WSJ Columnist: Is McCain Losing It?

Wall Street Journal columnist Daniel Henninger looks at John McCain's tax policy and concludes, "This isn't a flip-flop. It's a sex-change operation." He continues:

What I'm asking is, does John McCain have the mental focus, the intellectual discipline, to avoid being out-slicked by Barack Obama, if he isn't abandoned by his own voters?

...

Why as well shouldn't the Obama camp exploit all of this? If Sen. Obama's "inexperience" is Mr. McCain's ace in the hole, why not trump that by asking, "Does Sen. McCain know his own mind?"

...

Yes, Sen. McCain has honor and country. Another month of illogical, impolitic remarks and Sen. McCain will erase even that. Absent a coherent message for voters, he will be one-on-one with Barack Obama in the fall. He will lose.

The Chicago Tribune's Frank James comments: "More evidence that Sen. John McCain is giving fits to many conservatives, like those who comprise The Wall Street Journal's editorial board: they're asking aloud if he's stupid."

Comments

[kay]

Smarten up. He flip flopped on payroll taxes because he's doing poorly in Florida.

He's decided he needs to "save" Social Security, rather than privatize it.

He'll privatize it once he's elected, of course, but for now he needs to use the word "save'.

The Maverick is a complete phony and a political hack. Once you realize that all of his addled statements make sense.

Why is it taking so long for the press to see what's right in front of their noses?

He changes positions for political advantage, see: drilling, social security, taxes, taxes again, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, immigration, the Confederate flag..... for goodness sakes. It's as plain as day.

[ILibertine]

Watch closely for the McCain VP spot. Said person won't be VP for long if the Repubs gain executive office by virtue of health matters, I'll bet'cha.

[S1m0n]

That's gotta sting, coming from an ed board that endorsed George Bush.

[GuyFawkes]

Maybe I worry too much, but as dumb and poorly reviewed as the Britney ad was, I remember it wasn't too long ago that Clinton's 4am ad came out and received similar blowback. But it helped her. Yes. The election isn't tomorrow, like that ad was. But I think it illustrates how gullible people are, where they don't look beneath the surface for the substance and they certainly don't read editorial pages. I wonder if the damage hasn't been done by the media saturation its gotten, including on HuffPost.

[the964kid]

Does anybody doubt the answer can only be: YES!?

[andhakari]

There's no shortage of low IQ, low information, somewhat racist, guns, god, my country right or wrong voters in America. And then there are all the "it's my money" voters, too.
It could be close. Obama, as good as he is, could lose.

[mstew99]

I would like to think he's losing it, but he may be only 3 points behind, and there's still lots of time for him to gather more racist rednecks. Incredibly, at this point it may develop into a very close election -- we need to catch McCain in one of his famous profanity-laden outbursts or at least catch him saying sometahing to stupendously stupid that even the media can't ignore it.

[Rog49Thomas]

Frankly as well I am getting sick of the cheap campaign tricks used by the opposition party.

First the race card.

Now the sanity card.

Have these people no decency?

[SeriousBlack]

LOL.

I mean seriously... LOL.

[Rog49Thomas]

I was personally hurt when I read your reply.

You think it's funny do you?

Do you know what it's like to be a white person in this country?

And imagine the double handicap of being rich as well.

Lots of doors are slammed in your face.

And even when people smile at you, you never know if they are being sincere.

And no matter how much you achieve, it's neve enough.

I know I live that burden each and every day.

Show a little compassion.

[Rog49Thomas]

This article betrays a fundamental misunderstanding.

If one looks closely and dispassionately at the Republican Party one sees an ideology that has little congruence with reality. A less charitable soul than me might describe it as delusional.

Given that assessment, I think that the Republican nominee is the perfect spokesman and advocate for his Party.

He embodies the spirit of that ideology and is the logical heir to the current incumbent of the White House.

[JohnnyBoyyy]

Daauuummmmm Rog49Thomas, you have a sweet way of saying that!

[ebanks84]

"Stupid is as stupid does" and everything he's doing right now is as stupid as you can get. He's throwing away his total campaign on following the beliefs of a loser. Just because the "rovian" way worked for b u s h when most of the country was asleep, doesn't mean it's going to work for macdaddy, when most of the country is wide awake now.

Once burnt, twice learnt. It ain't gonna happen again! Macdaddy better straighten up and fly right or he will definitely head dive into a deep pit of manure.

[Christian]

The debates will settle everything!

[Jess27]

Only if the questioners can manage to keep the old man on topic.

[adzeman]

He is going in there with four or five scripted answers to fit all questions. I'm serious. Watch. It won't matter if they make sense, they will be on message.

[The5thW]

The "debates" are run by the same people running McCain's campaign. Never forget that. Network TV is the enemy's front yard--they will frame, filter , spin, and do all the questioning.

[exPatPatti]

This is what I am scared of. After watching that last farce of a debate between O and H I am loathe to think of how low they will stoop with GOTCHA questions this time.

[armadillious2002]

Well the surge seems to have worked somewhat - of course we should never have been over there in the first place but McSurge will never admit to that.

[akkadian]

the surge is really a non-starter, what has worked is the forces arming and paying the local militia to guard their own neighborhoods.

[mstew99]

Exactly right -- I wish the mainstream 'journalists' would bring this point home.

[northcan]

Go to votevets.orgg" and ask the troops on this blog if the surge is / was a success. Ask if they think John Sydney McCain 111 cares about them and their health care, families etc.. They are angry at McCain and Bush for giving them no, no, no hope for anything when / if they return home.

[lennix]

i am going to send my donation first thing in the morning

[Grrr]

50 bucks to Obama and 50 bucks to Bob Barr.

[HopeisEternal]

Well he did place 895th out of 899 in his graduating class.

[blueinannarbor]

His own campaign, in an article I read elsewhere on Huffpo, stated that McCain had difficulty with facts, details and data because of his breezy personality. Perhaps, given his rather unimpressive academic credentials, he should avoid introducing Brittney Spears and Paris Hilton into the debate lest he find himself compared to them intellectually.

[harriscrl3]

Cant wait for America to be introduce to the REAL John McCain. They can either find it out before November 4th or After January. Either way they will be in for a rude awakening from their drugged stupor.

Carol

[ebanks84]

The real JM is lost. The rethugs have eaten him up and spat him out. He's gone.

[nellie]

I have my doubts about this reputation of honor. I look at the way he treated his first wife when he came home from Vietnam. I look at the Keating Five scandal. His jokes give me the creeps. I understand honorable service in the military. It doesn't excuse other questionable behavior. It doesn't override everything else.

And my real concern here is whether he has the mental and physical rigor for this highly pressured job. O, who is young and fit and sharp as a razor, is going gray just from the primaries. Imagine how the pressure is affecting Mc Cain. It makes me nervous.

[NewArtz]

America has proven that we have indeed become a mediocre people. Given great freedom and resources, we have squandered them on self congratulatory slaps on the back while looking down on the foreigners we must endure. John McCain epitomizes us, which is a shame. Due to mediocrity, too many Americans are afraid of Barack Obama because he represents a future in which greatness isn't something you inherit or have because of where you were born or what color you were born. Greatness will be recognized by those who see through the lies, deceit and cowardess of our post 911 trauma, and realize that reality doesn't change just because power pretends. We have a daunting task ahead of us, and we must progress forward. Having years of experience with the mediocrity of conservatiism, John McCain not only fears progress, but now wants to climb on the pedastal of "greatness" just to compensate his fears. He's a fraud, and, deep inside his bitter soul, behind his shallow smile, he knows it.