John McCain is no longer the master of his own destiny. The party that nominated him for the presidency holds no great love for the man. His flat speech was received with pitiful reviews. Even in the nominating hall, the greatest applause were reserved for his Vice President, Sarah Palin.
In selecting Palin, McCain was forced by circumstance to abandon his moderate reputation in order to shore up the extreme, reactionary base. Under duress and with no apparent vetting, McCain set this attractive question mark a heartbeat from the presidency. The press began to do its work and scandal after scandal emerged. The press has only just begun, but poor McCain was stuck with the pick. Dumping her before the convention would have incited right-wing riots in Minneapolis.
So, now he is over a barrel. The warm reception her trite, angry, insulting speech received is the one salvation from a dark week of desperation and disappointment for John McCain.
Now, it is impossible for McCain to separate himself from the overwhelming right wing politics of George W. Bush. This marriage of inconvenience has McCain locked at the hip to a culture war politics he long reviled. As time goes on, the hooks will go in deeper. Any independence McCain could have exercised will be lost to grade school creationists, to global warming deniers, to choice criminalizers, to constitution scrappers, to lobbyist cronies, and to the fiscal deadbeats who have long controlled the Republican party.
Porkbarrel Palin is now the head of the GOP.
There is no doubt that they now completely and totally control John McCain, and McCain has no way out. Palin owns McCain, and the maverick is lost for good.
Though to say that solved campaign finance is the biggest con in politics. McCian Feingold made it harder for average people and easier for the rich because they can find loopholes to drive a truck through. County committees and grassroots organizations (i.e., the little guy)are hamstrung. But not the 527s.
The threshhold amount of expenses (e.g. printing, etc) requiring an FEC report is so low that the average person will just not get involved in trying to incur expenses on their own. And thus, everything is upside down. Grassroots Democracy is thwarted, while the corporate entities and the right can do whatever they want.
But worse it is just a lie to call McCain a maverick. (See "Jukebox John" over at http://www.thecarpetbaggerrepo... where there is a list of McCain's flip flops on everything imaginable. Ask yourself if this evidence is a sign of a "maverick." And then ask, why do we use the word. We need to hold the media accountable for their use of it too (as in calling, letters, and dropping subscriptions). If they are going to sloganeer for Republicans all the time, none of the facts will even matter.
The endangered moderate Republicans know this. The wingnuts are celebrating it - they want Chaos, they want War. Now is the time for everyone else to stand up and fight. Fight or be prepared to wear your leash. Yes, it IS that bad.
Thanks Josh!
Sorry, sorry state.
Your point that McCain is now locked at the hip to a culture war politics reminded me of what Joe Biden said that I thought was his best line: He said McCain and Bush are joined at the hip and "we need a hip replacement". That line drew a lot of laughter and much applause.
As you no doubt know, Biden was in the Tidewater area yesterday morning and spoke to a much larger audience. I believe the fact that his next stop for the day (and I think his best line of the day) was in PWC speaks volumes about the importance of PWC. I'm sure we will see more of Biden in Northern Va.
As you probably know, people like Lieberman are briefing Palin on such subjects as Foreign policy. She will have a tough time trying to debate Biden on any substantial subject, not to mention such a true gentleman. Biden's depth and breadth of knowledge borne of decades of experience will be a stark contrast to her "qualifications". How's that for a series of understatements re the contrasts between the two VP candidates ?
T.C.
Maybe McCain is just nodding off.
From now on, except for special right-wing audiences, all we are going to hear from McCain-Palin is how only they can bring change to Washington. They will bash Congress, (which tells those who know what M-P are saying that the continued erosion of Congressional powers will continue under M-P), and intend to cow the legislature just as Bush did, especially with a clever, spiteful, ruthless Palin as President of the Senate. They will attempt to steal Obama's thunder and trivialize him not only as inexperienced but as part of the Washington problem.
You go, girls!
"McCain wants us to believe that he is the only one who can stand between us and the terrorists, but God forbid anything should happen to him, we are in the hands of this lovely stewardess who will guide us toward the exits!"