Watch your mouth I am running for president!

“We are republicans and don’t propose to leave our party and identify ourselves with the party whose antecedents have been Rum, Romanism and Rebellion” (Boller 149). The previously stated words of the Revered Samuel D. Burchard regarding the election of 1884 and the republican nomination of James G Blaine proved to be disastrous to Blaine’s campaign, and ultimately cost him the presidency. The words themselves alienated the Irish catholic population of New York City (a group whose vote was seen as essential to Blaine’s winning the presidency), but the most damaging effect of revered Burchard’s word’s, was Blaine’s decision not to address them “He made no reference to the words”(Boller 150). The presidential campaigns book by Paul F. Boller Jr. states that “Irish-American voters were angered by Burchard’s insult to their faith” (Boller, 150), and because of Blaine’s decision not to address the statement or his oversight concerning their offensive undertones, cost him the election. Damaging statements made during presidential campaigns continues to be an issue in 2008 as well. Radio host Bill Cunningham made controversial statements during a McCain rally about democratic hopeful Barak Obama ““Now we have a hack, Chicago-style Daley politician who is picturing himself as change. When he gets done with you, all you're going to have in your pocket is change” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/26/politics/main3880075.shtml. During this rally Cunningham referred to Obama by his middle name Hussein three times, implying some sort of Middle Eastern connection. Presidential hopeful John McCain took a different approach to Cunningham’s remarks than Blaine took to Burchard’s remarks. McCain decided to distance himself from the remarks of Mr. Cunningham’s, and apologize for them before the reporters had the chance to attack him for the statements made at his rally “I did not know about these remarks, but I take responsibility for them. I repudiate them,” he said. “My entire campaign I have treated Senator Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton with respect. I will continue to do that throughout this campaign.” In choosing to distance himself and apologize for the remarks made by someone speaking at his rally, McCain didn’t have to suffer the same fate as James G. Blaine.