EXCLUSIVE | Anti-McCain vandalism hits Maryland
DEMOCRAT DISPLAYING GOP CANDIDATE SIGN WAKES UP TO FIND HOME, RV, TRUCK COVERED WITH “VOTE OBAMA” GRAFFITI
The wave of vandalism targeting supporters of presidential candidate John McCain isn’t just limited to South Carolina, as we experienced last weekend when thugs sprayed graffiti all over the York County GOP headquarters, nor is it limited to Republicans.
At some point during the wee hours of the morning, supporters of opponent Barack Obama attacked a private home in Prince George’s County, Md., defacing the house, an RV, a truck cover, and a two foot by eight foot yard sign. Apparently, the home owner was a registered Democrat and the local Obama fans were none to pleased with his decision to back McCain.
“I understand that in every election there are incidents where campaign signs on both sides are removed, torn down and defaced,” said Mykel Harris, Republican Central Committee Chair for Prince George’s County in a statement to the media. “But rarely do the perpetrators proceed to deface your home and personal property in your yard.”
Harris called on elected officials, law enforcement, and appointed election officials take matters like these seriously and demanded that “persons found violating the civil rights of others via sign vandalism, voter registration fraud, or political intimidation pay a terrible price.”
Authorities apparently have no leads as to who who committed the crime, although the motive seems quite apparent.
“It appears that the current climate is moving us towards a new level of political intolerance,” Harris said, but promised, “The darkness will never prevail so long as someone leaves the light on.”
the Prince George’s County GOP will keep everyone up to speed on developments.
Is character assassination and out right lying to America not the foulest form of vandalism? The McCain “people” have been painting foul epithets on Sen. Obama for weeks now.
WHOA.
http://vierdsen.wordpress.com/2008/10/18/fogle-unsafe-at-any-speed/
“supporters of opponent Barack Obama attacked a private home in Prince George’s County”
You don’t know that.
Ahem.
You don’t know that; you assumed that. It could have been absolutely anyone who did that.
Evidence that you don’t know that:
“Authorities apparently have no leads as to who who committed the crime,”
If they don’t know, then you certainly don’t know.
To claim it was done by supporters of obama is to claim that you can read the mind of a person that you don’t even know who it is. Maybe it was an obama supporter, but then you should use a few more words like “probably.”
Also, the motive does not seem apparent. Any serious political supporter with half a brain is going to realize that spraypaint vandalism on private property is not an effective means of spreading your message and that intimidation is no longer an effective means of winning an argument.
Here are three more reasonable possibilities:
1. The person who did it is a blithering idiot who does in fact like obama for some reason (use first half of sentence to explain second half).
2. The person is not an obama supporter but wants to make obama supporters look bad. That’s about 45% of the country right now.
3. The person is just some punk kid who finds it hysterical when people get all bent out of shape taking themselves too seriously; we all know politics is a ripe venue for people with an overinflated sense of self importance.
Oh, and although it is amusing, and I did giggle, that link is out of place here. Doors aren’t getting any wider, wheelchairs aren’t getting any narrower, and nobody at Bar None at 4 am is getting any soberer, so maybe everyone involved should try to be more careful? Do DUI laws have exceptions for scooters?
http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=307949
Adam only cares about vandalism that targets people voting for McCain.
Is that an Opie and Anthony tag in tright above Obama’s name? Try and try, they can never outdo Howard Stern
If this had been an Obama supporter’s home and property defaced in this manner CNN would have 24 hours non-stop coverage of the vandalism. Bill A you left out one other possibility, the vandalism was done by an Obama supporter who wanted people to think it was done by a McCain supporter to make the Obama supporters look bad, thus making McCain supporters look bad. Jeeeesh, get a life dude!
Rather than attempting to downplay, redirect, or contest the article as the few commenters here have done, would it be too hard for folks to do the right thing? Just call the vandalism wrong, counterproductive, and express either sympathy for the victim or a desire to see the perpetrators punished and drive on? The attempts to either argue that “They’re Worse” or “It’s Not Us” is pathetic.
As soon as Obama supporters get bad publicity (rare in itself) for their intimidation tactics there immediately follows the standard enabling “Republicans (or Rove) actually did it to make Democrats look bad”.
I guess we know now how it is that West Virginia’s Sen. Byrd, senior Democrat in the US Senate and past State Kleagle in the KKK, is so warmly respected among those who view intimidation as a form of civil disobedience.
(Gee, why would Democrats be so stupid as to maintain a famous KKK official as their Senate Icon. Must be a Republican plot to make Democrats look bad!!)
This isn’t an isoated incident–these minions are only following Obamasiah’s order to “get in their face”. I don’t have enough room to link you to all the vandalism and intimdation tactics of King Obama. The key word is intimidation. I have talked to 5 people this week that won’t put McCain signs on their car or yard because they fear vandalism.
All you have to do is look at how they pilloried poor Joe for asking a question…Heil Obama! The troops will be coming soon to your neighborhood!
And you wonder why there is a Bradley effect?
Bill A: It doesn’t matter if this was done by O’s supporters. What matters is that McCain supporters dont want their car window smashed because of their pro-McCain bumbersticker. I note in MD that it is not much of a risk to be left leaning.
So why bother displaying my political preference? I’m still voting for McCain, it’s just that my neighbors in Baltimore city don’t need to know. I’ll get my window popped for other reasons thank you.
“The McCain “people” have been painting foul epithets on Sen. Obama for weeks now.”
And yet, nothing approaching the lies the Democratic Party used to attack McCain, even before there was a clear Democratic nominee. The “100 Years” ad was the most despicable attack ad I’ve seen this year, and Obama cheerfully went along with it.
Anyone upset about McCain’s attacks while giving the Democrats a pass is, IMO, either ignorant of the facts or a hypocrite.
“Adam only cares about vandalism that targets people voting for McCain.”
Thats because its hard to find it the other way around.
Yeah, its pretty amusing to have your private property vandalised. Bill A, your an idiot.
I live in PG county. This is no isolated incident. In 2004 I had a Bush/Cheney bumper sticker removed from my car and a someone drove through my yard knocking over a Bush sign and tearing up my lawn. This year I support McCain with my money and my vote and the sign is on the roof.
Bill A, you’re an OBamabot! They’re everywhere!
With role models like John Stewart to spur them on, why shouldn’t these thugs “let it all hang out” and act in any manner they wish.
Oh well, Thom, in that case there are an infinite number of possibilities.
1. Obama supporters did it.
2. Republicans did it to make obama supporters look bad.
3. Obama supporters did it to make it seem like republicans did it.
4. Republicans did it to make it seem like obama supporters did it trying to make it seem like republicans did it to get sympathy.
5. etc. etc. etc.
6. ”
…
pmm has the most intelligent/correct post here; vandalism happens to everyone independent of politics or anything else, and it sucks. The world is full of jerks on both sides of the coin and there isn’t anything you can do about it but wash off the paint and get back to your lives.
My Ron Paul bumper sticker got my car keyed.
If you read that last sentence and thought “serves him right” then you’re part of the problem.
“My Ron Paul bumper sticker got my car keyed.”
But you realize, of course, that it must have been Ron Paul supporters who did it. Right, Bill?
I mean, it seems obvious that anti-Ron Paul activists would not do something that reflects poorly on their community. What would that accomplish??
Might have been that Mike. Might have been a hobo. Might have been an errant shopping cart. Might have been someone who thinks ruling the world is America’s right and duty. Might have been some kids in a wal-mart parking lot that thought it was funny.
The point is the only thing I know is someone is a jerk; I don’t know who, I don’t know why, and I shouldn’t go around spouting conclusions or trying to demonize a group of people based on my assumptions.
Also, I’m the only Ron Paul supporter; so clearly, I keyed my own car in order to evoke sympathy in blog comments six months later.
“… clearly, I keyed my own car in order to evoke sympathy in blog comments six months later.”
That is rather important, Bill. I think you just admitted guilt.
Oh, ridiculous!
Police don’t know who did it, but YOU know that “Obama supporters did it.” That is the most disingenuous statement I’ve read all day. Not only do you know it was Obama supporters, you know they did it BECAUSE of the McCain stickers.
COME. ON. You have no idea who did it or why.
Quit making shit up.
Since I might lose and I can’t think of anything else to say - You are all communists from un - American parts of South Carolina.
Poor Joe - I wonder if he will even pay the taxes on what he’s getting out of this?
I read that during the Nazi period brown shirted community organizers (fascists) bullied and killed Jews and their supporters. Only now I realize in reality it must’ve been the Jews themselves who did that because: a) we have no leads on who did it and b) we know brown shirt fascists wouldn’t do it because intimidation is no longer an effective means of winning an argument.
Barack Nation
One Hope
One Mind
One Voice
One Thought
No Dissent
No Questions
“a) we have no leads on who did it”
Just plain false. There were witnesses all over the place; it’s tough to keep a roving, noisy, angry mob a secret, but…
“b) we know brown shirt fascists wouldn’t do it because intimidation is no longer an effective means of winning an argument.”
This is also intensely false. News traveled much more slowly 60-70 years ago, making it much easier for angry mobs to get what they want. Our own contry went on to have race related incitents of violent intimidation for decades after that. The German government back then was encouraging the riots, making prosecution of these criminals impossible. In our current time, however, such incidents of violence much less common, and it is much more likely that the assailant will be caught and successfully prosecuted.
Oh and lest I forget…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwins_law
Somehow the big media outfits deemed this incidental to discussions of political intimidation. I wonder why? What a head scratcher.:
“A 23-year-old Michigan man has admitted to plotting to set off a homemade bomb in the tunnels near the Xcel Energy Center, hoping it would cause a power failure and prompt cancellation of the Republican National Convention.
Matthew B. DePalma of Flint, pleaded guilty in federal court in Minneapolis Tuesday to illegally possessing Molotov cocktails…
DePalma spent about 90 minutes at the Hennepin County Library on Aug. 18 researching recipes for homemade bombs. He bought the supplies for Molotov cocktails a few days later.
He said that if he could bomb the Xcel Center on Sept. 1, “they might call off the convention.”
He added that a “power outage would say a lot” and that it was his “main purpose.” DePalma also said that he would like to bomb the Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 4 so that the convention would “end with a bang.”
This is happening in my own neighborhood, too. I really am shocked. This is the first year I’ve been very involved in support for my candidate, and this is the first year I’ve put out some yard signs. I live in a very private culdesac. There’s no reason for anyone to come in here unless they live here. Someone came into our neighborhood over the weekend, stole all the McCain/Palin signs, plus all of ours in our culdesac, and proceeded to break some windows, egg other houses, etc.. I’m trusting these people will be caught. Not only did they steal signs, but vandalized and defaced our neighbors’ personal property! Nutjobs…total nutjobs. It doesn’t matter who we support, that kind of activity is truly reprehensible! I was talking to someone in a nearby neighborhood today, and they are so disgusted with people stealing their McCain signs, they taped razor blades all the way around the edges of the yard signs, and have installed a webcam.
this was done at my boyfriend’s family member’s house. this man is a good man and didn’t deserve to have his property destroyed. it is one thing to destroy a sign, but to do it to someone’s house as well is just wrong. the truck cap wasn’t even the man’s property, it was his son’s, and the rv was his others sons. who ever did this destroyed not only one man’s property, but 3. all of this because he was using his legal rights. it is wrong in general to destroy someone else’s things. this person or these people, obviously have no self-respect. they don’t even respect people they don’t know and have nothing to do with, they couldn’t possibly respect themselves. this was an immature and dumb move, it didn’t need to happen. i just hope the one or one’s responsible for it are caught and punished for what they did. this is a good family and they didn’t deserve that.
What, no mention of the woman who got mugged and that a backwards “B” scratched on her face?
Bill - Check the Mini-Scoops and/or follow TPS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PalmettoScoop/statuses/972612942
That’s a fake (the B lady), in my opinion.
Awww. So much for the arguments in this thread that someone would NEVER harm themself or their property to evoke sympathy or political points.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9411R800&show_article=1
You’re a BIT behind conservatives on this one, Bill. (And me, see my comment) It was conservatives like Malkin who questioned this out of the gate. That’s how honest people handle suspicious claims.
But just as I am old enough to know that women do indeed make false claims of rape, and quite often, I don’t assume that every claim is suspicious.
As for “NEVER”, no one claimed that it NEVER happens. You made that up. No surprise if you are a libertarian.
(PS: I guess I should say up front that I despise libertarians more than any other political group. To read a libertarian website like Classical Values and Reason is to descend into an orgy of self righteousness and bigotry that sickens a moral human.)
I drive by this poor guy’s home every day to/from work. They have left the vandalism on full display. It looks like someone has tried to knock down the big “Country First” sign. The “artwork by the savages” sends a very powerful message In my opinion.
Meh; I thought it looked suspicious from the start, but I chose to be subtle about my doubt because she hadn’t been proven a liar yet. That fits with the theme of my commentary here that one should not declare unproven things to be true.
A good comparison would be the drudge headline of “Woman has a ‘B’ carved in her face for obama” to my questioning statement, where I inserted of the word “backwards” and replacement of the word “carved” with “scratched.”
If the paraphrased argument presented by others here was not “people don’t harm themselves for political purposes or sympathy” then what was it?
I’ve never read anything in “Classical Values” but I think “Reason” is trash too. I’m much more partial to the Lew Rockwell/Rothbardian point of view though, sadly, they too have a bit of a self righteous tone. But these days who isn’t indignantly angry at a political/economic system that will never and could never work well?
Amusingly, Adam seems to think himself a libertarian too.
Just watching Obama supporters interviewed ob TV or internet makes me wonder just how people can be so clueless, blind. and ingnorant at the same time.
Yes, Obama’s follower’s believe in HOPE - and want CHANGE - they think that is why they want to elect this evil man. Sadly enough - all his supporters care about is skin color and empty promises. They want the rest of us SANE thinking people to given the ‘Bama’s evil regime a chance. Morons.
They are soon to be dissapointed dopes whrn they realize he can’t do anything it help them.
The good Lord helps those that help themselves. Lazy ‘Bama supporters should open their eyes!