U.S. Elections 2008: General Elections -- Analysis and Commentary

[Lemur]

Looks like London's skinheads want in on the U.S. election: Man shot three times for wearing Obama shirt.

A man told today how he was shot three times in a London street for wearing a Barack Obama T-shirt.

Dube Egwuatu was buying a mobile telephone top-up card in an off-licence when the gunman confronted him and glared at the top, which carries an image of the Democrat US presidential candidate underneath the legend 'Believe'.

The man then launched into a tirade of racist slurs, shouting 'I ******* hate ******' and urging 36-year-old Mr Egwuatu to leave the shop with him. [...]

Realising what had sparked the increasingly violent assault, the terrified Mr Egwuatu zipped up his jacket to cover the image of Mr Obama and walked to his car.

But the shaven-headed man, who was white, followed Mr Egwuatu and after pulling open the passenger door pointed the gun at him.

After pleading with the man to leave him alone, the married former street warden put the keys in the ignition and turned the engine on.

The attacker then fired the gas-powered ball-bearing pistol three times, hitting the civil servant in the face, hand and shoulder. [...]

Mr Egwuatu, a data analyst with Croydon Council, said: 'The venom in his voice was frightening.

'He was telling me that he was going to kill me.

'I couldn't believe it was happening - and just because I was wearing an Obama T-shirt. He was trying to make me walk somewhere quieter, saying: 'I've got something for you,' and 'I'm going to kill you.'

[Ice]

I am not sure how that question even follows what I was saying. You may take the Constitution seriously but what I was saying was that most Americans have not even bothered to read it since they were forced to in the fifth grade. One citizen can't be a watchful eye over the government. Two citizens can't. It has to be a civic commitment or else it's gone. And I think it's long gone, in the case of the U.S. The viewership of American Idol outshines the election debates. What does that say about American people?

In my view, you could replace all the judiciaries in the country, you could vote everyone in Congress out on their rear ends five times straight. But that's not the source of the cancer, the source of the cancer is a spoiled and sheltered American citizen who thinks the point of being in a "free country" is to be free from even worrying about government or politics or other boring and tedious and depressing stuff, and get back to his sitcoms.

Do you disagree with that, or no?

This is why I have limited my arguments on internet forums and in real life. That description is basically spot on.

[Lemur]

This made me laugh — some Obama supporter giving Palin the Rove treatment. Palling around with secessionists.

I guess Seamus was right. He usually is.

[PanzerJaeger]

If I may shift focus back to the election for a moment, I am getting a little concerned with the October negative-fest from McCain. I don't think this strategy can help him win (here's a good analysis of why), but it may encourage certain loony people. It's one thing to question your opponent's capabilities and character, it's quite another to suggest that he's evil. This could make the Secret Service's job a lot harder ...

"One of his earliest supporters is a man named Bill Ayers," [Palin] said. ("Boooo!" said the crowd.) "And, according to the New York Times, he was a domestic terrorist and part of a group that, quote, 'launched a campaign of bombings that would target the Pentagon and our U.S. Capitol,' " she continued. ("Boooo!" the crowd repeated.)

"Kill him!" proposed one man in the audience.

Oh noes!! That is something to be worried about. They've even spray-painted their tee shirts!

[CountArach]

Oh noes!! That is something to be worried about. They've even spray-painted their tee shirts!

Off topic I know, but in my state it was a criminal offence to wear offensive T-Shirts

[PanzerJaeger]

Off topic I know, but in my state it was a criminal offence to wear offensive T-Shirts

Don't you guys have free speech down there? And what's considered offensive?

[CountArach]

Don't you guys have free speech down there? And what's considered offensive?

We don't actually have a Bill of Rights, we are covered by an old British system whose name escapes me now.

And offensive was whatever the cops said it was.

[Tribesman]

This made me laugh — some Obama supporter giving Palin the Rove treatment. Palling around with secessionists.

I wonder when someone is going to do the McCain palling around with terrorists , eugenics nuts , holocaust deniers , radical islamists , fraudsters , murderers , anti semites and neo-nazis one

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

We don't actually have a Bill of Rights, we are covered by an old British system whose name escapes me now.

Common law? And, if the police said it was offensive, is it a summary offence?

[CrossLOPER]

Common law? And, if the police said it was offensive, is it a summary offence?

Dude, he told you. It was whatever the police said it was.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Dude, he told you. It was whatever the police said it was.

I was asking if it was a summary offence, if the penalty was given like a traffic ticket, or if the accused had the opportunity to defend himself.

[Lemur]

Watching the debate, almost in realtime for once. Did my ears just lie to me, or did Johnny Mac just claim that some of the $700 million bailout will go to terrorists? What the heck is he talking about?

[Xiahou]

Watching the debate, almost in realtime for once. Did my ears just lie to me, or did Johnny Mac just claim that some of the $700 million bailout will go to terrorists? What the heck is he talking about?

I heard something like that about oil money I think.... didn't catch an association with the bailout.

[Proletariat]

It was about energy independence, he said something about giving that much away each year to untrustworthy, oil producing states. Prolly could've chosen a more distinct number

[Crazed Rabbit]

Heehee, Brokaw couldn't see the teleprompter at the end.

CR

[Koga No Goshi]

Don't you guys have free speech down there? And what's considered offensive?

It's not about offensive. It's about inciting crowds to the point where people are yelling "kill him!" about Obama and McCain hearing it and saying nothing. A leader would say something like "We won't have any of that kind of talk, that's not acceptable."

A petty person losing would view it as the last hope, perhaps.

[Koga No Goshi]

Don't you guys have free speech down there? And what's considered offensive?

You vote for the party that was throwing out people with peace, anti war or protest t-shirts at Bush appearances left and right, or even forcing them to leave if they had an anti-war bumper sticker on their car in the parking lot. So this sudden crusade for free speech is awfully hypocritical.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Another win for obama. Neither did better on foreign policy or with their closing statement, but McCain is weak on the economy. Next debate is all domestic policy. Can't see McCain gaining any ground in the debates.

[CrossLOPER]

I was asking if it was a summary offence, if the penalty was given like a traffic ticket, or if the accused had the opportunity to defend himself.

My post still applies.

[PanzerJaeger]

It's not about offensive. It's about inciting crowds to the point where people are yelling "kill him!" about Obama and McCain hearing it and saying nothing. A leader would say something like "We won't have any of that kind of talk, that's not acceptable."

A petty person losing would view it as the last hope, perhaps.

I think you're lost.

You vote for the party that was throwing out people with peace, anti war or protest t-shirts at Bush appearances left and right, or even forcing them to leave if they had an anti-war bumper sticker on their car in the parking lot. So this sudden crusade for free speech is awfully hypocritical.

Do you think people with anti-Obama tees and signs are allowed in to his events? Only time I've seen that, they were promptly thrown out.

Speaking of hypocrisy..

[PanzerJaeger]

McCain did much better this time around, as was to be expected in a town hall format. Obama did better than I expected as well.

[m52nickerson]

Another win for obama. Neither did better on foreign policy or with their closing statement, but McCain is weak on the economy. Next debate is all domestic policy. Can't see McCain gaining any ground in the debates.

Agreed, Obama won this debate. He explained his points better, tied issues together better, and hit McCain were he needed to.

McCain did not use anything new, and said "I know how" without telling anyone how.

[Gregoshi]

I wish they would spend less time talking about the other guy's policies and more about their's. I also wish they'd answer the stinkin' questions.

Obama seemed smoother in his answers for the most part and sounded more presidential. McCain sounded awkward when trying to connect with the audience and his answers seemed more of the "and then I'll wave my magic wand" type than Obama's. However, they were both annoying in the way they dodged some of the questions by going into their campaign rhetoric. I'd love to see a moderator continue to ask the same question until he/she got a real answer from the candidates. Anyway, I'll give the nod to Obama again.

[Lemur]

I was only able to watch 2/3rds of it before getting calle away by a sick little girl baby, but it sure looked like Obama was dominating this one. The defining moment for me was when he had just gotten finished talking about how his mother died arguing with insurance companies, and McCain went straight in for some dumb jab about "We still haven't heard a number!" Dude. You don't make stupid little pokes at a guy moments after he talked about his dying mom.

Who knows, maybe Johnny Mac pulls it out in the last third. I'll see tomorrow. Meanwhile, how am I going to convince this two year old to sleep with her head propped up?

[Gregoshi]

Meanwhile, how am I going to convince this two year old to sleep with her head propped up?

Obama has a middle class program for that and Johnny Mac knows how.

[Koga No Goshi]

I think you're lost.





Do you think people with anti-Obama tees and signs are allowed in to his events? Only time I've seen that, they were promptly thrown out.

Speaking of hypocrisy..

I'm not the one whining and crying at criticism about the shirts.

[Koga No Goshi]

Agreed, Obama won this debate. He explained his points better, tied issues together better, and hit McCain were he needed to.

McCain did not use anything new, and said "I know how" without telling anyone how.

That and saying "General Petreaus says.." over and over, I noticed the focus group response bars flatlined when he did that. They did the same thing when he tried to take the tantrum again over preconditions. I think he comes off as a cranky grandpa making a mountain out of a molehill, and I'm surprised they didn't vet him to stop going on about things the audience isn't responding positively towards.

[PanzerJaeger]

I'm not the one whining and crying at criticism about the shirts.

Neither am I. I just asked him a question.

Again, you're lost.

[KarlXII]

I wonder when someone is going to do the McCain palling around with terrorists , eugenics nuts , holocaust deniers , radical islamists , fraudsters , murderers , anti semites and neo-nazis one

Didn't McCain accept an endorsement from a well known anti-Catholic/Semite? I cannot recall clearly, I remember flipping past the story.

[Koga No Goshi]

Neither am I. I just asked him a question.

Again, you're lost.

You brought up freedom of speech as a defense of the borderline hatemob rhetoric starting to float around the McCain campaign appearances. If that's how you feel (that free speech should be paramount) then you're best off attacking Bush supporters instead of Obama ones. Stop defending "principles" in a one-sided fashion and you won't be called out for it quite so often.

I wonder when someone is going to do the McCain palling around with terrorists , eugenics nuts , holocaust deniers , radical islamists , fraudsters , murderers , anti semites and neo-nazis one

You forgot Joe Lieberman. Someone who gets praised by Michelle Malkin is pretty much a disqualification for President right there isn't it? :) For those who blissfully don't know who this little wonder-tart is, she's a Filipina-American who wrote a book defending the internment of the Japanese Americans during WWII http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Defense_of_Internment conveniently right around the time of scrambling to legally justify Gitmo and Abu Ghraib and such.