Playing with fire...

I was talking with my father-in-law yesterday about the increasing negativity and almost mob-like behavior on exhibition at McCain rallies lately.

McCain seems perfectly willing to stoke the fires of his base, even though we're beginning to hear some very far-right, nutty things. This is getting dangerous, I think. If someone were to assassinate Obama this would be a tragedy beyond comprehension. It could shatter the country. Yet McCain does nothing, piling fuel on the flames.

Andrew Sullivan writes:

There was always going to be a point of revolt and panic for a core group of Americans who believe that Obama simply cannot be president - because he's black or liberal or young or relatively new. This is that point. As the polls suggest a strong victory, the Hannity-Limbaugh-Steyn-O'Reilly base are going into shock and extreme rage. McCain and Palin have decided to stoke this rage, to foment it, to encourage paranoid notions that somehow Obama is a "secret" terrorist or Islamist or foreigner. These are base emotions in both sense of the word.

But they are also very very dangerous. This is a moment of maximal physical danger for the young Democratic nominee. And McCain is playing with fire. If he really wants to put country first, he will attack Obama on his policies - not on these inflammatory, personal, creepy grounds. This is getting close to the atmosphere stoked by the Israeli far right before the assassination of Rabin.

For God's sake, McCain, stop it. For once in this campaign, put your country first. [emphasis added]