McCain Reaping what he Sowed

For weeks now, as his poll numbers rapidly erode and he begins to understand that he is not going to be President of the United States, John McCain has increasingly relied upon wholly negative advertising against Barack Obama. Campaign commercial after campaign commercial have hammered away at the insistent theme that Obama is "dangerous", "risky", and wrong for America. His associations have been questioned, his heritage, his faith, his patriotism.

The fruit of this hatemongering is clearly visible now at McCain and Palin rallies, where audience members regularly shout "terrorist" or "Muslim" or "Kill him!". I have said for some days now that McCain could earn some serious points by confronting this element amongst his support, instructing security to remove the offenders from his events, and pushing back against the tide of racial hatred. He has given it a shot, somewhat tepidly, as this YouTube clip testifies.

My gripe is with the befuddled response McCain exhibits when confronted with supporters who claim Obama is an Arab, that he scares them, that he is dangerous. You know why they think that? Because you told them! It's in your ads!

The McCain campaign is going to lose, and if the polling is to be believed, somewhat handily. I think he knows that now, and is working to rehabilitate some of his image of honor. I'm not sure he can succeed.