McCain's Care Restores Health to Sickly Town Halls...

Civility in public discussion these days is as rare as a bald-headed Kennedy -- the last of that mane now lionized by Ted's passing.

But damn if John McCain didn't have a bunch of citizens at his Arizona health care reform town hall meeting yesterday behaving like the Mormon Tabernacle choir: polite, orderly and in key. No Barney Frank verbal bitch-slapping or Arlen Specter constituency spittle here. Everyone in their seats; no signs, no riots.

This is a guy who's not only on (his) message, unlike the eloquent and seemingly unprepared-for-this-battle Obama administration, but keeps his audience there with him.

"We don't shout at my Town Hall meetings," Senator McCain said to the crowd. Whether that was an order or an observation, we should salute in any case after the orgy of squabble and protesting dust devils the last couple of weeks. Yes, sir! Booyah! No cable news conflict fodder here, highlighting the drama and not the substance.

His visual was a small and simple chart, not the high pyrotechnics or pig Latin knots of health care explication from President Obama on down where you need a slide rule and Stephen Hawking to figure out if you're still breathing. Must we have a public option or not? This has been policy straddling a teeter-totter. No wonder people are infuriated and frustrated.

But here's John McCain: "It's not a public option, (it's) really the government option. Because it's the government-run health care system." Simple, right? Agree or disagree, that's as clear as the Arizona desert sky. And it's not as though McCain, dismissed last election as old and unelectable, can't stir it up. "We have committed an act of generational theft!" he roared to the audience. Not bad. And he wasn't addressing health care in that moment but the financial system bailout, which a lot of people at all these meetings remain ticked off about because no one from Washington even pretended to ask their opinions on that one, though it also affected everyone.

True or not -- as a journalist once ironically began a story -- this is a little straight-talking. What a break. In fact, after the campaign potholes of the Palin controversies, the age insults and the injection of consultants that the long-time maverick senator wore on the stump about as uncomfortably as a bad 50s Soviet suit, we've forgotten how much we used to like this guy and what a status quo-disturber he was.

True, it was an older crowd that was actually in a church. And it's always easier to say "I told you so" than run the show. But maybe Mr. McCain is doing it right and these other pols, wading uncharacteristically and awkwardly into the melee, are doing it wrong.

He didn't even need to use a teleprompter.

Follow Phil Bronstein on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PhilBronstein

Comments

[davedave]

mccain has been a cynical opportunist for his entire stay in arizona. he has ridden the pony of the patriot-hero to the edge of the presidency. his ambition is limitless, his pandering legion. we, here in arizona have always used the goldwater archetype as our respected image of the statesman, cool, quirky but honest, truth to power.

problem is the image of the marlboro hero from the west is forever trumped by the devil's bargain mccain made with the republican party to get his turn at the presidency. you can't change horses in mid metaphor, he will continue down the path of the loyal opposition. he will be the tool of big business, he will cater to the religious right and generally talk libertarian but vote against the little guy. his friends will include joe lieberman and he will support the failing empire, not work to make it better and thus avoid failure,

classic tragedy always involves a fatal flaw and his was ambition tinctured with hubris. but give him credit, he remembered the lesson from the old movie "the man who shot liberty valence". When the legend becomes fact, print the legend....­....

[DietrichMoody]

Well, at least you're not bitter.

[ross alden]

In the coming weeks, John McCain can write his own legacy. He can continue to pander to a dwindling population of aging voters in a selfish attempt to beat back a 2010 primary challenge from the bottom of the Republican barrel. He can go down in history as the presidential candidate who vacuously brought forth Sarah Palin and Joe the Plumber and nearly dumbed-down the government of the United States to destructive levels. Or he can reach way back to those roots of duty and honor that once made him a national hero and the independent political maverick he relished being. John McCain can be remembered as either a statesman or a stuntman.
Ted Kennedy was his friend and comrade. He will eulogize Kennedy on Friday. But while McCain bemoans the current state of health care reform legislation as suffering from a lack of Kennedy's leadership in recent weeks, he fails to recognize that he alone stands next to the fallen body of his legislative comrade. He alone has the standing and the instinct to take up the flag of bipartisanship from Ted Kennedy's grasp and broker meaningful health care reform. John McCain can do the right thing by casting his vote on behalf of his fallen comrade and for the country they both loved and served.

[enelrac]

McCain is brave. Standing in front of all those Medicare recipients and trashing a "government-run health care system." But, maybe he knows they don't understand that.

[joanjourne]

Umm, I'm sorry..."t­he camel's nose under the tent"??

[cubby 31]

Bronstein, you should know better. You can't praise anything that ends with an -R over here no matter if you're right or not. We'll sl@p you silly with talking points on subjects that are not relevant to your story.

[anelder]

No cubby I read his article in total. Noted truth in telling in a numbe of ways. Those ways I did not agree with were solidified with his final sentence. When he added his 'telepromter bait', he kind of negated things.

I'll listen with attention to any adverse statements, when it's reduced to name calling or cheap shots it kind of makes the rest said rediced in stature.

[DietrichMoody]

Sorry babe, it was 120 degrees outside and most of those people just wanted air conditioning and didn't have the strength to scream and yell.

[Dunelm]

What a strange piece! The senator was addressing an "old" crowd in a fundamentalist church! Also, what has the Senator done for Arizona? It has an abysmal record on education, health care, and the environment, and it allows gun-toting people to try to intimidate any opposition. Sorry, I just do not agree with this analysis.

[Citizenofreality]

I don't think your opening sentences to this are clever or tasteful, not on this day. As for the rest I guess it is true that people see what they wish to see.

[plumnelly]

Mr McCain has had free healthcare his whole life and if he had been elected, there would be absolutely no discussion regarding healthcare for America's citizens. He lives in a bubble compared to his constituent's lives and he proved his arrogant attitude during the presidential campaign not even looking at Obama during the first debate. Then McCain in the next debate kept mumbling and walking around while Obama was talking, he is clueless. His inappropiate choice of Sara Palin was a slap in the face of every American and he didn't have a problem with inciting crowds yelling terrorist and more dangerous derogatory things about Obama. So, we're not fooled one bit by the crowds that attended his partisan healthcare debate. It was all show!

[gbollinger88]

"[McCain says] it's the government-run health care system." Simple, right? Agree or disagree, that's as clear as the Arizona desert sky. "

Hmm - Bronstein must be referring to the monsoon season's sky in AZ. This statement confuses "health insurance system" with "health care system", a major propaganda tactic from the right. Always sad to see a one-time Pulitzer prize winning journalist pimping a purely political agenda.

And what about the boos and jeers McCain got from this "older" crowd for suggesting Obama cares about the constitution. And why didn't McCain educate his audiance about what the Constitution says? For that matter, why didn't Bronstein mention it?

[mommadona]

Uh......

I didn't see anyone there under 65.
Didn't see anyone in majority there that didn't vote for McCain
Didn't see anyone that could make it up or down out of their seat without assistance.

It was held in a CHURCH.

It was like a Lawrence Welk Show.

It was in SUN CITY ARIZONA for goodness sakes.

It was a love fest of NIMBY codgers

(didn't Arizona just try to pass a law that no one NOT of "American citizenry" could hold property in that state - You know - like the old 'covenants' ?)

[anelder]

Isn't it refreshing that, from a recent poll, the approval for a healthcare reform with 35 yrs. and under people is somewhere up there in the 70th percentile. There is a good reason why we grow old and die. Too many of us are too easily led around by the nose.

[joanjourne]

Can someone tell me what he meant by
"this is the camel's nose under the tent"? I'm just askin'...

[kitkatborn]

When I read that bit about "It was like a Lawrence Welk Show." I just burst out laughing. So true.

[Angie Tyne 1]

Don't forget that there were only white faces in the crowd. I think there may have been one man of Asian descent?

[Winning09]

Ah, Phil, the McCain town halls.

Remember the one when the woman told him Obama is an Arab?

lol

[almer77]

I remember McCain promptly disagreeing with said woman, and pointing out his differences with Obama were political, not personal.

[floridafun]

i watched the mccain town hall from start to finish yesterday. was impressed that mccain clearly disagrees with dems on healthcare, he was respectful and made clear the kind of behavior he has seen at recent town halls is unacceptable and is not the way to change anything. being an obama supporter i appreciated he was respectful and kept his facts in line (thats when the teabaggers boo'd, more than a few times) instead of the recently normal inciting of violence based on actual lies.

[mrpuddles]

I guess I was watching a different town hall. These people booed McCain on more than one occasion. They booed him when he said that Obama believes in the constitution. They booed him when he said Gitmo should be closed. They were rude in their behaviours, and selfish in their remarks. The Mormon Tabernacle choir? The same folks that funded opposition to gay marriage in California (Prop 8). Oh year, really nice. Get your head out of your you know what, Phil, and quit lying about what happened at this town hall. Have you no shame?

[KISHAGREEN]

“And it's always easier to say "I told you so" than run the show. But maybe Mr. McCain is doing it right and these other pols, wading uncharacte­ristically and awkwardly into the melee, are doing it wrong.

I told you so? Are you kidding me? In the words of Barney Frank, “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” If McCain had become POTUS we wouldn’t even be discussing healthcare reform.

There would be no such thing.

It’s easier to say you’re willfully ignorant than inherently stupid. But you are a Republican which might indicate you’re both.

[Freesia2]

Zing!