can the mccain campaign be any more negative?

So...did anyone watch Sarah Palin on SNL this weekend? I LOVE how she found time for SNL but can't make time for Meet the Press, This Week, Late Edition, or any of the Sunday morning politics shows.

Anyhoo, Palin and Co. have been working hard to appeal to Joe Six Pack, Joe the Plumber, and God-only-knows what Joe is next (and there's also, of course, Joe the Racist, who is never mentioned in these speeches but he's definitely there). The McCain campaign has been all about the politics of fear, casting Obama as 'the unknown', 'the other', the guy who goes 'pallin' around with terrorists'. Every time I hear McCain ask, "Who is Barack Obama?" I wonder, What ever happened to the Old McCain? You know, the one with integrity. He's been replaced by this man who has no problem inciting an angry mob with his campaign rhetoric.

Oh sure. McCain did denounce such reactions ONCE. Yup, just the one time. Oh, and he did mention during the debate that EVERY TIME this happens, he denounces it. Apparently, McCain, despite various news reports and videos on YouTube, thinks it only happened once. I know you've seen the videos. The ones that clearly show people yelling 'kill him!' when McCain brings up Obama's name. I have abolutely no problem with Rep. John Lewis's comments regarding McCain's campaign and the politics of race. None whatsoever. Why? Well, if anyone knows what kind of horrible things can come from an angry mob, it would be John Lewis.

Apparently, Obama is now a socialist because he wants to spread the wealth (sorry, GOP, but not all Americans have an equal shot at the American dream). And apparently, I'm a communist for supporting him. Yup, at a rally in Loudon County a few weeks ago, Joe McCain (John's bro) called Arlington and Alexandria, VA "communist country."  And so began the politics of division. As Gov. Palin would say, "Say it ain't so, Joe!" I happen to live in Arlington, VA and, seeing as that it's a pretty liberal county with pretty liberal policies and hardly any crime, I kinda like being a communist. And I have no qualms about voting for Obama. Communists for Obama!

Moreover, according to Palin, I am un-American. Why? Because I don't live in a small town.  Palin thinks that only small towns breed American values and send troops off to war to fight. How about we bring back all of those soldiers from large metropolitan areas then? I wonder how'd the conflict in Iraq would turn out then if only the 'real Americans' were out there to fight and who exactly would comprise the Surge.

Being 'American' is such a subjective description, but I'm pretty sure Palin's definition sucks because it alienates most of the country. Still, there goes the McCain campaign with their politics of division. By saying only small towns are pro-American, what does that imply about big cities? And seeing as that her husband was a card-carrying member of the Alaskan Independence Party, maybe she should be asking her partner how he feels about America before dismissing others as not pro-America.

We need someone who can reach across the aisle and work with the other side. McCain has burned so many bridges at this point, I don't think Dems would ever want to work with him again. If anything, McCain and Palin are constantly pointing out that which divides us as a country. Yeah, urban areas are different from rural areas. Liberals and conservatives have differing policies. But what would a McCain/Palin administration do about these differences? How would they bring us together?

Well, if their campaign is any indication, it appears they would only divide us further. And honestly, that is not the change America needs right now.