Republicans Flip-Flop for McCain

The Republican campaign charade is finally drawing to an end. One by one, prominent conservatives are "coming around" to the candidacy of Sen. John McCain after excoriating him for months as nothing more than a liberal in sheep's clothing. Did anyone really doubt this would happen? Did Democrats get fooled into thinking die-hard right-wingers like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Tom DeLay and James Dobson would actually stay home on election day or, worse, vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama? Get real. That was the absolute worst demonstration of feigned objectivity in the history of American politics. The truth is, Republicans belong to a cult, unlike Democrats, who, albeit in an often disjointed, politically inexpedient manner, relish freedom of thought, dissent, and choice. And at the end of the day, the cult members follow their leader. And come election day, they will march in lockstep to the polls and robotically throw their support to the same guy who they've been saying will be a "disaster" for the party. They'll follow McCain and his partisan pipe into the death water just like The Pied Piper's rats.

To be sure, the party is coalescing around McCain, the same candidate whom they've relentlessly vilified over his positions including immigration, campaign finance and torture. But now he's their guy when it comes to taxes, the war, fighting terrorism, marriage and abortion ... yada, yada, yada. The latest flip-flopper is Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family. Dobson, heretofore highly critical of McCain, appeared on Hannity's radio program last week extolling the candidate's many conservative virtues. And Hannity joined the lovefest. It was Republican hypocrisy at its finest: two of the party's most cultish figures engaged in newfound hero-worship of their devil incarnate.

And incredible hypocrisy it was/is. Dobson's 180 on McCain, he said, is because the candidate shares many views, especially those on key social issues. For example, said Dobson, Obama "has the most radical views on marriage," unlike McCain. Oh really? Last time I checked, Obama is in a happy, respectful marriage and has never been divorced. To the contrary, McCain not only divorced his first wife Carol, but he allegedly cheated on her with his current wife, Cindy, who he married at 43 when she was just 26 (McCain and Carol stopped living together in January 1980. He married Cindy five months later. You fill in the blanks). Who's the "radical?" If "protecting marriage" is truly Dobson's motive, then it should be clear which candidate he and Focus on the Family should support, right? But we all know when it comes to Republican politics it's "do as I say not as I do."

Personally, I never really got the whole "protecting marriage" mantra. It's sheer hypocritical, convoluted narrow-minded bullshit spewed by a bunch of uptight, twisted, homophobic, controlling old white men (or, as in the case of Sen. Larry Craig, closeted gays). What are these fanatics really trying to say, that only heterosexuals can enjoy a healthy, productive, successful marriage? Well, tell that to Nicole Simpson, or Laci Peterson, or Ted Ammon, or Mary Jo Buttafuoco or Hedda Nussbaum or Christie Brinkley or Suzanne Craig or Jackie Battley (Gingrich) or Marianne Ginther (Gingrich) or Hillary Clinton or any other lesser-known spouse who's been killed, beaten and/or cheated on by their "normal, heterosexual" mate. When, on a good day, 50% of all straight marriages end in divorce, just what exactly are these Republican hypocrites protecting? Perhaps it's time to let gays get a legitimate, legal crack at this sacred institution. They can't do any worse.

As for McCain and his flip-floppin' Republican detractors, you can be sure he'll continue to capture more of their support, passion and votes as election day nears. Because that's what Republicans do. It's what cult members do. They do what they're told. And what they're very effectively being told right now by their elected leaders, their TV and radio hosts, and by their religious and spiritual leaders is that Obama's the new D.C. devil, and McCain, well, he ain't so bad after all.

Comments

[ThermoChemist]

"The truth is, Republicans belong to a CULT..."

I don't quite agree with that statement. I don't think Republicans, per se, would qualify as being a cult; but rather the NeoCons who have taken over and corrupted whatever original ideals Repubicans stood for (ie. more a "sect" than a "cult"). Even many Republicans state that Bush is NOT a "true" Conservative -- and his tenure has shown that to be true (ie. Fiscal policies, bloated Government, etc.).

CULT:
- Great devotion to a person, idea, object, movement, or work
- A group or SECT bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.

SECT:
- A group with EXTREME or DANGEROUS philosophical or POLITICAL ideas.
THIS is PNAC!!! Jeb Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Perle, Kristol. All signatories!

Studies of the psychological aspects of cults... an important factor is coercive persuasion which SUPPRESSES the ability of people to REASON, think critically, and make choices in their own best interest.

Studies of religious, POLITICAL, and other CULTS have identified key steps in this type of COERCIVE PERSUASION:

1. People are put in physically or emotionally distressing situations;
2. Problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized; [Bush's continual "bumper sticker" sloganeering?]
3. Receive unconditional love, acceptance, and attention from a charismatic leader;
4. They get a new identity based on the group; ["Dittoheads"?]
5. They're subject to entrapment (isolation from friends, relatives, mainstream culture) and access to information is severely controlled. [Bush's inner circle?]

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

.
Check out HuffPo's own Coleen Rowley a top-notch essay that was NEVER POSTED (available to subscriber-fans only):
'Justifying' Torture: Two Big Lies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/coleen-rowley/justifying-torture-two-bi_b_113726.html

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[jesthefaxman]

Dems flip flopped against McCain only when he became the Rep nominee. They sure didn't mind him when he might've run against Bush as Kerry's VP. He really should choose Lieberman so all the schizo's can have chance for a greasy hero.

[tommytoons]

Repug's have no shame it would seem!!!

[Pdubya]

correction: these are neocons, not republicans.

[nutty4tahoe]

A rose by any other name is still a rose.......

[Openeyes]

Half an oaf is better than none. He's the only game they've got, so of course they'll support him, even if they are secretly holding their noses while doing so.

[All57States]

Republicans flip-flop, Democrats refine their positions.

[GarthR]

The hard core GOP is coming on board for two reasons: Bob Barr appears likely to suck up votes of disgruntled conservative in toss-up states and Dobson & Friends want to be able to say "we told you so", while still claiming they did all they could for McCain.

[Thorn]

You don't have your facts quite right. Coulter. for one, said she preferred Hillary Clinton to anyone in the race. She never came close to saying she'd want Obama over McCain. Also, when you say that Republicans are "a cult" while Democrats "relish freedom of thought, dissent, and choice," do you realize how ultra-partisan and creepy that sounds?

[jfor]

A republican cult leader would be also known as Rush Limbaugh and his accolytes or listeners if you prefer call themselves dittoheads. Cultists are unified in action and thought.

[Thorn]

I guess if you simply repeat they're a cult, then they must be a cult. Color me convinced!

[PATina]

Was anyone stupid enough to think otherwise???