apart from any moral issues, what is upside for McCain-Palin in stoking violent anger of right?

[yurbud]

In terms of political calculation, it will at most get their base to the polls, but it is definitely alienating swing voters, so what do they hope to gain? While the people their whipping up are stupid, those making the decisions to do so are not--they have to see some way this could put them in the end zone.

If they incited a physical attack against Obama or Biden, that would increase sympathy for the ticket. Even if it backfired and they attacked McCain as a thread at Freerepublic seemed to indicate they were fantasizing about, swing voters doubts about Palin would overwhelm any sympathy for McCain.

What am I missing with this?

Or are they just setting the stage to throw a monkey wrench in whatever Obama does, the way they did with Clinton's presidency?

[Maccagirl]

1. Obama will have a Herculean task cleaning up after Dubya

and he won't get any help (but much hinderance) from the opposition. There will be no bi-partisanship.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. I think they're afraid they WON'T get their base to the polls.

I think, this late in the game, they're afraid of losing even the wacko vote. That's why Palin was brought on board in the first place, and why they'll have to keep her, no matter how ugly it gets.

[last1standing]

3. You forget that mcRacist really is as erratic as the Obama camp suggests.

His entire campaign from borrowing millions based on his willingness to submit to taking matching funds, to choosing palin, to "suspending" his campaign, to taking credit for a bail-out package before it was voted on, to inflaming racial hatred, all without any real idea of whether it would work. McRacist is a gambler of the worst variety. He can't let go of the need to "roll the dice" even on important issues.

In other words, this isn't about an upside or a downside because it's not a calculated move. For mcRacist it's all about the risk. He just can't help himself.

[gateley]

4. I think they miscalculated -- that they were hoping to prey on the fears of

blacks/terrorists/foreigners of swing voters, lest those voters forget for a moment he's 'not one of us'. I don't think they foresaw that there would be such a huge blowback from this approach. That maybe they'd get some negative coverage, but that the potential votes were worth the risk.

They're at the point where they don't have a real strategy, they're just throwing out anything that might work. This didn't.

Today, McCain was all about the economy and changing Washington so these crooks can't cause something like this ever again, and promoting cooperation between Dems and Reps (:eyes:) Palin, though, was using the aborting emotion hot button.

[tpi10d]

6. I agree they miscalculated

They thought it would move the swing voters but they didn't budge. Polling has been steady over the last week and a half.

[yurbud]

10. I don't mean choosing Palin but choosing violent rhetoric

[sarge43]

5. Diversion. Don't look here. Look there.

They can't allow what's left of their base to start thinking about who really screwed them over.

Oldest trick in the book and it still works. *sigh.

[TwilightGardener]

7. There's nothing Republicans would love more than increased racial tensions--

it would be a boon to them no matter who won, because that would increase their party membership by nervous whites.

[dbmk]

8. Energy, activism, change of focus

Silently hoping that it would not go overboard.

Textbook evil.

[Swamp Rat]

9. Upside = Obama wins the election

:D