McCain tussles with Palin over whipping up a mob mentality

Sarah Baxter

Video: the second presidential debate in 10 easy minutes
With his electoral prospects fading by the day, Senator John McCain has fallen out with his vice-presidential running mate about the direction of his White House campaign.
McCain has become alarmed about the fury unleashed by Sarah Palin, the moose-hunting "pitbull in lipstick", against Senator Barack Obama. Cries of "terrorist" and "kill him" have accompanied the tirades by the governor of Alaska against the Democratic nominee at Republican rallies.
Mark Salter, McCain's long-serving chief of staff, is understood to have told campaign insiders that he would prefer his boss, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, to suffer an "honourable defeat" rather than conduct a campaign that would be out of character - and likely to lose him the election.

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Palin, 44, has led the character attacks on Obama in the belief that McCain may be throwing away the election and her chance of becoming vice-president. Her supporters think that if the Republican ticket loses on November 4, she should run for president in 2012.
A leading Republican consultant said: "A lot of conservatives are grumbling about what a poor job McCain is doing. They are rolling their eyes and saying, 'Yes, a miracle could happen, but at this rate it is all over'.
"Sarah Palin is no fool. She sees the same thing and wants to salvage what she can. She is positioning herself for the future. Her best days could be in front of her. She wants to look as though she was the fighter, the person with the spunk who was out there taking it to the Democrats."
McCain, 72, has encouraged voters to contrast his character with Obama's. The campaign launched a tough television commercial last week questioning, "Who is Barack Obama?"
Frank Keating, McCain's campaign co-chairman, last week called the Democrat a "guy off the street" and said he should admit that he had "used cocaine".
McCain believes the attacks have spun out of control. At a rally in Lakeville, Minnesota, the Arizona senator became visibly angry when he was booed for calling Obama "a decent person". He took the microphone from an elderly woman who said she disliked Obama because he was "Arab", saying, "No ma'am, no ma'am".
When another questioner demanded that he tell the truth about Obama, he said: "I want everybody to be respectful and let's be sure we are."
However, his campaign has stepped up its negative advertising against Obama, accusing him of lying about his relationship with William Ayers, the leader of the Weather Underground group responsible for bombing the Capitol and the Pentagon in the early 1970s, who is now a Chicago professor.
Palin has continued to lead the charge against Obama's alleged lack of candour. At a rally in Wilmington, Ohio, she mocked him for attending a supporters' meeting in Ayers's home when he was seeking to become an Illinois state senator in 1995. "He didn't know he launched his career in the living room of a domestic terrorist until he did know," Palin said.
"Some will say, jeez Sarah, it's getting negative. No it's not negativity. It's truthfulness." The crowd bellowed its appreciation with chants of "Nobama" and "Go Sarah Go!"
John Weaver, a former senior McCain adviser who left the campaign when it almost imploded in the summer of last year, questioned the purpose of the attacks.
"People need to understand, for moral reasons and the protection of our civil society, that the differences with Senator Obama are ideological, based on clear differences on policy and a lack of experience compared with Senator McCain," he said.
"And from a purely practical political vantage point, please find me a swing voter, an undecided independent, or a torn female voter that finds an angry mob mentality attractive."
A McCain official confirmed that there was dissension in the campaign. "There is always going to be a debate about the costs and benefits of any strategy," he said.
"After November 4, the feelings of individuals will come to light. It is only natural and will be expected."
Palin's frustration with McCain has led to clashes over strategy. When she learnt he was pulling resources from Michigan, an industrial swing state leaning heavily in Obama's favour, she fired off an e-mail saying, "Oh come on, do we have to?" and offered to travel there with her husband Todd, four-times winner of the 2,000-mile Iron Dog snow-mobile race.
She also told Bill Kristol, the conservative New York Times columnist, that she wished the campaign would make more of Obama's 20-year association with the Rev Jeremiah Wright, his controversial former pastor, who said, "God damn America".
"To me, that does say something about character," Palin said. "But you know, I guess that would be a John McCain call on whether he wants to bring it up."
McCain's allies responded by suggesting that she had her own pastor problems, such as the African minister who prayed to Jesus to protect her from witchcraft when she was running for governor.
McCain has told his campaign that attacks on religion are out of bounds. He declined Palin's advice to "take the gloves" off in his debate with Obama last week and did not refer to Ayers. It enabled Obama to rile McCain by asking why he did not have the nerve to attack him to his face.
When McCain finally got round to mentioning the Weatherman at a rally last week, he described him mildly as "an old washed-up terrorist".
Despite the attacks, Obama, 47, increased his average poll lead last week to eight points over McCain. The assaults on his character have enabled him to criticise McCain for "stoking anger and division" when the economy is collapsing.
McCain's nosedive in the polls has closely tracked the collapse of Wall Street and the US economy, but he has yet to find a winning economic policy. His proposed emergency $300 billion (£180 billion) buy-out of distressed mortgages has been harshly criticised by Republicans.
Karl Rove, the former White House aide, claimed the housing bailout "came across as both impulsive and badly explained" when McCain suddenly announced it during last week's debate with Obama.
A spokesman for McCain denied he and Palin had fallen out over her aggressive attacks. "Vice-presidential candidates are typically the tip of the spear and further out in front than the candidate for president. This is pretty standard fare," he said.
However, Palin is no longer helping to attract women and independent voters to the Republican ticket. A poll for Fox News last week showed that while 47% of voters regard the Alaska governor favourably, 42% now have an unfavourable opinion of her.
Palin remains far more popular than McCain with the Republican party base. He regularly has to endure the spectacle of members of the audience leaving for their cars when it is his turn to speak at joint rallies.
In Wilmington, Palin's many admirers were in no doubt that she should run for president next time. Nancy Ross, a hairdresser, 45, said if the Republicans lost the election, she would be cheered up by the thought of Palin as the 2012 nominee.
"I would absolutely love her to run in four years' time. By then most of her kids will be grown," she said. "I'd like her to run against Hillary [Clinton]. She would squash her. She is a real person and we need people like her in Washington."
Mary Ann Black, 58, a human resources director, said: "I love her. She's so authentic." Although she thought highly of McCain as well, Black added: "Her career is just beginning and his is in the twilight."

here are the comments

In the States we are embarrassed by the UK, which has surrendered its personal liberties to Political Correctness, and put its neck beneath the blade of Islamism.

I'm sure all Muslim women are ever so glad that the UK now allows Sharia law for resolving civil disputes.

No lectures, please.
Anna Keppa, lexington, MA , USA
Palin attracts a small, hardcore theocratic GOP base that doesn't care about education, qualifications or ability. All they want is to see someone as mediocre as themselves make the rules for everyone else.

Fortuntely, most Americans aren't falling for this again. Gobama!
Denise, Overland Park, KS, USA
Good Job Palin ! WHy does Obama ignore the questions about his past? Just answer the question my friend . Answer the question pertaining to Wright, Ayers and of course Acorn Enough!
And how about the attacks from Biden On McCain and Palin, I dont see the media cover that !
Sophi, bayshore, new york

the whole world is in melt down and the rebublicans are banging on about people that obama has bumped into during his life .......america has armed some of the worlds worst dictators in history saddam hussein for one so its a pretty lame argument
andy, surrat, thailand
I would never vote for McCain if I were an American citizen, but I think that in defending Obama he has given us all a brief lesson in decent and responsible political debate at a moment in which media-driven democracies cater to the lower instincts of voters, and not to their intelligence (?).
Jose Maria, Granada, Spain
Oh my gosh, get me Hillary!

Sarah Palin's awful character has been revealed, the character of the base she attracts is most likely similar to hers and represents a minority. If I were the Republican in charge I'd fire her now for the sake of the party.
Dave Bee, Calgary, Canada
Obama wants to take our constitutional right to own firearms. What happens when the people cannot defend themselves from the government? Cuba, China, Nazi Germany, Russiaa. Where does Obama plan to get all the money to pay his big programs? From people who work for a living and pay their own bills.
Leslie, Minnesota,
In recent decades we've worried about the Russians, Chinese, Koreans. Iranians, Iraqis and of course individual terrorist groups. But none have worried me quite so much as some the attitudes coming to the fore in America during this election.

Get a grip America - you're an embarrassment to the West
Martin, Manchester, Great Britain
Sarah Palin will polarise American voters to the point where the rest of the world will turn its back On the USA. America's credibility has been shot on the foot by Bush, she will just skin it and hang whats left over the fireplace.
Udo, Melbourne, Australia
Palin's behavior is disgraceful. And this is coming from a lifelong Republican.
Mary Green, Scarsdale, New York
I suspect that McCain will lose the election, largely in part because people can see who would take over in the event that frail McCain dies, and want nothing to do with this ignorant and inexperienced woman who is reported not to have a passport. Would you want her finger on the button?
Chris Palmer, Winchester, GB
Palin v Clinton, I'd pay good money to watch that!
mount, dorset, gb
re: Palin.
And the Republicans find HILLARY abrasive??
Lynn, Lexington, USA
I still stand by what I said many weeks ago: Palin shall be the downfall of John McCain!
Time Magazine have described her administration of Alaska as "Shockingly Amateurish"!! Many of Hillary's supporters who had jumped the Democratic ship to vote for McCain are coming back home from that Titanic!
Jimmy C, Letchworth Garden City, UK
Palin for President in 2008. Change the ticket to Palin-Mccain.
Eduardo Pierce, Atlanta, USA
If Palin runs in 2012 time she will be running against the sitting President Barrack Obama, and this time it will be much more difficult to rely on predjudice against having a black president.
Arnold Carton, Ballymoney, Antrim
I am so embarrassed. I wish to apologize to the entire world. I grew up in Ohio, I have neither insight nor understanding for any of this.
lawrence taylor, south norwalk, usa
Integrity against Celebrity is what you would have in an election 4 years from now. Celebrity status will only get you the uneducated vote. I have personally given my time in this election period and I have found the base supporting her to be as violently repulsive as she is in her speeches.
Beth, Suttons Bay , USA
Sarah Palin will be gone after this. Nobody in their right mind or with right leaning tendencies will take her seriously. It was a last gasp at a failed campaign. She is such a drag on the ticket that McCain could have won if he had picked someone credible. She will never be back. Ever.
bob, pleasantville, usa
So what if people hate Obama? For eight years Republicans have had to endure worse things said about George Bush.Not only "Kill him", there was that billboard in New York with Bush being stabbed. "Kill Bush" has been repeated over and over, as well as "Bush is Hitler",etc. So I say so what?
Pendamon, Scottsdale, USA
It's embarassing the media think saran palin is a serious political force.....she's simply a small town embarassment.
mark whittle, london, ENGLAND
A sad, desperate old man.

Kill Obama? Is this what they mean by taking the gloves off?
John, London,
"She's so authentic"!!!! Oh dear, oh dear. Where do i start with that jibberish? The woman is about authentic as that moon landing thing! I think I'm going to bed for 100 years. Maybe the world will be more rational then. If not, shoot me.
Andrew, Godalming, UK
I have a renewed respect for McCain. His choice to rely on the content of his character rather than the cries for blood reveals a real man. The only thing that prevents me from seriously considering giving him my vote is his choice of running mate.
Gov. Palin is dangerous.
JMDix, Henderson, NV, USA
i just cant beleive that a nation like America can even think of nominating let alone backing someone like Sarah Palin to be the next V.President.. A politician with her sort of tactics and intelligence will not survive in other mature political system for this lengthe of time. A Brit
Max, London, uk
Truly shocking and disgusting regarding the cries of "terrorist" and "kill him".
Chris , London, England
this sounds like a obama pitch. Mccain loves his vice president pick Sarah Palin
ike, lufkin, united states