What will people remember about John McCain’s campaign and the nadir of the modern Republican Party? The angry mobs that resemble the brown-shirts of the 1930’s. And, John Weaver is correct, they are a threat to our civil society.
John Weaver, McCain’s former top strategist, said top Republicans have a responsibility to temper this behavior.
“People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Senator McCain,” Weaver said. “And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive.”
“Senator Obama is a classic liberal with an outdated economic agenda. We should take that agenda on in a robust manner. As a party we should not and must not stand by as the small amount of haters in our society question whether he is as American as the rest of us. Shame on them and shame on us if we allow this to take hold.”
At least some members of the Grand Old Party are embarrassed and concerned to see the real face of their political base on display. Take a look at this mob from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
That’s what a degree in right-wing talk radio earns you. You come off little better than a caged animal. Hand those people a bunch of Nazi flags or white robes and hoods, and they could have a proper march. Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh eggs them, and McCain, on:
“You are running for president. You have a right to defend this country. You have a responsibility to defend this country and not just fulfill some dream you had eight years ago running for president against Bush. It’s time to start naming names and explain what’s actually going on, because Senator McCain, the people of this country are dead scared about what we face if you lose.”
If you make $250,000 or more a year, I can see you being scared that your taxes will go up. If your life-long dream has been to see Roe v. Wade overturned, I can see being fearful that you won’t live to see it happen. If you like dumping toxic waste in rivers and streams, I can see being afraid of new regulation and oversight. But, what does Rush mean when he says people are ‘dead scared’?
That the Muslims will take over? That urban blacks will rise up, march on the exurbs, and get their own form of reparations? Seriously. If in 2000 I had foretold to you what George W. Bush would do to our country and the world, what could have been more frightening than that?
