Shocker: McCain Defends Obama to Hostile Crowd

CLEVELAND - Sen. John McCain held a town-hall type rally last night in Minnesota and was faced with an unexpected challenge.

Defend his rival to his rabid supporters.

As McCain went around the room speaking directly to the crowd, a woman told the Arizona senator that she was afraid of an Obama administration and went as far as calling the Democratic nominee an "Arab."

McCain took exception to that.

The elderly Republican nominee told her that Obama is not only not an Arab, but he's a "decent family man." He went on to another group in the crowd who were shouting epithets about Obama and voicing their fear and displeasure over the freshman senator's frontrunning status in the current U.S. Presidential election.

To a surprising chorus of boos, McCain told the crowd that his rival is "a person you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States." He also stated that he respects Obama in spite of their disagreements on certain pressing issues plaguing the nation.

"I think I'll be a much better president," McCain said to much applause.

The surprising remarks by McCain impressed me. After a week of disgruntled Republican supporters spewing their vitriol about Obama, I am very happy that someone finally spoke up and didn't allow such ignorance to continue.

People, especially McCain's running mate Gov. Sarah Palin, have accused Obama of hitting below the belt as well in his television ads and during his own rallies. Even if that is true, he has never encouraged words from his supporters that could very well end in violence.

Not to mention that Obama is black.

Race has always incited hostility in people, so the hateful words being thrown out about Obama carry an especially rancid taste. This could escalate to a horrific level, which is why McCain's admonishments were so important.

On this one McCain, I salute you.