McCain's Regret

John McCain was boo'ed heartily when he did it but he did it. He stuck up for Barack Obama and dismissed the ignorance coming from the people at his rallies.

"[Barack Obama is a] person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States. [He's] a decent, family man." ...John McCain

After months of smearing Barack Obama by his campaign and even more so by the Right Wing media, the resulting hatred has been spilling out in the McCain and Palin rallies this week. Yes, John McCain has sold out to the hate mongers to run his campaign,but in many ways he was never comfortable being one of them. I think McCain let is decent side reappear momentarily yesterday when he defended Obama at a rally, because he NOW realizes (like he did in 2000) that hateful words lead, unsurprisingly, to hatred and too often from the Right, this hatred becomes violence or attempted violence. McCain remembers the death threats eight years ago. He knows what it's like going against these people.

The crowds that show up for his rallies these days appear to have little appetite for the talk of bipartisan compromise that had been at the heart of his message around the Republican National Convention. During a rally outside a small airport in Mosinee, Wis., on Thursday, McCain said that "it's time we come together, Democrats and Republicans to work together. That's my record. I'll reach across the aisle." The crowd stood silent.

McCain really looked a bit horrified this week to hear the angry screams from the crowd in his rallies. "Kill him", "Off with his head", "Terrorist" screamed people in the crowd, echoing the standard logic of McCain or Palin voters. He should have been horrified - but not surprised. Talk to someone supporting McCain and chances are they do it for the same moronic reason. They think Obama is a Muslim or a terrorist. They really do! Who can blame them, that's the diet of lies they have been fed fior the past 2 years - what else would they regurgitate?

John McCain, I suppose, is just beginning to regret just how much he has given up his reputation and honor in by hiring the Rovian smear merchants to lead his run for the White House. He coddled up to the Religious Right, and now they are spreading misinformation for him in the churches. He pandered to the talk radio crowd and they are spewing their usual fare of fear and hate to support him. How ironic that McCain finds himself having to defend his opponent from angry mobs who seem ready to break out into a riot. Perhaps McCain has finally recognized the damage he (and his party) is doing to the country, and now that it seems too late to save the election, he may try to undo the damage he perpetuated and now will try to save this country from the ignorance he had fought against most of his Senate career.

Now that would be the old maverick we used to know.

UPDATE: Palin also Tempers Attacks on Obama