As I read about the Republican rallies where McCain and his Alaskan cheerleader whip their admirers into a frenzy of hate, Father Charles Coughlin comes to mind.  During the 1930s, Coughlin, a charismatic Catholic priest in Detroit, rode a right-wing populist juggernaut into power and influence as one of the progenitors of our current-day hate radio.  Rabidly anti-Semitic and wildly popular, he was also notable for his support of the Christian Front, a shadowy fascist organization that was:

“… planning to murder Jews, communists, and ‘a dozen Congressmen'” and eventually establish, in J. Edgar Hoover’s words, “a dictatorship, similar to the Hitler dictatorship in Germany

Fascist takeover plots right here in the U.S.!

Actually not so surprising since it is a commonplace that during times of financial stress, people are susceptible to fascist rhetoric.  Coughlin used the hard times of the depression to advance his ugly views, just as Hitler used the economic failure of the Weimar Republic to fuel his rise. Fear brings out the worst in all of us so that when we face economically troubled times hysterial racist rhetoric is especially disturbing–particularly when tinged with religious overtones.

Imagine my feelings then when I came across this article at the Springfield News-Leader.com,  “West Plains billboard depicts Obama wearing a turban.” The article is essentially devoted to the reaction that the sign below has elicited in Springfield, both pro and con.

This comment, in particular, sums up what the sign so chillingly represents:

…people also know that the depiction is extremely racist, but they are willing to stoop to racism, and god know what else, to preserve the presidency forever to their political party.

Such people are deeply anti-democratic, and are using this election to reveal their true colors to the rest of us. Their shame will be remembered LONG after this election is history, and regardless of the outcome.