DCFOUNTAIN.COM

Photo: mharrsch

No, it’s not a McCain-Palin supporter, although one might wonder
from the recent lynch-mob-like tone of some at their campaign rallies.

This year’s presidential campaign seems destined to be noted by historians for at least three remarkable features — two of which the American nation should be proud while the third should cause many to hold their heads in shame.

Generations of American women and blacks have dreamed of the day that one of their own would make it to the Oval Office. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s run — while ultimately unsuccessful — indeed cracked that glass ceiling to which she so eloquently referred when ceding the Democratic nomination to Sen. Barack Obama, who now stands on the threshold of becoming the nation’s first-ever president of African-American ancestry.

But the third historically notable footnote of the 2008 campaign is the crass eagerness with which Republican party operatives, Fox News, conservative talk-radio shows and — most remarkable of all — vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin herself have fostered a mean-spirited and at times even outright hostile political environment that on many levels is unprecedented in modern times.

“Terrorist!”, “Socialist!” and “Communist!” are among the tamer taunts shouted at some rallies where Palin is speaking, during her often scornful references to Obama. But at the other end of the scale are such brazen cries as, “Kill him!” As U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has noted, a world of difference exists between exciting a crowd of supporters and inciting it into an angry, mob-like frenzy.

After some have expressed deep offense at this unseemly behavior, which too often has crossed the line of decency by using known lies and character attacks to invoke thinly disguised racial prejudice, Sen. John McCain has shown little if any remorse for his campaign’s behavior, other than once correcting a woman who called Obama “an Arab.” But he more typically has responded instead by feigning insult himself at being so accused — suggesting that these objections over the remarks of a few somehow are attacks on the general character of his pious base of supporters.

At no time has anyone on Obama’s campaign made such a wide accusation. Yet, if those standing in line Oct. 11 to enter a Palin rally in Johnstown, Pa. are any indication (see video below), the appallingly sheer hatred routinely spewed by many McCain supporters coarsely violates the second-most important Christian creed, as identified by Jesus himself: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 22:39)

In fact, the campaign-generated lies and grossly deceptive GOP talking points these supposedly God-fearing supporters so readily adopt and spread violate even one of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) As the video below shows, these clearly are not the rants of a few, but appear to represent the prevailing climate at recent McCain rallies — despite the candidate’s assertion otherwise.

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