For days, the mainstream media have been reporting that supporters at John McCain's rallies are raging, bloodthirsty, hateful thugs.
The Waukesha rally on Thursday has been depicted as a hate fest. That's flat-out inaccurate. That's not the way it was at all.
I am certain that the reporting of that event is biased. I know the media have distorted what happened because I was there. I can tell you they're reports are slanted.
The same media that keep referring to the Waukesha event as a gathering of unruly, angry people are the same media that are ignoring an extremely moving portion of that same town hall meeting.
Iraqi war vet, Scott Southworth, spoke of his adopted son, an Iraqi orphan. While he was serving in Iraq, Southworth volunteered at an orphanage. The man choked up but managed to tell the story of bringing his son home to America. The boy is now a citizen of the United States.
The crowd responded to that inspiring story with cheers that easily equalled any heard given to the speakers expressing their frustrations.
Nonetheless, the media focus on creating a report of a ugly scene. At least regarding the Waukesha event, I know it's manfactured.
The media's intent is clear -- to hurt John McCain's chances of becoming president.
LAKEVILLE, Minn. -- The anger is getting raw at Republican rallies and John McCain is acting to tamp it down. McCain was booed by his own supporters Friday when, in an abrupt switch from raising questions about Barack Obama's character, he described the Democrat as a "decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."
A sense of grievance spilling into rage has gripped some GOP events this week as McCain supporters see his presidential campaign lag against Obama. Some in the audience are making it personal, against the Democrat. Shouts of "traitor," "terrorist," "treason," "liar," and even "off with his head" have rung from the crowd at McCain and Sarah Palin rallies, and gone unchallenged by them.
Where are the reports on the rage that grips Democrat events?
"Traitor," "terrorist," "treason," and "liar" have all been used by Democrats, even by some elected Democrats from the floor of the House and the Senate, to describe President Bush and Vice President Cheney.
At the Democratic National Convention, plenty of loud booing was heard at the mention of John McCain's name.
And there were protesters, Obama supporters, outside the Waukesha event, carrying signs and spewing all sorts of garbage, taunting the crowd waiting to enter the Sports Complex to see McCain and Sarah Palin.
Where is the outrage over that?
McCain changed his tone Friday when supporters at a town hall pressed him to be rougher on Obama. A voter said, "The people here in Minnesota want to see a real fight." Another said Obama would lead the U.S. into socialism. Another said he did not want his unborn child raised in a country led by Obama.
"If you want a fight, we will fight," McCain said. "But we will be respectful. I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments." When people booed, he cut them off.
"I don't mean that has to reduce your ferocity," he said. "I just mean to say you have to be respectful."
Presidential candidates are accustomed to raucous rallies this close to Election Day and welcome the enthusiasm. But they are also traditionally monitors of sorts from the stage. Part of their job is to leaven proceedings if tempers run ragged and to rein in an out-of-bounds comment from the crowd.
Not so much this week, at GOP rallies in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida and other states.
When a visibly angry McCain supporter in Waukesha, Wis., on Thursday told the candidate "I'm really mad" because of "socialists taking over the country," McCain stoked the sentiment. "I think I got the message," he said. "The gentleman is right." He went on to talk about Democrats in control of Congress.
On Friday, McCain rejected the bait.
"I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."
McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:
"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."
He had drawn boos with his comment: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."
When has Barack Obama ever told his supporters that John McCain is a person they "do not have to be scared of as president of the United States"?
When has that happened?
It hasn't happened. No way.
If Obama said something remotely like that, I'm sure the crowd wouldn't applaud. I'm sure they wouldn't remain silent. Obama's crowds boo at the mere mention of John McCain's name all the time. They definitely would react negatively if Obama were to say McCain is not a potential president to be feared.
Obama's message is fear. He and Joe Biden are telling supporters to be afraid. "We can't afford four more years of the same."
I can understand why McCain wants to keep a respectful tone, particularly when he is getting hit so hard by the hostile media for holding rallies that they claim to be nearly boiling over into riots.
McCain also has to dispel any hints of racism. He knows how quick Obama and his followers are to play the race card. McCain and Palin are called racist over the most innocuous remarks.
I wonder about the woman who called Obama an Arab. I think it's possible that she's an Obama supporter who posed as a McCain supporter. That's certainly not out of the realm of possibility, especially since the strategy now is to depict McCain's supporters as unintelligent haters.
The anti-Obama taunts and jeers are noticeably louder when McCain appears with Palin, a big draw for GOP social conservatives.
That's a cheap shot, suggesting that Palin draws nutjobs.
Again, where's the report on anti-McCain taunts and jeers? Are they noticeably louder when Obama appears with Biden?
(Crickets chirping)
"Red-meat rhetoric" isn't just served up by the Republicans.
The Democrats dish it out, too.
It just doesn't make the news.
16 comments:
"The media's intent is clear -- to hurt John McCain's chances of becoming president"
But you've quoted a Fox article! You mean to tell me that Fox is biased against McCain????
Now I don't understand you.
"For days, the mainstream media have been reporting that supporters at John McCain's rallies are raging, bloodthirsty, hateful thugs." McCain plays into their hand by agreeing with them. What and fool or should I say tool.
"...his adopted son, an Iraqi orphan... is now a citizen of the United States."
But heaven help him if he grows up to run for public office and must confront the "he's and arab" crowd.
spice
I wrote: "The crowd responded to that inspiring story [of the Iraqi vet and his adopted son] with cheers that easily equalled any heard given to the speakers expressing their frustrations."
You're mischaracterizing the event and the people in attendance.
The way the media are spinning the tone of the rallies and the behavior of attendees at the rallies is a disgrace.
The lib media are serving as Obama operatives.
"anonymous," 5:56 AM, October 11, 2008--
I quoted an AP ARTICLE that appeared on the FOX site.
AP.
Understand now?
Fox news has shown the video 18 times in the last HOUR of the McCain rally where he had to correct the "he's dangerous" "he is an arab" crowd. They also showed the video of obama talking about how mccain is a hero and should be treated as such, clearly a video you ignored.
Danny Diaz was doing interviews as spokesman for the RNC. He refused to acknowledge any facts against him, and couldn't argue. You know what I was voting for John McCain, and now I am back to being unsure and undecided. Thanks to the RNC and Palin.
Anonymous: As Mary said, check the byline; it was an AP story, and I know from personal experience that AP reporters lie.
And by the way, an obviously older and nervous woman in the crowd says, "he's an arab" (actually, he's half Kenyan, but who cares), McCain takes the mic and corrects her, and you people are all annoyed at McCain?!? Sheesh.
We have serious reasons (here's just one) to be very concerned about an Obama presidency and they have nothing to do with his ethnic background or religion. He's a radical leftist, a socialist, and it will take generations for this country to recover from the damage he and his liberal Democrat congress will do.
It took less than one decade to recover from the mess the last liberal Democrat left us. That darn Clinton - leaving us with a tax surplus, balanced budget and a growing economy. Who knows how much worse Obama could make it. Whatever shall we do without the fantastically successful economic policies of both Presidents Bush. If only there was a candidate who promised more of the same voodoo economics.
How can we solve the national debt?
How Much Do We Owe?
The U.S. debt is huge. The interest payments alone cost more than $400 billion. China is our Master Card and Japan is our Visa. As a society, we owe them $2 trillion, plus interest. And every single day, we borrow another $1.5 billion.
What's All This I Hear About A Deficit? Is That The Debt?
No. The deficit is our yearly contribution to the debt. When politicians talk about slashing the deficit, they mean that *this year* we will still add to the national debt, but maybe not as much as we thought. Presidents habitually propose "balanced" budgets that slash deficits year after year, ending with a balanced budget after five years. Ignoring the fact that Presidential terms are four years, those proposals mean that the government will continue to add to the debt for every year except the last, when we will contribute nothing to debt, but won't do anything to reduce it either.
When the government spends less than it receives, we have a surplus. This is rare. Surpluses come with the same choices as holiday bonuses. You can blow them on iPods (or F-22 Raptors,) or pay off your student loans and credit card bills (or Social Security.)
Why Is The Planet's Wealthiest Nation In Debt?
Just like our hypothetical divorced father, the U.S. has two types of expenses: discretionary and mandatory. Discretionary spending accounts for one third of our budget and funds all the those nice little things that we want, but aren't required to fund. This encompasses most agencies you know about, like the Pentagon and the Departments of Agriculture, Education, State, Labor, Justice, Transportation, Commerce, and Homeland Security. All of it is nice, but if Congress wanted, it could quickly swing the legislative mace and kill off the FBI and the Navy.
Discretionary spending is also the source of those pork barrel projects that get Senator McCain in such a huff. Technically, pork barrel projects benefit the residents of one Congressional district—think of that spiffy new park down the street—rather than further any national aim. In a budget of nearly $3 trillion, they cost around $18 billion.
The vast majority of the federal budget is eaten up by the mandatory spending that funds our social safety net. The big entitlements are Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. The cost of entitlements is driven by the number of eligible citizens, rather than the annual Congressional appropriations process. To our divorced father, they are the court-ordered child support payments.
Congress has the ability to tweak entitlement program eligibility, or scrap them altogether, but politicians don't like futzing with our entitlements because it's one of the easiest ways to get fired.
Don't Mention The War!
You may have noticed, we're at war. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan add to our national debt, but not to our deficit. How? Emergency spending. Congress doesn't have a rainy day fund like most responsible families. When the United States' car breaks or we have an unexpected health scare, Congress waives its few existing budget rules and appropriates emergency funds, adding to the debt like any normal expense. For those keeping track, the wars have added almost half a trillion dollars to the debt.
Even in peacetime the Pentagon guzzles nearly half a trillion dollars annually for its operating budget. The defense budget is so large that it was one of the only points of reference for the recent $700 billion bailout.
Ok, Debt Is Bad. How Do We Reduce It?
If our hypothetical divorced father can reduce his debt, so can the government.
Keep A Budget: Well at least this one is covered. We have a budget and we know exactly where our money goes. See, here's the President posing with his newfangled "E-Budget." To make your own slightly less fangled version, read our post on How To Build Your Own Budget .
Acknowledge The Problem: Hmm, well, we kinda have this one covered. Maybe you remember that Perot fellow, the one with the ears and the oil who loved talking about our debt? He got it. Some of our politicians get it, but Oh! New Program! WANT!
-sigh-
Stop Digging: This means balanced budgets. The government won't ever pay off its massive debt unless it stops sending more than it takes in year after year. Balanced budgets are only the first step. We really need more money.
Make Small Cutbacks: Um, yeah. Whole think tanks devote their time to finding "small cutbacks" that might save a little cash. If the government really was a divorced father, we'd point him to our post: 5 Expenses You Can't Afford If You Have Credit Card Debt.
Start An Emergency Fund: Lockbox, anyone? This was one of the original ideas behind Social Security and Medicare: start a separate fund with a separate funding stream, and keep the big bad mess away from our annual operating budget. It didn't take Congress long, those naughty little rascals, to figure out that the big box labeled "COOKIES - DO NOT TOUCH" was filled with yummy, yummy cookies, on which they've been feasting ever since. Now the trust funds, as the President likes to point out, are filled with IOUs. Whoops! You, however, are more disciplined than Congress, and have no excuse for failing to fund a rainy day fund.
Snowball: You have an edge over the government in that you can start a debt snowball, paying off your smallest balances first and then applying your newfound cash to payoff the larger balances. The government doesn't have "small" and "large" balances. They simply owe tons and tons of money. Revel in your superiority by reading our post: Use Snowball Method Spreadsheet To Pay Off Debts
Make More Money: This means raising taxes, the government's nearly exclusive source of income. Everyone, even people who want more government programs, hates paying taxes. There's nothing pleasant about it. But it's the only way the government can raise cash. We need to pay for all those nifty services like the post office and the Pentagon.
Spend Less: This means cutting services, like that post office and Pentagon thing we like so much. Rarely can we agree on what to fund, let alone what to cut. In a budget of $3 trillion, canceling the government's cable service doesn't amount to much. The big dollar savings come from staunching the future cost of entitlements or scaling back defense spending, but good luck getting the needed votes in Congress.
But Isn't Some Debt Ok?
Some debt is the natural byproduct of a healthy society that reinvests in its future. Just as student loans are investments to boost future earnings potential, the government funds projects that can improve society and the economy. We can all agree that the interstate system is rather spiffy.
Economists bicker over how much debt relative to income is healthy for the economy, but most everyone accepts that a reasonable amount of debt—however much that may be—is alright, much in the same way that carrying a mortgage isn't fundamentally bad.
Public policy is the constant, painfully entertaining struggle to provide the right services at the right tax levels. When you realize that cutting spending means fewer police officers or raising the retirement age, and that making more money means raising your taxes, you begin to understand why we have a $10 trillion debt.
What Can You Do To Reduce The Debt?
The most important thing you can do is to keep paying your taxes. If you are feeling especially charitable, you can make a donation directly to the treasury. Make your check payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt, and in the memo section, write: "Gift to reduce the Debt Held by the Public." Mail your check to:
Attn: Dept G
Bureau Of the Public Debt
P. O. Box 2188
Parkersburg, WV 26106-2188
Obama's economic plan is out of date unless he intends to destroy the United States' economy.
The Democrats and their allies in the lib media are engaged in a smear campaign. They're smearing us.
They're painting McCain-Palin supporters as angry and out of control.
Supposedly, we've been brainwashed by the evil Sarah Palin as she stokes the flames of racism. She's urging us to get ugly.
That's ridiculous.
anon Obamas campaign adds less to the national debt than John McCains according to the Congressional Budget Office, and Bush's advisors. It is clear that Obamas economic plan, which is clearly NOT SOCIALIST and if you think it is, you do not understand marxism philosophy, is better for this country's future. We are in an era where we need balanced budgets, we need to pay off the debt, and work towards a better future. You idiots who are so against paying taxes, shouldn't be allowed to drive on the roads, or drink public water, or have trash collection, or go to public schools, or call the fire departmen, the police, ambulance rescue. Do not expect protection from the military. I will gladly pay more taxes for these services, and so should you.
I have no problem with paying taxes for services and to support the national defense.
I do have a problem with funding a welfare state and enabling wasteful government spending.
I also am against the nationalization of the private sector.
And I do understand Karl Marx. I've read his stuff.
I'm not so naive to believe that Obama is actually going to what he says he's going to do.
So Mary what do you consider to be the welfare state?
I'm using the term to mean a large, powerful, centralized government that takes care of the people rather than the people taking care of themselves. It controls services. It strips people of choice and their freedoms, not to mention their initiative to work hard and succeed.
"Your new tax plan is going to tax me more, isn't it?" the plumber asked, complaining that he was being taxed "more and more for fulfilling the American dream."
"It's not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they've got a chance for success too," Obama responded. "My attitude is that if the economy's good for folks from the bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody."
Yeah, no.
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