Personally, from the youtube videos and press reports I have seen from these rallies, I do think the Republicans have been playing with a heady and potent drug. They appear to be directing tremendous fear and fury towards an identified person and making it seem heroic and patriotic to stop him. The comment that upset me the most was from Governor Palin. She said: “I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America.” What I heard in that comment was her appeal for help, for protection from this scary thing. From what I have read, that really got the crowd into a frothy state.

That’s right. Not remotely close. Period.

Why the fainting spells, then, about McCain/Palin bringing up Obama’s associations? (the increasingly angry, ugly, and personal tone of their campaign rhetoric, which has played up the Obama-as-terrorist-Muslim-traitor-secret-communist, and which has prompted the over-the-top rage and hatred). Far as I know, McC-P never used that rhetoric. The campaign’s claim, to be sure, is that Obama’s close links to some very questionable characters (Ayers, Wright, Rezko) shed light on his judgment in establishng these links: it’s very arguable that Ayers was a terrorist, Wright a bigot, and Rezko a criminal. Why is it “angry,” etc. to point that out?

More precisely: why now the concern with rageful speech, and more precisely still, why float the idea of criminalizing it? Nearly 8 years of “Bushitler”; Bush the war criminal; Bush lied, thousands (millions?) died; General Betrayus; etc — now there’s suddenly a concern about (asserted) inflammatory rhetoric? I can’t wait to see what ideas the Obama Administration has in mind to keep us all safe from airing his background.

start:

Please America open your eyes to the lies and deception being propagated and the truth totally disregarded by the main stream! If you have read this before that is OK too as we need to get this message out to all and remind everyone our security, freedoms and liberties are up for grabs. Our enemies have said over and over again we can come to power and destroy America by infiltrating the country and the political power.

remember the college roommates of Obama’s that where

born in Pakistan ? They are in charge of all those ‘small’ Internet

campaign contribution for Obama. Where is that money coming from?

The poor and middle class in this country? Or could it be from the

Middle East ?

‘Beware of the enemy from within’!!!

end.

——————————————

bottom line–that is at the core of REpublican rhetoric now. and if you just shrug and ignore it, we’re on the way to Weimar.