Former McCain aide warns of "angry mob mentality"

[Bensthename]

at McCain/Palin events More Republicans are worried about the angry tenor of the McCain/Palin campaign events. The "angry mob mentality" is what John Weaver calls it:
The raw emotions worry some in the party who believe the broader swath of swing voters are far more focused on their dwindling retirement accounts than on Obama’s background and associations and will be turned off by footage of the McCain events.

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.”
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1008/14445.html

[firedupdem]

1. If they had actual plans for the country they could discuss those..

they don't so they resort to these tactics and bring out the nuts. McCain should be ashamed.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Repeatedly saying "Who is the REAL Barack Obama" is implying

that he's somehow other than a United States Senator and an upstanding US citizen. That's no accident--they're not just trying to say he's lying about his Senate record or his past actions, they're suggesting he's something dangerous and subversive. That's part of what's fueling the angry mobs--McStupid himself is to blame for that.

[Virginia Dare]

7. He's stoking mob mentality based on lies and innuendo..

it's equivalent to a lynch mob really.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Yep.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. "the protection of our civil society"

Indeed. This is serious shit they're stirring up. They can't win with it, but they can tear down any thin veneer of civil society in the rigorous political-philosophical sense.

The moderate GOPers are abandoning the McCain/Palin Demagogue Freak Show. The fringe lunatics of the right are on their own. The only problem is that we know exactly how they behave when they're on their own. Ask the people of Oklahoma City whether the fringe lunatics of the radical right know how to live in civil society in a democracy.

McCain has a responsibility here to tell his people that they are straying beyond the pale of acceptable social behavior. It is his ultimate test of character: will he put country and patriotism and the well-being of Americans above his own political ambition?

He should dress down the swaying, frothing mob and remind them what a democracy is.

[Wapsie B]

4. It's almost as if McCain wants to throw the election.

Surely even on his worst days of mental clarity he can see that whipping up support among the rabid racists in this country will not win him voters on the fence.

[Raster]

6. McCain's race baiting and thinly veiled antagonistic comments only further show HOW UNFIT HE IS TO

BE PRESIDENT!!!

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. OTOH, when the election is diebolded then the tactics and rhetoric

will be vindicated by their 'victory' which will enable the full weight of the neocons and xtian taliban to be unleashed because, as the election proved, they are the majority and are therefore right.

It may sound paranoid, but then I have never in 45 years of watching politics ever seen a major candidate embrace such anti-democratic, theocratic rhetoric as Palin has. They've always hidden their views or been marginalized early on. And you KNOW that Palin is the real candidate. I (and i suspect they also) don't expect that McCain would complete even half a term before either dying or stepping down for health reasons.

[iceman66]

15. Scary but true!

[redqueen]

11. Nah they just need a few riots... then they can cancel the election, right?

[Wapsie B]

14. Yeah, another goon squad in a big swing state like Fla. in '00.

That or another terra attack.

[Overseas]

5. IF they would only get the media to tell the truth about those rallies or BOYCOTT THEM.

I wish there were a shred of decency left in the corporate media and they would either

BOYCOTT the hate filled McLiar and Failin rallies

or

Just be honest about them !! Desperate about their falling poll numbers, McCain and Palin again today stirred up hatred in the crowd at their rally by lying about Obama's past associations. They once again insinuated that he was associating with terrorists, even though Professor Ayers has many Republican associates too, and McCain knows that. McCain and Palin seem unconcerned that their rallies have stirred up violent sentiments in the crowd, including shouts of "Kill Him" when they have used these lies about Obama before.

[Crowman1979]

9. McCain has fallen out of favor with sane and rational people.

And now he has the RW talk-radio uber fans, freepers and other assorted nutjobs as his base.

[tigereye]

12. yeah, it's a really poor strategy in this economic climate...

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

17. They know they've lost.

This is a preview of the Republican strategy for the next four years. They can't beat him, so they're going to try to destroy his effectiveness as a politician.

[MindMatter]

13. I guess that's why Weaver is "former" aide

John McCain don't need no stinking advice. He's a freaking ex-POW.

[Virginia Dare]

16. Just like his "pal" G.W. Bush...

he got rid of any voices of sanity.