Palin Dangles Red Meat To Heated Wisconsin Crowd

By: Scott Conroy
Topics: Sarah Palin

(CBS)

From CBS News' Scott Conroy:

(MILWAUKEE) - John McCain and Sarah Palin were about halfway through a town hall meeting here when a man in the audience rose to be heard.

"I'm mad! I'm really mad!" he shouted. "And what's gonna surprise you, it's not the economy. It's the Socialists taking over our country."

The crowd of several thousand erupted in thunderous cheers, as if many of their most underlying concerns had finally been verbalized.

The man's righteous anger set the tone for Palin, who fully embraced her role as the Republican ticket's attack dog. Palin seemed to question Barack Obama's character repeatedly and slammed his judgment on hot-button issues like abortion, calling on voters to hold the mainstream media accountable for failing to challenge the Democrat's truthfulness.

Palin seemed to feed off the questions, many of which were filled with vitriol toward Obama and the Democrats. In her answer to a question about her energy policy, Palin seemed to take offense to any suggestion that she might be considered "green."

"It's time that we start utilizing those also, and then Americans have — we've got to conserve also — and I kind of sometimes may be come across sounding a little bit green on that one," Palin said. "No, we have got to conserve and we've gotten sort of spoiled here, America, but as we wean ourselves off the hydrocarbons and someday off some of these products made by petroleum."

When an audience member lamented that Tom Brokaw "cleverly" did not bring up the issue of abortion at the last presidential debate, McCain reaffirmed his pro-life position but also extended an olive branch to those on the other side of the issue, saying, "We have to show compassion and courage to any young woman who is undergoing this very difficult situation."

Palin was more direct in wielding the verbal hatchet against Obama.

"And I appreciate your reminder of the compassion needed in this issue," she said. "What I don't find compassionate is Barack Obama's vote as an Illinois senator, when three times he had the chance to vote to be able to provide health care for a child who was born alive as a result of a botched abortion."

When a woman rose to take issue with hate crimes legislation, calling it an effort to "silence our freedom of speech," McCain responded that although he couldn't divine the intentions of a criminal, he would make sure that any hate crime "should have swift and sure justice rendered."

Following up on McCain's answer, Palin ignored the issue of hate crimes and praised McCain for defending free speech as a Naval aviator.

"Oh, yeah, the first thought that pops into my head also when you're talking about rights, and you're talking about freedoms is, we're talking about Senator John McCain and what he has done for our country, in putting his country first his entire life to fight for freedoms," she said. "And Wisconsin, here again kudos to you, your great Wisconsin Guard, about a third of your troops will be over in a war zone, in a number of months, in '09. You guys are going to be over there again helping to defend freedom, and defend liberty and the democratic liberties that we all cherish so much."

Scott Conroy
Scott Conroy is a National Political Reporter for RealClearPolitics and a contributor for CBS News.
Follow on Twitter »

65 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 65 Comments


by osiod9 October 11, 2008 9:58 PM EDT: So this is the high road McCain promised to take eh? How sad. Not what I expected from a hero. I''m still undecided but rhetoric like this is making me lean toward Obama; Reply to this comment


by believer992 October 11, 2008 1:51 AM EDT: Come on people! How can any of you have the audacity to criticize Palin or McCain for "firing" up a crowd or starting a riot..when you are using the same ignorant passionate words in your comments against them??? How would you all explain the hundres of people who rioted the Republican National Convention in St. Paul just one month ago that were obviously pro Obama? Don''t be naive in thinking that the same fire and negativity exists on the side of those who support Obama. It is just sad to see that people are so desperate for change that they are dumb enough to think that Obama is the answer...see you all in a couple of years when you start seeing the realities of a socialist government and life under the Obama. See if your life is gonna be that much better off! People are all so desperate for a better economy and outlook that they are willing to buy into his plan. So sad..; Reply to this comment


by dbstevens October 10, 2008 9:51 PM EDT: McCain and Palin scare me...they''re not only "more of the same" in this country that has gone to seed in the past 8 years, but they also represent bigoted, prejudiced and archaic viewpoints about our country and the world...including people''s rights, the environment, etc. These are the sorts of people ruining our world...we have to keep them out of office if we want to have any sort of world LEFT!; Reply to this comment


by Jeema October 10, 2008 6:25 PM EDT: "I''m mad! I''m really mad!%u201D he shouted. %u201CAnd what''s gonna surprise you, it''s not the economy. It''s the Socialists taking over our country.%u201D

Note to angry guy: the Cold War is over and poor blacks are not a threat to you.

Meanwhile, back over here in the *real* world, which you are apparently not a part of, we have more pressing concerns, i.e. the tanking economy, out of control deficits, neverending wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the need for energy independence...; Reply to this comment


by jelow1 October 10, 2008 5:56 PM EDT: McCain''s campaign has clearly given the reigns to George W. Bush''s 2004 attack dogs.

It''s getting a little scary. If McCain and Palin don''t put an end to this hate-bating, I fear it will turn violent.

Shame on them for not keeping this civil.; Reply to this comment


by oldguy4truth October 10, 2008 2:18 PM EDT: Really interesting to see how little we have advanced as a civilization from 1935. Hopefully for us all, it is only an anomily of the Palin enthusiest.; Reply to this comment


by femaledem October 10, 2008 5:02 AM EDT: STILL..MCCAIN/PALIN HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY SO LETS WHIP OF THE CROWD WITH HATE AND FEAR YES SIR THAT''S GOING TO PAY MY HEAT ,FOOD,HEALTH CARE..WOW TALK ABOUT LACK OF UNDERSTANDING..SHAME ON YOU JOHN MCCAIN THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS..PALIN DOESN''T KNOW ANY BETTER BUT YOU..WHAT''S YOUR EXCUSE 26 YRS IN THE SENATE, SECOND TIME RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN OFFER US..BS EVERY TIME YOU GRAB THE MICROPHON..SHAME ON YOU THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO THE AMERICAN VOTERS NO MATTER WHAT YOU THINK!!!!; Reply to this comment


by newyorkette October 10, 2008 3:46 AM EDT: Are you people nuts?

I mean, it''s fine to not want to vote for Obama, but do you REALLY think that if he was a terrorist, the CIA and the FBI and every other home security agency would not know about it?

Listen to yourselves! Has the world fallen down around you? No. The world has not gone crazy, there are no terrorists running for president.

Get your heads together! Stop being hysterical nutjobs. Find an articulate, sane reason not to vote for the party you oppose, but don''t go off the freaking deep end!; Reply to this comment


by newyorkette October 10, 2008 3:44 AM EDT: Are you people nuts? I mean, it''s fine to not want to vote for Obama, but do you REALLY think that if he was a terrorist, the CIA and the FBI and every other home security agency would not know about it?

Listen to yourselves! Has the world fallen down around you? No. The world has not gone crazy, there are no terrorists running for president.

Get your heads together! Stop being hysterical nutjobs. Find an articulate, sane reason not to vote for the party you oppose, but don''t go off the freaking deep end!; Reply to this comment


by newslink October 10, 2008 2:22 AM EDT: Do we have to contact the Secret Sevice Office, about MCcain?Palin inciting riots? Enough is enough. This is Burning American People Out.; Reply to this comment