Republican legislative candidate tweets Obama should be hanged

State House candidate Mike McGarghan, running to represent a district in Burlington, is standing by a tweet he posted this year calling for Obama to be hanged for treason.

More than one person suggested the threat against Obama could be a crime.

Calling for someone to be hanged and saying "I'm going to hang" are completely different. I do not know the exact language but I do not see this a threat...more of an opinion. Hillary should be sent to jail....did I just threaten her?

I know nothing about this guy, but in most civilised countries you don't call for the leader to be hanged.

Amazing how low politicians are willing to go these days, especially in the USA.

It's definitely inciting violence.

I know nothing about this guy, but in most civilised countries you don't call for the leader to be hanged.

Amazing how low politicians are willing to go these days, especially in the USA.

Just another example of a deplorable. The Republican party has become so greasy in the past few years.

More GOP losers.

sounds like kkk member. unbelievable discrimination!! doesn't he even think before the words came out from his mouth and he is a grown up. what a waste of life.

I must say as a white male(not of the US) some of the stuff I have been seeing in the US its EXTREMELY offensive & often shocking how much ignorance there is among white GOPers.........

It makes me feel like I am watching to re-birth of apartheid or something similar, it is SCARY to see.

I fear for the way the US is going, with all the ignorance & all those guns, and truthfully it IS already happening, scary to watch.

I hope the US can recover from this, they will NEED to!

This is the sort of thing that typically earns one a quick visit from the FBI and/or the Secret Service - looks as if both are performing up to their usual standards...

Saying the "black" president should be hanged... Uh yeah, if it was termed differently like electric chair or shot for treason or something then yeah, but what he stated is very VERY over the line and is racist considering our countries history. Looks like some folks are trying to revert back to the Jim Crow days when these weren't dark skinned dolls hanging off of trees in the South back then.

Is this what the GOP supporters who decry PC want, flat out, in-your-face racism?

calling for someone to be hanged and saying "I'm going to hang" are completely different. I do not know the exact language but I do not see this a threat...more of an opinion.

If you're an American who understands just a tiny bit of history you should be well aware that hundreds (thousands?) of Black men have been lynched (hanged) throughout US history. What that idiot said might be construed as an 'opinion', but only by the GOP supporters and their ilk who still think slavery and bigotry are acceptable.

The civil fragmentation of the US is getting serious. I'm starting to believe the people saying that the US has about 10 to 15 years left. The question is when it divides, will it be peaceful or faught with lots of death and destruction.

The question is when it divides, will it be peaceful or faught with lots of death and destruction.

When you consider how many Americans are shooting each other in times of peace, it's almost guaranteed that the division will be fraught with death and destruction.

Mike McGarghan, running for state representative for Vermont district Chittenden-6-1, which district in the last election (2012) had a population of a grand total of 8,257 persons (persons, not voters), and an area of what looks to be between 4 and 5 square miles. In a nation of population 325 million persons, land area 3.5 million square miles.

Big whoop-te-do.

http://legislature.vermont.gov/assets/Documents/SmallMaps/CHI-6-1.pdf

Mike McGarghan, running for state representative for Vermont district Chittenden-6-1, which district in the last election (2012) had a population of a grand total of 8,257 persons (persons, not voters), and an area of what looks to be between 4 and 5 square miles. In a nation of population 325 million persons, land area 3.5 million square miles.

Big whoop-te-do.

He's a representative of the Republican party is he not? They are a lot more than 8257 people. As long as they don't kick him out or reprimand him significantly, they are confirming that they are ok with his comments.

And I have very little expectation that they will reprimand him in any significant way. His comments are in line with the attitude of the Republican party of the past decade.

Oh, if you like seeing Republican officials saying shocking things: http://www.rightwingwatch.org.

Trigger warnings: Lots of mentions of God, revolution, and the black President. With a side of Michele Bachmann.

Strange Fruit in 2016 bad enough, but POTUS? GOP is imploding.

This is what Republican discourse has devolved to: Not arguments over whether an American president should be executed but how. Sounds like a future Fox (or, more likely, Trump TV) debate topic.

No surprise it's a Republican calling for murder.

In the USA, there is mostly free speech (inciting panic isn't allowed). Mr. McGarghan was exercising that freedom. This doesn't mean he doesn't also get repercussions for saying harmful or dumb things, as he is learning now. It is not acceptable.

I don't like what he said. I don't like many things other people say, but they should be allowed to say it. I'm certain some people don't like some things I say.

BTW, I find really baggy pants less of a fashion statement and more about getting (hand-down) clothes that last for fast-growing bodies. I had baggy clothes growing up because they were inherited from an older brother and we didn't have money to blow on clothing.

I self censor on many subjects about the US govt - mainly their invasion of privacy. Most people have no idea how bad it is here with them watching everything. They (FBI/NSA) will capture this post, for example, even though the JT servers are in Texas and I'm posting from any other US state.

The Republican party has lost its way and has been taken over by highly religious people who don't reflect most people. I'm looking for a party that reflects my beliefs. Can't find one that is even close.

One thing I've learned is that commenting on politics outside my own country is never a good idea. There is much history that I don't know and in some locations, saying something against the current government will get me thrown in jail. While that could happen in the USA, it isn't really a concern - thanks to our freedom of speech "right" - and it is a RIGHT there.

theFu: "I don't like what he said. I don't like many things other people say, but they should be allowed to say it. I'm certain some people don't like some things I say."

There's a difference between freedom of speech and inciting violence. Look at all the vitriol from the right-wing side of the campaign in terms of bombast and literal threats. Trump has said the "Clinton should go to jail", talking about "Murderers and rapists", said he would "bomb them out of existence" for certain groups, and has bragged about assaulting women to boot. It is no wonder that the people he's stirred into a frenzy are now saying that unless their candidate wins they might shoot everyone down in the White House and that Hilary should be "jailed or shot", and now people saying things like "Obama should hang". Words affect people when you are an influential person saying them, especially the weak minded... like a lot of Republicans clearly are if you look at how quickly they do 180s and lap up the 'freedom of speech' you guys talk about. Trump and his cronies are fomenting rebellion and suggesting that if they don't win they won't accept the results, pushing some people to suggest they'll do even more radical things -- and I believe with some of the nutters it's not just idle threats. People with power don't just have the right to say as they please with no consequences, they need to learn that it comes with responsibility. The man in question here is the person who has committed treason, if anyone, and at the very least the man should be removed from his position immediately.

Smith, I totally agree. More abstractly, opposition should be against policies, not people. While personalities are important in politics, fundamentally, the politicians are simply vectors for policy. The GOP seems quite more guilty of this. Dems were vehemently against GWB, particularly as his administration untangled in 2006 and 2007, but there was talk only of a method of replacement - impeachment? stepping down? - and nothing of stringing him up or killing him. More importantly, opposition was directed against specific crises he had created, such as his wars and the financial meltdown, rather than his physical person.

Really - sometimes I think many conservatives need to return to kindergarten and relearn basic human respect education.

No one knows he was planning or not. FBI might be busy collecting data of his movement. @TheFu::don't try to agitate comment writers using freedom of speech that you don't know.

Republican legislative candidate tweets Obama should be hanged

And Trump is thinking to himself "if only he was my running mate... well, maybe I can make him part of my campaign somehow". Birds of a feather...

John Constantine OCT. 29, 2016 - 10:42AM JST Calling for someone to be hanged and saying "I'm going to hang" are completely different. I do not know the exact language but I do not see this a threat...more

Yeah, sure. I bet it's entirely coincidental that he chose to call for the execution of the nation's first black President by a method that just so happens to perfectly match how Americans used to murder black people who "rose above their station". How could people even think this is anything other than a perfectly respectable politician expressing their opinion? Why, next they'll be saying the white hood and robes in his closet aren't a ghost costume!

Since we're on the topic of 'classy' republicans, how about this guy: http://hotair.com/archives/2016/10/28/mark-kirk-scoffs-dem-senate-challenger-id-forgotten-parents-came-thailand-serve-george-washington/

His opponent, half American, half Thai, lost both legs fighting in Iraq. Her father is a decorated war veteran. Apparently her family is on her father's side has military history back to the Revolutionary war. She brought this up, and commented that knowing war, she'll be an agent of restraint. His rebuttal:

I’d forgotten that your parents came from Thailand to serve George Washington;

But what is really surprising his the Republican party response to this. Here it is in it's entirety:

That's right, nothing. Oh, did I say surprising? Because I meant not even remotely surprising. Just another classy example of the Racistpublicans of recent.

A KKK white supremacist as the end of the White Power is in its death throws as The USA is in a racist civil war against all non-caucasions continues and the trumpeters go bonkers as they realize that diversity is not stoppable and a lot of disrespect for the Human race based on color. He may and should find out this election that racism will not be tolerated

The guy got stuck with the mentality of a recalcitrant adolescent.

This still isn't good enough for the modern day Reb, hopefully they can try harder next time with something even more shocking. In fact, Trump's statements have been lacking the shock factor for many months now, perhaps it's time for someone new? The Rube party needs to pick up their game and start the search for the next Trump who will have to be even more radical