In 2000, back when Independents weren’t all that sexy, I knew quite a few people, including those in my own family, who would have voted for John McCain for President. Then came South Carolina and George W. Bush neutering this once maverick politician, helping turn him into an unprincipled lackey of the Right, exactly the kind of man he’d always abhorred.
But whatever McCain let Bush and Karl Rove do to him in South Carolina and beyond, leading to him also having to saddle up to aid the bumbling Texan to win the presidency, nothing compared to what losing to Barack Obama in ’08 did to the Arizona Senator. McCain never liked Barack Obama and also never respected him, so watching him do the job he feels should have been his has not only made Sen. McCain very cranky, but it’s hardened his bitterness into a fine human crust.
But McCain’s humiliation wasn’t complete after losing in ’08.
When his reelection rolled around, McCain had to double down on flip flops, airing commercials having him say things like “build the dang fence,” while trying to prove to the Tea Party crowd he was one of them. To make matters worse it wasn’t working, so he had to call in a big gun.
This entailed eating a lot of crow.
In 2010, up against a tough midterm election, after a reported nightmare presidential campaign with Sarah Palin that had McCain’s people leaking to the press that she was a “diva” and a “whack job,” the Senator from Arizona was forced to ask Sarah to help save his Senate seat.
In Sarah Palin rolled heaping praise on Sen. McCain as he and Cindy stood behind her looking like they were both about to hurl at the indignity. His star long ago tarnished, he was now left to wonder if his entire legacy would revolve around his unleashing of the force that is Sarah Palin; the power from this clout she in turn used to awaken a simmering network of infuriated Tea Party activists, lighting a fire under them so hot that they wiped out Democrats in Congress and went on to slam the entire Republican Party, which is in the throes of an identity crisis that has yet to fully play out.
The Democratic Party is hitting their own crisis of what it means to be a Democrat, but they just don’t know it yet.
At the end of 2010 John McCain then pronounced the repeal of DADT as being “a very sad day,” while he also blocked a military suicide prevention bill.
Whatever kind of man Sen. John McCain was that inspired Independents to praise him back in 2000, he certainly isn’t today.
Of course, to be fair, the man who beat him in ’08 also had many of these same Independent people vote for him in 2008 that McCain had on his side in 2000, but these same people have cooled on Barack Obama, too. The President shouldn’t worry, because Independents are fickle and there remains no one on the Right who can take him down, at least not yet.
Juan Williams took this on directly by calling out one GOP potential presidential candidate, saying Sarah Palin “can’t stand on the intellectual stage” with President Obama. Beyond the intellectual issue, Republicans have a lot more troubles and it runs deep.
Regardless of Independent voters, who seem to be very personality driven in their politics, where John McCain is concerned he’s proven why he’s not president today. He’s a loser, which in 2010 was driven home like a nail through his political heart.
Oh, sure, he won reelection, but selling your soul has a price and for Sen. John McCain the sale has been finalized.
Truer words have never been spoken:
“I like Obama but I reject the suggestion that he is an intellectual. He is an activist merely mimicking the mannerisms of an intellectual.” “
Who this is quoting would be helpful, bandit.
As for the merits, I have to disagree. Obama’s intellectualism isn’t even the element of his persona that’s ever been at issue.
Oh, bull. McCain always was a Reagan conservative.
The only reason why the “independents” (read, the Democratic Party’s organ grinder monkeys in the Mainstream Press) liked McCain in 2000 was that he was a useful foil to the candidate they hated, George W. Bush. You could tell from the faux respect ladled onto McCain by Maureen Dowd and others in the Propaganda Ministry.
They never really liked McCain. When John McCain got between the White House and a Democrat at whose feet they literally worshipped, they tore him apart. They were literally frightened by the fact that Palin unified the Party to such a degree that McCain/Palin pulled ahead of Obama/Biden by two points in Gallup and made the ticked competitive. McCain’s insight told him that he needed a Reagan conservative to energize his ticket.
Then Lehman Brothers went belly up, George Soros made his killing, and 2008 resumed its normal course (fortunately for the GOP: there is no greater tonic for the American Public than to see the Socialism In One Country Party in complete power-look at California as a cautionary tale).
McCain’s great service to the GOP was to unleash Palin on the Party. Far from being ashamed as liberals insist he should be, McCain is quietly satisfied that he has brought Reaganism back and has destroyed the plans of the Bush Familia for a Jeb Restoration.
Apart from her own ambitions, Sarah Palin is McCain’s revenge on the Bush Family for South Carolina and other indignities, and he’s enjoying every minute of it.
“George Soros made his killing,”
GOSH! Faux notnews,limpwithnoballs and Glen Beck much?
Hilarious stuff, isn’t it secularh!
John Kerry wanted John McCain to be his VP running mate.
Senator John Mccain has changed big time. He is ticked off big time that President Obama won and he is going to the proberly the first senator to oppose anything President Obama does. When Sarah Palin was picked to be his VP, everything was about her and not about him. You would have thought she was the Presidental candidate instead of Mccain. Your right, she did help him win his Senate seat. Your right Taylor, the presidental candidates for the Republicans as much as I disagree with Obama on some of the things he has done,the republican field needs to have a newcomer or something because each have their own flaws not just Sarah Palin. Look at what Haley Barbour Gov of Mississippi said about his controversial remarks on Race in Yazoo City. I can’t believe he is even considered a presidental contender. The others have their own flaws too. So Juan Williams and others better start calling out the others also, or is it wrong to call out the “good old boys” The odd thing is since were talking about Senator Mccain, everyone is talking about Bristol Palin moving to Arizona, and I can’t help to think maybe the other Palins will follow !! Could the Mccains and Palins become neighbors anytime soon ? !! LOL !! I am actually somewhat of a Sarah Palin fan, even though I question her presidental ambition but I am question President Obama’s actions lately !!
People all over this naive country are sending money to Sarah Palin’s PAC – people who think their money is going into a political agenda. These poor saps don’t have a clue that their money is being legally paid out thousands of dollars at a time to people called “consultants” –
“Consultants” named Todd, Bristol, and yes even for the wisdom of Willow and Piper.
This sneak-preview of her 2013 book cover says it all:
http://www.lbfitness.com/2013.jpg
I just wonder when normally intelligent people like Taylor are going to get it.
Well hey – it got Bristol a damned nice house in Arizona – as another Palin sells out her roots. Can’t help but admire them though. This trailor trash family is definitely talented at making money.
Dinosaurs are Jesus Ponies!
pmicheal that is so uncalled for. You can disagree with Sarah Palin or someone in her family without calling out them such aweful names like that.
You’re right.
But every time she opens her mouth it makes me more ashamed of people who listen and somehow ‘respect’ her. She cannot open her mouth without telling a lie. For example, she just used her TV show to accuse the 1st Lady of saying we shouldn’t have dessert. Even Mike Huckabee had to scream.
This woman should go down in history as being so totally without a clue that she didn’t mind having a turkey horribly killed behind her as she gave her Thanksgiving message – then damned PROUD to shoot a reindeer dead, just before Christmas.
What a wonderful woman to be proud of.
I don’t know what she will go down in history for, that we will have to see. Yes, I do respect her, any woman that is a first in anything deserves my respect, even though I disagree with her on views. Even though I disagree with the Republican party on things she was the first Republican woman to be on a national ticket and the second woman to be on a national ticket besides Geraldine Farraro. She was Alaskas first woman governor, “yes she resigned but we proberly have different opinions on why” I can’t help put respect any woman that is a first in anything. I also respect the President for becoming the first African American President. Yes I disagree with some of the things he has done, but so did some liberals and others as well. I am also a major Hillary Clinton fan. Well USA Today named the three most admired women this year 1. Hillary Clinton 2. Sarah Palin 3. Oprah Winfrey congraduations to them !! Have a Happy New Year pmicheal !!
- Zazzle has stickers for sale:
http://www.zazzle.com/dinosaurs_are_jesus_ponies_sticker+gifts
I honestly always voted straight Democrat, for my entire voting life. And I show up to all elections, even the ones nobody cares about.
But when I went into the Democratic primary, things changed. I was appalled by the new liberals who attacked her.
I was appalled by the sexism.
I was appalled by DC insiders who worked against her.
I was, just, appalled.
That triggered a real soul-searching, and I ended up realizing that I don’t belong in the Democratic party. I just don’t agree with the essential principals.
I voted for McCain, knowing he would lose. But I did so for mywself.
I no longer am a Democrat. I no longer even understand many of the far-left positions.
I definitely emerged from that primary as one who would lean more right than left.
And I’d rather see GOP wins than Dem wins today.
That’s the truth.
I personally think that the Dems abandoned the middle-class in trying to tear down the Teaparties.
It’s just the reality.