Louisville Courier Journal: Politics Of Venom.

Politics of venom

There is a reason the McCain-Palin campaign has taken such a dangerous and despicable turn.

They are losing.

Reason aside, there is no excuse for the ugliness they have embraced and fomented at their public rallies.

Winning is not everything.

However, desperate pursuit of a fading White House dream has stained the public face of decency that had marked John McCain's political career until this race. The candidate who once decried "agents of intolerance" is one now.

The displays of anger and hatred at several McCain-Palin events are scary and unacceptable in a society that has distinguished itself as a government of, by and for the people -- not the baited mob.

But mob mentality has been on parade at McCain-Palin events, as audience members have shouted "treason," "terrorist," "off with his head" and "kill him."

The candidates are not innocent bystanders. Indeed, they are playing to the mob. How else to explain Sarah Palin's smiling "palling around with terrorists" remark, her talking about "his America" versus "our America" about Obama? Or McCain standing idly by as an attendee called Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi "hooligans," after which McCain agreed?

The Republican ticket has made a decision to exploit people's fears, angers and biases to win political points in a race that is going badly for them.

This is not only a very dangerous and cynical calculation, especially at this time of great economic unrest.

It is an immoral choice.

In criticizing the turn the campaign has taken, John Weaver, a former strategist for McCain, said, "People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, the differences with Sen. Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared to Sen. McCain."

People will not get that sort of civics lesson from the McCain-Palin gang.

At least not yet.

They're banking on winning ugly. But for the good of the nation, for the safety of our candidates, for the sake of their own reputations, they must run what's left of their campaign in a way that respects the voter and the process.

If they don't, we all lose ugly. Just how ugly, we don't even want to think.

Editor's comment: It is all unbelievable, but until Republicans learn how to rid itself of modern day DIXIECRATS, who "pitched their political tent" with Abraham Lincoln's once decent Republican Party (Abraham Lincoln is rolling around in his grave MAD), nothing will change.