There’s been a lot of coverage lately about the emotion being stirred up in the GOP base. Mostly, it’s manifesting at the McCain or Palin rallies, with shouts of “terrorist” and “socialist” when Barack Obama’s name is mentioned. Hussein is back as part of the full-name introductions now, and video after video is coming online that just rock me back on my heels.
People are angry — viscerally so — but I don’t think that’s the heart of the problem.
“I’m scared to bring up my child in a world where Barack Obama is president.”
McCain replies, “Well, I don’t want him to be president, either. I wouldn’t be running if I did. But,” and he pauses for emphasis, “you don’t have to be scared to have him be President of the United States.” A round of boos. […]
Indeed, he just snatched the microphone out the hands of a woman who began her question with, “I’m scared of Barack Obama… he’s an Arab terrorist…”
“No, no ma’am,” he interrupted. “He’s a decent family man with whom I happen to have some disagreements.”
What the transcript doesn’t show is that after John McCain interrupts — between those two “no’s” — her tremulous voice comes back with, “No?”
Watch the video here. That lady is seriously afraid, and I expect the man who said he’s afraid to raise his child under President Obama is also genuinely scared.
It doesn’t matter, just at the moment, whether their fears are rational. What matters — what needs real focus — is that for these people, they’re real. They really, truly believe the combination of email rumors, innuendo, and smear tactics that have been ongoing for nearly 2 years: that Obama’s a terrorist, or a Muslim, or a socialist. The ultimate Manchurian candidate who’s going to do… something. Something really scary.
And fear, unfortunately, often turns to anger.
Where is this heading? Is it here?
There may indeed be blood in the streets before the current political and economic issues before the nation are resolved. But it won’t have much of anything to do with Race, it’ll be about the fundamental principles of this Republic a great many Americans are not prepared to give up without a serious fight.
And the rage won’t just last days … it could be a battle fought for years and not always without its victims. Can you imagine the look on the faces of the Obama-loving Ayres apologists at the New York Times when the bombs start exploding in their lobby, instead of the Pentagon?
Dan Riehl, who wrote those words, says he doesn’t advocate the actions he’s describing, but it’s not much of a leap to imagine exactly what he’s written.
Has McCain waited too late to dial it back? For all our sakes, I hope not.