There is a definite correlation between the violent rhetoric and racism as well. The rhetoric wasn't this strong when Clinton was president. They are subtly playing on people with this. I read an article yesterday that said that the secret service directly correlated speeches by Sarah Palin with an increase in death threats against President Obama during the 2008 Election cycle. I hate to think about this politically but I think and hope that this will sink Palin and possibly others for their hateful rhetoric. It's hard to get past a dead child. I don't think they meant for something like this to happen, but just as Giffords herself said when her office was vandalized after the health care vote- you use those terms and there are going to be consequences.