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Huffington Post- There has been an onslaught of incidents escalating over the last week, from verbal attacks to vandalism, from spitting to full blown violence.
Sunday, October 12
In one case, an Obama supporter was shopping with his infant son when an angry McCain-Palin supporter rammed his shopping cart. Luckily, the police were able to identify the man from video of his license plate, and he was charged with assault.
Wednesday, October 15
In Greensboro, North Carolina, a reporter Joe Killian was kicked to the ground at a Palin rally just for doing his job. He was interviewing Obama supporters who were protesting the Palin rally after a group of angry McCain-Palin supporters warned him that Palin was the story - not the protesters. One McCain-Palin supporter was so angry at Killian for interviewing the Obama supporters that he kicked him to the ground - from behind.
Friday, October 17
Even Barack Obama's home state is not immune. Two separate homeowners in Villa Park, Illinois found death threats in their mailboxes that read,
Get the Obama signs off your property - now. Failure to obey this order will result in the immediate death of all family members.
Although both families vow to keep the signs in their yards, one of the families is now afraid to let their 7 year old son play outside in the yard.
Saturday, October 18
In Wisconsin, McCain-Palin supporter Ronald Goetsch physically attacked 58 year old Nancy Takehara, grabbing her by the hair and striking her in the face, while she was canvassing for Obama. According to Takehara, "[Goetsch] was telling us we're not his people, we're probably with ACORN, and he started screaming and raving. He grabbed me by the back of the neck. I thought he was going to rip my hair out of my head. He was pounding on my head and screaming. The man terrified me."
By the time Takehara returned to her home in Chicago, she had a message from Barack Obama on her answering machine. She called the number that had been left on her machine and talked directly to Obama. He reassured her and said that this is an isolated and extremely rare occurrence, but many Obama canvassers have begun to voice fear or nervousness about canvassing both because of a rash of incidents reported in the news and because of a notable change in atmosphere on the streets. Some who were previously comfortable canvassing along are now opting to canvass in pairs.
Saturday, October 18
Incidents have even occurred at Obama events. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, someone slashed the tires on more than 30 cars during an Obama rally, leaving women and children stranded. Lynne Steenstra, whose tires were slashed, believes it was meant to intimidate Obama supporters, to prevent them from casting their votes.
Sunday, October 19
The car of an Obama volunteer was trashed (rear windshield smashed, spray painted, stolen Obama signs shoved into the backseat) while he was out to dinner with friends.
Sunday, October 19
In Princeton, West Virginia, a crowd of McCain-Palin supporters gathered to heckle and intimidate mostly black voters as they arrive to vote at an early voting location. When journalist Christina Bellantoni asked the sheriff if the protesters were allowed at the early voting location, the sheriff showed no concern of voter intimidation and merely answered, "They're fine."
October 19, 2008
In Fairfield, Ohio, Mike Lunsford hung an Obama effigy from a noose in a tree in his front yard. He attached a campaign sign to a ghost figure, wrote "Hussain" (yes, it was misspelled), put a noose around its neck, and strung it up in a tree.
I have found no reports of Obama supporters retaliating or otherwise engaging in violence in this campaign.
Tuesday, October 20
A bear carcass was dumped with Obama signs strung around its neck at the base of the statue at the entrance to the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee, North Carolina, where tensions have recently been heating up between conservative locals and liberal college students.
October 21, 2008
Someone took an Obama yard sign and replaced it with a large Confederate flag in the yard of an elderly African American minister. That night, after the flag had been replaced with a new Obama sign, a car drove by several times, honking and yelling at the family. The next day, the car returned again, honking and yelling in broad daylight, "No Change!" while a reporter interviewed the family in the yard. The minister told a local reporter that he had a simple message to pass on to the culprit, "I love you, and God does too." The Baptist minister also told the reporter, "I feel like this is somebody with a lot of hatred in their heart. It's our job to help the guy try to do better in life."
What can the Obama campaign and Obama supporters do to stave off the psyops of the McCain-Palin campaign?
Barack Obama and his campaign staff and volunteers are already doing it. Social influence research shows that having shared goals (task interdependence) is the best way to integrate ingroup and outgroup ("us versus them") members. Obama, his staff, and his volunteers should simply continue to emphasize the goals, dreams, and values that Barack Obama shares with ordinary Americans. Barack Obama and his supporters should continue to emphasis his shared "American experience".
Feldman wisely notes, though, that this work will not end after the election even if Barack Obama wins,
Anyone blaming the McCain-Palin campaign for stoking the prejudices of people in small towns should also be talking about how the McCain-Palin campaign is going to leave these same people drowning in a sea of propaganda-inspired fear on Nov. 5 if Barack Obama wins.
Pathetic. I don't deny those things happened and I think they are horrible but there are hundreds of instances of Obama supporters vandalizing homes that have McCain signs in their front lawn.....you are just too blind and naive to see that.
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