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Published January 13, 2015
This is a rush transcript from "America's Election HQ," October 13, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
MARTHA MACCALLUM, HOST: Well, McCain supporters have been accused of stirring up hate, but what about Barack Obama supporters against Governor Sarah Palin. She's impounded with protest in Pennsylvania over the weekend — but the most traumatic is very offensive, frankly, no matter who you support, an anti-Palin t-shirt that is so vulgar, we can't even show you what it says on cable TV. Are these protestors crossing the line?
Joining me now is FOX News political analyst and syndicated radio host, Tammy Bruce.
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TAMMY BRUCE, FOX NEWS POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi.
MACCALLUM: I think we have a photograph with, you know, part of this sort of blurred out to show what these people had on their t-shirts. But, you know, why — first of all, why haven't we heard more about this?
BRUCE: Well, and partly from what — how you introduced this. It's not even a word that can really be said. It's not a word that people want to say. It is the most derogatory term for womanhood that there is.
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And the remarkable thing is, of course, other than knowing that the general establishment media is in the tank for Obama, the fact is that this is nothing new. This is part and parcel to the attitude and tone of the Obama campaign, which has upset so many Hillary Clinton supporters from the beginning of his presidential run, the misogyny and the sexism. It sets the tone for the supporters and it manifested in this way. And it really is quite horrific.
MACCALLUM: Yes. We're not going to show the picture because we don't want to, you know.
BRUCE: Yes.
MACCALLUM: . add any legitimacy to it, but it's four people wearing, you know, a green t-shirt and it basically says Palin is (A) and it finishes that sentence in a really, you know, gross derogatory way. And I was also shocked to see that there was a woman in that picture. Where — you know, where does that come from?
BRUCE: You know, this kind of misogyny is not just with men, of course. It transcends gender and race. It transcends class. The truth of the matter is, is that one of the most popular t-shirts when Barack Obama was running in the primary season was a t-shirt that said "bros before hos."
I mean, this is a tone that was set against Hillary and Hillary supporters, which is why John McCain has received so much support from that end (ph). This isn't just about defeating an opponent when it comes to the issues, this is about personal destruction, and this is a kind of thing that many people have decided to reject. And when we deal with issues of character and judgment, what your supporters are doing.
MACCALLUM: Right.
BRUCE: . does reflect what the top of the ticket is doing.
MACCALLUM: And I guess, you know, you always have to put the shoe on the other foot to see how this thing would be treated. And I'm trying to imagine if there was, you know, something derogatory along those lines, you know, of a racial nature about Barack Obama on a t-shirt. I got to believe that you would see this story pretty much everywhere.
BRUCE: Well, already we've learned through these campaigns that the issue of race is treated much more seriously than misogyny is. That's an education that we've got to deal with. John McCain and Sarah Palin will be the beneficiaries of people who reject this kind of dynamic.
And the truth is, you know, w got an issue here, even with when I was on the left, and you had a screamer or two even at Palin rallies and McCain rallies yelling a derogatory word about Barack Obama, calling him a terrorist, we would plant people in rallies in that regard to shout things to set a tone. I think this Democratic campaign is the worst we've ever seen, and is a feminist. It appalls me and this is just going to push more Hillary supporters over to John McCain as it should.
MACCALLUM: But, you know, what if Barack Obama and his supporters say, you know, this isn't his pull (ph), and he can't literally go and put out every single fire by some extremists out there?
BRUCE: Sure. But, again, the issue becomes what is the tone that's been set from the beginning of his run for the presidency. This is not unusual. It was detailed in the press by feminist authors and writers throughout the primary season. This set the tone.
Barack Obama, while he may not be approving of these things or writing or printing these t-shirts himself, he has given permission to some of these supporters to behave in this manner. And it is horrific and it is a sign, a representative of what kind of attitude has been set within the Democratic Party and from his campaign. It's a shame.
MACCALLUM: Yes, a lot of anger, a lot of anger out there.
BRUCE: Yes.
MACCALLUM: Tammy Bruce.
BRUCE: They (ph) should be.
MACCALLUM: Thank you very much. A pleasure to have you tonight.
BRUCE: Thank you.
MACCALLUM: . and bring attention to that.
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