They should... but they likely won't. I've talked about how this whole debacle is going to adversely affect McCain's popularity -- whether he wins or loses.

More thoughts here.

it's interesting that the folks the mccain-palin rallies aren't shouting for any particular policy proposal, but simply against sen. obama...

they're not shouting "LOWER TAXES!"...they're shouting "KILL HIM!"

what does the republican party stand for?

Win at any costs. They need all the support they can get, they don't have the character to stand up to their supporters, they fear they would lose them. I hope I eat crow and they actually do have a speck of respect, but it hasn't been manifested yet.

I hope McCain sings this at the debate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX6WHvxTYHs

OT: Can anyone tell me what the hell happened to the trooper gate report scheduled for release this morning?

Clearly he wasn't talking to McCain-Palin when he said the candidates need to calm people down. They only respond or acknowledge a comment if you refer to them as the "Team of Mavericks".

I saw Gergen last night on Colbert and he is sincerely outraged.

I saw Scarborough on Colbert proclaiming what we already know, that there is no way McCain can win this election.

Time for adults to admonish the children. The mcShame Vendetta and Anarchy Express needs to be pulled over, tickets issued, or licenses revoked. It is past time for action here.

All newspaper editors should address this in the strongest possible language ASAP.

Sleaziness has begun backfiring.
A former Republican Governor of Michigan William Milliken and Christopher Buckley, the son of William Buckley, the founder of National Review, denounce McCain. (Christopher: Sorry, Dad, I'm Voting for Obama).
I hope there will be more sensible Republicans coming out and denouncing McCain.

Another silver lining here is that by allowing this kind of anger and hate to come bubbling to the surface, McCain is completely undermining the very attacks on Obama that are instigating the anger.

Yes it is dangerous, divisive, and irresponsible but that's exactly what Obama has been saying about McCain/Rove's strategy all along.

As more people like Gergen start to speak out (with prodding from sites like TPM) it will only reinforce Obama's message of unity and the moral vacuum at the heart of the Republican party.

The specific content of the various attacks will become secondary and largely dismissed by the public. That's a reason alone why it is a stupid tactical move by McCain to let this happen.

I tend to think that all this so called "pent up rage" is the result of "plants" from the McCain campaign. It appears to be something right of the Rove playbook.

I think it is actually all about voter turnout -- suppressing it amongst Obama supporters, and increasing it amongst the Republican base.

What was one of the biggest fears that prevented African-Americans from supporting Obama in the beginning of his campaign? That some nut would commit the unthinkable. People would rather NOT vote for him, and have him be okay, then vote for him and lose him.

Palin and McCain are using the fear of an act of terrorism -- in this case, terrorism against a Democratic leader.

There was a time where I actually considered myself a Republican. Every day I am reminded why I left, and every day it becomes more clear that the GOP just needs to burn to the ground and start over.

Harpers had a piece about a week ago all about the 2000 South Carolina sleaze tactics used against McCain and how McCain has adopted those tactics. There was some pretty scary stuff there, with the usual spawn of Lee Atwater players.

Divide and conquer. Appeal to the worst element in people's nature. Hopefully, they will reap what they sow.

Limo,

McCain went out of his way to hire these SAME people who destroyed him in 2000 to run this new campaign!

McCain's early slogan - Desperation From Day One!

Gallup - 10 point lead!!!

And the media have been the biggest accomplice of all the participants of the McCain's Hate Fest. They are parasiting into it as if they long waited for this moment. That's sad.
But we the people are prevailing and eventually win. How many days left? We can survive through the 24 days of suffering.

I'd bet McCain is actually, unintentionally, desperately so, suppressing his own vote.

People are angry at him. From both parties. And his own troops are acting as he's going to lose. First was the denial, now the anger. Then depression.

Which I will enjoy.

Then bargaining, then acceptance. Of Obama.

What Gergen demonstrated is 'leadership'.

I consider it a clear demonstration of the worst, if not non-existent', leadership qualities and skills to incite hatred and violence among the people you are 'claiming' to seek to serve. I feel that no matter what party or persuasion one belongs to, to have your followers express hate and threats of violence and not rebuke them out of hand is proof that you are unfit for any public office.

If the situation and circumstances were reversed I am certain that Biden and Obama would stop it in its tracks. However if the situation and circumstances were reversed and they did not I am certain we would have heard intense reprimand from any and every leader and it would have ruined his chances....

So why haven't we been hearing from everyone?

Why is McCain still in the race?

Good for Gergen, a Republican who has shown some decency during this campaign.

And good for Joe Klein, who continues to evolve:

"But seriously, folks, I'm beginning to worry about the level of craziness on the Republican side, the over-the-top, stampede-the-crowd statements by everyone from McCain on down, the vehemence of the crowds that McCain and Palin are drawing with people shouting "Kill him" and "He's a terrorist" and "Off with his head."

Watch the tape of the guy screaming, "He's a terrorist!" McCain seems to shudder at that, he rolls his eyes... and I thought for a moment he'd admonish the man. But he didn't. And now he's selling the Ayres non-story full-time. Yes, yes, it's all he has. True enough: he no longer has his honor. But we are on the edge of some real serious craziness here and it would be nice if McCain did the right thing and told his more bloodthirsty supporters to go home and take a cold shower. But McCain hasn't done the right thing all year. His campaign is appalling, as the New York Times editorial board said today--and more, it is a national disgrace."

link:
http://www.time-blog.com/swampland/2008/10/better_to_be.html

Or as Joe Strummer once referred to himself, "I went from hero to zero."

The only, even halfway charitable construction you can give the McCain campaign's behavior over the last week with respect to these rallies is that they're so locked into a competitive mindset that they simply refuse to see the peril in what they're unleashing.

Personally, I don't believe it for a second. I think they're stoking the rage of these yahoos deliberately, I think they're doing it out of some deranged principal (other words, they really believe that an Obama victory heralds the sundering of all that they cherish), and I think their only concern is the degree to which any of it could backfire on them. It's the most revolting spectcale this pale simulacrum of a democracy could possibly cough up.