The excesses of water-carrying for McCain
By Steve Benen Thursday Apr 24, 2008 6:30pm
There’s probably little point to arguing that much of the political media establishment is embarrassingly in the tank for John McCain, but the Washington Post has been especially frustrating this week.
On Monday, for example, reporter Jonathan Weisman noted that McCain is faring well in national polls because he’s been “branded” an “independent maverick.” Suggesting that the reputation is deserved, Weisman mentioned, “[McCain] fought the GOP over tobacco in 1998″ — without noting that McCain shamelessly flip-flopped on the issue.
On Tuesday, Richard Cohen sought to dismiss McCain’s flip-flopping ways, calling him an “honorable man who has fudged and ducked and swallowed the truth on occasion,” which Cohen described as “understandable.” (He didn’t say why McCain’s mendacity is “understandable,” but simply granted absolution.)
And today, David Broder kept the streak going.
Yet, in pointing to those vulnerabilities in her rival, Clinton has heightened the most obvious liability she would carry into a fight against McCain. In an age of deep cynicism about politicians of both parties, McCain is the rare exception who is not assumed to be willing to sacrifice personal credibility to prevail in any contest.
Broder didn’t say who makes this assumption about McCain’s integrity, which is odd, because I can think of all kinds of examples of McCain “sacrificing personal credibility to prevail” politically.
Perhaps Broder could take a look at that flip-flop list I put together. In nearly every instance, McCain abandoned a more moderate position for a far more conservative one, and in each case, it was a transparent effort to curry favor with the Republican Party’s far-right base in order to help him with the GOP presidential nomination.
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The seemingly unshakable narrative of the political "maverick" could not be further off the mark. At almost every turn, McCain in his eternal quest for the White House has reversed long-held positions, compromised core principles and swallowed his pride in order to curry favor with both the leading lights of the conservative movement and right-wing Republican primary voters. The untold story of campaign 2008 is simply that of John McCain's transformation from maverick to prostitute.
For the details, see:
"From Maverick to Prostitute: The Untold Story of John McCain."
That was true circa 2000, and McCain saw what he got from that: a severe bludgeoning from the Bush/Rove crime family. He now capitulates to the very people he ran against when he was viewed as the maverick candidate.
McCain sucks.
But I'd bet on him to win.
I'm a realist.
Fire away.
VietVet8666 @ 3:
I don't like being a pessimist-doom and gloomer either but we here at the house have definitely steeled ourselves for 4 years of Big Mac. Especially at the rate the Dems are screwing up.
Independent Maverick?
Republicans I know were whining that McCain is not truely republican.
So I raised Senator McCain's Senate voting record. He is actually a Rush mind numbed robot republican senate voter.
Where does independent come from? nader will be addressing McCain's lack of independent thought.
As far as a Maverick, Ole John is more an OLE CODGER.....................................
A ´´Maverick´´? Please this man is more like schizoid.
Hallucinations
Hallucinations disturbed perceptions of reality, commonly seen in people with schizophrenia. These perceptions have no real cause and do not originate in reality. They are often being described by family and friends as a wild imagination. The perceptions are sensory and involve sound, sight, touch and smell.Hearing voices is the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia patients. The voices may describe the patients' emotions or activities, carry on a conversation, warn of dangers or even tell the patient what to do next.
Delusions
People who experience delusions are convinced that their opinions and beliefs are real, despite evidence to the contrary. About one third of patients suffer from paranoid-type symptoms and often have delusions of persecution or suffer from irrational beliefs that they are being cheated, harassed, poisoned, or conspired against. Delusions of grandeur may also occur. They make a person believe that s/he is famous or an important personality. Some patients report bizarre delusions; they are convinced that a neighbour is controlling their behaviour with magnetic waves, that people on television are aiming special messages at them or that their thoughts are being broadcast aloud to others.
Disorganised thinking
Schizophrenia often affects a person's ability to think straight. Thoughts may flash by; concentration is difficult and the patient is often easily distracted, unable to focus his/her attention. People with schizophrenia often find it difficult to decide what is or is not relevant to a situation. They are unable to connect thoughts into logical sequences and their thoughts become disorganised and fragmented. This lack of logical thought process, called thought disorder, can make a conversation very difficult and result in social isolation.
Agitation
Schizophrenia patients are often extremely agitated.
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Not that Iam bashing anyone with a mental illness, but with MCcain, he sits in denile isle for how long now? And this is the dude who wishes to become president of the United States Of America? whoa!!!
in the media is in the tank for McCain it must mean they are in bed with Obama, lets face it, they have gone light on this guy!
And with that I shall bid you fine folks here a good night and a even better tomorow.
Best regards to all and danke again for C&L virtual magizine ;) ( the blog )
I hope your wrong LA. I can barely make it now, if McCain gets in, you can kiss the middle class good-bye.
P.D. @ 8:
I hope I'm wrong also. I truly do.
Another pretty accurate clue.
"The culmination of a decades-long crisis of capital accumulation -- which has heretofore been exported to the rest of the world -- is coming home to roost in the form of a severe "credit crisis" at the same time as the oil price spike. We are entering a protracted period of stagflation: economic stagnation (recession) combined with price inflation (due in part to the impact of oil prices on virtually all economic sectors). We in the US are more deeply in debt, personally and nationally, than at any time in our history. And the key products that are driving up our cost of living -- even as our net worths stagnate and fall back -- are basically gasoline and food."
Is Bush campaigning for McCain or is he making love to McCain?
Everytime you see these 2 they are hugging.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
Yet. . . .
NEW YORK - Wall Street ended its second straight winning week with a moderate advance Friday, overcoming concerns about consumer confidence and inflation.
Uhh who's winning?
Anyone here "winning with wall street"?
Are the American people really that stupid to vote for McSame? After 7 years of ruin, are they really going to be that blind? I used to believe that my peers were some what intelligent. Well they have proved me wrong time and again.
L.A. Confidential @ 10:
At least I will not have to worry about those damn bill collectors that keep calling me.
I'm tired of telling them that, "they are trying to get blood out of a turnip, please don't call back".
P.D. @ 15:
The American People have to begin DEMANDING a place at the table.
We're not being represented. We get "talk and empty promises".
Bush visits Henry Kissinger's estate for GOP fund raiser AP - Fri Apr 25, 5:17 PM ET
L.A. Confidential @ 18:
I suppose Henry will go into his "what to do with surplus people" spiel... a darwinian nightmare leaving us nearly 7 billion souls at extreme risk.
VietVet8666 @ 3:
i wont bet against it!
[Deleted. Off topic-Sitemonitor]
you should remember that no one wanted McCain to be the nominee for the republicans because they couldn't stand him, he was jsut the best of a poor lot to choose from. So what the corporate media has to do is sell this undesireable to the republican voters. He's all they've got. So they will overlook his self confessed ignorance of economic issues, his lying and his flip flopping and his tremendous arrogance in telling poor, impoverished, out of work, people that they had better just suck things up and find ways to get better on thier own, because the government that let this crap happen to them, is not going to help them.
it's like trauma. it's like diving deeper in denial when you get too close to lucidity. i think they fear that if obama OR clinton got in office (any dem), the war might end. and if the war ends, you have to calm down and look at all the wrong and terrible and criminal and nightmarish shit that went down all this while. but as long as we keep the hellball rolling, nobody has to stop and take inventory, admit wrong, feel bad, etc. we can just cheerlead bombs and Risk game faraway TV conquest fantasy clash of civilization bullshit. they are a sick, sad, soulless lot. and we watch them on TV and make their everyday insanity our daily meal.
L.A. Confidential @ 4:
I'm with y'all. And this election once held such promise.
betty @ 21:
um...grab a cigarette. or a glass of lemonade. damn. some people need to mellow out a little on all this.
maybe all of us.
Media Mogul 1: So, the election of Grandpa McCain will plunge this nation into a war-ravaged cesspool of fascism from which we'll never recover. Should we report on this?
Media Mogul 2: Nah. I like the free barbecues.
Hmmm feeling up his kidney, reminds me of S1E1 Venture Bros.
so maybe chimpy has some value to McCain beyond the looks better when standing next to him thing.
How much of a following do you think McCain would have "IF" he had never been a POW? I'm guessing nada... What else does he have going for him? To vote McCain is to vote for the Same.
abarts @ 24:
OMG!! ALL OF YOU "SNAP" OUT OF IT!! Stop talkin' like you're giving up!! HRC just needs to go, go, go!!
SweetAtheist @ 28:
Imagine if he hadn't caved and helped create propaganda for the enemy - he'd be even more popular.
From the typewriter of David Broder...
"Yet, in pointing to those vulnerabilities in her rival, Clinton has heightened the most obvious liability she would carry into a fight against McCain. In an age of deep cynicism about politicians of both parties, McCain is the rare exception who is not assumed to be willing to sacrifice personal credibility to prevail in any contest."
In Montana they call that horse shit.
I think Foolme1ns is closest to the mark. Broder et al know the truth about him and would never acknowledge his 'flip flop list'. It's all a big propaganda blitz - write the next 'reality' as Rove would say. It's all too obvious - much of the corporate MSM rallying to the repub cause.
Doesn't mean you have to buy their snake oil.
4N Observer @ 32:
True, but unfortunately here in American the snake oil is going for $120 a barrel, and there's still a big market that just can't quench their thirst for stupidity.
-> Friday night treat: http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=buzz+evans&hl=en&sitesearch=
Bush and Kissinger - when war criminals collide.
Broder is really in the tank for McCain if he can say that with a straight face.
Looking in from afar (australia), there seems to be a worrying trend as the 2 Democrats go hammer and tongs at each other, the insipid McCain with his ever increasing media support is now gaining enough confidence to start seperating himself from the loser Bush. Given that the American public by over 60% believe the invasion of Iraq was a mistake and with Hillary and Obama squabbling over who supports what, when and how, this fool McCain is coming down the middle. Could it be he will appear to be the safest bet of the 3 and with the Democrats being a white woman black man choice, he could just pull it off.
What on earth is going on over there?????????????
McCain is a Bush Hugger !
McCain is a Bush Hugger !
A little off topic but I would like to say thanks to C&L for going after the person (McCain) that we need to be going after. I believe that the most important thing that can happen, perhaps in my lifetime, is that we win this election. Other websites, like Huffpo are doing nothing but dividing us. Obama, Clinton, I don't give a shit. Either one is infinitetly better than any Republican.
So thanks C&L for keeping the focus.
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