Scott Richards wrote: Had it been students doing the exact same thing but with McCain it wouldn't have made headlines and been a minor story.

Bullshit.  Hanging an effigy anywhere would have been much more than just a minor story, be it black or white, McCain or Obama.  Would it have had the same impact?  Certainly not given America's shameful history of stringing up black men, women, and children going back hundreds of years and continuing into the 20th century, but it's hyperbole to suggest every single time that what is front page news such as an attack like this or a Palin gaffe wouldn't be much of anything if it were made against McCain or a Biden gaffe.  Ridiculous.

Scott Richards wrote: Based on the way the media (aside from Fox News) reports things on McCain, no, not a big assumption.

So the entirety of all media in the United States reports McCain in a bad light except the knight in shinning armor that is FOX news?  Seriously? 

You're right...I do wonder why you call yourself a Democrat at all.

Don - totally - I "know" you - I'm familiar with your posts - you and I usually see eye to eye; I'm just clarifying my stand  - that there is a cultural connection in our brains that sees a black man hanging from a tree by his neck and they get that.

If the kids didn't know... like... what else could they have been thinking?  You know.  They thought - "Hey, we want to make a point about minority admission policy... and we'll use Barack Obama as a focal point.  And... we've got this lifesize cardboard cut out.  What should we do with it?  Let's put it in the hall... no, people will deface it.  Let's put it on the roof.  No, people won't be able to read the sign.  Oh!  I know - let's hang it from a tree.  We could tie the string at various points of the figure to prop it up just so, but I think it's more efficiant to just tie it around the neck of the figure."

Like - that's a lot of hoop-jumping to get to what the vast majority of the rest of the world sees as painfull memories of "strange fruit".

Besides - these are college students.  They're supposed to be a little smarter than the average bear.

And - to clarify a point that Don did not make - it's silly to suggest the kids had to be wearing Klan outfits - because in real life, the attackers usually didn't...

I knew a girl that was complaining about MLK day...

Was her name John McCain?

"Assholes?" --- such harsh language.  Why isn't this just a "tragedy" that "happens to be criminal"?

A crucified, murdered young gay man not merit the same passion you express here for this racial hate crime that fortunately left no one dead?

Marc way, way off base and untrue, dude you stepped over the line on that one.  Geoff's reaction to your post, shows what kind of guy he is, he said he was sorry if anything he has ever said offended you (which in all of his posts I have never seen him be anything but a good guy). That is a person of great character. I wish I knew, that I would react so generous of spirit, but I know I would not, if someone had wrote about me what you did. 

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/02/mccain-obama -lead-growing-because-%E2%80%9Clife-isn%E2%80%99t-fair%E2%80 %9D/?eref=politicalflipper

Wow.  AWK-waaaaaard....

For everyone's added amusement during the debate tonight....

www.palinbingo.com

(edit: click-ify)

This is old news, but just in case anyone missed it, the McCain camp asked for a modification of the debate format to compensate for Palin's lack of debate experience.  Here's the actual article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html? _r=4&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=122194 4424-M80ol3HyyXHv4YOA0dtK0w&oref=slogin&oref=slogin& amp;oref=slogin

I found this part particulary curious (emphasis mine):

"McCain advisers said they were only somewhat concerned about Ms. Palin’s debating skills compared with those of Mr. Biden, who has served six terms in the Senate, or about his chances of tripping her up. Instead, they say, they wanted Ms. Palin to have opportunities to present Mr. McCain’s positions, rather than spending time talking about her experience or playing defense."

Translation: They wanted Palin to stick to McCain's talking points and not go anywhere near her own qualifications or ideas. 

Hell, if that's the case, Tucker Bounds could be the next vice president.

Memorize the cards, Sarah.

In other words, we don't want America to know how utterly unqualified she is.

She accepted the nomination -- the debate goes along with that.  She's not at the debate to spout McCain's positions; she's there to tell us her own.