That's a contradiction in terms.

I'm reminded of a comment that some guy once said: "These people are proud of their ignorance".  Today's GOP.

Well, if you're not ignorant then you're at least partially informed, which is kinda like being educated, which is definitely elitist, so it's far better to be ignorant.

Must be scary wading into a rabid group like that and directly questioning their beliefs.  That took some real balls it's amazing that guy got out of there alive.  

Of course everyone is partially informed -- only God is omniscient.

The difference between people is the recognition of blind spots.  If a person is partially informed, and recognizes as much, there is the possibility of learning something new.  If a person is partially informed, and fails to recognize as much, then there's no chance to learn something new.  The person is ignorant.  

A lot of these folks simply hear information from someone that they trust, but they have no ability to independently weigh that information -- to test that information -- so they've outsourced their thinking to someone else.  

As far as the videographer goes, I applaud his documenting the crowds views.  It's conceivable too that some of these folks were simply having fun with the questioner -- playing into the stereotype, because they just didn't care.  That one person seemed to like the attention.

As far as the danger goes, it's amazing how a camera provides a person with a level of protection.  I doubt that the videographer was ever really in any danger.  I'd contrast this with the people who shot the documentary "Harlan County USA" -- that was a case where the camera alone didn't provide the documentary filmmaker with protection.  I think the videographer had some fun, and did some good work, but I don't think that the person was ever in any real danger.  Especially not during a daytime rally.

I have often told my adult daughter that she lets others do her thinking for her so now you've given me the "outsourcing" concept as additional ammo, thanks.

Those who do video work professionally trade a lot of stories about situations that turn nasty.   They know the red flags and recommend disengagement when the noise level rises, profanity starts, and/or alcohol is evident.    

Of course, I mean defeating Palin.

the "low information" VP candidate.

That's what Palin and people who support her are.  

Please inform your readers about this article and encourage them to pass it on. We find out that McBush is not the person he has led us to believe. "Who is the real John Sidney McCain"?
http://www.rollingstone.com/ne...  

about that article here and elsewhere. I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet...

Superb article

These people aren't likely to get any smarter after November 4th.  They'll just be angrier.  Not a good thing.

I for one am glad to note that we're finally seeing some racist dumbasses north of the Mason Dixon line.      

All these idiots making bigoted comments at these rallies are missing are white sheets.  Why won't John McCain do the honorable thing and come out and say voting against Obama (and for me) because of his middle name and/or skin color is not acceptable.  He now has people yelling out racial slurs, threats, and personal insults at his campaign rallies.  McCain and his sorry excuse for a human being VP selection are not only condoning this type of behavior with their silence, but they are actively promoting it with their smear campaign.  John McCain's smear campaign is affecting something far greater than just a presidential election or even one individual.  They are inflicting more racial wounds and divisions that will last far beyond any one election or presidential term.  

of the movie "Idiocracy".

weren't hateful like this.  And, come to think of it, they were a lot smarter too!

Makes me glad I moved away from PA.  I'm even embarrassed to admit I'm originally from there.  At least I can say I didn't live in Bethlehem.  McCain-Palin just brings out the worst in people.

into two entities. I did not want to believe it but the more I see of this sort of behavior the more it reinforces the belief that America is now split between those barely holding on to the belief that this is their country and their government and those who want a king who will protect them from the other. One is desperately educated and the other hopelessly ignorant. There are some who say that the premise that there are two Americas is foolish are becoming themselves the fools. Our society is in decline.

You know what would be interesting? Polling that group to see how many hardcover books each had read or how many times in the last year they had visited the public library.

I hope this is true, but videos like these make me wonder.  

By the way, isn't it fascinating how the worst insults these people can come up with are "he's a Muslim," "he's a terrorist," and "get a job!"  A sociologist could have a field day, including some serious research on the "marking off" phenomenon.

And you'll hear all their talking points.  These people are being fed.

themselves?  I mean, this is all insane rubbish, completely untrue and bizarre. These people have no ability to discern fantasy and reality?

They think if they refuse to accept change they are remaining strong.  They see and hear that behavior modeled for them in everyone from Rush Hannity to GWBush.  By remaining "low information" they insulate themselves from the impetus to question their leadership.  These are the good Germans.  Which is why the don't like the Europeans - the folks that have an intimate understanding of what happens when you fall in lock-step with your corrupt Party.

Thanks for the link.

I can't help but point to his research on Authoritarianism and authoritarian thinking (free e-book) -- the basis for John Dean's "Conservatives without Conscience".

http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~a...

Authoritarian followers rely heavily on received "wisdom" from approved sources and authority figures.  They submit too much to authority figures -- especially dishonest ones -- because they are paranoid about the outside world.  If a person is paranoid they usually aren't able to develop higher level thinking -- they are thinking with the brain stem.  Why this is, is a tough question -- I suspect it's a combination of education, and upbringing.  If a kid is bullied by a parent they'll have a hard time developing their own views and won't be secure in their own thinking -- they'll remain dependent on authority figures for ideas.

I think a lot of Limbaugh's appeal stems from the fact that he literally controls the format and sounds authoritative.  No one can challenge his claims because he controls the microphone and the questions.  He's able to maintain an illusion of authoritativeness because his audience's knowledge base isn't sufficient to challenge Limbaugh's reasoning.  I think most liberals only listen to Limbaugh for the amusement factor -- not information -- because his show can be boring.  It's entirely passive entertainment.  It's the antithesis of a blog where people can throw out ideas and have them challenged.  

Another side of this: Authoritarian followers don't deal well with uncertainty or "contingent" facts, which may be uncertainty.  I guess some people just need certainty -- even if the basis of that certainty is a lie.  

and they've been present in previous elections.  What may be different this time is that the GOP base doesn't have the support of moderates.  You can see the trend too in polling of independents.  

The GOP -- the 30-35 percenters -- are going off into one direction, and the independent vote is trending along lines similar to the Democratic base on issues ranging from the economy to Iraq.

Here you go:

while I sit here watching.

I have never talked to people in such a way as some in these videos do.

To their defense I will note that several people in these videos do not say anything and seem to act as gentlemen.  I would imagine the hatred that we are hearing and that they experienced probably made them, like me, a bit uncomfortable.
 

And I hope they are taking a good look at their brethren.  The McPains do bring out the very worst in people.  I never remember bush rallies being this bad.  

Also, there is a possibility some people come just because there is celebrity in town.  I'm hoping those gentlemen will vote more carefully.  It may be good for them to spend the afternoon with such hardness. Do they really want these people in power.  

of some Billy Joel lyrics:

Well we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms
Standing in line

We've been waiting for the swiftboating to start.  Here we go. I happened on fox news this morning.  The segment was nonstop about William Ayers and Obama.  I am asking why, if Ayers is a terrorist, he is NOT in jail.  Instead he is a respected college professor.  In 1995 he was awarded a 50 million grant by the Anneberg Institute, funded by a republican, whose wife is a mccain supporter.  Ayers was named Citizen of The Year in 1997 in Chicago, strange for a terrorist.

The real question is "Can the republicans be stopped from stealing the election this year as they have with Willie Horton and Swiftboating?"  Somehow we have to get the low information voters to start using their brains.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...

http://www.time-blog.com/swamp...  

in getting these low information voters to start using their brains. The current running through this group of voters is at this time far too strong, they are swept along by the comforting group think of self-righteous rage (here at least they are "all in this together" reinforcing each other). Notice how inarticulate they are when asked to explain; that is because they have only a strong feeling of intense emotion that they are in receipt of The True Word. I had the sense that at least part of one of the crowds was at tinder point, anad could be turned into a rampaging mob with little effort, a lynch mob, a bunch of madding thugs storming and destroying anything in their path: Krystallnacht.

Too bad these videos cannot be shown in some form on national news. Those participating will be pleased and preen themselves. Everyone else will be horrified.

As I have said before, being older, I know plenty of these folks.  The ones that I know are not stupid.  It's almost like they have joined a cult and been programmed, where only the leader knows the truth. As an example, I had a repairman at the house last week.  As he was leaving he noticed an Obama sign in my yard.  Seeing the surprised look on his face, I bet he supported mccain so I decided to strike up a conversation. He acknowledged he did and asked if I listened to Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. I couldn't help but ask my big three questions: how do you know when the person is telling the truth, how do you know when the person is shading the truth, how do you know when the person is lying.  He thought and said you just have to trust them.

I am just putting this up for reference.  Each chapter has a summary at the beginning.  If you glance at the book you will see a lot of similarities between the current republican party and the discussion in the book. It is called The Crowd and was written in France in 1896.

http://etext.virginia.edu/etcb...

The above reference starts in mid chapter.  This is better.

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/...

Remember Macaca?   Why cant we have a macaca moment from the mccain palin bunch??/

has on some level turned into a "macaca" moment.  In the case of Allen, his comment obliterated the nice guy perception that some people had.  Putting aside the racial question, I think a lot of people were put off by his bullying of a young man in a hostile audience.

In the case of McCain, a lot of independents liked the guy because they saw him as separate from the GOP base and orthodoxy.  The Palin selection undermined that view -- it exploded the McCain as Maverick myth.

I don't even really know what to say about this.  I doubt this is surprising to any of us who live south of Fairfax, but its still kind of shocking to see these people on video spewing ignorance and hate.

Hope those in the Progressive Community will consider coming out to hear the venom that will be spread...perhaps exercising our constitutional rights to bring signs, etc.

http://jsnotes.com/2008/10/06/...

may want to check the polls.  The Palin nonsense is not resonating in Virginia.  According to PPP, she is decreasing rather than increasing the ticket's support in this state.  

So my neighborhood is going to be chock full of belligerent, agitated McCainiacs. At least I'm on the second floor, so if there's a riot, I can stay out of the street.

I find it strange that Palin's event will be held at the Arthur Ashe Center.  Is there any way we can stop these race baiters from using a center named for Mr. Ashe, an American symbol of tolerance?

If I went that could be interesting.  Like dropping in behind the lines.

Here in the Shenandoah Valley we have folks like we see in the videos. They are a scary bunch. All self righteous and full of hate. But change is coming.

This just makes me sad.  I don't know that their ignorance can be cured by knowledge.  They obviously feel some need or some rage, but it is misdirected.  How do you help people who have misdirected their rage or need?  Can you reach these people?

McCain is down a dozen points in the polls, a hundred projected Electoral Votes, we're neck deep in two wars the republicans screwed up, and conservative principles have lost America $8 Trillion in wealth this year, and McCain's got this?

Overt Racism
Lizard Brain Politics
Distraction
Hate
Fear

Sounds like more of the same.  Smells like old spice, flop sweat and abject desperation.

The McCain campaign will go down in history as the single most pitiful in American history.

As George Will said today "Are you going to get any better, or is this it?" ... not likely.

And she just heard of it today?  And that's a BAD thing?