I'm sure many of you have followed the stories about McCain and Palin's accusations that Barack Obama "pals around" with a domestic terrorist (William Ayers of the 60s radical movement), the use of the middle name Hussein at rallies, the look into Obama's campaign contribution for "foreign" money, and the people yelling out such things as "terrorist," "kill him," "bomb Obama," and "treason" at rallies. Finally McCain had to correct a couple of people for being scared of an Obama presidency and for calling Obama an Arab. (Though it was odd for McCain to answer the Arab charge simply by saying Obama is a decent family man as if no Arabs could be decent--that may say a lot about his world view.) Some have said that McCain's campaign tactics could inspire violence in a xenophobic and racist group of voters who still believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. There was quite a controversy when Representative John Lewis warned about the dangers of toxic language and invoked examples from the 60s when Governor George Wallace was believed to have contributed to a climate where racial violence broke out.
What do you think about all of this? What was John McCain's campaign trying to imply and are they at all responsible for creating a climate in which violence against Obama is more likely? Please comment if there are not any options that reflect your view or you would like to elaborate.
What do you think about all of this? What was John McCain's campaign trying to imply and are they at all responsible for creating a climate in which violence against Obama is more likely? Please comment if there are not any options that reflect your view or you would like to elaborate.
Are you afraid that the latest tactics by McCain has made Obama more vulnerable to violence?
Yes, I am really afraid for Obama's life.
6(60.0%)
Maybe, if some really unbalanced McCain supporter goes off his/her meds.
4(40.0%)
No, I think people are just venting their fears when they yell out at rallies.
0(0.0%)
No, I don't think McCain is responsible for how some people take his words.
0(0.0%)
I don't think there's anything different about McCain's campaign than the usual mud-slinging.
0(0.0%)
Do you think McCain should do more to calm any xenophobia he might have inspired?
Yes, much more. The campaign should issue strong statements against the Arab-Muslim thing and stop the Ayers and Hussein stuff.
10(100.0%)
Maybe he should just respond when the crazies yell at rallies--not responsible otherwise.
0(0.0%)
No, he's done enough to address it.
0(0.0%)
Do you believe that McCain was deliberately suggesting that Obama was some sort of foreign terrorist mole?
Yes, that was clearly the implication of various things the campaign has said.
5(55.6%)
Not sure--maybe people are reading too much into it.
2(22.2%)
Not at all, it was just the usual effort to create doubt about the character of an opponent.
2(22.2%)
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