McCain And Mr. Macaca Get Cozy

After Mitt Romney made headlines dropping out the race, John McCain picked up an endorsement from Mr. Macaca himself, former Virginia Senator, George Allen.  Introducing McCain at the CPAC conference in Washington, yesterday, Allen said:

"His experience coupled with his strong belief in core conservative principles makes him uniquely prepared to serve as our next commander in chief...I am confident that he is the only candidate who can combat the threat of radical Islamic extremism, ensure our country's economic prosperity, stop wasteful Washington spending, and uphold our traditional values." (The Washington Post)

Apparently, McCain is not bothered by Allen's past flirtations with Neo-Confederate groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens, Allen's history of embracing racist symbols, or Allen's general image as an aspiring bigot.

None of it bothers McCain at all who proudly displays Allen on his website.

The fact is, McCain's embrace of Allen is nothing new.  Allen's bigotry did not bother McCain even in the midst of the firestorm that was the 2006 Virginia senate race.  At that time, just days after Allen used the racist epithet 'macaca' to demean a non-white campaign staffer of his opponent, McCain was more than happy to swoop in a stump for Allen.  McCain even made light of the affair.

Yesterday, Allen returned the favor by giving McCain his bona fides by way of a glowing introduction at the CPAC conference.  Originally for Thompson,  Allen used the CPAC intro of McCain to officially throw his disgraced image behind the Republican front runner.

Ahead in the polls, but behind with the conservative base, McCain must be hoping that some of Allen's racist tarnish will give him campaign credibility with that part of the Republican base that has declared they would even vote for Hillary Clinton before stepping up for the Arizona Senator.

In the end, there is only one reason why a candidate for president seeks and accepts an endorsement:  because he feels he stands to gain from it.

Given that reality, McCain must believe his standing with the conservative base is so low that an endorsement from the most famous bigot in recent memory could only bring a net gain.

(cross posted from Frameshop)

Comments

[Rockyman]

Boy, politics can sure be ugly! Anything for a vote. Trying to win can sure make "strange bedfellows". McCain is selling out to the supply-side neo-con Klan wing of the party. I thought he had more courage in HIS convictions........guess not!

[missmarple]

Can someone please tell me exactly why John McCain is hailed as a hero while those who actually fought on the ground in Viet Nam are not given the same status?

[Stirner]

I'm a conservative Republican, and would never vote for McCain (or his omnipresent sidekick, "On to Iran" Lieberman). As it now stands, what used to be a conservative Republican Party is now "Neo-conservative". Perhaps it might be said that the Republican party has been "neoconned", and they think it quite in principle to have unconstitutional wars, a bottomless debt, and an intrusive "Nanny State". There is only one remaining conservative Republican in the race -- and it ain't the Preacher.

[SethBLiNK]

Gotta love the GOP.

They tell those who question the war that we do not "support the troops" but they boo a man who is not only a war hero but is also their own candidate.

What exactly are the Republicans for these days, other than lower taxes, an costly war, wonton disregard for the environment and seeing to it that anybody who refuses to hate the things they hate gets an eternity of hellfire?

With so many passionate republicans to choose from, the top five prospects were...

A vindictive ex-mayor whose own children don't like him and who lost votes every place he campaigned...

An actor who got to the game in the third inning and was pulling out of the parking lot by the sixth...

A really nice guy who might appoint Jesus Christ the next Attorney General.

The former Governor of the nation's most liberal state who, has changed every one of his opinions in the last five years with the exception of the one that might have counted, his opinion on what religion to follow. A man whose two greatest regrets are that he never served in the military; and that he didn't have more children, just the five sons who also managed to regret missing military service.

And an old man whose views on turture are considered biased because he survived five years of it; whose position on the environment is suspect because he actually has one; who not only supports the military, but proudly has sons serving in it; and who has stolen the nomination on a little-known technicality that says that the candidate who gets the most votes actually wins.

Seeing so-called conservatives booing an actual war hero, because he would like his 95 year old mother to not outlive the planet; because he favors a solution to immigration problems that might have permitted Mitt Romney not have to fire his gardener, and because he thinks we can win the war without waterboarding every person in America who has ever read the Quoran... is actually kind of entertaining.

[CoulterIsASuccubus]

I am still not buying McCain's commitment to the Conservative cause. Maybe he can campaign with Strom Thurmond's corpse.

[flatus]

Not to worry. McCain does not represent a serious challenge. There are just too many embarrasing moments caught on tape that will find new life once the campaign gets rolling.
(BTW Momma PantSuit shares the same problem).
Heck, there's enough comical footage, just from the Daily Show, for dozens of political ads.

[J.J. Hunsecker]

Allen wants a comeback bad. He's dreaming of a plum job in a new Repub administration. Attaching himself to Freddie Thompson didn't pan out. McCain, boos ringing in his ears, will take support just about anywhere he can get it and quickly embraced his old Senate pal. Whatever happened to ole Freddie anyway? Is his endorsement worth anything?

[MrsBoomer]

McCain/Allen?
Scarey thought, that.

[desmirl]

Bigotry has no place in America, let alone American politics. If McCain is aligning himself with those who give a wink and a nod to the twin shames of racism and bigotry, then he needs to be ashamed of himself.

[FlowerGirl]

Ah, but bigotry does have a place in America, a highly honored place. It was the core of Nixon's Southern Strategy. It was the reason Johnson's push for civil rights turned the Solid (Democratic) South into the Solid (Republican) South. But there are aspects of Bigotry that are losing their appeal. Obama's campaign has shown that. His presidency can eliminate more.
Bigotry knows its place; that is why it must be only hinted at: "Jesse Jackson won in South Carolina."
But bigotry is still strong enough to recognize an appeal, and sometimes silly enough to respond.

[Mack20]

Nice try Daisy Mae, but your liberal history lesson has some glaring holes in it. Let"s not forget one of the last southern segregationists still in office. You democrats won"t say a critical word about Senator "Sheets" Byrd, (D), from West Virginia. In case you forgot, he"s the former clansman and life-long racists who constantly utters the "N" word. But your nitwit liberal pals in WVA keep electing him. And, how about the guy trying to carefully infuse racism into the southern primaries? You failed to mention the Jackson comment came from our self-proclaimed first black president: Bill Clinton. Follower and political student of another southern segregationist, Senator Fulbright (D), of Arkansas. Get your facts straight and quit cherry picking.

[Purple Girl]

just realized I kept dropping the 'z'- new laptop..Alzheimers

[Purple Girl]

Now it confirmed Mac's mind has gone the way of Reagans- senility.
Seriouly, I think the man has suffered from small strokes (TIA's) or he is expereincing cognitive complications relatedd to being tortured (OLD HEAD INJURIES, ON OLD BRAIN CELLS). Consider Ali- genetic predisposition for Parkinsons Or repeated blows to the head??
I used to admire Mac (life long Dem) even considered himin '00. Wasn't impressed with Gore at the time. Now Mac scares the hell out of me- who is this person.
Add to that the droopy left eye and the lax Right arm and slightly slurred speech.
My 76 yr old repub mom thinks he's too old and thinks something has 'changed' about him. I agree. Ronny was sufferring from Alheimers long before he left office- I worked in Long term care- you can see it in their eyes, hear it in their words and answers- esp regarding the recent past- distant past is last to go.
Iran Contra-"I can't tell you what I had for breakfast" and everyone in DC and the Media knew it- but remained silent and continue to ccover it up.
Mac' not too old- he's suffering from a serious condition-TIA's or Early Alheimers, or both. I hope he does not win for our sake and for his. Go Home and enjoy that young beautiful wife while you still have the chance. Wishing you Well.

[Mack20]

You"ve just revealed the Democratic strategy to beat him this fall. Is there any difference between racial discrimination and age discrimination? Keep it up and 75% of the over 55 bunch will unite against your side. Currently, that group is Hillary"s best voting block. She better be careful. It didn"t work for Walter Mondale.

[indypete]

An opinion from a professional about possible altzheimers is not age discrimination.

Without race discrimination it is difficult to get people to fight wars, therefore the rulers use it to their advantage and we have "Squareheads", "Gooks", "Japs" and such. Now we're a bit more sophisticated about it and use bigger words like "Islamofascists".

And, by the way... there is no strategy in the democratic party! If they win it will be by pure luck and/or the failure of the bent voting machines to pick the candidate we don't want.

[MsLiz]

Yes Mack20, there is a difference. Discrimination is wrong when it is based upon prejudice, not facts. Aging does impair our physical and mental abilities. Purple Girl cites her observations of McCain's symptoms of impairment.

McCain says he's in good health; if so he should allow his physician to back up his claim.

Of course, you aren't interested in facts. You just want to bicker and disagree.

[anfractuous]

Which is why he conflates Vietnam and Iraq; in his dotage they're the same war, it's still 1974 and there's still a chance for victory against the Vietcongmofascists.

[MacTheBlogger]

Until the press and the Dems predictably made a big deal over "Macaca" for political reasons, I had never encountered the word.

What does it mean?

[hyjanks]

It means: Watch me blow an election by uttering a nascent racist remark that'll turn off even my Confederate-flag-waving, noose-tying, pathetically-ignorant constituency.
Any more questions?

[Puller58]

McCain is simply Curtis LeMay reincarnated. The late general ran with George Wallace in his indepedent bid for the presidency. With LeMay's obsession with nuke first strikes, the press took to calling them the "Bombsy Twins." So you had a racist and a superhawk. Sort of like Allen and McCain. The problem with McCain is that Hillary or Obama will have a tough time debating McCain on the war due to democratic jitters over being seen as soft on terrorism. You can bet neither will call McCain on Allen. Too much baggage of their own.

[bobdob]

I'll make a prediction here: if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee (a prospect that is looking ever more likely), McCain will pick Allen as his running mate.

[WIDESTANCE]

McCain's pandering to the McCaca crowd's racist ideology should be enough to disqualify him in the minds of every non-nutjob American voter.

Add Bolton as Secretary of State and 100 years in Iraq and it becomes clear that McCacaMcCain will suck up to anything that moves if it means a vote.

[DemandTruth]

Lordy lordy! Couple this with the other post about Johnny McMoreWars possibly making Bolton Sec of State, and we've got a real authoritarian tyrranny on our hands! If, let's just say, we continue this nightmare and McMoreWars actually wins. If there's anybody left alive in this country in 4 more years, after the middle class and the constitution, and basically everyone but the top 1% of the richies in this country has been throughly bankrupted and decimated - do you think they'll STILL be able to get away with blaming Bill Clinton for the whole mess?

Aw, who'm I kidding. Of course they will.