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

[Dave01]

How can he be losing it when he never had it?

After all he was in the bottom 1% of his class. The man never really was very intelligent, it's just now it is being confirmed.

[jsinclair]

His flipflop on taxes (back and forth, back and forth) was disturbing.

But even worse was his campaign's response that McCain doesn't speak for it!

Negativity and attack ads may still win it for him, but can you spell "disarray"? And, yes, "confusion"?

If the MSM wasn't blinded by love (either for McCain 2000 or for Republicans in general) the coverage would be so different. It's incredible to see how, no matter what McCain says or does, the spin is relentlessly pro-McCain and anti-Obama.

Print journalists are so much better than the tv people in reporting and interpreting facts.

But, sadly, tv is where most people get their "news" and form their opinions.

[Strywever]

Personally, I think the incredibly obvious disorganization that McCain's campaign is demonstrating every day is as clear an indicator of McCain's lack of leadership capability as anything we've seen since the primaries started. Truly unbelievable for someone who wants voters to believe he's capable of leading our great nation . . . and very sad too see a once-proud man disintegrate to this degree.

[poco767b]

McCain 08 :: and you thought it couldn't get worse.

[Terriac]

It seems that McCain can get away with saying and doing almost anything, and any time anyone points out his shortcomings -- of which there are many -- they are accused of attacking a patriotic war hero. I will give McCain the respect he is due for being a POW, but that's where it ends. Why on earth that translates into experience is beyond me. It's time for the media to stop shaking in its boots and being fearful of criticising this man, when he so clearly deserves the criticism. The McCain camp is manipulating the media and everyone else by crying foul and throwing up their hands in horror whenever anyone makes a critical comment about him. Enough already. Being a POW doesn't make anyone qualified to be president. It's totally illogical.

[cbates]

The real question is "is the media losing it?" You continue to prop this person up as though he has a wealth of knowledge and wisdom when in fact he does not appear to have a wealth of knowledge or wisdom. The media needs to expose he and or Mr. Obama as to their substance and ability to lead this country. We are in a perilous time and we must put all our resources in play to bring us through to the other side and or to turn the ship. I think you, the media, dig a lot at Barack and I hope you keep it up and at the same time you should start peeling the McCain onion. Let us know so we can make the right or best choice.

[gevan]

Depends on what the definition of the word "is" is. I would have said "was", as past tense.

[cyndeewi]

Funny gevan!! ROFL

[Totto]

McCain: All he's got is more of the same.

[gotalife]

No, he is winning it.

[wanj]

yes, in your little pea head he's winning it... nowhere else!

[poco767b]

of course he is *pats gotalife on the head*
shhhh, it's going to be all right.

[Dave01]

ROFL

[Grunty1]

Mc'Cain is winning his mind?
Is that like winning in Iraq? Completely undefinable?

[Grunty1]

Come on, explain what "Winning his mind" means!

[BADEN]

To answer your question..­..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY

[AnotherToerag]

I agree whole-heartedly:
He was against the surge before he was for it.
He doesn't know the difference between Shia and Sunni.
He doesn't know that Pakistan and Iraq do not share a border.
He doesn't know that Czechoslovakia no longer exists.
He panders offshore drilling, which won't be productive for another decade.
He's for widening the wealth gap and reducing the size of the middle class.

[bdl0715]

He was against Bush's tax cut for the wealthy before he was for it.
He was against offshore drilling before he was for it.
He was for his own immigration bill before he was against it.
He called the religious right "agents of intolerance" before he started kissing their butts.
He was against lobbyists until he started hiring them.

[pizzmoe]

There is nothing The Cantankerous Coot won't say.

[poco767b]

He was a veteran before he was against them before he was for them, then against them and then for them and finally against them again.

[jsinclair]

He's looking at a $600 BILLION dollar deficit (and 3 TRILLION dollar national debt) and says, "I promise no new taxes! And to keep the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and corporations!"

I know he said economics isn't his strength (clearly an understatement), but how's he planning to PAY for things (including his continuing war) without running up our national deficit and debt even higher?

Is that really "good management" or "wise leadership"?

Also, after 22 years in the senate, why DOESN'T McCain have a better understanding of the economy? (Or, for that matter, foreign policy, where--despite media claims of "experience"--he continually demonstrates confusion and unfamiliarity with the basics--regional history, geography, Sunni/Shia, etc--that any aspiring president should know?)

[jpcline004]

the Flop Gaffe Express is on a roll!

[japobere]

Yet he's "gaining" in the "polls." Seems a bit fishy to me...

[cmeans29]

Very fishy.

[CtJean]

I understand that newly registered voters are not polled, only those that have voted in the past. Explains a lot.

[mairs]

And what does "honor" and "country" mean? Nebulous concepts that have to do with being a white man who is conservative, that's all. Those are your pre-qualifications, no one else need apply.

[lvdragonlady]

So true.

[nerakami]

maybe..jus­t maybe, some of these people have a sense of love of country where they are able to put commonsense and the benefit of the people over politics..­.. hey... it's a long shot maybe, but hope is the name of the game...

[MilesTone]

One word: DOTARD

[breakfast]

As Obama has "moved to the center," the race has tightened. Probably, as it looks now, the election will be close. Will it really make a difference if Obama bests McCain in the debates down the stretch?

Remember, in a close race it will be that much easier for the electronic "voting machines" to make the difference.

[lthuedk 1]

Citizens need to keep an eye on the tabulators. Any polling place that forbids oversight of the tabulators should be dealt with before the damage is done.

Got that, Riverside, CA?