Several op-ed pieces including one by Frank Rich and this by novelist Khaled Hosseini call attention to the Weimar-like incendiary speech and activities at McCain-Palin rallies. In a country that is full of self-appointed patriots who think it’s ok to kill hated political figures, this is tantamount to extremely dangerous. We’ve heard words like traitor, terrorist, Arab, un-American, etc. from mostly Palin. But McCain, though clearly not a racist, is losing this race, and who knows what the Republicans might pull out of the hat to try to win this thing. But to see another—after Bush did it to Kerry—campaign hinge on who can provoke the most fear and loathing for a candidate, is to see a country which has declined in more ways than economically.

This quote is from Khaled Hosseini:

I -- and, I suspect, millions of Americans like me, Republicans and Democrats alike -- couldn't care less about Obama's middle name or the ridiculous six-degrees-of-separation game that is the William Ayers non-issue. The Taliban are clawing their way back in Afghanistan, the country that I hope many of my fellow Americans have come to understand better through my novels. People are losing their homes and their jobs and are watching the future slip away from them. But instead of addressing these problems, the McCain-Palin ticket is doing its best to distract Americans by provoking fear, anxiety and hatred. Country first? Hardly.

Khaled Hosseini is the author of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns."