AFTER 8 YEARS OF BDS...:

A Republican Mob Scene: John McCain's supporters are madder (and scarier!) than he is (John Dickerson, Oct. 9, 2008, Slate)

At a normal campaign rally, it's the candidate who tries to whip the crowd into a frenzy. At John McCain's town-hall Waukesha, Wis., Thursday, it was the other way around. "I'm mad, and I'm really mad," said one man who'd been called on to ask a question. "It's not the economy. It's the socialist taking over our country." McCain started to respond, and the man shot back sternly. "Let me finish please. When you have an Obama, Pelosi, and the rest of the hooligans up there gonna run this country we've got to have our head examined. It's time that you two who are representing us, and we are mad."

After the crowd stopped chanting "USA," McCain promised that he would take on Obama and the Democrats (and wisely didn't choose the moment to present his case for the financial bailout or his plan to have the government buy mortgages). Before the question-and-answer portion of the rally, McCain had already clobbered Obama several times. But the audience stuffed into the gymnasium at a local sports center wasn't satisfied.

A man suggested McCain talk about abortion to draw the distinction between him and Obama. Another asked, "Why is Obama where he's at? Everyone in this room is stunned. We are all a product of our associations. Is there not a way to get around this media and line up the people" whom he is associated with? (No one in the press corps could hear the end of the man's statement because the crowd roar was so loud. Each advice-giver was cheered like a hero.)

...which has seen the Left consciously divide the country during wartime, are they really expecting a free ride for Senator Obama? Republicans need to calm down--ours isn't the party of emotion and tribalism--but they're certainly entitled to blow off some steam.

Posted by Orrin Judd at October 10, 2008 6:59 AM