How can we prevent the assasination of Obama?

January 5, 2008 8:24 AM

Reading Bob Herbert's column about the beginning of 1968 and watching footage of Bhutto's assasination, I wondered what would happen if (knock on wood) Obama was murdered in 2008. Would there be riots? Some African-American voters are hesitant to support him for just this reason (even after he won Iowa). Is everyone thinking what I'm thinking? That even though Hillary has attracted more nutjobs, the toxic combination of far-right rhetoric about eeevul Muslims who want to destroy (Christian) 'murica and right-wing (oh, and you too, Ms. Clinton...and shame on you, Washington Post) whisper campaigns claiming Obama is an Islamic sleeper agent makes it more and more likely that attempts will be made on his life the better he does? And is making t-shirts the only defense available to those of us not in the Secret Service?
posted by paul_smatatoes (18 comments total)

I think that the prurient hopes emerging among some extremist crazies for Obama's assassination on the web and elsewhere is an obscenity that makes tubgirl look mild, and my first inclination is to not give the idea any more attention than a sidewalk turd. YMMV
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 8:32 AM on January 5, 2008 [2 favorites]

I was talking about these sorts of anonymous emails the other day with a friend, who's mother sent him something about Hillary Clinton being a lesbian. We had many theories about why certain people, or certain generations of people, or certain classes of people, believe anything that shows up in their inbox, including urgent messages from Nigerians. It was a lively discussion. A variety of points were discussed. Ultimately, a conclusion was reached that some people are idiots with no desire to critically think about the provenance of the information they acquire, especially if it confirms an already held bias that they are superior to other people. Still, Obama won Iowa. The world is not lost.
posted by billysumday at 8:34 AM on January 5, 2008

Right wing pundits are already predicting that "certain segments of American political life will become completely unhinged" if Obama loses the primaries (or the presidential election), so you can imagine what they think would happen if he were assassinated.
posted by The Card Cheat at 8:34 AM on January 5, 2008

A lot of people have wanted to kill a lot of presidents. News at 11.
posted by furtive at 8:35 AM on January 5, 2008 [1 favorite]

Henry C. Mabuse, that's where we differ: I think not talking about what crazy people say they're going to do is how you end up surprised by what crazy people do. And the more a topic like this is talked about, the more prepared people will be- and the more easily it will be prevented.
posted by paul_smatatoes at 8:37 AM on January 5, 2008

There are a lot of sub-par links in this post, but the "thinking what I'm thinking" essay is very good.
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 8:39 AM on January 5, 2008 [1 favorite]

i wonder what would happen if people made posts like this on their own blogs
posted by pyramid termite at 8:40 AM on January 5, 2008 [2 favorites]

My youngest child attends a community college here in Birmingham, AL and we are extremeley caucasian (if that makes any difference). She has an Obama sticker on her car and an Obama button on her backpack. One day at school, three white trash girls got into the elevator with my daughter and noticed her button. They said "You know, if Obama gets elected, he'll just get assassinated." and they all laughed. My daughter came home shaken up over that conversation and told me about it. The possibility had not even crossed my mind until that moment.
posted by loosemouth at 8:42 AM on January 5, 2008

It is incomprehensible to me that people think Obama might be assassinated, but that Bush has not been. That's simply insane.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:57 AM on January 5, 2008

And the more a topic like this is talked about, the more prepared people will be- and the more easily it will be prevented.

Gees you really believe that??

This topic is disgusting. It disgusts me as much as a post that congectures about raping a child, followed up by lots of posts that talk about it, because, after all, that child is much safer if we all talk about him being abused.

This whole topic and your upside down logic is really repugnant.
posted by eye of newt at 9:00 AM on January 5, 2008

It is incomprehensible to me that people think Obama might be assassinated, but that Bush has not been. That's simply insane.

Dick Cheney is the most effective bulletproof jacket ever produced. Two words for Obama if he wants to insure the same: Russ Feingold.
posted by any major dude at 9:03 AM on January 5, 2008

Two words for Obama if he wants to insure the same: Russ Feingold.

Two better ones: Dennis Kucinich.
posted by Rangeboy at 9:05 AM on January 5, 2008

Flagged as WTF
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:13 AM on January 5, 2008

WTF indeed
posted by randomstriker at 9:15 AM on January 5, 2008

Dick Cheney is the most effective bulletproof jacket ever produced.

You think Cheney isn't already in charge? He'd actually be LESS effective out in the spotlight.
posted by DU at 9:17 AM on January 5, 2008

1. Dick Cheney is not a bullet-proof jacket for Bush, since everyone knows he runs the show.

2. Progessive senators are not shot anymore, they wind up in "tragic plane crashes".
posted by wfc123 at 9:17 AM on January 5, 2008 [1 favorite]

It is incomprehensible to me that people think Obama might be assassinated, but that Bush has not been. That's simply insane.

It is about insanity, but I think the fear is completely rational. All the nutcases with guns and an attitude that I've met love Bush and hate African-Americans. (Actual quote: "I love two things: God and guns.")
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 9:21 AM on January 5, 2008

Please get this garbage off my Metafilter. WTF.
posted by hangingbyathread at 9:24 AM on January 5, 2008