Secret Svc links Palin speeches to spike in death threats

Words do matter.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/sarahpalin/3405336/Sarah-Palin-blamed-by-the-US-Secret-Service-for-death-threats-against-Barack-Obama.html

Nothing like a good motivational speaker!

Bk

I don't blame her for any of this. She's a pretty, ambitious, hockey mom/Alaska Governor who was in way over her head. She was selected to be Sen. McCain's VP running mate in a cynical ploy to appeal to the far right wing of her party & Hillary Clinton's female supporters, IMO. (she succeeded in the first but failed totally in the 2nd) The McCain/Palin ticket's ultimate rejection by the American voter discloses, in part that most American voters did not feel she was qualified for the job. I lay all the blame for this unwise choice at the feet of John McCain for either selecting her himself (doubtful) or for not having the honor & courage to stand up to his campaign managers for selecting her. Either way, the fault is his.
Her use of inflammatory rhetoric was, I'm guessing, not her idea.

It's a good point, Devil. But, to me, the question isn't whether she wrote her own material, or even whether she should have refused to deliver certain words which came up on the teleprompter. (Don't forget, it was widely reported in the last couple weeks before the election that she was starting to "go rogue" and deviate from the script.)

The question is whether that kind of inflammatory rhetoric has any place in any campaign in this country, presidential or otherwise. There are quite enough nut-cases out there for security people to have to cope with, thank you very much, without inflaming them with irresponsible speech to the point where they are more likely to formulate the psychotic idea that they somehow need to "save the country" from some perceived "traitor" by doing something which to everybody else is unthinkable.

We don't yell "fire!" in a movie theater. Neither should we suggest sedition in order to whip supporters into a frenzy.

stockingfull wrote:he question is whether that kind of inflammatory rhetoric has any place in any campaign in this country, presidential or otherwise.

Totally agree with you here. My point is that:

1. I doubt she even had a hand in writing the words she spoke at these rallies.
2. That she didn't have either the inclination to stop repeating the hateful rhetoric, or the gravitas to "Buck" her party even if she had.

To me. she appeared to be a wind-up toy that was told what to do, sent out to do it & then returned for further instructions.(Unfortunately for his campaign, McCain appeared the same way, only...she had an excuse...He doesn't)

Devil505 wrote:To me. she appeared to be a wind-up toy that was told what to do, sent out to do it & then returned for further instructions.

I think that's what a lot of us thought (as lame an excuse as that was).

But the back stories now are that she was very much her own person, which raises far more serious questions about her, and about her judgment.

stockingfull wrote:But the back stories now are that she was very much her own person, which raises far more serious questions about her, and about her judgment.

You're going to believe ANYTHING that comes out of that campaign? I don't.

More idiot Keith Olberman lies. This story was refuted by the secret service. Look it up instead of spreading lies. Don't you have anything else to do?

Click on the link. It's not a Keith Olbermann story.

And, if you dispute it, why don't you favor us with a link, instead of your brain-dead cartoon?

This is exactly what I don't want.

Coalkirk, the cartoon was inappropriate.

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Edit: Here's alink that disputes the "Kill Him" comment:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/breakin ... nded_.html

That was rally near here, it was plastered all over the papers. Funny how I never heard that it didn't happen until now.

Richard S. wrote:Edit: Here's alink that disputes the "Kill Him" comment:

Opinion/Comment:

Having worked for the government & understanding how things often work, my guess is that true or not ( (the "Kill Him" yells) that Secret Service SAC in Scranton may have been "instructed" to release a statement denying it happened. Happens all the time in government. It's called CYA...Cover Your Ass..& no one does it better than government employees who fear retribution from above.

OK Richard, sorry about the off topic cartoon.
If you click on the link Richard posted you'll see that the story was reported by Olberman on PMSNBC. That's where I first heard it. He was apparently citing the Times-Leader as his source. Anyway it was crap, didn't happen. Next?

Now I see why I didn't read it, the Wyoming Valley still has two newspapers. The original story was published in the parent company of the paper I get.

Slavoski said more than 20 non-security agents were interviewed Wednesday, from news media to ordinary citizens in attendance at the rally for the Republican vice presidential candidate held at the Riverfront Sports Complex. He said Singleton was the only one to say he heard someone yell “kill him.”

If you read some of the comments below there is few other people that said they did not hear it, hardly proof but nonetheless...

Richard S. wrote:If you read some of the comments below there is few other people that said they did not hear it, hardly proof but nonetheless...

I'm not arguing that it happened or didn't happen....All I'm saying is that a statement released by a government employee is not the absolute proof that it didn't happen that many people are trying to make it out to be.

Still trying to bring down Gov. Palin. Why, the race is over?



Don't be afraid. For now.