Tires of 30 vehicles slashed during Obama rally in

Thirty parked automobiles had their tires slashed during an Obama rally in North Carolina yesterday:

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Authorities say someone slashed tires on at least 30 parked vehicles while their owners were attending a Barack Obama rally in a North Carolina coliseum.

The tires were cut Sunday outside Fayetteville's Crown Coliseum, The Fayetteville Observer reported Monday.

Cumberland County Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Smith said Monday afternoon there were no suspects, but the case still was being investigated. [WRAL; HT: Swampland]

As Capt. Fogg observes in the Swash Zone, the crazies have added "socialist" as a line item in their increasingly fevered anti-Obama litany. These somewhat confused class warriors have started brandishing toilet plungers, as this video of a voter harrassment protest in North Carolina.

Comments

[B-Money]

Nothing new, and certainly not a one sided occurence!

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=271676

Also, in the Milwaukee case, the perps were the son of a black Democratic congresswoman and his little band of buddies, one of whom was a Kerry campaign worker.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1271663/posts

But because Obama is black this is 2008 occurence in NC is racist and some sort of GOP intimidation tactic I assume.

[B-Money]

Also, see this:

http://www.courttv.com/trials/omokunde/011806_ctv.html

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

I see from B-Money's links that a group of Democrats slashed tires in Wisconsin in 2004 and 2006. That's deplorable. Tire slashing is deplorable, not matter who does it. As Samuel L. Jackson might say, "Yes they deserve to die, and I hope they burn in hell!"

This week's tire-slashing at the Obama rally is just the latest in a string of racially charged incidents in North Carolina alone. Let's not forget the reporter who was kicked to the ground by a Palin supporter for daring to talk to some Obama hecklers, or the woman who screamed “Socialist, socialist, socialist — get out of here!” at Obama and refused to shake his hand.

[swampcracker]

Great minds think alike ... my friend and coblogger, Captain Fogg, just posted a piece called: "Insane McCain." I added this tire slashing incident in the comment section under his post.

B-Money, yes, indeed, it is ... because McCain has run an absolutely filthy campaign, as everyone anticipated he would.

[parse]

How is screaming "Socialist, socialist, socialist--get out of here!" at someone racially charged, unless you assume that any invective launched at Obama is racist? Similarly, as B-Money points out, there's certainly nothing inherently racist about slashing tires.

I wouldn't discount a racist motive in either incident, but it seems a bit presumptive to conclude that there was one. Diane Fanning has been identified by name in the article about Obama's visit to the barbecue joint--are you really comfortable in assuming racial motives to a specific individual person merely on the grounds that she rudely heckled a Presidential candidate?

[B-Money]

Ah, such wonkism. The 2004 incident was on election day and prevented people from getting to the polls! How underhanded and criminal is that!? Talk about disenfranchising people, a word the left loves to throw out these days.

As for it being racist, please, try again. Such a lame excuse. Yes, McCain's campaign has been negative. But this incident is not even close to as deplorable as the incident in Milwaukee in 2004. Plus, look at who committed the crime in 2004! Children of local powerful Democrats in Milwaukee. So before you go casting your stones here Lindsay, maybe look to past and see that your party's hands are also unclean!

As for your Samuel L. Jackson comment, funny, but had I said it, I would have been slammed. I love the equality here!

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Slammed for what? Samuel L. Jackson is a role model who deserves to be quoted often, and at length.

It's terrible that those Wisconsin Democrats slashed tires. I'm serious. Especially on election day.

McCain and Palin are stoking their base and ignoring sustained bad behavior by their supporters and these kinds of incidents are only going to get worse.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

It's the "get out of here" and the refusal to shake the candidate's hand that are racially charged, not the allegations of socialism.

[B-Money]

So if I refuse to shake a black man's hand, it is automatically racist? What if I disagreed with a political candidate on the issues, and refused to shake his/her hand and they happened to be a minority, is that racist?

[The Phantom]

Lets see if they catch the people who did this. I hope they're nailed to the cross.

And it's not at all impossible or even improbable that it was done by someone wanting to make McCain and Republicans look bad. There have been a number of noose/KKK graffiti/Nazi graffiti incidents where the actual perpetrators were the alleged victims. These incidents took place in NY City and around the country, and a number of them were at universities.

Lets see what we learn going forward.

[The Phantom]

I would not shake Al Sharpton's hand- I think him to be a racist criminal.

Does that make me racist?

[B-Money]

Samuel L. Jackson as portrayed on "Chappelle's Show" us fantastic and, yes, a role model! Agreed! Even the real SLJ is worthy of the same.

(But had I said it, it would have been ripped apart by certain people here. You know this. Same if Phantom said it. Anyone who leans even a bit center, away from the left, is hassled here quite a bit. Note TB's assertion that em doesn't even talk to anyone associated with or formerly associated with the GOP. People like that!)

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

Not necessarily, but descriptions of the Cape Fear BBQ incident make me suspect there was a strong racial vibe. When the woman was interviewed afterwards, she made a point of accusing Obama of being a closet Muslim.

[Alon Levy]

It's the "get out of here" and the refusal to shake the candidate's hand that are racially charged, not the allegations of socialism.

I can't agree here. In 2003, there was an incident in Ohio when Bush entered a sports stadium, and as everyone stood up, one fan turned away from him in protest. In 2004 he ran for Congress and was one of the earliest candidates supported by and advertising on Daily Kos.

Some people aren't into venerating the office of the President, at least when the President belongs to the other party.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

I'm not arguing that everyone who refuses to shake a presidential candidate's hand is being racist. I'm saying that news accounts of this particular event made it seem like a racially-charged outburst.

[Norman Costa]

My prediction is that the hostility and aggressive behavior on the part of McCain supporters will get worse as the election nears. The greater the desperation of the McCain campaign, the greater will be the unfortunate consequences of desperate acts that aim to hurt or destroy. The gross mischief, begot of high emotions and lack of self-control, will give way to intentions of doing great harm and then realizing them.

Of course, it's deplorable when either side demonstrates ill behavior. But, I agree with the comment above that McCain and Palin have stoked the flames and incited in a way that I haven't seen in a long time.

There is nothing wrong, on its face, with being called a socialist. Eugene V. Debs would have reveled in it. The problem is that the term becomes a label of opprobrium and it is hurled with insult and incitement. It's one thing, simply, to say it about Obama. It's another thing to use it to denounce him with great accusation.

[parse]

Lindsay, do you know what specifically in the news accounts you read made Fanning's remark strike you as "racially charged"? In the account you linked to at pandagon, the only overt mention of race I see is the reference to the "majority white clientele of several dozen."

I don't think the suspicion there's a racial element in Fanning's hostility is unreasonable, but I don't think I'd publicly pass judgement based on the available evidence.

[Lindsay Beyerstein]

I'm thinking of this Politico report in which Fanning accuses Obama of being a closet Muslim.

QED. Anyone who raises the closet Muslim canard to a reporter is a racist. Or, if you prefer, a bigot. Muslims aren't a race, but it's a racially motivated slur against Obama to claim that he's Muslim against ample evidence that he is a Christian. Moreover, even if Obama were a Muslim, only a bigot would treat that like it was anything to be ashamed of. Keith Ellis is a Muslim, and an excellent representative for his constituents.

There's other stuff in the Politico report that raises the issue of race, too:

Sheila Evans, 39, who is biracial, told Obama, “I’m so proud of you.” She told your pooler Obama had chosen a restaurant frequented more by whites, while one a couple of doors down had predominantly African-American diners on Sundays.

But some of the other older white diners looked surprised and slightly uncomfortable as Obama stopped at their tables to shake hands. “I’m surprised, but I’m not going to say anything else,” said Pat Smith, who was joined by her husband.

It's a delicate topic, and the "objective" pool reporters can't just come out and say, "the bigot-to-normal-person ratio was uncomfortably high in there"--but the reporter is begging us to read between the lines.

[swampcracker]

It is rare to find a politically tranquil moment these days. I was having dinner tonight with a friend, a conservative Republican, who is voting for Obama (our two cars are the only ones in the car park sporting Obama stickers).

I give him a lot of credit for voting his conscience, something many Republicans have been forced to do this year. Other conservative defections: Susan Eisenhower (the granddaughter of President Eisenhower, Christopher Buckley (the son of William F.), and, of course, Colin Powell. It takes courage to break ranks and abandon old loyalties. For us, it is easy because we get our first choice, or close to first choice. For conservative Republicans, it must be harder because they must traverse a much longer distance to arrive at where they are. I give them credit.

(But not you, Phantom)

[The Phantom]

I'll give Al Gore's running mate for voting his conscience. It must be harder because he must traverse a much longer distance to arrive at that point. I give the senator from Connecticut great credit.

[swampcracker]

Phantom: "I'll give Al Gore's running mate [credit] for voting his conscience,"

You'll give Al Gore's running mate what, Phantom? A bris?

[The Phantom]

Presumably that mission was accomplished some time ago

[Dabodius]

Quoting Samuel L. Jackson? Isn't there an apposite line about removing snakes from one's plane?

[Capt.. Fogg]

Thanks for the link, Lindsay. There seem to be snakes on this plane too - the kind that spit false equivalencies in your eyes to blind you.

Is there anyone's mother who didn't tell them "two wrongs don't make a right?" It doesn't matter that some Democrat may have slashed a tire during the last election and to defend the Republicans by Googling for some offense by a Democrat is only effective in pointing out the vapidity of the gambit.

Obama hatred comes from more than just political differences and the wild accusations about terrorism and Madrassas is unique. The articles about how he will appoint Jesse and Al to cabinet positions isn't about policy, is it? Nobody is speculating about how McCain was brainwashed in Hanoi, are they?

It's pretty hard to assert that all the nonsense about Obama being an Arab Muslim who is financed by Pakistan and wasn't born in the US isn't redolent of racism. It's hard in person anyway, because then you'd have to say it with a straight face.

[B-Money]

Capt. Fogg, I was in no way defending what happened in NC to Obama supporters. And I did not have to Google the for similar incidents. I am from Milwaukee and am very familiar with what occured there in the 2004 election. So you can adjust your tone on that.

But who is defending what? Your post is more defensive of what the democrat supporters in Milwaukee did than my post was in regards to the NC incident. I was merely pointing out that this has occurred before and that the pendulum swings boths ways. No side is free from guilt. That is all I am trying to point out. It appears that you disagree by dismissing what occurred in Milwaukee 4 years ago.

I also love how anyone who may question Obama is lumped in with the xenophobes and racists who do hate him. I am like Obama, but question some of his policies, but whenever I do, I am thrown in with the Right that is acting out. Pretty lame...