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News & ArtsTuesday, October 20, 2009
Politics Threats Against the Life of the President Up 400% Since Obama Took Office
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 8:35 AM
This isn't happening in a vacuum. They really are trying to get him killed. And the Secret Service doesn't have the manpower or the budget to investigate all the threats to the president's life. "Can we get more attention on this now that it's a fiscal discipline issue?" asks Josh Marshall at TPM.
1
He went to Texas A&M in the presence of GHWB. He went to New Orleans, but for 3 hours only. He went to NC once, and he went to Va. several times but mainly just the DC suburbs.
Looks like he's avoiding the South.
Looks like he's avoiding the South.
2
At least they aren't threatening him with Republican Marriage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_…
3
Beck is no more trying to get Obama killed than The Daily Kos and The Stranger tried to get George W. Bush killed.
5
@3 Bullshit. Pointing out and decrying the actual failures of the previous administration is not the same thing as pushing rumors, fear-mongering and outright lies as truth about the current administration. The left railed against Bush because of thing the Bush administration *acutally did*. The right is railing against Obama because of things *they're worried that he might do at some point*, when in reality he hasn't done all that much. I know that's an indictment of the Obama administration's inaction, but it's necessary to make the distinction.
And I think the 400% increase in threats against the president since Bush left office and Obama took office pretty much speaks for itself. We wanted Bush impeached. You want Obama dead. Fuck off.
And I think the 400% increase in threats against the president since Bush left office and Obama took office pretty much speaks for itself. We wanted Bush impeached. You want Obama dead. Fuck off.
6
The reason to treat threats against Obama more seriously than threats against Bush are:
1. The people threatening Obama are gun nuts.
2. The people threatening Obama believe the "rapture" is going to happen in their lifetime, so they have no reason to plan for the future anyway.
1. The people threatening Obama are gun nuts.
2. The people threatening Obama believe the "rapture" is going to happen in their lifetime, so they have no reason to plan for the future anyway.
7
"The Southern Poverty Law Center issued a report back in August that found that the number of white supremacist militia groups has spiked by 35% since 2000."
SPIKED!
Assuming their numbers are true (and they are not) that would be less than 4 % a year. Does SPLC know what 'spiked' means?
The SPLC is a racial exploitation whore organization that stays in business by promoting racial fear and hysteria.
Every year they come out with more alarming statistics about HATE and SUPREMISTS and RACISM so their credulous donors will pony up more cash.
If there were no hate groups they would have to go out of business so, surprise, they always find more and more.
If you took Dan Savage and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson's Love Child and made it an organization it would be the SPLC.
SPIKED!
Assuming their numbers are true (and they are not) that would be less than 4 % a year. Does SPLC know what 'spiked' means?
The SPLC is a racial exploitation whore organization that stays in business by promoting racial fear and hysteria.
Every year they come out with more alarming statistics about HATE and SUPREMISTS and RACISM so their credulous donors will pony up more cash.
If there were no hate groups they would have to go out of business so, surprise, they always find more and more.
If you took Dan Savage and Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson's Love Child and made it an organization it would be the SPLC.
8
5
Fuck Yourself Off.
The Right shrugged off threats against Bush.
The Left twitters and squeals like hysterical pussies.
The Left wallows in victimhood.
It is how they get validation.
Fuck Yourself Off.
The Right shrugged off threats against Bush.
The Left twitters and squeals like hysterical pussies.
The Left wallows in victimhood.
It is how they get validation.
9
@5: Nobody. I repeat NOBODY - wants Obama dead except for those that actually do. Demented rhetoric from Glenn Beck and left-leaning blogs (including Bush assassination movies) is interesting but inconsequential.
13
No, 8.
You're the children, we're the grown-ups. We talk facts, you're hysterical. Your currency is paranoia and poor impulse control.
Bush put the protesters in cages ("la-la-la I can't hear you"), kept himself far away from anyone who didn't stroke him. Your team fucked up. Now take a seat and let the adults have a crack at it.
You're the children, we're the grown-ups. We talk facts, you're hysterical. Your currency is paranoia and poor impulse control.
Bush put the protesters in cages ("la-la-la I can't hear you"), kept himself far away from anyone who didn't stroke him. Your team fucked up. Now take a seat and let the adults have a crack at it.
14
No, @ 12, he could have said 4 times . . . because, say what you want about Dan, at least he can write in English.
15
The only good thing is most of the threats are from really old white people.
And a few racist nutters.
And a few racist nutters.
16
13
so far the adults have reaffirmed Bush's policies, screwed the gays over and fucked up health care reform.
perhaps they are smoking crack rather than taking one at it...
so far the adults have reaffirmed Bush's policies, screwed the gays over and fucked up health care reform.
perhaps they are smoking crack rather than taking one at it...
19
I don't know. I thought the left could get pretty hysterical under Bush but it was still in a smug "fuck you I'll just finally get off my ass and move to Canada/Europe now" way. Like a "this president is the last straw, I always suspected I was too good for this country and now I know it!" attitude.
The right wing's anti-Obama rhetoric stikes me as FEAR based now. They think they lost their country and "want it back". A scared, trapped, desperate dog is more likely to bite.
The right wing's anti-Obama rhetoric stikes me as FEAR based now. They think they lost their country and "want it back". A scared, trapped, desperate dog is more likely to bite.
20
18 Great point. I think that there's also lots of truth in what some previous posters have commented about the demographic from where the majority of these threats are coming from. The fact that most of these pockets are obsessed with guns and furthering the agenda of the NRA is basic to understanding why these threats are more worrisome. But i completely agree that those on the left fanning the flames by bringing it up on the news continually are also culpable for this current hostile atmosphere against the President.
21
Right, if we don't talk about the 400% increase in threats then it will go away!
It's the left's fault for fanning the flames.
Just like two gay people sucking each other off who want a permanent commitment are a big threat to you and your traditional marriage. Gay people getting married causes straight people to divorce!
It's the left's fault for fanning the flames.
Just like two gay people sucking each other off who want a permanent commitment are a big threat to you and your traditional marriage. Gay people getting married causes straight people to divorce!
22
Also, there does seem to me more violence in the right's reaction to Obama.
I mean, sure, this is one crazy. But I don't seem to remember people saying they want to kill Laura & the Bush girls: http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?…
There seems to be, with the Birthers, the tea-baggers, the Hitler-criers, and idea that the man (Obama) isn't REALLY the president (how could he be? he's black/muslim/communist) so that killing him wouldn't be quite as bad as killing Garfield/McKinley/Kennedy was.
The Left under Bush seemed to want impeachment and/or war crime investigation for acts committed---not because he was who he was and what he *might* do.
I'll leave Lincoln out of it since (contrary to Southern Revisionists that Booth was merely "crazy") the motive there was racial/akin to what these Birthers believe: illegitimate president ravaging the constitution and disenfranchizing "real" (AKA white) Americans.
I mean, sure, this is one crazy. But I don't seem to remember people saying they want to kill Laura & the Bush girls: http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?…
There seems to be, with the Birthers, the tea-baggers, the Hitler-criers, and idea that the man (Obama) isn't REALLY the president (how could he be? he's black/muslim/communist) so that killing him wouldn't be quite as bad as killing Garfield/McKinley/Kennedy was.
The Left under Bush seemed to want impeachment and/or war crime investigation for acts committed---not because he was who he was and what he *might* do.
I'll leave Lincoln out of it since (contrary to Southern Revisionists that Booth was merely "crazy") the motive there was racial/akin to what these Birthers believe: illegitimate president ravaging the constitution and disenfranchizing "real" (AKA white) Americans.
23
18 and 20 - if death threats against the president are up 400%, then people on the left obviously aren't the ones talking about killing the president. They're the ones talking about people who are threatening to kill the president. Big difference.
24
@8 complains that the left wallows in victimhood, because we complain that lying about Obama's heritage and his policies might endanger his life. Meanwhile, other right-wing posters complain about calling a 35% increase in less than a decade a "spike" and about using the phrase "up 400%" rather than "4 times as much".
Pot. Kettle. A much, much, much deeper shade of black.
Pot. Kettle. A much, much, much deeper shade of black.
25
@18: I've seen people posting death threats against Obama in online forums several times, and they were all right-wing nutballs.
27
It is neither good nor bad on me, simply a series of events I observed.
What movie are you talking about?
What movie are you talking about?
28
Allegedly @8:
~ The war on Christmas
~ Gay marriage means you can't preach anti-gay sermons
~ Just because I'm anti-gay marriage doesn't mean I'm bigoted.
~ Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
~ Iranian weapons of mass destruction
~ A storm is coming, the clouds are dark, the wind is strong and I'm afraid.
~ Obama's death panel is coming for you.
Sorry, Allegedly, but victimhood is political currency used by everyone and accepted everywhere. Conservatives are as much squealing pussies as the liberals in this regard.
~ The war on Christmas
~ Gay marriage means you can't preach anti-gay sermons
~ Just because I'm anti-gay marriage doesn't mean I'm bigoted.
~ Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
~ Iranian weapons of mass destruction
~ A storm is coming, the clouds are dark, the wind is strong and I'm afraid.
~ Obama's death panel is coming for you.
Sorry, Allegedly, but victimhood is political currency used by everyone and accepted everywhere. Conservatives are as much squealing pussies as the liberals in this regard.
29
The extreme number of death threats against the President is alarming but not surprising. We've been predicting the first non-white president being a target since before Jesse Jackson ran for president in 1984. In the new century, I'd like to have believed we'd be past the color (or gender, or faith) of our president in this era, but that bit of wishful thought has long since been dispelled.
Agreed, this is an indicator that Obama is in more danger, though I can't honestly say how much more; few attempts on our presidents make the news. Fewer still succeed. Odds are getting better since Reagan broke the Lincoln curse, we've not had a president prematurely leave office since.
Obviously, we need to re-enforce the team responsible for tracking down would-be assassins. I'd wager the FBI's work on counter-terrorism shares a lot of common territory.
Agreed, this is an indicator that Obama is in more danger, though I can't honestly say how much more; few attempts on our presidents make the news. Fewer still succeed. Odds are getting better since Reagan broke the Lincoln curse, we've not had a president prematurely leave office since.
Obviously, we need to re-enforce the team responsible for tracking down would-be assassins. I'd wager the FBI's work on counter-terrorism shares a lot of common territory.
32
dwight moody @27, the movie was Death of a President in 2006. I picked it up for cheap once and then never watched it, myself. Too close to wishful thinking at the time.
Allegedly @30, and your comment proves what, exactly? That you're there and we're not paying enough attention to you?
Trust me, we know.
Allegedly @30, and your comment proves what, exactly? That you're there and we're not paying enough attention to you?
Trust me, we know.
33
Two Google bits that might cause some uneasiness in both Obama and the rapture would be "Obama Avoids Bible Verses" and "Pretrib Rapture Dishonesty." Definitely not recommended by Obama, Lindsey, LaHaye, Hagee, Swaggart, and the late Falwell! Don
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