Does urging political restraint apply to McCain and Obama or just the Republicans?

As The Ticket, among many online sites, has noted in recent days, much has been made about the anger and fears expressed by a vocal few and aimed at the Democratic ticket by some attending rallies for Sen. John McCain.

At one recent event in Minnesota, an angry woman called Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, the awful A-word -- "Arab."

McCain quickly retrieved the microphone and said, "No, ma'am, he is a decent family man, a citizen I just happen to have serious differences with on some fundamental questions."

On Sunday, Sen. Joe Biden, the Democratic party's vice presidential nominee, again sought to stoke the angry McCain supporter story line by criticizing the GOP nominee for "ugly inferences" about the top of the Democratic ticket.

So as a growing number of political bloggers, including Wake Up America, have asked in recent hours, how long do you think before the mainstream media starts reporting on scenes like a Philadelphia event on Saturday where people wore T-shirts that bore an explicitly crude reference to Sarah Palin? With 22 campaign days left, might perhaps the Democratic ticket also feel the need to warn its supporters to tone it down?

If these T-shirts showed up at a McCain event on people proudly posing like this to proclaim that Obama was the N-word, do you think we might have heard about it by now?

--Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[Arpit]

Why do you call "arab" an "awful a-word"?

The media needs to stop espousing the arab=bad rhetoric.

No one spoke "white" with disdain when Timothy McVeigh bombed the building in Oklahoma City. No one spoke "white" with contempt when the IRA conducted their attacks..

This is ludicrous. The 9/11 Terrorists were people who happen to be Arab. It's what they do that makes them terrorists, not their ethnicity.

[James McGill]

"No ma'am, he's a decent family man, a citizen..."

AS OPPOSED TO WHATEVER AN ARAB IS.

Apology NOT accepted.

[Pat Henry]

The epithets and hateful rhetoric from both sides are deplorable. Hate feeds on hate. Stoking the fires of anger and resentment is demagoguery of the worst kind. Calling Palin a vulgar name for a private body part is not useful to our democratic objectives. Nor is intentional distortion of the truth or pandering to our baser instincts. The question is, do we want to build a better country or do we want to win at any cost?

[remmyrule]

Those t-shirts make a valid point. A+

[toyzyibz Singapore]

The picture of the youths wearing such T-shirt is to me a one-off incident, a very small minority of the whole Democrat supporters. I think only immature and dumb people will call others by such crude names/terms. However compare these to the Republican side, where the sentiment that Obama is a dangerous terrorist who hates his country and thus he is not patriotic is far more common and extensive among the Republican supporters. Why? Well McCain himself is directly to be blamed. He endorses ads that potray Obama as dangerous and now he is retreating it back. Obama never insinuated that Palin is aynthing in crude terms. The furthest he would go is to discredit her professionalism. But the Republican side is guilty for the anger and rage that they have fanned with ads that were not clearly thought of in terms of their negative backlash.

[Cynthia Ackerman]

You're joking, right Mr. Malcom?

The Obama campaign has done nothing to encourage four morons to wear t-shirts calling Gov. Palin a word which Senator McCain famously used to his own wife's face, in public (that's the context which is apparently lost among the far-right).

In contrast, McCain's ads and public appearances openly stoke fear and contempt. His campaign might -- just might -- "feel the need to warn its supporters to tone it down" because the campaign itself has willfully encouraged them to believe toxic lies about Senator Obama.

Why is it hard for a journalist to come right out and say that?

[Scott]

What hypocrites... this election, and the lack of impartial coverage of it by the MSM is a joke.

Let's just say this... if John McCain had attended a racist church for 20 years, been married by a racist pastor, or had his kids baptized by a racist pastor... he would never had made it past the primaries. Not to mention ANY relationship he may have had with an admitted domestic terrorist.

I can't stand this... say hello to socialism.

[Steve]

This is a false comparison.

The incidents at the McCain rallies have suggested Barack Obama should be murdered, and they have coincided with McCain campaign insinuations that Obama is linked with terrorists, that he is risky and different. The violent rhetoric can be attributed to the McCain campaign's stoking of hatred against Obama.

This incident, with the Palin t-shirts, while crude and pathetic, derogatory and inappropriate, cannot be linked with any extreme rhetoric on the part of the Obama campaing. The Obama campaign have no attacked Palin over her sex, and they have not made any extreme personal attacks (a la "palling around with terrorists") against her.

To suggest that there is equality between violent and racist rhetoric at McCain rallies in response to their rhetoric, and an isolated t-shirt incident at a Palin rally, is to draw comparisons where they simply do not exist. Obama has absolutely no responsibility for this behaviour, although if they wore this to his rallies and shouted these obscenities he should certainly correct them, but no one could suggest he has incited them, as Palin and McCain have incited terrorist and pseudo-racist "risky, dangerous" tags to Obama.

Really guys, you are journalists, false equivalence is something they should have taught you in freshman year.

[anthony]

This article/ opinion is stretch.
They look like prolife supporters or some smart ass kids. They were protesting and this was NOT at an Obama rally. and MC Cain has no problem using the C word to describe is own wife. So it's a non-issue.

http://wonkette.com/376849/john-mccain-called-wife-awful-word-that-rhymes-with-hunt-and-punt

So let's get back to the economy please!

[james]

While I condone neither, Palin brought this on through her hate speech. Those who throw stones should expect them in return.

[Dan]

Agreed on one point: That's pretty repugnant. If I was at an Obama rally I'd slap those people hard.

Is it the same (in terms of the public interest) as the open, racially charged hostility at the McCain rallies? Especially when Palin seems to be engaged in rhetoric that fans those flames...I'd say the press is probably, once again, just going with the stories that interest people...It's not all that sinister. It's just about selling papers or generating clicks.

[Nomo Stew]

Here's the big difference: Obama and Biden have not used false inferences to inflame their supporters against Palin or McCain. McCainand Palin have themselves implied that Obama is a "terrorist." They have to own the results of that. Obama does not have to own the fact that, like any candidate, he is also supported by some idiots.

[Chris]

I think that Mr. Malcolm's argument is a bit of a stretch. If people were showing up at McCain rallies wearing "Obama is a D*ckhead" shirts, there would be no uproar. Although it is classless, that is not hatred, and certainly not potentially violence inciting. The problem is that until recently, the McCain has allowed expressions of xenophobia and hatred toward the opposing candidate to go unchallenged at their ralllies, and his VP candidate has encouraged these expressions with her constant association of a man named "Barack Obama" with the word "terrorist." Its kind of like Obama's constant association of Bush's name with McCain's. Both are illegitimate, but with repetition, they have the same effect - voters will eventually be eventually be able to understand the subtext and connect the dots for the message that the campaign is really trying to convey. McCain is better than this, and he needs to get rid of his staff, before he alienates any more potential voters.

[Carol Anne]

About the t-shirts: I Googled a little and found that Cafe Press has a line of items with that despicable slogan. As a woman and an Obama supporter, I am appalled.

[Dan X]

A really, really poor attempt at establishing equivalency between the "c-word" and the "n-word". The "c-word" is crude and nasty, but it has never been the rallying cry for lynching, and there have never been entire hate-filled groups built around their pure hatred of "c-words".

One words suggest crude disdain, the other implies (among a historically significant group) that one is subhuman, a threat to our great society, and worthy of death at the hands of an enraged mob.

Not even remotely equivalent. A more comparable crude insult would have been referring to Obama as another part of the lower anatomy -- one that begins with "a" and ends with "hole". But, comparing "n-word" to "c-word" is a huge stretch in an attempt to claim equal evil for wildly different levels of potential harm.

[Kathy]

The bias of the media during this campaign has been outrageous-talk about stealing elections.

[Ojamas]

It certainly applies to both candidates. The only pictures I've seen requiring admonition on the Obama side are of some people NOT at any of his campain events. Either his campaign has a better handle on security than McCain, or the people who are showing up are simply better behaved. I saw the picture of the people wearing the rude t-shirts at the Palin event. I noticed it was not an Obama event. The only way idiots like that can get into an event is if they pass through security. If, as reported, they were at a Palin event, then she allowed it. Yes, both sides should demonstrate restraint, but either Obama is doing it better or it's needed less at his events. After all, what's to restrain from peaceful citizens wearing pajamas? http://www.ojamas.us.

[blackmask]

I think the strong reaction to the videos from the angry McCain rallies comes from the "overall' tone of INTENSE anger coming from MOST of the crowd. Every movement has its' nuts, including the Obama campaign, but is there video (etc) somewhere out there that has the whole crowd fired up, yelling "kill em" etc?

I am unaware of it, and I am sure the McCain campaign is searching exhaustively, so if it is out there, we will see it. So far, it appears to be a more concentrated dose of hate than we are used to seeing at these events.

[BubbaBob]

Mr. Malcolm once again misses the point by a mile.

The question you need to ask yourself, Malcolm, is has Obama said anything to encourage this behavior? Has the "liberal media" been fanning the flames of hate? In both cases, you know the answer is "No".

Sure, despite the ignorant, mouth-breathing trailer-dweller demographic forming the solid and undentable core of the Republican base, a few morons consider themselves "swing voters" and have hooked up with Obama. These idiots sometimes show up at Obama rallies and those latte sipping elitists that form the rest of the pro-Obama crowd are too polite to tell the cretin to "Get out!".

This may be too fine a point for someone such as yourself, Malcolm, who is a solid member of the Republican base, but the issue is NOT (yet) what the idiots in the crowds do or say, but what the candidates and their proxies are doing and saying. Which candidates are saying "He's a witch/commie/terrorist!" and which candidates are saying "Let's talk about the economy"? Which candidates are appealing to idiot emotion and which are speaking to the crowds' higher faculties?

Final point: Republicans have to be more careful in their approach because of the demographics they target with their rhetoric. Take a look at this current red state/blue state map while you consider the following question:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/maps/obama_vs_mccain/

Now consider: If you wanted to gather up a bunch of righteous white folks into a lynch mob to string up some random minority, would you have more more luck in a red state or in a blue state? You know it, red states are where you have to go if you want some lynch mob action.

[A.Levine]

MONEY,MONEY,MONEY IT'S A RICH MANS WORLD, BUT YOU CAN SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON ADS BUT AMERICANS ARE SMART AND WE SEE THRU THE ADS, AND AMERICA IS NOT FOR SALE.................... VOTE MCCAIN, AND FIGHT FOR OUR FREEDOM TO EARN, AND KEEP OUR AMERICAN VALUES, AND BE WHO WE ARE , COUNTRY FIRST........................................MCCAIN FOR PRESIDENT. MCCAIN FOR THE PEOPLE...............DECROCRATE FOR MCCAIN
STUDENTS FOR MCCAIN.............BABIES FOR MCCAIN..... SENIOR FOR MCCAIN.........................AMERICA FOR MCCAIN.2008.
HELLO, I AM AN UNBORN CHILD, AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE.

[w. moreau]

We all need as much accurate info. as possible. I suggest any seeking info. GOOGLE palin steve stoll. Whatcha got to lose?

[Sharon]

I have been watching each candidate's campaign rallies. As for picture at Obama supporters and what they are doing - this particular group should have been asked to not do - put on their jackets. There are probably others. But these incidents cause no bodily harm. To compare assassination enticement to this incident is just shocking. I have watched Palin - McCain and how they entice the crowd rage hearing "kill him", "off with his head", "terrorist", "traitor",etc and they just smiled not stopping the threats. McCain-Palin's purposeful word format usage is designed to psychologically encourage these dangerous reactions. I have taken/am familiar with college level advanced psychology and the word applications used to generate the desired reaction. Political Speech writers know the specific crowd cultural tendencies and suggestive psychological specific word usage is applied to induce these thoughts. Republicans know very well what they are doing. Enticement encouraging a reaction of bodily harm/assassination of another political candidate is criminal. FBI was even brought in!! McCain - Palin have crossed the line. I have had it with these two candidate -threats of assassination. I am scared and America could be close to riot stage. Some places it has already started. And John McCain and Sarah Palin all by themselves can be blamed for starting it all!! . People are going to die!!! How can this be stopped!!

[Gary]

To put things in a larger perspective, although something has been said about the Keating Five, nothing has been said of Senator McCains affiliations with Contra groups or David Duke or Reverend Hagee, any of which certainly equals surpasses the level of charges levied against Senator Obama. Now that the media promotional "journalists" have moved a bit from the extreme right, foul play is being called. Where were you when John Kerry was being swift boated?

[sherri]

You guys can dish it out but you sure can't take it. McCain ads are 100% negative because they don't have anything constructive to say. Obama's as are 37% negative because he doesn't want to get "swift boated.'

[levarfan]

No question that these shirts are deplorable, using what many people consider to be the most offensive sexual insult available. But these shirts do little to actually slander Palin; they reflect far more poorly on the wearers and their judgement and beliefs.
Calling Obama a terrorist, and spreading ominous hints and lies about his supposed affiliations with unrepentent bombers, is a very different story. Convincing people with outrageous lies that Obama is a threat to America and frightening the naive masses is irrresponsible. The tone at McCain-Palin rallies has changed dramatically in the last few weeks; there is a sense of panic and fear that could indeed blow up into violence, and the hatred-stokers in the McCain camp are indeed to blame.