How Low Will McCain Go?

by David Safier

McCain’s poll numbers are sinking, but his dignity and honor — what little he has left — are sinking faster. It’s hard to imagine new lows in presidential politics, but Palin/McCain may be reaching down for them. If the mob-mentality responses of his crowds are any indication, those two are playing a very dangerous game.

This from the Washington Monthly blog, Political Animal

Yesterday, John McCain delivered an unhinged anti-Obama diatribe in New Mexico, and when he posed a rhetorical question — “Who is the real Barack Obama?” — someone shouted, “A terrorist!” McCain paused momentarily, but did not comment on the remark.

Also yesterday, Sarah Palin repeated one of her unusually stupid attacks, rehashing the nonsense that Obama “pals around” with terrorists. One man in the audience, responding to Palin’s smear, shouted, “Kill him!” Palin also did not comment on the remark.

At the same Florida event, Republicans shouted abuse at journalists, hurling obscenities. The Washington Post reported, “One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, ‘Sit down, boy.'”

And just to top things off, last night, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania announced its belief that Obama is “a terrorist’s best friend.”

I never thought I’d be citiing Rudy Giuliani as the voice of reason, but here’s a reasonable response from him awhile back when someone compared Democrats to terrorists — also from Political Animal:

Jason Zengerle reminded us this morning of a speech Rudy Giuliani gave in 2006, when he was interrupted by a supporter who said terrorists reminded him of Democrats. Giuliani stopped and said, “Time out. The other thing we have to learn is that we can’t get into this partisan bickering. The fact is that Republicans and Democrats have the same objectives…. Democrats are loyal Americans. Republicans are loyal Americans. I think we have better answers, but we have to respect each other.”

From Rudy’s mouth to McCain’s ear. I don’t think it will happen, but I can hope.