McCain Is No Longer A Knight-Errant, But An Errant Knight

I'll admit it. I thought about voting for John McCain. I'm a lifelong Democrat. But in 2000, if McCain had won the Republican nomination, I think I would have had a tough choice. Like many, I was charmed by McCain's personal story, his ideological independence, and willingness to say tough things, sometimes the wrong things. He was the closest thing we had to a knight-errant in American politics.

My admiration diminished for him over the years. Yet I still felt that he was an improvement over the Bush lot. His values were quite different from mine, but you couldn't doubt that his values were true.

Service, honor, integrity.

Now John McCain has shattered that chalice in search of the Holy Grail of the Presidency.

He served his nation poorly when he hastily picked a vice presidential nominee based on her symbolic power rather than her qualifications.

He sullied his honor by hiring the men who vilely attacked his character in 2000 to do the same to Barack Obama in 2008.

And now he has lost his integrity by shamelessly lying about Barack Obama.

He crossed a filthy Rubicon when he released an ad that suggested Obama supported comprehensive sexual education for kindergartens. The actual bill promoted awareness of sexual predators.

Perhaps part of the backlash against this despicable falsehood is driven by the realization that John McCain is discouraging legislators from enacting laws to protect children from sexual predators for fear of similar slander. No one in the McCain campaign had the courage to object on that basis.

Mark McKinnon quit the McCain campaign when Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination because of his respect for Senator Obama. Now we know why he felt the need to do so.

This morning, on Fox News Sunday, Karl Rove said that John McCain had gone too far. McCain should have known better than to gather that viper to his bosom.

Libertarian author Steve Chapman observed that John McCain has decided that he can't win a fact based campaign.

He has charged repeatedly that his opponent is willing to lose a war to win an election. What's McCain willing to lose to become president? Nothing so consequential as a war. Just his soul.

This is the stuff of Greek tragedy. But it will only be a national tragedy if Americans fail to reject a fallen, errant knight who is now bereft of honor.

Follow Bart Motes on Twitter: www.twitter.com/bmotes

Comments

[malindak]

Nice post, Bart.

[S1m0n]

McCain hasn't changed one bit. He is exactly the person he was in 2000. All that's happened is that you're now seeing the real McCain.

[proreality]

WE NEED TO WATCH OUT! look, if we got Karl Rove coming out and condemning McCain's campaign there is something else going on here. Why would one come out against the type of politics they advocate? What is the purpose in denouncing a no holds barred smear campaign that only started when the Rovians got a hold on McCains campaign? This is not simply about saving face. Dollars to doughnuts there is a motivation purposeful and intentional lying behind this. We need to pay attention.

[XME]

I agree. When I heard that, I was highly suspicious. Rove may be evil, but he's very smart when it comes to winning with dirty politics. Something doesn't sit right with him being HONEST about a fellow Republican!

[Scatoma]

Maniacal Rudy, deployed to Denver as a surrogate, is trashing Obama for lack of credentials as a future president and literally 2 days later, redeployed as a spinmeister is singing Palin's praises as an experienced candidate fit to take over the presidency.

The chutzpah of the Republican Party is breathtaking. I was taught it is a sin to lie. Don't know what deity the Republican party worships, but it apparently tolerates and rewards bearing false witness.

We've already launched a war against a state of mind in the War on Terror, let's consider please a war on Chutzpah and intellectual dishonesty in politics.

Where is Ann Coulter in all this? Just my imagination, or has she dropped off the face of the Earth? What does this mean? Does she actually realize she is a malignant force who would cause damage to her beloved right-wingers, or is she being controlled and told to stay quiet. Either way, not quite the picture of an indispensable voice. She described Harriet Meier’s nomination to the Supreme court the equivalent to George Bush naming his personal accountant to head the federal Reserve. Would love to hear her honest opinion of Palin.

Palin is a failin'

I agree she was probably confused which Bush Doctrine was being invoke by Chuck--- the one about pre-emptive action related to WMD or the part about "you're either with us or you're with the terrorists".

That dog (or pig with lipstick, if you wish)don't hunt.

[tompoe]

Bart needs to revisit McCain's voting record on veterans affairs. Go back as many years as you want. You will find his 95% plus negative votes blaring loudly, VERY LOUDLY! This is a sick man. This is the man who came home with a PTSD issue that manifested in his fervent desire to make every veteran's life as miserable as his was. No veteran, in this pathological criminal's mind, deserves any benefits, until they suffer big time. This is the same scum bag that milks every last entitlement to its maximum, but makes sure every other veteran suffers pain and agony to claim even a portion of what was promised when they served their country. And Bart actually thought about voting for him?

[Bart Motes - Huffpost Blogger]

Thanks for the comment. In truth, maybe we were wrong about him all along. But I think many may have had the same romantic vision of McCain that I did. However flawed he was to begin with, his descent into pathology is sad to see.

[Chillinout]

I agree. I used to have a lot of respect for the man until this campaign of his. Now I wouldn't even walk across the street to spit on him.

When you have the respect of people and then you lose through crap like this, it is much worse than never having the respect in the first place. I also have no respect for Bush and I don't feel as badly towards him as I do towards McCain. The reason is because I never had much respect for Bush to begin with.

I think McCain is going to find it very hard to live with himself after the kind of campaign he has run this year.

[MPeter]

Finally, what used to work for us works against us. America was successful because we kept the majority ignorant and dazed, and the elite few in power. Suddenly, it is the internet and Youtube. It is difficult to ask a people who have been told that being ignorant, racist and selfish is the American way, to suddenly expect redeeming, honorable acts. That is why mcCain and the Republicans are repeating the rewards from White women and bigoted white men in the countryside. They are reaping what they sowed.

[DickTater]

Great line!

Jim Sleeper on TPMCafe was mentionint
John Quixote and Sancho Palin