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Monday: Getting uglier
posted at 2008-10-20 23:59 | Last modified 2008-10-21 00:23
The AP reports tonight that a black bear cub was shot dead and left on the WCU campus in Cullowhee, its corpse decorated with Obama campaign signs. More here from the AC-T.
First, a journalist attacked by a Palin supporter. Then, 30 tires slashed at an Obama rally. Now, a dead animal with Obama's name attached. Has this race gone too far? If not, what would "too far" look like?
I had a couple of emails from Republican friends who felt I was being unfair to their party. State GOP spokesman Brent Woodcox says it's not as if the Republicans have a corner on hate:
"It is a point worth making that idiocy is not solely characteristic of any one party. We all share the blame for the current political environment and we all share the responsibility of moving to a higher road."
Woodcox points out that GOP Veep pick Sarah Palin has been subjected to more than her share of nastiness, too, like a certain obscene T-shirt sighted in PA. I won’t describe it here because it would probably get me fired for obscenity, but ABC’s Jake Tapper has a SFW version.
I agree with Woodcox that the t-shirt is reprehensible, and that there’s plenty of rudeness going round on both sides. But there’s a big difference between name-calling – even vile, offensive four-letter name-calling – and assault or property damage or dead animals.
I’m sorry if this seems biased against the GOP. For the record, I do NOT believe these acts are representative of the Republican party, though I don't understand why mainstream NC Republicans aren’t speaking out against them.
If I hear a credible account of destructive stunts by NC Dems, I’ll report it here ASAP. So far, I haven’t.
Fanning follow-up
Fay-O’s Paul Woolverton dropped me a line regarding Diane Fanning, the woman who shouted "Boo! Socialist! Get out!" at Obama yesterday at a Fayetteville restaurant. Turns out Woolverton covered an anti-war rally that Fanning tried to disrupt back in March 2007. From that story:
Up on the hill, counter-protester Diane Fanning of the conservative organization Free Republic was unimpressed. She used a megaphone to loudly yodel, “LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA!” into the amphitheater to disrupt Southworth’s speech and the others’ presentations.
“There’s no use for them,” Fanning said later. “They’re against everything that this country stands for. They would have everybody roll over and play dead.”
The counter-protesters used large speakers to project heavy metal music, country music, patriotic songs such as The Ballad of the Green Beret, and speeches by President Bush and Winston Churchill.
Why did the counter-protesters try to drown out the peace activists? “Why not?” Fanning said. “They would do the same to us.”
Well, at least she’s consistent.
Worth a listen
WUNC’s Yasmeen Khan pulled double-duty this past weekend covering the NC visits of John McCain and Barack Obama. If you missed her excellent story, it’s here.
BTW, rumor has it Palin’s coming back to Fayetteville Saturday. More when I get it.
Thank you!
As you’ve no doubt noticed if you’ve tuned in for more than two minutes lately, we’re having our fall fund drive at WUNC. So far, it’s gone amazingly well, despite the dour economic news of late.
Thanks so much to all of you who’ve contributed so far. If you haven’t yet, here's a gentle reminder: the station keeps the Tavern's lights on. If you think this is a worthwhile expenditure, please let ‘em know.
Comments? Drop me a line.
