An Open Letter to John McCain


October 13, 2008 -Former McCain Supporter Accuses the Senator of Deliberately Feeding the Most Unhinged Elements of Our Society the Red Meat of Hate


Frank Schaeffer, bestselling author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back. He is the son of the late evangelist Francis Schaeffer and considered himself a lifelong Republican. He voted for John McCain in 2000, and McCain even endorsed one of Schaeffers earlier books on military service. On Friday, Schaeffer published An Open Letter to John McCain in the Baltimore Sun:

John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as not one of us, I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.

At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, Kill him! At one of your rallies, someone called out, Terrorist! Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething withhatred for the Democratic nominee—an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.

Shame!

John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement ofone of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain.

You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate.

John McCain, you are no fool, and you understand the depths of hatred that [surround] the issue of race in this country. You also know that, post-9/11, to call someone a friend of a terrorist is a very serious matter. You also know we are [a bitterly divided country] on many other issues. You know that, sadly, in America, violence is always just a moment away. You know that there are plenty of crazy people out there.

Stop! Think! Your rallies are beginning to look, sound, feel and smell like lynch mobs.

John McCain, youre walking a perilous line. If you do not stand up for allthat is good in America and declare that Senator Obama is a patriot, fit for office, and denounce your hate-filled supporters when they scream out Terrorist or Kill him, history will hold you responsible for all that follows.

John McCain and Sarah Palin, you are playing with fire, and you know it.You are unleashing the monster of American hatred and prejudice, to the peril of all of us. You are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of assassinations.

Change the atmosphere of your campaign. Talk about the issues athand. Make your case. But stop stirring up the lunatic fringe of haters, or risk suffering the judgment of history and the loathing of the American people—forever.

We will hold you responsible.







Channel: News
Uploaded: October 14, 2008 at 8:31 am
Author: gfde08

Length: 00:10:45
Rating: 4.73
Views: 2886

Tags: Patriot Democratic Abortion Republican Manipulation Nuts Palin Sarah Obama Presidential Wing Cheney Baltimore America Election Federal Campaign McCain Ethics USA Moral Patriotic Hate Letter Media Frank Chomsky 2008 Ideology Sun Right American Schaeffer Crisis Reason Bush Distortion Government John

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Video Comments:
pnollen (November 17, 2008 at 12:47 am)
Stands up and applaudes the speaker in the video. Hats off to you sir, very well stated.
pmfcal (November 16, 2008 at 4:18 am)
Didn't know about that letter - it's very well written!
kdcmd44 (November 16, 2008 at 1:45 am)
rujimbob351 said " is guy is as much of a Republican as you all are. While he's condemning McCain for not denouncing others' attacks on Obama, when did Obama denounce the slanderous comments against McCain that spout from media and his supporters?the most thing that happened at Obama's ral" :they showed the booing at Obama's rally's and he waived his hand and said none of that we just need to vote. I don't compare this to the hate at Mccain/palinsRemaining character count:
BagOfEyebrows (October 30, 2008 at 11:30 pm)
We're not a democracy - it's not majority rule. But this guy's letter was very well written and spoken, and I do agree with his concerns in terms of the rage McCain pushes in his ads. However, I have the same concerns about an Obama administration, in terms of causing a civil war and rage, because of the philosophy Obama (and Democrats) have about government, and the one this nation was actually founded upon (Constitutional Republic.) 4 rough years, either way.
Jahsojourner (October 29, 2008 at 9:26 pm)
WOW he just made the case for really taking a step back and think about what is going on in our country and what we have let grow in this country AGAIN. If we are not careful hate will rear again in or communities. Principals are deep and well thought out, think about what you say about others and think for yourself, investigate for yourself and seek the sages of yesterday to understand who you are, who we are, and what we as people are supposed to be doing here together.ONE LOVE
MetalSkater34 (October 29, 2008 at 2:52 am)
biggaththebwatever. wonderful that mccain fathered a african american.we all know that. have u heard any of this video? this person is mad because mccain wont stand up for obama even if they are agaisnt each inthis race. u still need to make a stand if someone is going to be mindless and call him a terrorist.and even if he was a islam or muslim. whats wrong with someones race? just cause of his skin color means nothing. the way he acts is another thing.america is supposed to accept not reject.
sweetandexcellent (October 28, 2008 at 6:46 pm)
McCain/Palin will be responsible if anythinghappens to this great man Obama!
blupheonix44 (October 26, 2008 at 10:04 pm)
Hey yea..... Remember that?!
blupheonix44 (October 26, 2008 at 10:01 pm)
This guy just articulated everything I have been wanting to say in his letter to MCcain. I would hold him and Palin personally responsible if anything bad happened to Obama now. They are out there just stirring up the HATE,and it's scary...
biggahthebettah (October 22, 2008 at 9:33 pm)
McCain fathered an illegitimate black child.
rujimbob351 (October 21, 2008 at 10:59 pm)
Me TOO!!! I am so happy this liberal God-hating socialist who is NOT a Republican is denouncing John McCain for things someone else is doing and saying. It all makes sense. NOT!Where did you all get your cute lemming outfits?This guy is as much of a Republican as you all are. While he's condemning McCain for not denouncing others' attacks on Obama, when did Obama denounce the slanderous comments against McCain that spout from media and his supporters?
DaigojiGai (October 21, 2008 at 8:58 pm)
THERE IS A GOD! This video must be spread, EVERYONE MUST SEE THIS!Wow... I am tearing up right now hearing someone from the republican party of hate, speaking out about McCain's slander campaign.
lovesmyway (October 18, 2008 at 2:38 am)
Boy, do I agree with you on this - I respected him highly until his started this gutter campaign.
loryncle (October 18, 2008 at 2:38 am)
Excellent letter!
nightlioness5049 (October 16, 2008 at 7:13 pm)
Excellent response! Obama has said many times that he is pro-choice but not pro-abortion. That is the point. Pro-life and pro-choice advocates CAN agree on one thing. We can do what we can to lessen the number of abortions. Thereby, making having an abortion a non-issue. That is the point of choice. You can choose to have it or not. Obam is trying to reduce the chances of someone making the choice of abortion by giving them reasons to avoid making that decision in 1st place.

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