The Final Distraction: McCain/Palin Worse Than Bush

We all know McCain has sold his soul to win. Big mistake: the Democrats are taking the GOP bait, especially on Palin. She is the ultimate distraction. If we're not careful she'll be the final distraction. The perfect new celebrity -- Sarah Barracuda -- to capture the message in the 24-hour spin orgy, all the while attacking Obama as an elite celebrity. Any narrative that focuses on her -- any -- is a win for Republicans, carrying an undercurrent of race wars, gender wars, class wars. All ending with a debate on God and a return visit to Rev. Wright.

Palin is a gateway drug to a back-alley brawl Obama can't win. A Joseph Conrad-produced reality show/sitcom with Palin replacing Roseanne Barr fighting for the little guy with sass and sex. Wonderful.

Watch McCain repeat "maverick" 300 times a day, like a mantra, 'til Election Day. Republicans and hockey moms against corruption and Lear jets. Orwell for second graders: distraction and chaos, phony scandals and bullshit patriotics from the crew that would install an inexperienced neophyte -- not even put through the crucible of the national stage -- a heartbeat away from the greatest nuclear arsenal the world has ever known, and not blink. Darkest reptilian politics that speak to the ultimate calcified cynicism of Republicans.

Democrats need to ignore her -- unless she speaks about policy -- maybe she can explain and solve the collapsing world markets -- and keep the focus relentlessly on the disastrous results of Bush/McCain/Republican rule. They need to remind voters of the disasters of the last seven-plus years. Specifically. And as people have been saying, we need to be mad as well as inspired.

John McCain is the Republican Party as much as Bush -- we need to be constantly reminded of the policies (and, yes, the crimes) that are threatening this country from within.

Obama must hit Republicans ten times harder. Let's hear about war profiteering, taxpayer-funded mercenary armies and privatizing core functions of state, habeas corpus and warrantless wiretapping and presidential signing statements, and Katrina and justice department politicization, and phony intel and Abu Ghraib, rendition and torture.

If the Democratic leadership wants to disregard its base and continue to disregard the rule of law, they deserve to lose...and will. Let's hope the Obama campaign doesn't come to this conclusion 10 days out. He needs to articulate his vision of the future, but he also needs to articulate a version of reality. The fiercest urgency is needed now.

But some other fundamentals seem to be lost in the frenzy. McCain is no maverick, but it is worth understanding why the rabid right wing is cheering his call for government "reform" and to change "how government works at every level."

McCain won't just be more of the same -- it will be worse than Bush-Cheney -- using the disasters of the past eight years and the actual crises we face to double down on the American Enterprise/Heritage Foundation vision of government that desires, as Grover Norquist said, to shrink government until "we can drown it in a bathtub."

I would recommend a return visit to the groundbreaking Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.

McCain, who said he knows nothing about economics, will surely hand over the reins to the Friedmanites and neoconservatives who have sent the country on a path to ruin. Anyone looking at his team could tell you that. Palin and the interests she represents are even further to the right.

Now, no one in their right mind -- including reasonable independents and Republicans -- wants to double down on neocon ideology, but here comes the "maverick" and his economic advisers to use the crises we face to implement more "change" and "reform" to the system by privatizing everything in sight. Is this what the American people want? When they are aware of it, the answer is always no. It's the same bullshit re-branded.

It may happen in a shock therapy in the first 100 days, or financial chaos may force them to wait until things stabilize, but sooner or later they will follow their fundamentalist creed. Ruin the government you are purporting to run and turn it over to privatization frenzy, creating a shadow government of private corporate rule. That's the whole idea.

So let's brand bust this maverick gibberish but understand the coded language that belies their true mission... we should take them at the true meaning of their words.

Not just more of the same -- worse than the same. Times of crisis are great opportunities to implement the radical agendas we usually reject.

That's also the idea.

McCain and the neocon ideologues won't "reform" government, they will gut government and privatize everything in sight in the name of responding to the crises they helped engineer through Bush and Cheney. Their view of government is the reverse of the Hippocratic Oath: do harm and then when the patient is sick, give the wrong medicine, watch him die, and sell off the body parts.

They will destroy the Department of Energy, HUD and anything else they can get their hands on. With this crew, all you need to do is destroy government, privatize it and get out of the way, and then a magic utopia appears. Well, actually it doesn't, but a lot of connected people get rich, and in the privatized war business, blood money flows and a fuck of a lot of innocent people die. The numbers and the misery are staggering. The legacy of Bush/McCain is a legacy of shame. Any man that stood with this criminal administration should be forced to answer for it.

The Republicans have been ruinous and most of it stems from an ideology that leaves the government in ruins. McCain has been on board hook, line and sinker. He voted with Bush over 90% of the time. End of story.

It is fundamentally corrupt and dishonest to call it reform when leaders want to cripple government, then hand it over to private industry, usually subsidized by taxpayers, but for other people's profits. More like contempt for government.

Red meat for dummies... a horror show for the rest of us.

Obama needs to explain to the country what this will cost us in real terms -- however many billions a day in Iraq and what that could buy, repair, fix, and allow in human terms -- ask us if can we afford it, and Obama must -- to use imagery the neocons can understand -- knock them down, put his boots on their throats, and never let up.

Comments

[brenner21]

Milton Friedman is someone whose ideas -- freedom of the individual up to and including the sovereignty of the body: meaning in a truly free country we would have the right to take any drugs, as Americans were for the first 150 years of our history. And we didn't fly to pieces as a nation. Doctors treated addicts as patients, not criminals. Friedman is a man whose ideas are worth examining closer John.

[USAFree1]

That's nice. Milton Friedman went down to Chile to help Pinochet do his dirty work. You know that "Shock Doctrine" thing. Bet all the families of the murdered and disappeared in Chile appreciated Friedman too; just like you.

[bellindaba]

BRAVO! John,

Imagine, you're just one of those 'celebrities' who don't really know anything..­..accordin­g to the REPUBLICANS!

We've been under a 'rape and pillage' administration for 8 years and what's going to come under a BUSH '44 / McCAIN-PALIN administration will be a bigger nightmare. We've already reached a point of "I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO HALLIBURTON, BLACKWATER, and WAL-MART."

JOHN McCAIN & CINDY McCAIN, ($300,000 plus wardrobe for REPUBLICAN CONVENTION opening night,) decided she wanted the WHITE HOUSE badly enough to sell the AMERICAN PEOPLE down the river. McCAIN has made it clear where his priorities lie and LIES just keep on coming.

If I hear that "SHE / I TOLD CONGRESS THANKS BUT NO THANKS ON THAT BRIDGE TO NOWHERE" bullshit line one more time I'm going to lose it. We've seen the tape of her original support of it !

Love that old Texas adage "DON'T PEE ON MY LEG AND TELL ME IT'S RAINING!"

Last night I saw the 'spoof' movie "IDIOCRACY" with Luke Wilson for the first time and was stunned how pertinent it is as to where this country is headed and more so if a moose killing, 'light' educated, 'good ole' gal becomes PRESIDENT. I'd really like to hear the REPUBLICAN V.P. candidate simply putting a "G" on the end of her words.

The LIES just don't stop with these people either and there is so very much that is wrong with their TRUTH as well as their LIES.

Bellinda Myrick-Barnett

[brenner21]

There's a world of difference between "lyin" and "lying", Belinda

[AmStar]

Perhaps what is really needed are a steady stream of reminders to the greater public that Bush made vow after vow to "get Osama binLaden" in the days after Sept 11, 2001, when his bravado earned him high approval ratings from those who wanted it to come true. Remind the nation what a failure he was and that McCain has backed him all along the way, eyes closed. Remind us all how Cheney and Co designed a "war" for profit in Iraq, while making the nation more vulnerable and letting bin Laden have his freedom to continue doing what he does. Bush = total failure = McCain = more of the same.

Remind the nation not only that we cannot afford more of the same, but that we were entirely betrayed by someone McCain supported all along the way.

But then maybe Palin can see Afghanistan from her backyard

[Simplementebea]

As far as I see it, Mr Cusack, trying to distract people from their intentions it's politicians life motive. Both parties, all politicians, no exceptions. Every single move parties make is for sure a move to win elections. Then, when they got it (any of them) will think what is to do to get out of the economy mess, working class problems, wars, etc. But first is wining. And to win it's necessary people votes. And they will say and will do what they think are a gonna get them enough votes to win.

They are not going to show what they really wanna/gonna do if they win. They just want to win, and for that politicians just tell what they think people want to hear. Distract them from the real intentions giving them things to talk about.

It's in people hands to decide if they want to be distracted or not. But in a way you cannot escape, you have to chose or someone else it is going to do it for you. So been distract or been self concious about what politics implies it is up to you. Do not make your choice on others opinion, or promises, or whatever the say or do. Make your choice looking for something that do not distract you. I do it investigating the things they have done before politics have been in a position of being elegible. That's a point, no one can change the past, only learn from it.

[daveinoz]

I love to see the patriotism of the Republicans but never forget what Samuel Johnson said ..many times over about it.

http://www.samueljohnson.com/patrioti.html

[indigomuse]

I agree and disagree too I see your point about not feeding the fire..YET--. The facts need to be out there, so I do both, I help put out facts but I also spend my time registering voters, I think her EGO is getting the best of her, today she called it the Palin/McCain ticket, Sarah Palin is NOT qualified. The President of the USA is charged with a much bigger job than overseeing the USA. The President of this country needs to have the diplomacy to handle the events and topics of EVERY single country, nation, society and human on this planet. The President needs to understand the world as a whole, not just the USA and its components. I have heard a lot of people say,she resonates with me, she gets it " she is just like us" well frankly I do not want someone just like us, I want a leader, someone who is EXTRA-ordinary- who is a citizen of this planet not just a citizen of their own comfort zone. Sarah Palin thinks dinosaurs were on the earth 4000 years ago-She has absolutely NO connection and level of responsibility toward the planet, and I would bet my LIFE if you asked her POINT blank on the spot WHERE Darfur is, she would have no idea where it is--furthermore, any idea what is happening there--and to my point.. NO idea what to do about it. We need Barak Obama.

[daveinoz]

Very succint post indigo. I agree..I wouldn't want someone like me running any country. The whole thing about anyone can be president, in this case, looks remarkably prescient. It all ties in with well the person in the street doesn't know what the bush doctine is. I wouln't want the average person in the street be my VP either!!! Especially the guy at number 26!!!!

[rjacks12]

I agree with you John, but millions of Americans buy this no government baloney. They yell about universal healthcare but are mum on the cost of society paying for treating the uninsured. If government assistance is so evil, why does every major country have it? Too many Americans are either selfish or ignorant. Someone once said the best measure of a country is how they care for the neediest of their society.

[Yermammy]

Right on rjacks12. I don't make a lot of money, but I'll be damned if I'll let a fellow vet go homeless. It's sad to see people invest more into their pets than the human beings that fought for our freedom- on a lie from our government. I saw this same thing happen in 1967. My buddies never came back.

[sadbutrue]

The McCain-Palin ticket operates like a magician and his assistant doing a really bad trick. Distract, distract, distract...and then voila....n­othing...t­he audience wants their money back!

[Yermammy]

Oh, they'll pull something out of their hat alright, but it will be horrifying and won't go back in. It's time to take this country back, fellow patriots. Obama/Biden for our survival.

[daveinoz]

I think he says it best....
*language alert*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI5EY5kqiBU

[ckomeshian]

That was brilliant "daveinoz". Thanks for posting!

[daveinoz]

You're welcome. There are a lot of other excellent Carlin clips on Youtube.

[funkyfem001]

Great article, saving the most powerful message until the end!

If you want things to change get active with Obama-Biden’s campaign. Canvass your neighborhood! I use the cuteness factor when I canvass neighborhoods, my dog. No one can resist my Chihuahua, aka Obama’s smallest ambassador.

Obama-Biden 2008!

[brenner21]

I have a white Chihuahua-Terrier mix. He's cuter than Sarah Palin. No lipstick. No need with his big dark doe-eyes, white eyelashes and whisker face. Dogs and cats marching for Obama ... !

[Yermammy]

That is a SUPERB idea! I have two adorable labradors that just love to stretch their webbed feet! I'm hitching them up now!! Kudos! (thanx John for the article).

[heyletsevolve]

It pains me to point out the obvious -- mostly because it's so frigging pointless, but anyway . . .

Folks, anyone here getting a nasty bout of deja vu? Remember the last time we pinned our desperate and dying hopes fiercely on the Democrats? And the time before that? And before that? Now class, who can tell me what came of our loyalty, our fund raising, our canvassing, our lapel buttons and voter registration drives?

Where are we today?

Who controls Congress?

Just a gentle reminder that it most likely ain't gonna be different this time, black man or white woman or chimpanzee. This town needs an enema, as Jack once said. A revolution, really, but that requires an highly aware citizenry that understands what it's fighting for, and who it is fighting against. In my estimation, we don't have that yet. Even the best and brightest are still unwilling to search as deeply into the pit of corruption as will be required to understand why we're going down.

And we are.

[shellyamber]

This would be an episode of American Dad if it wasn't so damn true.....

[HyperCapitalism]

I'm with you John, but I have one point of disagreement -- government, big or small, is not the solution nor is it the problem. Capitalism is a force of nature and trying to control it with government bureaucracy is like trying to deflect hurricane Ike with an electric fan. It doesn't work! Capitalism has to evolve -- we need a system that is controlled from the inside. It's possible, go to www.HyperCapitalism.com to find out how.

[one4REALchange]

ANOTHER DISTRACTION!

Pregnant daughter, Troopergate, Lipstick and now EMAIL! I'm waiting to hear that the GOP is responsible for this as well as all the other *** they've been tossing out!

Top News is the Economy, so how convenient that another distraction comes up involving Palin!

[floraposte]

hey, new to this site, and to John Cusack as a writer - which we LIKE.
The lying about the lying. The right's final killing of the goose that laid all their golden eggs, and then John McCain's not sure if it's dead - but yes, it is DOA, but ok, he can give it mouth-to-mouth, he didn't know we'd be so upset by its demise. Doublethink is too nice a word. The McCain PR machine and its media wing saying hey, the Bush Doctrine was a gotcha question. Well, as Bill Maher said, maybe, if you're going for Miss America. The promotion of anti-science (creationism, anyone? and yes, Ancient Egyptians DID ride motorbikes) and the demand that it be promoted in the education system. The a vote for Palin is a feminist action thing.
Obama, think Churchill. This is a fight to the death.