The Week That Should Have Ended McCain's Presidential Hopes
This is the week that should have effectively ended John McCain's efforts to become the next president of the United States. But you wouldn't know it if you watched any of the mainstream media outlets or followed political reporting in the major newspapers.
During this past week: McCain called the most important entitlement program in the U.S. a disgrace, his top economic adviser called the American people whiners, McCain released an economic plan that no one thought was serious, he flip flopped on Iraq, joked about the deaths of Iranian citizens, and denied making comments that he clearly made -- TWICE. All this and it is not even Friday! Yet watching and reading the mainstream press you would think McCain was having a pretty decent political week, I mean at least Jesse Jackson didn't say anything about him.
But let's unpack McCain's week in a little more detail.
1. McCain unambiguously called Social Security "an absolute disgrace." This is not a quote taken out of context. John McCain called one of the most successful and popular government programs, which uses the tax revenues of current workers to support retirement benefits for the elderly "an absolute disgrace." This is shocking - and if uttered from Obama's mouth would dominate the news coverage and the Sunday shows, as pundits would speculate about the massive damage the statement would cause him among retirees in Florida.
2. McCain's top economic policy adviser calls Americans a bunch of "whiners" for being worried about the slumping economy. Words cannot fully explain how devastating this statement should be from Phil Gramm. You would think it would be enough to sink McCain's campaign. Of course McCain only thinks that the economic problems are psychological.
3. Iraqi leaders call for a timetable for U.S. withdrawal, McCain gets caught in a bizarre denial and flip flop. The Iraqis now want us to begin planning our withdrawal - McCain however wants to stay foooorrreeevvveerrrr. So what does McCain say - First, he refuses to accept Maliki's statement as being true. Then he concedes that it was an accurate statement, but was probably just a political ploy to curry favor with his own people and WOULD NOT influence his determination to keep US troops in Iraq indefinitely. Yet, McCain in 2004 at the Council on Foreign Relations said that if the Iraqis asked us to leave, we would have to go. No matter what. But that was apparently a younger and less experienced John McCain.
But let's just look at his comment that Maliki's statement is "just politics." If that is true, then it must also be true that the American military presence in Iraq is so unpopular with Iraqis that the government is forced to push for a timetable in order to survive at the ballot box. That's a reason to stay for 100 years.
4. McCain's economic plan to cut the deficit has no details and is simply not believable. There are so many things here. McCain pledges he would eliminate the deficit by the end of his first term (the campaign latter flip flop flipped about whether it was four years or eight years), but does not provide any details about how he would do it. Economists on both sides of the political aisle said that this was simply not believable, especially given McCain's other proposals to a) cut individual and corporate taxes even further, b) extend the Bush tax cuts and c) massively increase defense spending on manpower (200,000 more troops) and d) maintain a long-term sizable military presence in Iraq.
5. McCain's deficit plan includes bringing the troops home represents a major Iraq flip-flop. Speaking of the long-term military presence - a story that has gotten absolutely no attention is that McCain now believes the war will be over soon. The economic forecasts made by his crack team of economists predict that there will be significant savings during McCain's first term because we will have achieved "victory" in Iraq and Afghanistan. The savings from victory (ie the savings from not having our troops there) will then be used to pay down the deficit. The only way this could have any impact on the deficit in McCain's first time is if troop withdrawals start very soon. So McCain believes victory is in our grasps and we can begin withdraw troops from Iraq pretty much right away -- doesn't sound that different from Obama's plan does it. Someone should at least ask McCain HOW HE DEFINES VICTORY - and why he thinks we will achieve it in the next couple of years.
6. McCain campaign misled about economists support. In the major press release the McCain campaign issued to tout its Jobs for America economic plan that would balance the budget in 4 years, it included the signatures of more than 300 economists who the campaign claimed to support the plan. Only problem is that the economists were actually asked to sign up to SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Um, hello?
7. McCain makes a joke about killing Iranians. Haha... that's just McCain being McCain. I am sure that is exactly how it is being reported in Tehran. This guy is running for President not to become a talk radio pundit. Yet according to the AP this was just a humanizing moment between candidate and spouse - I am not sure when joking about the deaths of civilians became humanizing.
8. McCain denies, flatly, that he ever said that he is not an expert in economics. Are you kidding?
9). McCain distorts his record on veterans benefits in response to a question from Vietnam Veteran, who then proceeds to call McCain out on it.
10.) McCain demonstrates he knows nothing about Afghanistan and Pakistan. McCain said "I think if there is some good news, I think that there is a glimmer of improving relationship between Karzai and the Pakistanis." Pat Barry notes how crazy this comment is..."Just what "glimmer" is McCain talking about?? Maybe he's referring to President Karzai's remarks last month, which threatened military action in Pakistan if cross-border attacks persisted? Or maybe McCain is talking about Afghanistan's allegations that Pakistan's ISI was involved in a recent assassination attempt on Karzai? Maybe in McCain's world you could call that a silver-lining, but in reality-land I'd call it something else."
Any one of these incidents and comments would dominate the news cycle if they came from the Obama campaign. Yet McCain barely gets a mention. The press like to see themselves as political referees - neutral observers that call them like they see em'. But they want this to be a horse race and so all the calls right now are going one way. How else can you explain the furor last week over the Obama "refine" comment - which represented zero change in Obama's position on Iraq - and the "swift boat" mania over Wesley Clark's uncontroversial comments (psss... by the way McCain exploits his POW experience in just about every ad - yet he says he doesn't like to talk about it).
This Sunday expect the ten incidents above to get short shrift from pundit after pundit, because after all Jesse Jackson said he wanted to cut Obama's nuts off.
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Consider the ch*ckensh*t talker still in office ("Dead or Alive") the dunce of the decade....
Because McCain is a Republican leader he like a god, he's like Jesus Christ incarnate. Teflon John a hundred times over. I hate to say this but with 40 percent solid support among the electorate, the backing of big money corporations for his campaign and the RNC and finally the active support of the main stream media. I don't see how McBush can loose in November.
Social security is a disgrace, because its "supposed" to be a trust fund but the congress uses it as tax revenue. Phil Gramm was not his "top" economic advisor, and although insulting, Americans are a nation of whiners (see comments on huffington
I guess according to the author, telling the truth is not something a presidential candidate should do. He should make up good sounding stuff as he goes along like Obama.
The MSM is not interested in McCain -- he is not news, he is simply part of the background rabble. His candidacy is largely irrelevant. Obama will win or lose based on his ability to sell himself to the voter. It's up or down on Obama, not either or. McCain is just the guy holding the lottery ticket and hoping he will be lucky.
Every time McCain starts a statement with "I think" . . . I remember something my dad told me every time I did something wrong or stupid and tried to explain myself by starting with "I think".
The problem with McCain is that when he thinks he's working without tools!!
Come on . . . can ANYONE . . . Democrat, Republican, Independent, Non-Partisan, Green, whatever . . . really think that this man is fit to lead this country??? McCain is a joke . . . and he's beyond pathetic. Really . . . is this the best the Republican can do? I'm a Democrat . . . but I vote for the person, not the party they belong to . . . but how can anyone even consider voting for this man when he doesn't seem to be able to remember what he said in the past, how he voted in the past, or where he stands on the issues????
The thought of McCain as President absolutely terrifies me!
Thank you for a superb summary. There have been so many instances of a lack of discretion from the republican candidate I am beginning to question whether there will even be a real election or if it has already been fixed and mccain knows it. The choice in the fall certainly won't be based on factual information for many Americans as our corporatized media outlets seem to dole out genuine facts on a need to know basis and seem to prefer to massage the information so that viewership of the fake contest will continue as long and as much as possible. If you imagine the financial consequences for the networks if the race is decided today it is easy to see why they are ignoring some blatant facts, but what a terrible reality for the voters.
Nice article.
Never underestimate the ability of a Democrat to blow a sure thing by losing their nerve.
America needs a popular broadcasting media not tied to corporate sponsorship. Hell, sometimes I think CNN is the owned by the Coal and Pharmaceutical corporations. I'm not talking about PBS but something more substantive in the News Media in the same vain as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), or Australian Broadcasting Corporation. These three Public Corporations have all produced "Fifth Estate" programs to go beyond everyday news into original journalism. There needs to be more fact checking. Allowances should even be made to allow everyday citizens to question the going-ons of our elected officials, corporations and other institutions
McCain is another C-student, frat-boy type who would have us believe he's a straight talking maverick. Just like C-student, frat-boy Bush tried to have the gullible believe he was a "compassionate conservati
Time for MSM to be pointing all this out. And, yes, isn't it time the Obama camp started zeroing in on McCan's gaffes, inconsistencies, flip-flops, phony denials, lies, and flawed world view shaped by 5 years as a POW?.
The blame does not soley lie with the corporate media, although a lot of it does.
However, another part of the problem is that the Obama campaign has failed to agressively exploit McCain's gaffes. If Obama had made such gaffes the Republicans would have nailed him to the wall for them. And the Obama campaign, if it wants to win, needs to do the same.
For example, they need to harp on the fact that Gramm only said what McCain and his economic team think, but will not say because they know it would be received badly by voters. Until very recently McCain kept indicating that the economy was fundamentally in good shape and only recently flip flopped when he realized that it would cost him votes.
For example, they need to point out that McCain, even though he denies it now, wants to privatise Social Security, and repeat the things he has said that prove that, like the disgrace comment.
I agree - the Obama campaign needs to exploit this stupidity and plaster it all over the MSM. It should make a great commercial - bomb Iran, kill them with cigarettes, No understanding of STD's or economics or any recollection of his own voting record.
The Obama campaign really needs to take advantage of this because the MSM will never report it.
It should be very troubling for the presumptive candidates followers that with all these McCain problems and such a superior candidate Obama, his lead is only a few percentage points.
If we can presume that most of America listens to the MSM as if they are spewing forth FACTS and not FICTION, then of course America does not really know the
real McCain. As said above, if Obama had done even one of the gaffes that
McCain and camp brought forth this week it would be all over the news media.
Obama is destined to run all alone for the Presidency. It is clear that the media
is in McCain's pocket. Their credibility has gone even lower than one could have
imagined. If they had their way McCain would be President. Unfortunately, even
the MSM will not be able to protect McCain from the horrible performances to come in the fall Debates. When they are side by side the TRUTH will be clear. America
will see who is actually in touch with reality and who is skating on thin ice.
YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!
Rasmussen poll now has race tied for the first time and McCain viewed favorably by more people.
I think it should be more troubling to the non-racist in America to know that ignorance is truly the majority in control. That those who can't see the forest for the trees are driving the horses. It should be more troubling to know the world, including our enemies, are watching closely. They know the insult that is being sent in this election cycle is America will accept an aged idiot before they will elect an intelligent and ideal leader tagged under the "one drop rule". Our true enemies salivate as they watch America breed it's greatest enemy from within. You know America ... Coming from a productive brother here who does not conform to ANY of your ignorant stereotypes and just wants to go to my grave knowing I was an individual that contributed to the greater purpose ... I am starting to feel the insult. At the base ball game the other day I did nothing during the star spangled banner ... Didn't remove my hat .... didn't put my hand to my heart ... I didn't even stand up. What a farce!!!
What's just amazing to me is how anyone would swallow anything at all coming from the mouths of any Republican in this country.
I'm not sure what it takes to convince some Americans anymore; I used to think people would come to their senses given enough time. Now I worry that we'll be living in a post-apocalyptic world before those who voted Republican realize the error of their ways.
I don't want to have to wait that long.
Please, for shit's sake, we allcannot wait that long!
What does it take to awaken the intelligence of Americans under the belly of the elephant? WHAT?!?
It's as if Idiocracy has come to pass, right here, right now....
SS is a disgrace. It was successful back when there were dozens of workers for every pension collector, but now that number has fallen to 3 and will soon be 2. It would have been good forever if there were private accounts so it was immune to demographic changes like the Baby Boom and the birth control pill revolution that followed it. But it's a socialist scheme and it either fail or require massive tax increases to prop it up.
And Gramm was soooooo right about the whiners. Unemployment #s are around average, and this subprime loan "crisis"shouldn't have effected anyone with a brain in their head. If you bought a house you could never afford, with a teaser rate on an ARM, or you used up all your equity with a second mortgage buying junk like new cars and flat screen tvs, expecting that your house would keep increasing in value 22% a year, then you are an idiot and you are reaping what you sowed.
The economy has been very good for members of the economic elite, like the Bushes, the Gramms, and the McCains. During the last 7 years they have gotten a lot richer at the expense of the rest of the Americans. They have gotten a lot bigger share of the pie. The rich have gotten richer, the poor have gotten poorer, and the people in the middle are getting squeezed.
Since the economic elite has done so well, they cannot understand why the great majority of Americans are unhappy with the state of the economy.
Gramm merely said what McCain and his economic team think, but won't say because it will cause them votes.
Wow, are you ever short sited!! You are completely underestimating just how much people don't know about money, mostly because it is never taught, especially not in public schools. Americans, your fellow citizens, went to advisors who pretended to be there friends, their confidants, in their corner. American citizens went to people whose job it was to make financial decisions for them. The bankers manipulated them, lied to them, and ruined them. These bankers now have law suits brought against them. What THEY did was wrong, and you're going to blame American citizens?!? Please realize that although YOU might be smart or college educated, most Americans are not. Don't overestimate average American intelligence.
Only 27% go on to college in this country. And remember, this is the country who voted for Bush, twice. How smart can the average American really be? You think they understand money management? Hell no, they don't or else we wouldn't be in a crisis. They trusted the bankers, and the bankers took advantage of them. It's not as black and white as you think.
Id like to know where you live because the value of my house has been going down.My best freind bough a 6 hundred thousand dollar house in ca. thats lost 100 thousand dollars in its value,so she can pay the 6 figure mortgage but cant afford to move.Its hurting everyone but you I assume?
Why stop the list at only 10 items? I can think of countless other things. For example, he did not even show up to vote on the FISA legislation. If Obama had not shown up, the MSM would be going crazy. However, the MSM really knows it is over but they need a contest so they will have something to talk about and generate revenue until the election. On Friday, David Brooks was on "The NewsHour" and said that he just returned from a trip visiting the jetset class and rural folk. He said on both visits Obama was the discussion--not McCain. He said in rural places people had posters of Obama hanging in gas stations. Brooks admitted that quote, "...Obama is kind of a big deal." The MSM really wanted HRC to win, not because she would be a better POTUS but she would have produced so much drama. With her and Billy Clinton battling the Republicans again, it would be a ratings bonanza. Obama only wants to fix the problems, he is not giving them the SHOW they want so when Jesse Jackson and others create drama THAT wins the day. Reporting McCain's problems will only produce a presidential contest with very ratings and interest. MSM does not want that?
Still not the worst. Listening to him fumble and stumble like a moron about whether or not insurance should cover birth control since it covers erectile dysfunction should be the mantra of the opposition. What a fool to even think he belongs in politics. Those on the right deserve this imbecile. Who'd of thought they could find an even stupider candidate to Bush, but hands down he is a moron.
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