Republican Hate

Since Richard Nixon, the Republicans have always skated on the edge of hate speech: against Democrats, against people of color, against gays, against anyone who wasn't a white Christian (with a capital C). They've done it carefully and selectively and with an eye to pushing the limits rather than crossing the line. 

Nixon's Southern Strategy, which successfully pried the formerly Confederate South from the Democrats 100 years after the Civil War set the tone that has been followed ever since by the party faithful and the conservative blabosphere (see Rush Limbaugh for the icon of that segment of humanity). Make the issues what white middle-class people are afraid of: integration of schools and neighborhoods. But call it local option or freedom to choose without government interference or activist courts. 

Now, with Barack Obama seemingly poised to win the presidency, the Republicans have become increasingly desperate. As the economy has become the central issue of the campaign, the McCain campaign's answer to the economy--on which they are being drubbed--is to make the campaign a character assasination of Obama. 

And as they do that, their campaign events are becoming increasingly rowdy. In addition to the negative, sometimes hateful, things being said about Obama from McCain-Palin surrogates and members of the crowd, some reporters are saying that they are hearing people in the crowd yelling to kill Obama. Of course, the official campaign is quick to distance itself from such calls for the assasination of a political opponent, but they do it with a wink and a nod.

I know people are angry at what is happening in the economy right now. People are angry and frustrated and want somebody to blame (other than themselves). But if Obama is assasinated before the election, or even before he takes office, I will blame John McCain for fostering the environment.

There are too many nutcases in the world who will hear this stuff and decide to take it upon themselves to save America from the devil Obama (or any black man). By catering to the fears and hatreds of people, the Republicans risk destroying the Republic, turning us into another country ruled by fear and loathing. We have enough of that.

John McCain says he puts country first. Well, he damn well better start doing it, or he will be the man I remember as the one who stuck the knife in my country's back.