McCain Ridicules Agreement-- But Supports Change?

The GOP spinners have jumped on Barack Obama's multiple confessions of agreement with John McCain as a character flaw. By some counts Obama is said to have agreed with the Arizona maverick eight times in 90 minutes. Here's a 43-second video of Obama's "John is right"s quickly cobbled together by McCain enthusiasts.

Let's be plain: A campaign that ridicules a willingness to acknowledge shared viewpoints can make no intellectually honest claim to a spirit of bipartisanship or cooperation.

The McCain camp's triumphal glee over Obama's serial agreements exposes the Republican's frequent pledges to "reach across the aisle" and "bring people together" as, well. . . .horsesh*t.

For an old military guy, McCain demonstrated a scary inability to distinguish a tactic from a strategy. And now he's shown that he doesn't understand the difference between a negotiation and a lecture. How on earth can you bring about "change" if all you do is explain to people why they're wrong-- and ridicule them when they agree with you?

This little episode nicely illuminates McCain's withering disdain for talking with leaders of enemy states. It also explains his creepy aversion to eye contact with his debate opponent. Not only does he not believe in exchanging ideas with people he disagrees with, he won't even look at 'em! That's one tough soldier, huh?

We should be grateful for this revelation, as we should for any brief flash of truth. We now understand the McCain campaign's formal position on mutual respect.

And we see one more way that a McCain administration would continue the failed policies of George W. Bush.

Follow Craig Stoltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigstoltz

Comments

[SamThornton]

As for Sen. McCain's "...inability to distinguish a tactic from a strategy," it's a well-earned inability. His close-to-the-bottom performance at the Naval Academy is one clue. Another clue, perhaps not so evident, is that as a Navy airplane driver, he would have had few opportunities to come into contact with either concept. Though there is a disparity in rank and prestige, McCain was simply a highly paid trigger puller, the Navy equivalent of an Army PFC with a gun.

[PioneerKing]

THE REPUBLICANS AND McCAIN LOOK DISINGENIOUS - If McCain is such a "reach across the aslie "I can find compromise with Democratic members of Congress" then how is the consensus that Sen. Obama was displaying a bad character trait?

The republicans and McCain only come across as juveniles who regress to being bullies once the teacher's back is turned.

[OurKoan]

I guess I must live on another planet or something, because I found O's ability to agree with McCain a STRENGTH, not a weakness. Its not like he sat up there and digested every single thing that McCain said--come on! A few simple "I agrees". This is not good guys vs. bad guys, black and white (ok, I didn't mean that)---both parties in any struggle are going to have good--and bad--points. Woe unto us to have a leader that could actually approach a situation in something more mature than a fist-fight attitude. Why cant we get past viewing our whole leadership compass through this prism of aggression? Things will not change until that does.

No, O showed himself mature, wise, and he convinced me all over again.

[LeftRight]

Ah, but you see, you think for yourself. You are also willing to take an opposing viewpoint and realize that perhaps, they might know something that you don't know, and it might be more correct. You are a seeker of truth, and that's why you are obviously not qualified to vote for President!

[apoyo]

At least Barack gave McCain some bonafides, he should say thank you.

[zippywpinhead]

what's most ironic is that the majority of the times that Obama said that McCain was right was when McCain was attacking the republicans and/or the current administration...

[PioneerKing]

ahh zippywpinhead YOU NOTICED!! the idiots in the main stream media failed to make the connection - Sen. Obama won in more ways than McCain's buddies in the main stream media realize.

[craigstoltz]

Zippy--that's a brilliant observation. I hadn't realized the pattern in what Obama was agreeing with. Wonder what Tucker Bounds would have to say about that?

[LeftRight]

In addition to this showing mccain can't reach across the aisle, I find it really ironic that he is claiming that Obama is wrong for thinking that mccain is right! Wouldn't that make MCCAIN wrong, too???

[wendy82551]

Well said. The whole notion that McCain knows how to "reach across the aisle" is laugh-out-loud ridiculous. But the McCain campaign is pathetically desperate at this point, so it's no surprise that they're attempting to turn this gesture into an example of weakness. Really. At this point, McCain's got a heavy "cringe-factor" going on.