The Dangerous Evolution of the McCain Campaign

We are in a very dangerous time in the presidential race as a result of the deterioration of the McCain campaign.  Instead of addressing the economic crisis that the nation faces, McCain and Sarah Palin are promoting guilt by association and wasting our time by focusing on William Ayers and the Reverend Wright, as if this is going to resolve the issues faced by this country.  McCain is running on empty, and meanwhile his audiences at his Town Hall meetings are becoming more scary and terrifying by the hour.

To have racist statements made, to have accusations that Obama is a terrorist and a Muslim, to have suggestions that he needs to be killed, and to have McCain and Palin NOT speak up immediately and condemn such statements,  is a reflection on the despicable nature of their campaign.  McCain and Palin should immediately step in and make clear that such statements are out of bounds.  Instead, they encourage the crowd with their despicable rhetoric and inflame the rallies,  which seem  more like a mob gathering.  It makes one wonder whether McCain and Palin should suspend their speeches, get together with their economic advisers and come up over the next week with a REAL economic alternative, since that is what the American people want to hear instead of divisive, poisonous propaganda that shows no interest in the future of America.

It is of great concern that when the election is over, will we be able to unite and deal with the economic crisis we are in or just have a new level of stalemate and gridlock that will paralyze our ability to improve our domestic and foreign policy in the next four years?  That one individual  at the rally in Wisconsin, who was so out of control in his personal behavior and concerned about the false threat of socialism if Obama wins the election,  is more a sign of what is much more scary–that we have a white supremacist, right wing fascist element in this country far greater a threat to our civil liberties and government stability than anything that a move to the left, after a generation of failed right wing leadership, could possibly represent.

This nation needs to unite and the burden of that is on Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin to STOP the personal attacks and condemn the vile statements made by their supporters and to come up with a viable alternative on the issue of the economy if they wish to have any chance to perform honorably in the election coming up in 26 days.  The legacy of Senator McCain as an historic figure will be decided by how he handles this last month.  He can go down as a statesman who had some major contributions to make in his long career or as a demagogue who divided his country and promoted racial hatred and practiced McCarthyism in his valiant quest for power.