This article originally appeared in the October 15th, 2008 issue of The Spectator

“Kill him!”

The words, directed at Sen. Barack Obama, rang out of a viciously angry supporter’s mouth at a Sarah Palin rally for the John McCain campaign. Later, someone screamed out “terrorist!” when Obama was mentioned. Palin did nothing to stop the dangerous hatred that was being spewed by her supporters. She, along with John McCain, simply continued their rally like nothing was happening, giving total credibility to the rumors that were quickly being spread throughout the crowd. As the election is looming and McCain is falling behind in the polls, he seems to be adapting an “anything goes” campaign. If what it takes for him to win is to imply that his opponent is a terrorist, and “doesn’t see America the way you and I see America,” then he is going to jump at every opportunity, evidently.

John McCain, you are playing a dangerous game, and you know it. Attempting to instill fear of a possible leader in thousands of Americans is playing with fire, and in a country with a history of minority power figure assassinations, I will hold you and your campaign completely responsible if anyone tries to hurt Obama.

The general public’s fear of terrorists is immense, and the religious right’s hatred of them is even more so. Suggesting that Sen. Obama is a terrorist conjures up the worst in people, feelings of the complete and utter helplessness that many felt on the morning of Sept. 11-a fear and hatred that may be comparable to how Americans felt during the Cold War. Could you imagine Richard Nixon calling John F Kennedy a communist during the 1960 presidential election? He wouldn’t have dared to bring up those feelings.

Barack Obama has made some low blows, but they aren’t even in the same ballpark.

Luckily, while these speeches and ads may lend to passionate rallies, they aren’t registering with the average voter. Recent polls show Obama with an even larger lead than when McCain started doing this hugely negative campaigning, and another poll states that “six in 10 of those surveyed said that Mr. McCain had spent more time attacking Mr. Obama than explaining what he would do as president.” Obama’s favorability rating, on the other hand, is 50 percent-higher than it’s ever been so far in this campaign.

It’s clear that voters want the candidates to talk about real issues-such as the entire economy going down the toilet, or the fact that the average retirement savings account lost thousands of dollars in the last two weeks. If all McCain can do is talk about how terrible of a person Obama is and suggest that he has a terrorist for a best friend, than he is not fit to be the president of the United States during this crisis. He is proving now that he doesn’t have the leadership skills or ideas that it takes to lead our country, and that he was irresponsible and sexist in his choice of a running mate.

His response to all the negative press and criticism has been to briefly remind his crowds that Obama is a “decent family man” when they start seething with anger, and then get right back to attacking him. Obama simply attended William Ayer’s birthday party years after Ayers’ involvement with the Weather Underground -a huge leap of logic is required to arrive at the campaign’s insistence that Obama “started his political career in Ayers’ living room.” Barack Obama is not a terrorist, and continuing to suggest as much is going to him killed and the McCain campaign held responsible in many peoples’ eyes.