"No, but he's still got Muslim in him"

THIS is a followup interview with McCain supporter Gayle Quinnell who's told McCain that Obama is an Arab.  
She's not buying McCain's correction. 
Among other comments, the clip includes the following excerpt

> (CNN) His father was Muslim, and he's a Christian.
> Yeah, but he's still got Muslim in him. So that's still part of him. I got all the stuff from the library and I could send you all kinds of stuff on him. In fact....

'Send info' - as she did to people in her phone directory.  Did anyone find it concerning that in response to her original commeent that Obama is an Arab that McCain replied that no, he's a decent family man? 

With the McCain commercial innuendo's and fear mongering, my excitment for Obama's presidency is increasingly growing into concern for him.  How does this all settle down after Obama's win with all the seeds of fear that have been planted?

I think McCain is doing a little too little a little too late, especially with his campaign and his VP still out there spreading malicious lies.

It probably won't settle down. But the fact is.. there's no small amount of nut jobs out there. The ones who barge into Unitarian Universalist churches and kill people because Rush Limbaugh "told him too" (This actually happened!)

All we can do is truth in the Secret Service who, by and large, have done a pretty good job keeping presidents safe since first founded. I trust that they know their job, they know the stakes, and they'll do whatever they must, down to taking a bullet for the President.

Like I said in another thread... I'm amazed by the amount of people who don't know that being Arab is a race. Obama is clearly mixed (black/white) so it's impossible for him to be Arab. I want to smack some people.

I, too, am worried for Obama if he gets elected. An assassination is a very real threat with the idiots that live in the US. It happened to Kennedy and he was white...

And I'm not sure how McCain's response as "He's a decent family man" has anything to do with that stupid woman's statement. I would have said, "No, ma'am, he sure isn't. He's biracial... he's not from an Arab country, nor were his parents".

I swear... I don't think I can defend Americans ever again after the b.s. that comes out of these peoples' mouths.

Aside of the other intelligent comments above, his father had very little influence on him as he only really saw him for about a month growing up and they exchanged letters occasionally before his father's death. They rarely talked. Please, he wrote an autobiography about it, prior to becoming heavily involved in politics, I know you can find this information.

I've always worried about him being assassinated. But then again, I live in the South. It's no coincidence that this race had security at it's highest levels the earliest of any race.

Original Post by sun123:

 How does this all settle down after Obama's win with all the seeds of fear that have been planted?

 First of all, while Obama supporters have a reason to be optimistic, and while a lot of Republican strategists are starting to "call it for Obama", there's still a lot of time left before 11/4.  Obama hasn't won it yet.  My husband is still convinced that Republicans will find a way to steal it.

As for things settling down - I have to hope that they will.  Some things do scare me sometimes - I like to scan the forums at a very hard right website called Free Republic, and I've come across a lot of posts saying that this isn't an election, it's a coup attempt.  Seriously.  Posts that compare the falling economy to the Reichstag fire, blaming it on the Democrats, and even some suggesting taking up arms.  Some are still trying to prove that Obama wasn't born in Hawaii and shouldn't even be allowed to run, and are so convinced of it, that if he wins, they will be considering him illegitimate.  I know it's not representative of all Obama opponents, but it still makes one wonder.

As for that lady - "He's still got Muslim in him"?  What the heck does that mean?  Is Islam some kind of evil virus that one can never get rid of?  Is this lady Christian herself?  I thought one of the basic premises of Christianity is that people are "made new" through accepting Jesus Christ as their savior - that the slate is clean.  The claim she has "stuff from the library" contadicting Obama's faith is rather amusing - I'm wondering what that material entails.

I don't think McCain meant anything towards Arabs with his response to that question, though.  It seemed obvious that the lady was trying to call Obama a terrorist sympathizer, and McCain was trying to cool that kind of rhetoric at a publicized campaign event.  He can't afford that crap when he's losing moderates.

If you look at McCain's face when the woman finally blurts out "he's an Arab", McCain looks shocked. I think he was expecting her to say terrorist. I don't think that until that very moment McCain personally and actually realized what kind of hate mongering and rhetoric his recent campaign had stirred up. McCain and his campaign had been under a barrage of complaints from many of his own sources of supporters about the hate. He had been told to turn down the hate mongering and whipping up of violent speech. I don't think it sunk in to McCain personally until he heard that woman say it out loud directly to him.

I don't think McCain will be proud of how his campaign was run after he gets to take a look at it as it actually happened.

Original Post by santonacci:

As for that lady - "He's still got Muslim in him"?  What the heck does that mean?  Is Islam some kind of evil virus that one can never get rid of? 

Like its inherited.  As if having slave owning ancestors makes you racist.  Muslim has been becoming synonymous with radical islam terrorism.  I feel for Arab Americans. 

Original Post by santonacci:

The claim she has "stuff from the library" contadicting Obama's faith is rather amusing - I'm wondering what that material entails.

I believe her but assume it was from a website off one of the city's computers unless there are now Fox News libraries.

Original Post by moonikins:

I don't think McCain will be proud of how his campaign was run after he gets to take a look at it as it actually happened.

 I strongly suspected he felt that way when he changed from his prior history of election respectable campaigning and wondering how sick he'll feel about it to learn it was for naught by losing the election. 

The outspoken and still conservative son of William Buckley produced THIS recent blog on why he now is endorsing Obama.

Its a good read and he well summarizes the tragedy of McCain's legacy: "This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic ..." He also points out McCain's "ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless."   
To that last description, I'd add harmful and potentially dangerous.

Wow Sun, that Buckley piece was awesome.

I think the reason people out in the general population are so vocal about Barack's so-called muslim associations, is because they know it is politically incorrect to say what's really on their minds - that he is a black man, and they are afraid.

Cannot tell you how many McCain supporters I know, IRL, that say 'Obama just scares me.' When I ask why, they start fumbling around for reasons that include their fear that he will turn us into a socialist country, that he is a Muslim, that he is a 'smooth talker'. When asked to explain their basis for any of these complaints, invariably they return with uncomfortable murmuring and a wish to not 'talk politics'.

People are being confronted with deep seated fears within themselves that they didn't even know existed. Fear perpetuated by the innuendo of the McCain ads. It would be interesting if it weren't so tragic.

Original Post by kathygator:

Cannot tell you how many McCain supporters I know, IRL, that say 'Obama just scares me.' When I ask why, they start fumbling around for reasons that include their fear that he will turn us into a socialist country, that he is a Muslim, that he is a 'smooth talker'. When asked to explain their basis for any of these complaints, invariably they return with uncomfortable murmuring and a wish to not 'talk politics'.

This is very true and even the 'fearful' supporters at campaigns find themselves stuttering over specifics.  How do you capitalize on such fear of the unknown? Fuel it.  Who is Obama really.... ?  The newest last ditch efforts of a desperate campaign.  Wait, why dont you tell us who you think he is?  Oh, not as effective without any hardcore facts to justify fears so back to fueling them.  

And mooni, Buckley really nailed it!
McCain once was maverick-like but now he's a bought man.
He learned through lost elections there are more Republican voters than Maverick voters although with Republican's aboard, he's dragging out the claims of still being the old McCain maverick for the moderate votes. 

Original Post by sun123:

The outspoken and still conservative son of William Buckley produced THIS recent blog on why he now is endorsing Obama.

Its a good read and he well summarizes the tragedy of McCain's legacy: "This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic ..." He also points out McCain's "ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless."   
To that last description, I'd add harmful and potentially dangerous.

This is EXACTLY how I feel about McCain. He used to be the kind of guy I could respect voting for, back when he critized Bush and was on the Daily Show 11 times. Back when he was a conservative and not an @$$ kisser. He is very inauthentic to me, now.

Original Post by kathygator:

I think the reason people out in the general population are so vocal about Barack's so-called muslim associations, is because they know it is politically incorrect to say what's really on their minds - that he is a black man, and they are afraid.

Cannot tell you how many McCain supporters I know, IRL, that say 'Obama just scares me.' When I ask why, they start fumbling around for reasons that include their fear that he will turn us into a socialist country, that he is a Muslim, that he is a 'smooth talker'. When asked to explain their basis for any of these complaints, invariably they return with uncomfortable murmuring and a wish to not 'talk politics'.

People are being confronted with deep seated fears within themselves that they didn't even know existed. Fear perpetuated by the innuendo of the McCain ads. It would be interesting if it weren't so tragic.

 This is exactly it. This country has been so run by fear that it is really dangerous - "the only thing to fear is fear itself." Fear is a powerful force.

What sickens me is that I heard on NPR how the polls can often be misleading when a black man is running for office because people are ashamed to tell the poll taker that they won't vote for a black man, so they say they will but when the election comes they vote the other way.

The only reason the ridiculous Arab-Muslim-terrorist rumors have been able to stick at all is that they are just a euphemism for Obama's race and these people are racists, whether they realize it or not.

You summed it for me, Tincognito. I used to respect John McCain but I feel like this election has turned him into somebody else. 

Fear mongering is an extremely effect tool for gaining support for war, an obvious McCain platform.  Extending it to his opponent doesnt seem like much of stretch.

Obama and McCain already have their supporters and are fighting for the undecided.  Its one thing to preach to the choir like supporters at your own campaign speeches but if someone is willing to consider your opponent, how risky to demonize that candidate.  Discounting them requires diplomacy, something the McCain camp has failed to realize. 

Original Post by moonikins:

If you look at McCain's face when the woman finally blurts out "he's an Arab", McCain looks shocked. I think he was expecting her to say terrorist. I don't think that until that very moment McCain personally and actually realized what kind of hate mongering and rhetoric his recent campaign had stirred up. McCain and his campaign had been under a barrage of complaints from many of his own sources of supporters about the hate. He had been told to turn down the hate mongering and whipping up of violent speech. I don't think it sunk in to McCain personally until he heard that woman say it out loud directly to him.

I don't think McCain will be proud of how his campaign was run after he gets to take a look at it as it actually happened.

 ^^ I agree. 

I find the references to Obama's ethnic background and the veiled insults that are inferred every time McCain or Sarah Palin uses Obama's middle name and stresses the "Hussein" in his name totally and completely offensive.  If these types of remarks were being made about a neighbor or co-worker, we would be appalled.  Some might even consider tactics like these "hate" speech, which is not tolerated in this country (or at least we have laws saying it shouldn't be tolerated).  I am sick to death of the Republican party and the tactics they are employing to direct the voter's attention away from the real issues.  I have never before in my life made a monetary contribution to a political campaign until this Presidential election -- and I proudly sent the Obama campaign two contributions.  We cannot afford another four years of what we've had for the last eight. 

You can't have Muslim in you. Its a religion.  That seems like a stab at Muslims, possibley because they seem to be the cause of all our problems and 9/11: but its not the MUSLIMS that are responsible for 9/11 and all the chaos in the Middle East -Its the JIHAD.

The Jihad follow the same religion as the Muslims-Islam. But Jihads are a radical extremist group of only 15% of the entire Muslim population.

Yes I realize that is getting away from the main topic, but Its important to realize its the Jihads to fear, not all Muslims in general.

I'm sorry.... but what does it matter if the man is a muslim or a christian.... what does the mans faith have to do with anything.... particularly being that our country is founded on a seperation of church and state.... even if the man were muslim would it matter as long as he wasnt entering the Karan into school curriculum.... oh but that is the fear... as christians would love to have creationism as part of the daily lessons they fear a muslim would do the same.... i c now....