Joe Klein: I Said McCain Was "Honorable," But "I Was Wrong"

Time:

A few months ago, I wrote that John McCain was an honorable man and he would run an honorable campaign. I was wrong. I used to think, as David Ignatius does, that McCain's true voice was humble and moderate, but now I'm beginning to think his Senate colleagues may be right about his temperament. From what I can gather, Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran, a Republican, reflected the views of many of his colleagues earlier this year when he said:

"The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine...He is erratic. He is hotheaded. He loses his temper and he worries me."

The erratic nature of McCain's campaign seems to be confirming that judgment.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[All57States]

Joe,

No one cares what you think.

[Whinger]

When John mcCain could pull his own strings he was an honorable man!

Now that he's turned into a puppet...............!

Enough said!

[5150]

Just between you and I, Sarah Silverman is lying when she said she hates Ch*nks she dates Jimmy Kimmel. Keating's crew is lying about private savings.

[robotfog]

what are you talking about? Not only are you off topic, but you don't realize that Sarah Silverman is putting on an act. Plus, Jimmy Kimmel is of German and Italian descent. Not that I think italians are so great. [joking]

[DavidMG]

Barack GO NEGATIVE OR LOOSE
I am really sorry to say this - but the Republicans will destroy you with this stuff.
A campaign of a thousand cuts.
You are on their turf.
GO NEGATIVE OR LOOSE

[mistlesuede]

Lose.

[nunzia]

Mr. Klein - I find your shocked reaction to your mistake pretty damned funny.
You're wrong a lot of the time.
I still remember the smear piece you did on Conyers.
It was the last time I purchased that magazine.
Your someone whose opinion I live without.

[Whinger]

What does it profit a man if he gain the White House and lose his honor?

History shall speak badly of such individuals!

[dsbsh]

I don't know... the current occupant seems to have profited quite nicely. That assumes, of course, that he had honor to lose.

[brighterside]

This McCain is not the McCain of 2000. The McCain of 2000 was not afraid to go after issues vital to America even though it went against the Republican conventional wisdom (which doesn't exist).

I think the McCain of 2008 wants to be the McCain of 2000. But he can't. His controlled by his surrogates and they are running his show. He is forced to tow the party line. I think he is hating himself and probably can sleep well during the night.

His angry because that McCain of 2000 no longer exist and not because its so much of what O-bama is doing. He did lash out to the media and it fell on deaf ears.

The best way for O-bama to beat McCain at his own game is to paint him as irrelevant. Ignore him a little and state this his attacks are useless. The more O-bama treats him like his irrelevant the more McCain will blow his top. And painting him as irrelevant is actually easier than lashing back with attacks. O-bama can make McCain's attack as insignificant and useless -- which is what Obama is doing right now.

[robotfog]

you painted a picture for me of McCain lying in bed at night with a tear in his eye thinking "I gotta be me. But, I just can't do it." *sniff*

[markdolph]

What people have to remember is that given the way that Bush has positioned the Iraq war with the poorly informed American people from the beginning, it has taken more courage to oppose the war than to be in favor of it. What McCain has failed to demonstrate is the courage to say the war was wrong to begin with.

[ShamusNYC]

Did I say "honorable"? I meant "horrible"! You can understand - they both start with an "h"... also, I confused McCain 2000 with McCain 2008....

[Rog49Thomas]

It's good when a pundit admits his mistakes.

For those of us who read such pundits, it's a good idea to ask what was the basis for he pundit's previous position. Particularly when as he admits the candidate's colleagues raised more than one red flag.

Did our intrepid pundit get

fooled by a master of deception?

go along with the conventional wisdom. Everyone says this guy is honorable. Ergo he is.

fail to look through the fake pose of "maverick"?

Hmm. Let's see the guy discovers "religion" after the Keating Five Scandal and becomes Mr. Politically Clean.

He runs against the Establsihment Candidate in 2000 - not surprisingly as an even bigger establishment candidate but as the maverick. Quelle surprise!

And of course he comes from a western state where the politicians like to play "cowboys and indians". Had he been from my home state, he would have been a crusading prosecutor bringing down the Mafia chieftains and a malefactor or two of great wealth,

[AnnieinOR]

aperape j-reno dad... need I say more?

[laurie91020]

McCain has NO HONOR..... he's lost all respect. WHAT happened to the PROMISE of a clean campaign.... oh right, that will happen ONLY when he is WINNING....

Hey JOHN, you are now acting like the Bushies did to you in 2000..... remember how it felt??????

It's NOT "Do unto others because it's been done unto you".

WHEN you are behind, 'throw anything you can and see what sticks"...... It didn't work when the Clinton's tried it and it won't work now either. AMERICANS are smarter than that..... (I HOPE)!!!

[robotfog]

McCain has become the person he once despised. It's like his entire psyche has been shattered.

[kkuate]

The title Honorable that McCain uses before his name does not reflect his behavior. McCain is a person that can not be trusted with the power of the presidency.

Conservatives, wake up, open your eyes, tell McCain he hasn't been the maverick for 8 years.

[Rog49Thomas]

And the benchmark for conservatives would be the sterling example of fitness that currently occupies the White House?

[walkthewalk]

McCain must be viewed as even a greater disappointment than Bush. McCain once showed honor. No more.

[AnnieinOR]

agreed, Boosh is just being Boosh - Mac has no excuse for this Jekyll Hyde persona

[bikerdude]

When?

[pixy242a]

John McCain tried the "different" maverick style campaign in 2000 and fell short.

After 9/11, when Bush and Rove seemed unbeatable, he made the calculation to embrace them so that he could position himself as the natural successor. Though he would lose some independent support, he could always count on his other base -- the MSM. He didnt foresee how Bush and the neo-right policies would become so unpopular and that the Dems put up a candidate who is realy "different". So he is now stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Too bad... he is even having to turn negative and losing some of the media in the process!