Last week, Michael Barone wrote a column about Obama supporter's various attempts to silence critics titled "The Coming Obama Thugocracy." Sunday's Washington Post carried another example to be added to the list.
Last week a hotel in Prince George's County posted a McCain message on its maquee, reading: "Country first. McCain-Palin." There was an outcry from local citizens who threatened to boycott the hotel unless the owner took the sign down.
That's not particularly noteworthy--direct action and talking with your wallet is how these things are supposed to work. What is exceptional, however, is the language used by some of the people who were upset that the hotel's owner would dare support McCain or double-dare advertise said support. A sample of the hysteria:
"Businesspeople have to be mindful of the sentiments and sensibilities of their market trading area, and Prince George's County is overwhelmingly for Obama," said community activist Arthur Turner of Kettering, who was among those advocating a boycott. "People I have talked to look at the sign as a slap in the face. They feel it was blatant disrespect."
And:
The marquee supporting the GOP ticket in "an area that is strongly African American was like putting a stink bomb in the middle of the living room," said University of Maryland political Professor Ron Walters.
That's right, supporting John McCain is blatantly disrespectful, like a stink bomb in someone's living room. Imagine how unbearable it would be for people to actually criticize a President Obama.
