What Really Happened To The Old John McCain

A defining moment of the "old" John McCain--as many Americans, even some of his friends, have begun to refer to him as he was before his run for the Presidency in 2008--took place in February, 2000, during his first bid for the White House, when he was challenging George W. Bush for the Republican nomination in the South Carolina primary. McCain had recently upset Bush in New Hampshire and was in a buoyant mood, vowing that, like "Luke Skywalker fighting the Death Star," he would not only defeat Bush but reform a party corrupted by "big money" and, as he later put it, "agents of intolerance."

...

Obama and his supporters decried McCain's tactics. Yet some of the strongest criticism came from people whom McCain revered or who had long revered him. And it was not merely about strategy--the backbiting that always consumes losing campaigns. It was about the very nature of John McCain. In their eyes, at least, their hero was losing not only an election but his reputation--or, as one prominent backer put it, "his soul."

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[pjburns11]

Here's what REALLY happened to John McCain...

http://thetruthburns.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/the-tragedy-of-maccain/

[VladdyTrout]

Some folks are meant to be the Pres and some aren't. I like Johnny Mac but he just wasn't suited to run for and be the Pres.

[vfippinger]

And the Republicans wonder why their Party is in such disarray!
Mccain was their last best chance of redemption. I was nervous early on the Dems would lose another election just by nature of Maccain being the Repbulican Candidate.

Of course his "handlers" took him down the path of ugliness and he went along. He either chose or let his people choose the most incompetent VP running mate in our Country's history and odd "Country First".

Mccain himself mentally is not the man he was 15, 10 or even 8 years ago. His inability to stay focused. His inability to do more than utter talking points even when the talking points dramatically change as in, "the fundamentals of the economy are strong"!
Through his hate filled speeches I saw something very sad, a man that was once held with great respect by both Parties diminished by the ugliest Party Partisianship and yes - age.

Where does Mr. Mccain go from here?

[David1752]

I thought the 'old' McCain returned at his concession speech.

[Justaminute]

Maybe we are seeing why John McCain could not advance any further in his military career. When you combine the articles in the New Yorker and Rolling Stone you get a glimpse of the "real John McCain."
His campaign this election season just solidifies it. His ambitions outweight his capabilites.

[dayala]

great article however I will never see McCain the same, the fact that he was willing to put this country in grave danger picking an incompetent demagogue for VP is the ultimate in betrayal of trust and honor imo, I will never forget that about McCain, every time I see him from here on forward I will see Sarah Palin and what might have been.

[hortonhearsawho]

Scars to Prove It Used cars, somewhere Arizona. Pres. Cindy McCain, Senior Salesman John McCain. Lemon Law Warranty, Sarah and Todd Palin

[BigHeadTodd]

The "Lord of the Rings" Gollum Syndrome. The lust for power and entitlement made the quest for the ring more important than the ring itself.

[hortonhearsawho]

The popcorn was great tho...

[loax]

What a great article this is! No preaching, no second guessing, just plain hard, facts. I am one of the people who agree that john McCain sold his soul to the Republicans, and lost his honor with such a dishonorable campaign of hate and fear.

[elvin1]

Evidently, the author did not check his "facts" completely. The FBI investigated the charge that "kill him" had been shouted at a Palin rally. After interviewing witnesses and replaying tapes, the FBI could find no evidence of anyone yelling "kill him". If this "fact" is incorrect, how do we judge the rest of the charges in this article?

[PowerPridePinstripes]

Steve Schmidt happened is what happened... and McCain allowed it to happen just to win at all costs.

[justoverit333]

He was one Repub I truly respected but he
sold his soul.

[hopefulinflorida]

I totally agree, Betwen Schmidt and Rick Davis, the messengers of hate.

[likeicare]

The "old" John McCain was just like the "old" Hillary -- a political chameleon with no real moral (or ethical) compass to guide him/her thru the rough times. In other words, he suffered from a fatal character flaw: no character at all.

Just look at his life: intemperate (to put it mildly) and lacking self-discipline (contrary to all the POW-bullshit ), wormed his way into Annapolis by trading on his family's legacy (only to graduate in the cellar of his class), crashed just about every plane he ever flew, questionable "antics" while serving on the USS Forrestal off Vietnam -- especially his culpability in the fatal fire onboard that carrier in Aug. '67 -- his dubious memories of captivity in NVN, dumping his accident-scarred wife in favor of a rich and much younger woman, the Keating Five Scandal, his liason with a female lobbyist with business before his Senate committee, his choice of ex-Bushies to run his campaign, and finally -- his pick of Sarah the Moose as his VP.

The "old" McCain was a sham -- and he was called out on it, that's all.

[Wiserone]

Bravo!!! Excellent post and what I've felt for so long. It's all been smoke and mirrors with McCain and also about Palin. No differently.

[DebM]

This was a fascinating article. I'm glad I had a sufficient amount of free time to read it yesterday.

I've heard all the rationalizations about McCain's behavior during his campaign, even the theory posited below about his "taking one for the team". I don't buy that. I do believe his honor has taken a hit from which he'll never recover. I truly believe that he simply sold his soul to the devil, in the form of the right-wing base, Rove and his minions, and the scary facets of the GOP, in order to achieve his ultimate ambition of the Presidency.

He may say he has no regrets over the way in which he ran his campaign, but I think that as he gets closer to his day of reckoning, he will lament his choices and conduct to the point of utter despair and grief.

[breakfast]

There is no "old John McCain." He is exactly what you saw in this campaign,

[BCubedReg]

I actually believe there is an "old" and "new" McCain. After being beaten in 2000 by GWB who used the most reprehensible attacks against him, McCain became cynical and in his mind, vowed to himself to never lose without employing any means to win. McCain had been tarnished but more importantly he had been embarassed and insulted by Bush in 2000. Unfortunately, for a person that had built a reputation of honor and decency, his break from "taking the high road" in his 2008 campaign made him look all the more ugly, hypocritical, and characterless.

Bush was under no such handicap to be honorable when he campaigned against McCain in 2000. We knew Bush was a born again crazy, alcoholic fratboy who had failed in every job he had.

So McCain got just what he deserved when he cast his lot with Bush this election cycle. McCain used the same Bush smear team and essentially ruined the only brand "his integrity and honor" he could fall back on. That tactic could work for Bush because Bush never campaigned on his image or persona.

The real hit to McCain is that this election cycle has forever sullied his legacy at the expense of gutter politics.

[breakfast]

Image and reality are not the same thing. McCain built a reputation on an IMAGE of honor and decency, not the reality.

Politics as usual.

[Wiserone]

I suggest you read the Rolling Stones article, "Make-Believe Maverick". THAT IS the real McCain.

[truth2008]

I beleive that both the old and the new John McCain is one in the same! I'm tired of people excusing his horrible campaign like he was not responsible for it. The fact is that McCain chose to run a nasty canpaign, and only he should accept responsibility for it!

[Tommygun2146]

McSame betrayed himself and his country by placing his naked ambition ahead of all other considerations, including national security when he bent to the will of his radical far-right evangelical puppet masters and accepted Palin as his running mate. Yes, his story is a sad one, but until he admits his wrongdoing and apologizes for turning his back on the country he claims to love so dearly, he is unworthy of sympathy.