The Company They Keep

How much can you judge a candidate by those that support him? Is the candidate the reflection of the values of those who rally to him/her?

The virulent fringes of both the left and right ideologies should be disdained. Not smiled at. But not ignored and certainly not encouraged.

After a Palin supporter shouts “Kill him!” referring to Obama, Palin goes on to fan the flames with “I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America …”

After a McCain supporter shouts “Terrorist” in response to McCain’s rhetorical question of “… who is Barak Obama?”, Johnny Maverick goes on without acknowledgement or scorn. This is the same John McCain who answered the question “How do we beat the bitch?” (referring to Hillary) with the response of “That’s an excellent question.” Remember, this is the same man who called his own wife a cunt in front of three reporters and who thought the way to rally support at a Republican fund raiser was to tell a joke starting with “Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.”

At a rally in Florida, “Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."

Yeah, these are the people I want deciding who leads this country. These are the people whose characters McCain and Palin reflect in order to try and win an election.

Anecdotally, I’ve seen comments referring to Obama as Osama and that Obama’s supporters are garbage men (something wrong with hard working people?) and that his record is a rap sheet.

Making fun of someone is fine. Sneer at Obama and his messianic reputation, his big ears, or even his policies. I don’t even really care about the viral e-mail attacks as those are cowardly and hidden efforts that at least reflect the shame of the perpetrator who knows he/she should remain anonymous. But when people are willing to stand next to their friends and neighbors and be openly accountable for shouting racial epithets, threats, and violence-inciting labels, it tells me there is something extremely wrong with those people and those that not only turn a blind eye to it but continue to inflame it.

Tell you what Ms. Palin, you’re right. I don’t see America as you see it. Because I wouldn’t tolerate that shit.