The Next Generation Wants A More Stable Man

While everyone waits breathlessly-- the Legislative Council having voted 12-0 in favor of release-- for the Alaska state legislature to publish the independent report on Sarah Palin's abuse of office investigation (Troopergate), Palin herself is still running around the Lower 48 inciting divisiveness and hatred towards Barack Obama. Today McCain was forced by the media to address the disgraceful situation-- and was boo-ed by the racists and yahoos Palin has attracted to McCain's rallies.

Time Magazine addressed the intolerable situation-- "the kind of vicious anti-Obama attitude that's becoming a hallmark of McCain rallies of late"-- late this afternoon in a story called McCain Denounces Pitchfork-Wavers. Hey! That's the Sarah Palin base... and that's all that's left.

McCain was booed at a town-hall meeting here when he rebuked a man who said he was "scared… to bring a child up" under an Obama presidency. "I have to tell you he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States," McCain said to audible disapproval.

The man was one of nine who appealed to McCain to confront Obama more forcefully, several of them raising specific controversies dominating news, including Obama’s relationships with Bill Ayers and the group ACORN. McCain seized the microphone from the hands of a woman who called Obama "an Arab," and scolded her.

"He's a decent family man that I happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues," McCain said, to scant approval. In fact, the most rousing applause of the afternoon was saved not for McCain, but for a man who begged him to "fight" in next week’s debate.

"There's a difference between rhetoric and record, but you can still be respectful," McCain said to one questioner. "I will point out his record and I will do it with respect."

Meanwhile among the more rational 60% of Americans: