Patriotismgate
Did Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin find themselves in their own “Bittergate” situation last week and today? Of Bittergate, I’m of course referring to the comments Senator Barack Obama made several months ago about small town citizens clinging to guns and religion when they get angry. It targeted a certain portion of the population to portray them as something they’re not, and of course it was dead wrong.
That’s what Patriotismgate (shoot me if you hate cliches) is all about, in a sense. It was a comment that targeted a certain portion of the population to portray them as something they’re not, and it’s wrong too. In an interview Governor Palin gave to CNN today, she apologized for the comments.
Palin also apologized Tuesday for any misunderstanding caused when she referred last week to the patriotic values of “the real America” and “pro-America areas of this great nation.”
Democrats and others criticized Palin for seeming to imply that some parts of the country are more patriotic than others.
Palin denied that was her intention in an interview with CNN on Tuesday.
“I don’t want that misunderstood,” Palin said. “If that’s the way it came across, I apologize.”
The Alaska governor made the remarks at a fundraising event in North Carolina last week.
“We believe that the best of America is in these small towns that we get to visit, and in these wonderful little pockets of what I call the real America, being here with all of you hard-working, very patriotic, very pro-America areas of this great nation,” she told the crowd.
Now, do I believe that Senator McCain or Governor Palin believes that certain portions of the country are patriotic. Of course not; not any more than Obama believes small town folks cling to guns and religion. But Senator McCain isn’t helping my argument. Here’s what he said today at a rally held today in Western Pennsylvania (emphasis mine):
Referring to Rep. Jack Murtha’s remarks on the region’s alleged racism, McCain said: “I think you may have noticed that Sen. Obama’s supporters are saying some pretty nasty things about Western Pennsylvania lately.”
McCain: “And you know, I couldn’t agree with them more.”
“I couldn’t disagree with you.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more than the fact that Western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most God-loving, most patriotic part of America… this is a great part of the country.”
Give me some slack, Senator McCain! I’m trying to defend you, and you pull this one? Give a blogger a little help!
Here’s the video:
So…McCain’s comment is the one here that draws your criticism?
What’s interesting is that Rep Bachmann and Rep Hayes made similar comments, attacking the patriotism of liberals country-wide and in Congress (Hayes) and Obama (Bachmann). These two are now finding that their opponents are mounting strong challenges after countrywide donations filled their coffers. Bachmann’s opponent in particular, received over 1 million in one week due to her statement that Obama needed to be investigated for antiamericanism. Hayes, who said that “liberals hate hard-working real Americans like you’ now cannot recall making the statement.
This whole strategy of trying to hint that somehow liberals are not good Americans, while God-fearing conservatives in small town America are, and are also more hard-working is coming back to haunt the GOP. It is a despicable, divisive tactic- one that they should be apologizing for. Most Americans are looking for leadership in a time of crisis- and this is not it.
Of course, when partisan Democrats make offensive comments to the effect that all Republicans are racists or warmongers, I notice you do not complain about “despicable divisive tactics” at all, Kim. In fact, I have seen you from time to time actually participate in that kind of partisan hatred yourself.
Partisan scripts are so predictable.
I do not believe that all Republicans are racists or warmongers but I do believe that McCain/Palin’s campaign attracts and encourages the extremists, bigots, racists, and rednecks in their erroneous beliefs and is purposely doing this. I believe that they are purposely saying outrages things knowing that they will have to apologize or claim they are being misunderstood, or that that is not what they meant. Mean while the idea they wanted is out there and they also gain media attention that they wouldn’t get otherwise. They are playing a very dangerous game. Take Palin’s interview on CNN. She apologized but the whole interview was a free ad on CNN for the McCain/Palin campaign.
Jason- Feel free to elaborate. Pls show where I said all Republicans are racists and warmongers. I’m pretty confident you won’t find even one quote.Its not true-not even close. And even if I did say it- how would that justify what the GOP is trying to do here?
And for the record I do not hate all Republicans- Just George Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove, LOL. I happen to think very highly of many Republicans- Colin Powell, Dick Lugar, Gerald Ford, John Warner, Charlie Crist,David Gergen, Patrick Fitzgerald, Gov Schwarzenegger,Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe even John McCain- before this campaign. In fact, I’m even closely related to some nonracists who are registered Republicans.
But, getting back to the subject, this goes beyond the pale. No one has the right to decide who is a “real” American and who isn’t.
Well what do you expect from an “out of touch”, “erratic” (psst, maybe a little bit senile) old white guy and a “hard right”, “ignorant”, “beauty queen” who isn’t even a woman.
So…McCain’s comment is the one here that draws your criticism?
You need to look at the chronology. Palin apologized for her comments this weekend, and then McCain made his yesterday. It’s an indication of a lack of communication between them, if nothing else. She backtracks on her comments only to have him a make similar one?
And yea, they’re both bad.
Barack Obama and Joe “that ad was horrible” Biden could also learn to communicate, too.