Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service over death threats against Barack Obama

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financeguy

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Sarah Palin blamed by the US Secret Service for death threats against Barack Obama - Telegraph

The Republican vice presidential candidate attracted criticism for accusing Mr Obama of "palling around with terrorists", citing his association with the sixties radical William Ayers.

The attacks provoked a near lynch mob atmosphere at her rallies, with supporters yelling "terrorist" and "kill him" until the McCain campaign ordered her to tone down the rhetoric.

But it has now emerged that her demagogic tone may have unintentionally encouraged white supremacists to go even further.

The Secret Service warned the Obama family in mid October that they had seen a dramatic increase in the number of threats against the Democratic candidate, coinciding with Mrs Palin's attacks.
 
She's straight. :shrug:

Irvine was told all homosexuals were his peer group, so I just want to make sure we're being consistent. Isn't that fair?
 
I do believe that there were better ways to conduct the campaign in October, than to be stirring up the racial base in the Republican party. I am not surprised there was an increase in threats, however, I think it has more to do with November approaching and election day, than Sarah Palin. I am pretty sure that when Hank Aaron was approaching his record, there was an increase in hate mail directed towards him. It may be a little to convenient to blame Sarah.
 
But at the same time, when the deadline is approaching, fervor is growing and people are generally more excitable, it certainly doesn't help matters to go around hinting that your opponent may be an unpatriotic terrorist sympathizer, while doing absolutely nothing to quell over-the-top comments at your rallies.
 
I do believe that there were better ways to conduct the campaign in October, than to be stirring up the racial base in the Republican party. I am not surprised there was an increase in threats, however, I think it has more to do with November approaching and election day, than Sarah Palin. I am pretty sure that when Hank Aaron was approaching his record, there was an increase in hate mail directed towards him. It may be a little to convenient to blame Sarah.

That may be so, but Palin did use divisive, inflammatory tactics, implying that Obama is a terrorist, which is something that's sure to rile up the base. This then resulted in her rallies having a bloodthirsty, "throw him to the lions" tone. I might excuse her if this happened once or twice, but she continued this behaviour for quite some time, long after she was aware of the effect she was having on crowds. It even took McCain about a week and a half before he began to show some remorse, telling that lady at his town hall that Obama is a "decent American" (note - he said absolutely nothing to dispel the myth that all Arabs are terrorists, he only assured her that Obama is an American).

Is she responsible for every threat made against the Obama family? No. But her behaviour certainly contributed to it. She's a vile woman, and she should be ashamed of herself.
 
I can't see how anyone with any knowledge of US history and even a bit of foresight wouldn't see this type of thing coming as soon as Palin started spewing her crap. It gave people who already feel that way what they see as approval at the very highest levels. I had hoped a McCain campaign would be above using such divisive and plainly hateful tactics. To be fair, I think it did early on (much of his campaign during the later part of the primaries was directed towards the general election) -- until he picked Palin as his running mate and she got going. He chose her, so much of this falls on him also, but she was exceptionally divisive, and actually seemed to be encouraging and thrilled with the most hateful comments from the crowds at her rallies. To someone already of that overtly hateful, racist bent, it was like gasoline on a fire.

(and I think it goes without saying that the people plotting these attacks are the ones ultimately responsible for them, no matter how much approval and encouragement they felt from Palin. Being FYM, however, I think it's best I actually do say/write it in case someone misses that)
 
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