You are right Chief, but you must know that the majority of Arizonans are very much the same. I moved to Goldwater country for the fresh air and freedoms that were so much a part of Goldwater's agenda. I am ashamed of Arizona voters but I cannot do or say a single thing about it.

The decision of who we elect is coming from white religious straight men and we had better know it. McCain represents his state accurately. This has tainted the Republican Party and only a third choice could save us from this kind of candidate. I remember the "tar babies" comment and it made me sick.

Is there any chance at stopping this abusive racism?

How in the world can his supporters see anything in this man from the bottom of the shit hole that he stands in ?

From my vantage point, it again as in 2000/2004 is whitewashing the pig neocon style

Dougs commentary should be on every major and minor news source to shut these fools up once and for all so we can get to the real issues that plague this nation.

This must be read by everyone who hears McCain say that Obama is "playing the race card". This is just his backhande, Rove inspired way of making race a forefront issue.

I have posted a clip from this article and a connection to it on my blog, Under The LobsterScope, and I submit that all concerned bloggers should do the same as a favor to their readers.

I wish I could say this comes as a surprise. However, given the racial attitudes of many Republicans, and many Arizonans (my ex lives there), it is not at all surprising. What gets me is that McCain has gotten away with it. However, he's gotten away with so much over the years, including that disgusting, awful ape rape joke, which the press fully enables him to do. Being a war hero should not make a person immune to the rules of decent society (such as staying with your wife despite disfiguring injuries and not abandonning her for a richer, prettier model, another Republican trait, like his good friend Newt) nor the scrutiny necessary to evaluate a presidential candidate. Yet 'Teflon John" escapes every flub, mistake, and misdeed unscathed by an adoring press. He complains about Obama's coverage, but they'd jump on the Democrat for any one of McCain's missteps.

McCain and his surrogates use race: Obama gets accused of it by the media. HOW TYPICAL!!!

I've sent a blurb out to everyone I know along with a link back to this article. Let's hope this news gets around.

Doug, you need to foreward this rant to the New York Times and the Washington Post at least. If they refuse to follow up via their own fact checking and due diligence then that makes both of those respected institutions just as racist as John McCain.

Hopefully McCain will be caught exhibiting his blatant racism on camera in front of an open mic.

War hero? War heroes drop thousands of pounds of iron fragmentation bombs on peasants? Is that what war heroes do these days? I guess so. What a man! I thought war heroes faced live fire while dragging their wounded buddies to safety. I thought war heroes jumped on live grenades to save nearby children. I thought war heroes went above and beyond the call of duty, putting their own lives in danger to save others. I guess I was wrong.

-- Kent Shaw

Most Republicans feel this way. While most would not go out an burn a cross on a black person's lawn, if they came upon one, they might take time to roast a few marshmellows. Most of them don't seem to have any problem with an African American serving in the White House. As long as it's dinner they are serving and not sitting in the Oval Office. What can you expect from a party whose spiritual leadr is Marie Anntoinette?
*********************************************************
As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you
can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office.-Molly Ivins

McCain's turn in the barrel has arrived.

All of you fretful, angst-laden Rant-readers who were convinced that our host was part of the Obama campaign, or a misogynist, or helping McCain win by knocking both Democratic contenders, please note that the presumptive GOP nominee has now been the target of a solid broadside.

And no, this does not mean that our host is now campaigning for Obama.

Most sincerely,

T. J. Flapsaddle

Interesting.

I don't think it is shocking to say that the GOP has been the home of choice for racists, homophobes, xenophobes, christo-fascists, etc since the damn liberal, dope-smoking hippies turned American upside down. Greatest generation my @ss! They gave birth to the commie pinkos!

That was fun.

Anywho, Obama is being too polite as are most Democrats who know in their hearts that the GOP subtly (and sometimes not so much) appeal to the emotions, prejudices and fears of this reactionary constituency of their party. Sure, the party, its committees and politicians all pretend to not endorse the extremists in their midst. Nevertheless, election after election they bait them (gay marriage, Mexicans stealing jobs, stem cells, etc.) to get them to the polls.

Yet, I was never quite prepared to think of McCain as a racist. Although, he strikes me as very old school in some of the worst ways. So, it would not be out of the realm of conceivability to imagine McCain as harboring the attitudes you describe.

Republicans really need to be shamed into denouncing the agents of intolerance, prejudice, fear, etc. among them -- much like McCain did with evangelicals -- when he was against them before he was for them.

excellent post. McCain is not the only racist in the repig party, he has lots and lots of company. The new angle is that it is ok to be a racist if you are talking about illegal immigrants-who mostly come from Mexico. Add them to the rest of the hate list that the repigs stand for.

Hmmmmmm, interesting article.

Just four years ago John Kerry was begging John McCain to be his running mate and many in the Democratic Party were excited about the possibilities. Now that he is running against the annointed one he must be a racist.

I hope someone will ask him how many times he has used the "N" word in his life? I'm sure he will either lie or change the subject which is his most recently used tactics.

People need to remember this when they talk about not voting. This could be the man nominating several Supreme Court justices as well as appointing Federal Appellate Judges, etc., etc.

This country is populated with too many seemingly well mannered, amiable, polite people who are in truth, racists and bigots. It sickens me to know this race will get dirtier as we get closer to election day. There was not a single candidate who escaped the primaries unscathed. If I didn't know better I would think that the USA found the scum of the nation to run for our president...and from what we've had serving for the past 7 1/2 years, anyone thinking that would be correct.

I want to know the truth, and it is nearly impossible to decipher what one reads and hears there is so much out there. I have no reason to doubt what Doug has said today, it dosen't surprise me in the least, especially when they were all drinking.

I have never considered voting for McCain. In 2000 it was because of his uncontrolled temper, but now its because of his stance on the war, his Bush butt kissing, and his chameleon like character.

Rockpyl..where do you get you information? I clearly remember hearing McCain being asked by a tv reporter
"would you consider running as John Kerry's Vice President" He answered with a quick "NO".. a short while later, when he was asked the same question by another reporter this time, he answered "I would consider it" This said, I do not remember hearing anywhere at any time that Kerry had actually ask him to run with him.

I will vote for Obama...and for the record, I am more interested in who will be in his cabinet than his running mate.

I view John McCain as a natural representative of his combination of time and place. Consider his time: He's 72 years old. The world was not nearly so politically correct for most of his political lifetime. The simple fact is that gender, ethnicity, sexual preference and similar social differences were fair game for joviality until fairly recently. That's the way the world was when you were listening and John was telling jokes. That doesn't make him evil. That makes him a man of his time at the time you quote him.

Has he evolved into a man of the time *now*? Partially, I think.

Then there is the matter of his place. I am a resident of Arizona for 12 years. The Phoenix area is one of the most cosmopolitan in the U.S. Everyone is from somewhere else. To call Arizona a hotbed of racism is to be malevolently ignorant.

Dang, I hate defending John McCain. I have no inclination of voting for him whatsoever. I don't even like him. But I don't like this sort of blinders-on diatribe against the man.

You aren't understanding, just ranting.

Diatribe, Warren? The man factually told of a personal experience with subject. This is the farthest from "diatribe" or "rant" I have ever read from Doug. Sometimes the facts are so ugly they don't need any help telling the story! Rock on, Doug!

I never talked like that either. I deplore it. But none of this makes John McCain a racist. It makes him a politician making inappropriate jokes by today's standards for the benefit of a small circle of friends at his table at a restaurant 30 years ago. Jeez!

And man, I hate like hell defending John McCain.

Phil, by the way, please note that every comment you make, or have ever made, will be held to the politically correct standards of the year 2032. Whatever those are.

Running While Black
---- --- By BOB HERBERT, NY Times OpEd, August 2, 2008

Quoted and shared without comment.

Gee, I wonder why, if you have a black man running for high public office — say, Barack Obama or Harold Ford — the opposition feels compelled to run low-life political ads featuring tacky, sexually provocative white women who have no connection whatsoever to the black male candidates.

Spare me any more drivel about the high-mindedness of John McCain. You knew something was up back in March when, in his first ad of the general campaign, Mr. McCain had himself touted as “the American president Americans have been waiting for.” CONTINUED

I read the article, Hal. Sadly, the Republicans have decided to make race a wedge issue, just as they do with guns and abortions. They're a nasty bunch.

Obama's race is irrelevant. Neither party is willing to address the real issues in any meaningful way.

Obama's latest ploy is to pander to the voters with promise of a $1000 "rebate" because of high gasoline prices. This is yet one more LOAN forced upon the American people because it is a "rebate" made with BORROWED money that must be repaid with interest. Financed with 30-year treasury notes means we will pay back $2000 for that $1000 gift. What a deal!

McCain is a racist.

-- Kent Shaw

There's more, listen to ...

the Moses ad's introductory music carefully:

The early sound-track sounds like Black church gospel, as pointed out by this blogger.

Not to state the obvious, but these advertisements are created by experts in their field who know how to insert subliminal messages into ads.