McCain's Sidekick wrote:

>>When we turn our personal lives over to a one man and a one party rule,<<

as in the Republican-sponsored Patriot Act?

>> that controls our Education by paying for it, <<

as in Republican-sponsored school vouchers?

>>our Healthcare program for millions that is paid for and controlled by government,<<

as in Republican-sponsored Medicare Part D?

>>Welfare money from TAXES charged to those that work hard to succeed and are self supporting<<

as in how Republicans haveraised the percentage of taxes paid by middle-class taxpayers versus the wealthy sponsored by the Republicans?

You're funnin', Sarah, right? :-)

And please tell your running mate to look up what the word "vindicated" means. *giggle*

Reporting the ugliness of the campaign is one thing, but there is nothing so revealing as seeing and hearing the vitriol in its purest form. The only accessible video of the rally is a highly edited FOX News version on U-tube. Even McCain supporters are often horrified when confronted by the reality of their candidate's message.

I was at the rally. As a writer myself, I do believe that Ms. Traister is entitled to her first amendment rights, and I do actually have some liberal leanings, but this rally was group of people united for a common cause to support their candidate. Whether or not Ms. Traister believes in this candidate is another matter, but her beliefs should not taint this article. There was no fear-mongering. There was no gloominess at this rally. McCain DID NOT GET MEAN. START TELLING THE TRUTH.

JABMI, you make good points regarding literal definition of socialism. However, let's consider the intent, and practical force of certain recent developments.

For example, in the Clinton debate, when Sam Donaldson TWICE asked Obama, why, if when both Clinton and Bush DECREASED the capital gains tax, and EACH time it resulted in an INCREASE in government revenue...WHY would Obama want to increase the tax?

There is NO good reason but to PUNISH THE CORPORATIONS AND WEALTHIER AMERICANS. Obama is willing to GIVE UP BADLY NEEDED REVENUE - revenue he needs for the BILLIONS in new spending that he is proposing, in order to PUNISH a subset of American society. He is going against PROVEN economic practice to implement a social agenda!

THAT kind of socialism is what folks are questioning. Getting real b&W here, almost to the point of silliness (exaggerating a bit for effect):

-The more conservative progressive plans that you are talking about are most often offered in the spirit of stimulating expansion and creating more opportunity. "Teach a man to fish" sort of things.

-Socialist/liberal programs (while some might appear similar on the outside) are given with the intent of "doing it for" the citizen, and/or "leveling the playing field" so that some "lifted" at the EXPENSE of others. "I'll take a portion of your fish and give it to that one, because I don't believe they are bright enough or capable enough to fish for themselves, and plus, I need to buy their vote". (I fully support charity to the truly needy, and let that be voluntary...I am not writing about that here).

Do you see the difference?

And sure, in advance, I concede the point to you that there is some overlap and political intrigue and mutual back-scratching and all that on both sides of the aisle and across it... I get that. It is a matter of degree, though, and an Obama/Pelosi/Reid government is too far past a the degree that I am comfortable with. That's all.

He was really funny on QVC. Oops! I mean SNL.

What, 8 or 9 brand new letter writers just signing on in the past few hours, all doing the same Obama bashing? Could this be the same person re-registering with different e-mail addresses? Who sent you here?

Most of the others that have done the same thing in the past few months have already disappeared from Salon. Expect "all of you" signing up today to do the same thing.

The only socialism approved of by the Republican rank-and-file is national socialism, alas. Certainly the GOP has been stirring the national socialist base in a big way in this election, and likely in all elections to come.

If John McCain had been president at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we wouldn't be here, 'cos the world would be a nuclear ash heap! -- Real Time with Bill Maher, 2008-10-24

Looks like Salon's Letters been overrun by conservatives?

I know that is hopeless.

I write because it is an open forum, and an estimated 8% of voters still haven't decided.

Reasoned arguments based on facts (such as the fact that some folks don't want the kind of "change" the Obama is promising, and the fact that McCain is nothing like Bush, even if he DID vote for some of the Bush-supported policies...heck, even Newsweek, a self-destructing Obama campaign rag ran an article not too long ago about "What Bush got Right". Did you read it? Probably not.) may still prove valuable to those holding out for that last bit of argument before voting. (Please excuse the pathetically long parenthetical statement).

Like the New York Times, who's stock just went down to Junk-Rating - we suppose because of subscribers and advertisers dropping them based on the perception of corruption and unabashed unfairness in the election campaign - folks with Obama blinders may soon have a similar sinking feeling.

All that said, no matter who wins, in the coming years, I truly hope for a healthier, more effective government, and one with a character that inspires far more mutual courtesy and mutual respect than is currently exhibited by many of the pundits.

Thank you John McCain for reducing this most important election to "socialism"..a word flying out of the mouths of those who don't even know what the word means. It's ridiculous and insulting and those of you buying it had best take a moment and look to ALL the issues this country faces as a result of the past 8 years...a mismanaged war in Iraq brought to us with lies by the war-mongering Administration, trillions upon trillions spent that we could use here at home and to fight the economic meltdown we suffer, jobs and more jobs lost, a military stretched beyond limits, a culture war brought to you by McCain and Palin that pits cities against towns, race against race, religion against religion, right against left, rich against poor.

If you think you know so much about "socialism', then take a moment to ask yourselves if social security, medicare, medicaid and our progressive tax system (brought to you largely by republicans) is "socialism". Ask yourself if community ownership of natural resources and then "redistributing" the profits in Alaska is communism? If Obama is a socialist then Palin is a communist and I don't believe either premise. WE ARE NOT A SOCIALIST COUNTRY and we are not heading in that direction. EVERY free market society has some responsibilities to the whole...but that does not make America or Obama socialist, communist or Marxist.

If you don't like the path our country is on then you better look your narrow-minded FEAR right in the face and ask yourselves where 4 more years like the past 8 will take us!