country.