Obama Calls McCain Divisive

Democrat Candidate Says GOP Rival Is Riling Up Crowds And Stoking Anger

(AP)  Presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday accused Republican John McCain of trying to divide the country, but he let fellow Democrats handle harsher attacks while he kept his message mostly upbeat.

Speaking to an outdoor audience, Obama said "it's not hard to rile up a crowd by stoking anger and division." He said Americans want "someone who can lead this country" with a steady hand in a time of economic crisis, not divide it.

Echoing McCain's "country first" motto, Obama said, "Now more than ever it is time to put country ahead of politics."

Polls show Obama leading McCain in Ohio and several other battleground states, and he seems eager to keep his campaign on a steady, non-controversial course. As he has done for days, Obama criticized McCain's economic plans and urged Americans to stay calm and confident amid the dramatic drop in the stock market.

The Illinois senator again did not mention McCain's attacks for associating with a former 1960s radical, William Ayers. When asked on a radio talk show, however, Obama said he thought Ayers, now a college professor and neighbor in Chicago with whom he worked on community projects several years ago, was rehabilitated.

Two high-profile supporters took sharper jabs at McCain before Obama came on stage on a sunny, cool day in front of the Ross County Courthouse.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland told the crowd, "The McCain-Palin campaign and some of their followers unfortunately want you to be afraid of Barack Obama."

Ohio's gun owners, Strickland said, "have nothing to fear from Barack Obama." Nor do people who revere "family and faith," he said, calling Obama "a strong Christian, family man."

Internet rumors have falsely claimed that Obama is a Muslim.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, also criticized McCain by name, saying the GOP nominee learned his economic lessons from The Wall Street Journal's conservative editorial pages.

Obama, noting the problems that small businesses face when credit is unavailable, said his administration would provide "affordable, fixed-rate loans to small businesses," much as the government did shortly after the 2001 terrorist attacks. The plan would temporarily waive fees for borrowers and lenders, he said, so "we can unlock the credit that small firms need to move forward, pay their workers, and grow their business."

Obama planned a rally in Columbus later Friday, his fifth Ohio event in two days.

[john43218]

Vote like you are a Smart AMERICAN and not just a "D", because, by the way, that so called "D" stands for : "DUMB A-- change"

America deserves better than a person with 143 days on the job-- it deserves someone with: Experiance.

And, in this election it is the ''R'' that will bring that experiance. It is imperative you all ''Get that'' before the inexperianced extreme liberal marxist gets you f*ked.

[veteranx-2009]

Apparently some senior Republicans who knew John McCain have changed their mind. McCain Gov. William Milliken is expressing doubts saying "He is not the McCain I endorsed. He keeps saying, ''Who is Barack Obama?'' I would ask the question, ''Who is John McCain?'' because his campaign has become rather disappointing to me. I''m disappointed in the tenor and the personal attacks on the part of the McCain campaign, when he ought to be talking about the issues."

So let''s skip the b.s. about "experience." And Republican promises have already proven empty, worse: a complete disaster for the country.

Can''t say the same about Obama. He''d have to work awfully hard to screw things up as bad as Republicans have, starting with Ronald Reagan in 1980.

[ragnar30066]

What is this stuff about Obama taking time out from his presidential campaign to throw his support behind a tribe in Kenya which was in opposition to his own tribe? As a result, villages of his own tribe were attacked, women raped in front of their families, then the men killed in front of their families, then the boys raped in front of what was left of their families.

Elect Obama. He''s so American.

[june4x4]

Who really cares who becomes president, they are all puppets on a string anyway. The Government has the final say. As for Palin, who cares if she is Christian or Pegan. No one can be trusted at this point and time. This whole election is a joke. From Obamas Monkey''s to his Pigs in Lipstick, And McCain''s promises to reform a failing economy. Unless one of them have GOD tatooed on their forhead I can''t see voting for any of the above.

[redfromla]

Posted by ubu2008

"THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY IS STRAIGT FROM THE AYERS PLAYBOOK. OBAMA NEEDS TO STOP ENCOURAGING THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR HE IS DEVISIVE. "
-----------

So ubu2008, have you contacted the police about it? Because it seems you already have proof and evidence as to who did it.

[ubu2008]

Friday in York County the South Carolina was vandalized, but there is no outcry or even reporting on that issue. 15 McCain Palin signs have been knocked over and destroyed on my commerical warehouse building, but all of this is condoned and approved of by the liberals. I guess I do not have the freedom to display signs on my property and the GOP cannot expect that their property should not be vandalized.

OBAMA IS STOKING RACIAL TENSIONS IN COMMUNITIES AND CAUSING THIS PROPERTY DESTRUCTION. THIS IS STRAIGHT FROM THE AYERS'' PLAYBOOK. STOP CLAIMING FOUL WHEN YOU ARE ENCOURAGING THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY!

[redfromla]

robert2337

I''m not sure where you would get the connotation that I''m implying Obama is "the lord", since my post clearly shows who I''m talking about.

Although I was, indeed, talking about Jesus Christ, I wanted it to be more a reflection of the times and the role people are playing in the current situation.

I see the majority of conservative taking part in these hate-fests being "Christians" who haven''t been acting like real Christians. Instead I''ve been seeing them actually acting the opposite of their beliefs.

Anybody who would takeaway the connotation of Obama being the subject of my post, before the last few sentences, is obviously thinking of the current situation. The question is what is the reader''s role in it? Are they being true to one major factor affecting their vote - their faith and belief.

If I have offended you with my earlier response then, please accept my apologies, but Christian conscience is the first target of my piece.

[samthetvcat]

---"He said Americans want "someone who can lead this country" with a steady hand in a time of economic crisis, not divide it."---

Yeah, that''s why I''m not voting for either of the two clowns - faux hawk double-talk Barack or whiner Magoo. Barack''s going to be trying to ''fake'' his way through things, and McCain''s going to be asleep at the wheel . . . ugh!

[robert2237]

RedfromLA - Not really sure what you were trying to say in your 2 little statements but I will assume you are just blogging for something to do. I have no role in any thing other than wanting what is best for my country, well lets just say what is the least of two bad.

[ubu2008]

This from the man who advised the Kenya opposition leader and now co-president after riot and death. He told the Kenya leader how to turn group against group and manipulate it for their own purposes.

All of Obama''s friends do that Pelosi, Reid, Dean, Mainstream Media, ayers, dorhn, wright, ferrakohn,and ACORN practice the enhancement of personal power by dividing people along social economic lines. Obama is well versed in this method of manipulation. McCain is an idiot for allowing them to use racial catch phrases to have him back off an issue. I believe that Obama should be treated no better or no worse than anyone else. This election is about Green not black or white.

Obama cannot lie about relationships and when he is discovered call foul. This is like the robber that breaks his leg when he is breaking into your house and then sues you. Not Right on any level and Obama should stop.

[redfromla]

Posted by robert2237 at 09:37 PM : Oct 11, 2008
"Are you trying to imply that Obama is the lord?? "

robert2337

Your Guilty Conscience is showing.
Were you thinking I was talking about Obama or were you thinking about what is happening and your role in it?

[robert2237]

francheska1- I have not seen McCain or Palin bring up any race issues most of those, no lets say all of them come from the Obama side, trying to make people feel bad. As far as fear not so sure that is what they are bring up. They are bring up some real question that I would like Obama to answer not give us his typical I was only 8 or I was a real dum head to do that. Give me A break, you don''t have a fund raiser in just a guy in the neighborhoods house, that is un=heard of. You may belive it I don''t and if most people would think about they wouldn''t either.

[robert2237]

Memesusan - You are so correct no America needs special rights in America. It has gotten out of hand because we have allowed it to. Every one should have the same rights as they do but no one should have any special rights. The white side of my family was not even in this country when there was salvery, my Native American side was and I think they were worse off than the blacks. But you know people talk about whites but I don''t think there is a white or a black still alive that was part of the slavery era.

[robert2237]

RedfromLA- Are you trying to imply that Obama is the lord??

[redfromla]

Be very scared of this Man.

He pals around with people who wanted to overthrow the government. One of them is His closest follower.

He also pals around with persons whose business dealings are shady.

He was listening to a raving religious lunatic, and spoke well of him, but rejected the vision of that raving lunatic, still He showed respect for him.

He despises capitalism and instead promotes a very socialistic vision during speeches.

He believes health care is a right not a privilege and allows people to be cured for the least expense.

He talks about hope and did not incite fear, nor promoted it, with those He talked to.

He kept back a lot of things secret and would not say everything He knew to everyone.

He did not speak or rile the crowds to anger and hate but pushed for change.

He also talked about meeting your enemy without precondition.

He only told the truth about Himself to those He trusted.

Somebody shouted "Kill Him!" at an important political gathering.

In the last minutes of His Life forgave a thief and died besides scoundrels.

Oh, and He lived 2000 years ago...maybe that''s why...

[memesusan]

People have bent over backwards since the 60%u2019s to make sure black people get fair treatment.Before then I know treatment was terrible but we are not guilty of that.I have seen white people go overboard to make sure they are not being racist.Black people are still crying racism.I am a 60 yr old white grandmother - grew up on what we could manage and if we could not afford it we did not do it.I got some college and diplomas from public high school and vocational college.I have friends who are black and even relatives that are as black as Obama.The point is I do not need any special rights.I am an American and I have been privileged to have grown up and lived in a land of freedom just like every other American during this time. Now we were not all the same color or had the same money or the same kind of houses or whatever.We accepted where we were and were thankful for it. Of course we did not have any one telling us how bad we had it.We did not have any one going around trying to make us angry because we did not have as much as another person.It is okay to be different.We did not have any one telling us how badly we needed our country changed.We loved our country and we still do.John McCain is bending over backwards to run a decent campaign - he is being fair.He is telling the truth without demonizing his opponent. If his opponent would tell the truth then no one else would have to do it for him. %u201CWe the People%u201D deserve to know the TRUTH!

[redfromla]

whiner245a

Did you actually READ THE BOOK YOURSELF or are you another mindless drone who just copies and paste? Because if you read the book you would know why those passages are there.

[FrancheskaS]

McCain/Palin need to find a message other than race baiting and fear mongering. It does not seem to be working out for them so far.

[jgunther7]

What ever happened to the $300 million that John McCain wants to give to the country of Georgia? What with the collapse of George Bush%u2019s economic policies, that money would be better spent on the state of Georgia.

[pakaal]

LloydBest1: "The rules of engagement in any conflict are set by the side with the least investment in ethics."

C''mon LB1, we''re on the same side, but that way of thinking is what leads to stuff like "preemptive military strike" doctrine. The whole point is to not get dragged down and lose your own ethical standards. That''s what we did in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, IMO.

There''s so much out there that''s fair game (Council for World Freedom or Alaska Independence Party anyone?), it''s not even necessary to comment on him giving up info under torture 30-some years ago. McCain is going to lose badly, in any case.