Saturday, October 11, 2008

Poisonous Rhetoric

Footage of recent Republican rallies indicate that John McCain and Sarah Palin and their workers have stoked anti-Obama sentiments in their supporters to the point where some supporters are turning on their own candidates. In an incident yesterday, a crowd at a McCain event actually booed McCain when he called Obama "a decent person."

Not to mention this exchange at the same event:

3 comments:

Joy McCann said...

Um . . . . how does your clip support the notion that McCain and Palin are stoking anti-Obama feelings, or that their rhetoric is "poisonous"?

McCain's defending Obama against some of the sillier charges out there.

In truth, I wish both campaigns were doing better with the "Obama is secretly a Muslim" "charge" (and this particular bit of conspiratorial hoo-ha appears to be related).

The better answer in politically correct terms would probably have included the Seinfeldian disclaimer "not that there's anything wrong with that" (which applies to both Muslims and Arabs, or damned well better), but McCain answered the intent, which was to imply that there was some sort of Manchurian Candidate thing going on.

It seems to me that aside from the occasional kook, most of the worst rhetoric is--and more outright lies are--coming from the other side.

Danny Barer said...

I know there's ad hominem attacks on both sides; but when they prompt a candidate's own supporters to boo the candidate, they are -- in my opinion -- poisonous.

blackrain said...

People will believe want they want. McCain's side is more negetive, facts are facts. You don't see clips of Obama supporters claiming false rhetoric and Obama having to correct them. The truth will set you free.