McCain Derangement Syndrome

Scanning various blogs today, I'm amazed at the seething outrage at the McCain campaign's plethora of dishonest tactics, from Sarah Palin's lie about rejecting the Bridge to Nowhere to the ad charging Obama with promoting sex. Josh Marshall, who normally reads political events pretty coolly, has joined Andrew Sullivan in all-out high-dudgeon mode:

[McCain and Palin have] both embraced a level of dishonesty that disqualifies them for high office. Democrats owe it to the country to make clear who these people are. No apologies or excuses. If Democrats can say at the end of this campaign that they made clear exactly how and why these two are unfit for high office they can be satisfied they served their country.

Rather, I'm amazed not at the outrage itself so much as the fact that it seems to have obliterated all sense of proportion. Call it McCain-Palin Derangement Syndrome. Step back a moment: McCain is running for president. Both his place in history and the future of the country are on the line. In the words of George H.W. Bush, he's going to do "what it takes" to become president. John McCain may have once had a reputation as a straight-talking, unconventional politician, and maybe that McCain could have made a go of it -- we'll never know. But now, for obviously well-thought-out strategic reasons, we've got a different McCain.

Certainly, McCain has made moral compromises here, will doubtless make more, and that will undermine if not destroy his stated quest to heal the divisions in Washington. This augers poorly for a McCain presidency, especially following on eight years of George W. Bush.

But do dishonest-but-effective campaign tactics really render McCain "unfit to lead"? No. Voters obviously don't think it disqualifies him either, at least not in great numbers. Maybe they see the lies, but they also see the aggression. This is a guy who really, really wants to win -- and that counts for a lot in a presidential campaign. If McCain wins, most people will quickly forget the campaign's lies, distortions and negative ads, and his fitness will ultimately be tested by what he does in office.

Meanwhile, the howls over McCain's lost "honor" and the appeals to America's sense of fair play are, frankly, ridiculous. The man fights dirty. If you don't like it, find a way fight back.

johnmcquaid.com/blog

Follow John McQuaid on Twitter: www.twitter.com/johnmcquaid

Comments

[Mojane]

McCain has not changed from "maverick" to the jerk we perceive today. He has always been a jerk, always. He's in the spotlight now, he's salivating over possibly serving BBQ in the WH, so with all that raw red meat ambition on the table, his true, always there, colors are getting more vivid every day. The cozy, chum, funny ha-ha, relationship he's had with the press has basically kept the myth alive that he's a real tough guy, a straight-talking hombre. It's a crock. He's a crock. The press needs to get over their man-love for this idiot and eat crow. They screwed up. Now, with the slow awakening, which may continue to blossom the angrier he gets and the more distance between him and his beloved press cronies, the real McCain may emerge in the media. I'm not holding my breath, though. We're talking about a gang of chickens**ts.

[MinuteMan]

You're right; the candid-maverick of 2000 was just the schtick he found useful at the time. After getting mowed down by a man he considers dumb as a post—but very huggable—McCain decided that if he couldn't beat 'em, he'ld join 'em.

[kravitz]

It looks like the press is willing to let McCain keep giving them things to do, so we'll be hearing less about policy until the debates. Is he going to turn into an angel by then?

[AllenPapapetrou]

Which man would be elected president if the sole criteria was a lower "lie" index?

Which man would be the more trustworthy president?

I'm not outraged because this is normal McRove tactics.

We get the government we deserve.

[schatsie]

agree normal Rove/Rush Limpbaugh tactices....

[CurtisEMayle]

I'd disagree that McCain had integrity before this campaign. I'd say he seized and utilized opportunity, not integrity. Look carefully at his full record, positions and voting. I worked for his 2000 campaign and had my eyes opened to the reality of Sen. McCain (though admittedly, he's devolved more openly since then).

In any event, witnessing "outrage on the blogs" dispels some frustration amongst kindred spirits, but does little good towards getting Obama's policies, energy, and change into the Oval Office. That's the choir that is "seething." Obama needs votes from the non-choir. Outrage needs to come from (and to) the MSM, from the mouths of the choir, not to blogs, but to their neighbors ... speak out. Most don't care to listen and won't, no matter how despicable the behavior on the Right. They don't care, in the way you want them to, about the crippling issues of our time. That's why the wedge issues are Rovian-instigated. They're a rallying cry to the troops on the Right. Winning (and the benefits that go with it to the special interests) are what matters; our country's interests are not first to them. So, you'll get deaf ears (maybe even delight) when you complain, or point out, the Right's mendacity. It's a game, to the base. It's power and money, to their special interests. It is not serious, as it is to you, about the larger issues and their implications.

[MOregon]

Thanks for your analysis. You are spot on with McQuaid about preaching to the choir. And when you have a ruthless, amoral opponent whose ambition is to be president, rather than any virtue to help the people (per his own words in his book), we've got to put water on the fire.

A few suggestions:

*Amp up the ads showing McCain's record: Against equal pay, against veteran's bills (let everyone scroll to see how often he has ignored vets' issues (even show a clip of his temper towards MIA families), against the environment, against unions, against extending unemployment benefits, etc. Each instance should have a senate bill right next to them for evidence. End with his vote against infrastructure for Iowans prior to flood. Have a person on top of a flooded house waiting for relief. John McCain. Disastrous for America.

*We need to televise expert advocates for Obama's plans in economics, foreign policy, global warming, fact check groups against lobbyists, political science, et al .... Don't wait for the lack of depth from the media to do this. ..... Fresh faces are important. No disrespect, but when people see Carville, they automatically turn him off and McCain advocates laugh it off.

*We need Obama and surrogates to hammer home HOGWASH and contrast with his plan.

* Using the internet, we need to start a grassroots ENOUGH! by planes, trains, and automobiles campaign to go nationwide and culminate in a swing state or even Washington D.C.

Anyone else?

[ttmatthe]

The problem is that he has thrown his integrity out the window. It was that integrity that separated himself from the legacy of the GOP under George W. Bush. Without it, he's just another Bush clone. I think people are feeling emotionally betrayed.

People WANT to think better of him, as a person and as a politician. I think what makes it worse, the Obama camp (until these ugly ads and lies started rolling out) was painting McCain as out of touch, but still saying what a good person he is and how he cares about the American people.

McCain is pretty much mowing that down, and it makes him look that much worse.