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Hazardous Duty
Pity the African-American TV cameraman assigned to cover a Sarah Palin brownshirt rally. He should be getting hazardous duty pay.
From Jacksonville in the northeast to Pensacola in the Panhandle, the fiery crowds gathered to jeer at any hint of liberalism, boo loudly at the mere mention of Senator Barack Obama's name and heckle the traveling press corps (at a rally in Clearwater, one man hurled a racial epithet at a television cameraman).If there were undecideds, independents or swing voters among them, they were awfully hard to spot.
Let's be clear. Sarah Palin is not being employed to change the minds of "undecideds, independents or swing voters". She is being used to rile up the Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity base. The McCain campaign is playing defense when they are three touchdowns behind, late in the fourth quarter.
I work at USC and we know this is not a strategy for victory.
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Couldn't help but notice...none of the racial slur charges were made in this article...what gives?
October 8, 2008 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
What the hell are you talking about? Look at the highlighted part of the NYT quote.
If you need it spelled out perhaps you should go revisit this post, which I assume you read seeing as you commented on it yesterday:
http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/palin_supporter_calls_african.php
October 8, 2008 2:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am mystified by the strategy. She is being employed in ways that offer no hope for victory. If McCain/Palin is not playing to win, and are employing dishonorable tactics likely to diminish or end their political careers, what are they doing?
October 8, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Was just reading the blog of a media intern who commented on people in Clearwater making racist comments towards a black cameraman - so bad that a "portly white guy" was removed by security.
These crowds not only boo at Obama, but the secret service is now investigating events at two campaign stops where people in the crowd yelled out "kill him" when Obama's name is mentioned.
It is shameful and disgraceful. McCain and Palin seem disinterested in intervening or in taking the time to remind people that this is the US of A, not some middle east country where this type of behavior is encouraged and enabled.
October 8, 2008 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you have a link for that?
October 8, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I haven't seen video of "Kill him!" but HuffPo has collected several of the other crowd callouts here.
October 8, 2008 4:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Would it be possible to get videos of some of these incidents, such as George Allen's macaca moment - which destroyed his candidacy? Then, get them distributed here, Huffington, Olberman, et al? We're wanting an Obama / Biden landslide now and this would certainly help.
October 8, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Palin seems to be no more than a rabble rouser.
October 8, 2008 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd like to see a demand for a public apology from both the public and media to the working stiffs in the media whose security has been threatened. Covering a campaign rally should not entail accepting war zone like danger. The Secret Service is responsible for the protection of candidates -- but the campaign has responsibility for security of those attending events, and that includes media figures and technicians.
October 8, 2008 2:39 PM | Reply | Permalink