The politics of mass hysteria

The Spectator (U.K.) ^ | October 31, 2008 | Melanie Phillips

[Schnucki]

So what if The One should actually lose next week? The brainwashed hysteria whipped up on his behalf is, to put it mildly, dangerous. The media proclaims daily that Obama has already won. He cannot lose. He is the Saviour of the Planet. McCain is a mumbling senile idiot. Palin is evil incarnate. The polls show an Obama landslide. So if the world should revolve backwards on its axis next Tuesday and people wake up and find he has lost, then either the election will have been stolen in the way we all know evil Republicans always steal elections – or the American public will be proved to be, as we all know they are, irredeemably racist. Accordingly, we are warned that there would then be riots on the streets.

Those who see a racist in every non-Obama voter are themselves the people for whom Obama’s race is his defining characteristic. They say in terms that his race is the reason we must vote for him. They are the people who, by smearing every conceivable criticism of Obama or revelation of his unsavoury associations as ‘racist’, have emptied the term of its meaning. They are the people who, posing as ‘progressive’, display daily their utter contempt for their fellow human beings who are apparently incapable of voting against Obama on the rational grounds of the disturbing information they have learned about him, because by definition such information is just a load of racist smears. It cannot be true because there cannot be any dissent.

The same media which is whipping up this hysteria has failed to tell people that some polls are telling a different story – that the gap between the candidates is closing. The same media have either failed to tell the American public about Obama’s deeply questionable

[autumnraine]

Excellent article.

[agere_contra]

Those who see a racist in every non-Obama voter are themselves the people for whom Obama’s race is his defining characteristic

Great article, thanks for posting!

[ClearCase_guy]

Those who see a racist in every non-Obama voter are themselves the people for whom Obama’s race is his defining characteristic.

The other day NPR was trying to counteract this (very obviously true) statement by stringing together voter interviews of people declaring:

"I liked Obama as soon as I heard him on the radio. He was smart and articulate. I knew then that I would vote for him. Later, I found out he was black ..."
and
"I've been a supporter of his for years. He is smart and articulate. Now, everybody tells me I only like him because he's black. That makes me feel bad ..." etc.

[gunnyg]

Good Point, Chief!!!!!

But, should it all fall on deaf ears—be not surprised....

[JavaJumpy]

And check THIS out:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5051118.ece

[JavaJumpy]

Just heard on Rush.

[Bon mots]

You should all have stocked up on ammunition and food by now, now just get in your range time.

[JavaJumpy]

* PING *

[CaribouCrossing]

Thanks for the “ping”, JavaJumpy. This is a very good article speaking to what we all fear will happen. I hope I’m wrong, but well....we shall see.

It is at times like these that I count my blessing that I am living out in the bush.