While the Republican convention was invoking the word "maverick", very quietly, in a back room at the convention, John McCain the maverick was buried and laid to rest. What emerged from that Republican back room was the new John McCain as Bush the Third. The elderly war hero bowed to the powers that be and accepted his transformation into a Bush clone. Really, it became inevitable when he revamped his campaign staff with Rove minions and indeed accepted Karl as an "advisor". You could see the change in the advertisements. John McCain reneged on his pledge to discuss issues and began to personally attack the reputation of the dynamic, young leader, Barack Obama, senator from Illinois and Democratic Presidential nominee.
From the minute John McCain first implied that Barack Obama would rather lose a war and win an election, John McCain compromised all that was strong and good in his resume. You see, McCain accused Obama of doing the very same thing that John McCain admits doing -- putting party ahead of the country or constituents.
From John McCain's 2002 memoir, Worth the Fighting For:
"There have been times when I put my personal ambitions before the public interest" and "I have sometimes placed party allegiance above obligations to my constituents and country".
Now, there's this headline in the New York Times, "McCain Vows to End Partisan'Rancor'", 4 September 2008.
Would Obama do that? I strongly doubt it. This young Obama is fired with a drive to return America to all that is best and honorable in its history. An America ready to resume leadership of the world. And yes, to restore the United States to Ronald Reagan's "shining city on the hill".
Press availability changed. Clearly, the old senator from Arizona occasionally appeared more than a little confused, so while his new handlers pulled McCain from the occasion of sin "inquiring press", they thought opinion press might be OK. They will be extremely careful with Palin trying to hide her fringe beliefs from the majority of the American people. That is what all the ruckus concerning hostile "mainstream media and elitist press" is about: to keep their fear of the press and public hidden from the people.
Of course the entire McCain (Bush the Third) strategy is to do anything and everything to distract the American people from the dismal Republican policy and performance. The most amazing thing to watch is the Rove machine trying to pitch the mixed race child born on an isolated island to a single mother as "elitist", especially when compared to the son of a family of Admirals whose privileged status allowed him to enter both an elite military academy and a highly selective naval aviation program. Obama's story exemplifies all that is great in American Society -- THE American dream. The conservatives successfully managed to question the patriotism and courage of a wounded war hero...why not attack the candidate that is an icon for the American dream?
Finally, the once independent McCain disappeared when he knelt before the extreme fundamentalist majority of the Republican Party and accepted their candidate for Vice President. "Country First" was NOT a consideration in McCain's selection of Sarah Palin, an extreme, fundamentalist conservative as his running mate. I am typing and listening to a Sunday talk show promo where John McCain promises that his cabinet would be bipartisan and composed of the nation's best and brightest. WOW! I wonder if he even believes it? In this campaign, the elderly McCain worshiped before the once despised altars of the religious right. In this campaign, old John bowed before the extreme conservative fringe of society represented by the talk show mafia. In this campaign, John McCain betrayed everything that identified him as unique. This elderly war hero served his country well but his time should be past. John McCain is no longer fit to lead.