Polls show McCain cheapened his "maverick" brand
By SilentPatriot Sunday Jun 15, 2008 4:00pm
It looks like voters are starting to recognize that McCain 2.0 is nothing like McCain 1.0.
John McCain once had the most powerful brand in American politics.
He was often called the country's most popular politician and widely admired for his independent streak. It wasn't too many years ago that "maverick" was the cliche of choice in describing him.
[The term 'reformer'] didn't even make the list this year when voters were asked by the Pew Research Center to sum up McCain in a single word. "Old" got the most mentions, followed by "honest," "experienced," "patriot," "conservative" and a dozen more. The words "independent," "change" or "reformer" weren't among them.
If this poll were taken eight years ago, John McCain would somewhat justifiably be described as an "honest, independent, bipartisan, maverick reformer." Therein lies the tragedy of McCain's 2008 run. In order to secure the support of the dwindling GOP base, McCain has to embrace the very worst aspects of Bush agenda, many of which he publicly opposed not too long ago. This is the case that must be made this election. Every admirable quality John McCain ever possesed has been opportunistically sacrificed at the altar of Republican politics. It's encouraging to see voters coming to realize this.
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I would have used the term fraud to describe McCain.
A repeat posting here but because I think this question fits even better in this talkback:
"A serious question here: This would have probably been a too radical move for what is generally a cautious process (as history has shown, probably far too cautious) - but what does everyone think would have happened if Al Gore had publicly offered John McCain (the 2000 model, not the new and improved model) the Vice-President slot, citing both the need for genuine bipartisanship in the whole country (uniting Democrats and Republicans under the theme that we’re* all Americans) and also citing how appalled he was by the treatment of McCain by the Bush campaign?
Would it have helped sink the Republicans then?
As history has also shown, he could hardly have done worse than he did with any other choice than Lieberman could he?
*(not counting myself as I’m Australian).
Designated loser?
that's what concerns me many people want cheap
One word....Hmmmm....Depends (the adult diaper).
If you consider McCain's cradle to grave health care, education and employment, all from the government and his marriage to
an overclass woman...then it is easy to understand that his loyalties do not lie with normal Americans. He is literally a child of the
military industrial congressional mediatainment big pharma complex, and nothing can stand in the way of such an historic force.
We need a functioning democracy, something John McCain has sworn to fight to his last dying breath.
Now McCain is claiming he's the underdog. Lowering expectations for his campaign. Even that sounds like a bush move. Before the debates with Kerry the media was down playing bush's debate abilities to the point of making him look like a one celled animal. Any preformace that he made beyond that made him look capable.
I don't know if that's going to work for McCain, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
McCain is lucky that people still remember his maverick days because the McCain of today would not remind them of them.
I would bet there have been days in the past few months when McCain secretly said to himself, Why the hell did I get myself into this?
This has been obvious since he started running.
What I think is going to be more decisive is the impact of Obama's organization. He is working hard to mobilize individuals in each and every state to get engaged in politics and to invigorate the public sphere and put politics back in the hands of the people. Even if Obama somehow were to lose the election, in my mind he has already done more good for American democracy than any president in recent memory. It is transformative in the same way that the GOP managed to re-engage evangelicals in the political process. Except, instead of motivating people to take on a religious crusade, he is saying, "Hey, it's your country. Turn off the TVs and start talking to each other about what matters to you."
When he wins, and these newly turned-on citizens get a taste of success, I think it is going to have a profound effect on our society. And, ironically, I think he is going to accomplish what conservatives only like to talk about: He's going to return government to the local level. People will get personally invested in solving the problems in their communities. In a sense, his cultural impact might even be more significant than his policy agenda.
One word to describe McCain? Desperate
One word to describe McCain's campaign? Disfunctional
Let's not be too generous to the old coot. He's been toeing the Bush line for a while now. 95% last year and 100% this year? He's just another partisan, only older.
pissed off patricia @ 9:
never....never underestimate desperate or
dysfunctional.....why you know they will do anything to survive
One thing to notice is how little the right wing blogs cover McCain. Instead, they focus on anti-Obama news.
I think in this regard, Obama has already won. There is very little positive with McCain in their eyes, and instead they can only run with an "anybody but a Democrat" message.
a) to begin with, this type of message is not a winning one.
b) its effectiveness is at its peak in the late days of a campaign, not 4-5 months out.
c) sustained messages of this type produce fatigue. the recipients either crystallize their opinion, or their innoculate themselves against this message.
d) the climate is highly favorable to Democrats.
e) Obama is campaigning and leading without being negative.
f) he is working on a social networking strategy to cut through the low information model that the GOP thrives on.
I think by November, Obama is going to be even stronger.
Corporate media sponsored debate
talking head: Saint John the Maverick, would you care to delight us by performing a back flip?
McCain: oh how about a 100? Does a hundred back flips, talking heads ooh and ah.
Post debate "analysis"
Talking Head 1: did you see st. maverick's performance? Very statesman like. This is the night that st. maverick became presidential.
TH 2: oh yes, very st. ronieesque if you ask me.
Who doubts the media will ignore it and continue to sell the maverick image?
How come if a Democrat pulls out of Iraq to save American lives he or she is a coward? But when John McCain surrendered to save his life in Vietnam he became a hero. The only way to become a POW is to surrender.
karl @ 11:
Oh I'm not underestimating him for one second. I have no doubt the worst is yet to come. God only knows what it may be.
Pelosi is calling for getting a FISA bill to the president's desk that he will sign before their July 4th recess. Why? Is something about to happen that could be blamed on the dems if they do not give the telecoms protection? Is it something that might be somehow attributable to the dems because they wouldn't allow the white house to begin their super spying again? Who knows?
When an administration is as secretive as this one is, all the public can do is try to discover what the hell is going on and why. With this administration, no one should ever think, Oh they wouldn't do that. We know they will if it's to their benefit and anything from here on out they can do to help McCain, I believe they will.
Gore will endorse Obama!
pissed off patricia @ 15:
i know your where your at........i appreciate your entries........we need young female voters if people vote we will win
Too bad for republicans that the internet has grown up and people are paying attention now. Can't rely on the MSM and Faux News anymore. Pity.
Keating Five!
Keating Five!
Keating Five!
and that's just the beginning!
What "brand" are they talking about???
I do not suffer AMNESIA, McCain's "brand" should have suffered it's fatal blow years ago.
But don't worry, all this is going to resurface, as well it should.
McCain is unelectable, if Obama and the Dems stand strong.
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Why Does GOP Candidate Scorn Supreme Court's Affirmation Of Right Of Habeus Corpus?
CBSNews: McCain Takes Gitmo Ruling Personally
Quick, someone throw him a ... err. Anchor?
Any woman who votes for McCain is voting against not only her own best interest but she is voting against the best interest of all women. It goes far beyond Roe v Wade. It's about women's health care.
MountainMan23 @ 20:
McCain is going to say absolutely anything if he thinks it will win one more vote for him. And until someone calls him on this stuff he will continue to do it.
That was the McSame prior to the frontal lobe he had done which explains the huge scar.
pissed off patricia @ 23:
And, if we're being honest about how to characterize Johnny McSame, it would not be "flipflop artist" because that implies a real change in thought processes; in his case, the clear definition would be "Vote Prostitute".
One Word: BUSH!
Mister Anderson @ 26:
I'll add to that the fact that McInsane wouldn't be Bush Lite but Bush Heavy! This man is downright scary!
An Other Greek @ 19:
Totally unelectable when we get through with his potpourri of credible scandals - coupled with Botox Cindy's involvement and non-disclosure of tax returns - and then there's always the Mistress on the side who has been noticeably silent - Vicky Iseman.
Keating Five and Vicky Iseman should have all of McSame's men running for cover about now.
McSame's Concession Speech: TH-TH-THAT'S ALL, FOLKS! (camera focuses into his horrible SEG, eyes rolled up to heaven, and panning an audience of one: Mistress Cindy handing him a Brewski.
MountainMan23 @ 20:
That's today. Ask this moron the same question tomorrow for another answer. He's certifiable braindead at this point. Saying he doesn't do well in debates will be an understatement; he doesn't do well speaking English and formulating a concice, clear, intelligent though is more like it.
pissed off patricia @ 23:
it does not matter what mcBooshThree says. It will be ignored if it's a gaffe, praised if it's a policy and always, always viewed as a 'positive'. the media will make it all ok.
interesting how mccain keeps tweaking the bitter remark from religion and gun(s) to religion and the constitution to guns and constitution second amendment.........good job mcMisquote... to me all obama means is that everything else is being taken away from this demographic so they're hanging on to all they have..........he doesn't care if they have guns and/or religion
CoIntelPro for Pronktastic Democratic Party Victory @ 31:
that's part of the appeal by some of his supporters........."i like him i don't know why......maybe it's because he's like me i don't the issues and i don't like the people that do"
It is very bad when your own mother dosen't believe in you. I saw a clip on C-Span that was air in Feburary 2008 that McClain's mother , Cindy McClain ("stated that he dosen't have the support of the conservatives and they will only vote for him holding their nosies.") That is bad news for McClain. At lease your own family should stand behind you.
Let's face facts; McCain is going to drop out, and someone like Bloomberg is going to take his place as the republican presidential candidate.
He's going to wait until about 2 or three months before the primary.
Just you watch.
McCain is a red herring. They have another morally bankrupt, religious right, war-pig, ready to run.
You are wrong,Silent Patriot. He has always been a jerk and a trouble maker and his fellow senators do not like him. He needs to keep up the Republican values to get elected. If he doesn't get elected we might have some time to turn this country back into a democracy.
http://www.ufodigest.com/graveyard.html
There is a legend in Africa that speculates that elder elephants knowing that their death was imminent left their herds and traveled to a place known as the Elephant Graveyard. It was believed this graveyard was the final destination for literally thousands of elephants and that their bones and tusks littered the area. This graveyard has never been discovered and has been the subject of speculation for many years. I first became aware of the myth of the elephant graveyard after reading King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard as a child.
The one word to describe John mccain
gelding
Smoke and mirrors...http://www.tagg-theangrygayguy.com
Well, at least his brand in McCain V2.0 is rock solid: Whore.
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