McCain himself has been victim to this, as in the 2000 race where the Bush camp ran a campaign insinuating that his adopted child was illegitimate.

Its sad to see both McCain and the Democratic party succumbing to this kind of politics because it is expedient.

I’m going to post this issue to:

http://www.ameritocracy.com/statements/904#amcy–DG9510

Come discuss it with us as well!

http://www.defenders.org/resources/publications/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/solutions/livestock_and_wolves.pdf

Personally I think Palin gets a kick out of it.

In terms of starvation I consider to die from the inability to find food is better than being shot.

I also think her position on the endangerment of Polar Bears is actually worse.
They have a smaller population and need larger areas of habitat, but she continues to basically lead the fight against polar bears in order to open up land for drilling.

We have not had a wave of violence in the U.S. in quite awhile, with the last event being the LA riots (which were mostly localized to LA with only a few disturbances elsewhere). I think we’re a fundamentally more stable nation now than we were in the middle part of last century and I don’t think we’re at a tipping point — but that’s just my perception and in know way means I don’t think McCain and Palin need to be careful and stop it with the demonizing attacks. I just think Rep. Lewis could have made his point without reaching for such an incendiary example.

And, yeah, shooting animals out of a helicopter is pretty violent. That’s not hunting. I was just wondering if there is any evidence that participating in hunting of the mild or violent variety has any corollary to violence directed against humans.

You don’t think killing helpless animals from the air is violence? I’d be very interested in your definition. She was not hunting. There is no sport in killing these animals when they have no refuge, no chance at all of escape.

Regis, I guess I just don’t think it’s anywhere near the point of violence. And is there any evidence that hunting — even from a helicopter — is indicative of a violent personality? I’m not being snide. That would actually be an interesting study.

I thnk you’re getting ganged-up-on here because if Obama did what you suggest – to unequivically denounce Lewis’s remarks – he would be totally letting McCain off the hook for allowing all the hateful energy and retoric (which at first McCain did allow). Lewis was wrong to imply any equivalency between McCain and Wallace. And Obamas says so. What more could he do?

I appreciate your attempt to point out the “other side” though, and perhaps you’re suggesting a stronger denounciation was neccessary considering the sensitivity. Perhaps. But, really, on this one, I think the buck stops with McCain.

That being said, the people at Palin’s rallies scare the too explicit for donklephant out of me. And yes, I do think that Palin is the only candidate here guilty of stirring up crowds to the point of hate and hateful speech, and I think that is the only thing she has proven herself capable of this election. And this seemed like a good place to vent some frustration at who we have as a potential-second-in-line to the presidency.

And don’t you think it’s just a wee but hateful to tell Obama supporters that McCain supporters are on the verge of serious violence. And if you can’t agree to “hateful” can we at least agree that it’s instillng an unhelpful level of fear and mistrust?

Finally, maybe I should change my middle name so that I sign all posts with Alan “Just Because I Bring Up One Side’s Misdeeds Does In No Way Mean I Am Equivicating Them With The Other Side’s Misdeeds, Just That I Think It’s Only Fair to Call Out Both Sides, Even If The Two Sides’ Actions Are Not Exactly Comparable” Carl.

And I didn’t see anything particularly “hateful” about Lewis’ remarks. He was merely saying to his friend, “Hey, be careful. Your rhetoric is out of line, and the last time I heard something similar in a presidential campaign, it led to violence.”

Also, Lewis isn’t known for being some blowhard either.

Just my two cents.

Mark: sounds to me like Obama wants it both ways. “We’ll snip out that hard-to-defend part, but generally agree that McCain is an ass.” Why release a statement that basically makes excuses for Lewis when they could have just said “we don’t support what Lewis said?”

Steve: When you compare a campaign to the kind of hate that led to the brutal murder of children, you’re pretty much telling your side that it’s ok to hate the other side.

Actually, hate is being fueled only from McCain’s side. On Obama’s side is fear as his supporters are afraid for his safety. It’s a pretty big difference.

“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies. But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for President of the United States ‘pals around with terrorists.’ As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Senator Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead,” said Obama-Biden spokesman Bill Burton.

He clearly repudiates the Wallace comparison, but reasserts that the McCain campaign (and especially Palin) crossed the lines in terms of their rhetoric.

It seems the reason that Obama didn’t offer a wholesale repudiation of Lewis’ remarks is that while they feel the tenor of the remarks and the comparison to Wallace crossed the line, that Lewis is correct to be outraged by the rhetoric that had been coming out of the McCain camp. That seems pretty logically consistent with the Obama camp’s position.

There are many indications that the McCain campaign is paying heed to the many voices telling them to tone down the most inflammatory rhetoric, and I hope they follow through.

“Senator Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies.”

End of story.