IMPLIED THREATS

Posted at 8:09 p.m. ET

Threats in politics usually happen at the local level. Political machines, and local politics generally, can be very tough, very personal, very demanding.  But this year, to a degree greater than anything I've ever seen, we have intimidation at the national level.  I cannot claim that Barack Obama himself is sponsoring it or even condoning it, but I have yet to hear him speak out against the often-subtle, and not-so-subtle implied threats that surround his campaign.

Just in the last few months we've seen WGN in Chicago inundated with hostile calls because a program host dared interview a reporter digging into Obama's relationship with used-up terrorist Bill Ayers.  The calls were organized by pro-Obama forces.

We've seen a Florida anchorwoman trashed and humiliated because she dared ask some tough questions of Joe Biden.

Just today, reporters for papers that endorsed John McCain were thrown off the Obama aircraft.  At least the plane was on the ground at the time.

We're told that questions surrounding ACORN, that great "community" organization, are inherently racist.

Those aren't the worst things.  There's been an undercurrent of talk suggesting that there could be "trouble" if Obama loses.  We reported earlier today how borderline nutbag Erica Jong predicted a new civil war if The One doesn't make it to the White House.  Some have suggested that if McCain pulls it out, the African-American population will believe it had been cheated, and that violence could erupt.  Some commentators openly say that only racism could explain an Obama loss.

Some may shrug at these tactics, but I think they're far more serious than we'd prefer to think.  I've heard several voters say that they'll vote for Obama "to keep the peace," or some such phraseology.  There could be real fear in the voting booth, especially among those who believe their ballot isn't really secret.  Some voters may be apprehensive over foreign reaction, especially in African and Middle Eastern countries, if McCain wins.  After all, we don't want to show that we're a racist country, do we?

We've been told by the Obama side that John McCain and Sarah Palin practice "the politics of fear."  I haven't seen that.  I don't think discussing the threat of terrorism, or reviewing the choices of allies that Barack Obama has made over the years, are inappropriate in the least.  But the politics of fear is being practiced by forces loyal to Barack Obama.  The proof is this simple question:  Do you have any fear of "trouble" if John McCain loses the White House? 

Only one man can remove fear from this election, and that's Barack Obama.  So far, he's remained silent.  That may tell us more about his true political character than anything else he's done in his quest for the presidency.

October 31, 2008.