I was both bemused and annoyed the other night to watch the Hardball crowd try to separate John McCain from the wildly negative tone that his campaign has recently taken. (I'm not the only one who noticed it.)
Andrea Mitchell and company essentially said that John McCain is not responsible for his campaign because he's been fooled by (among others) that nasty old Internet and its bloggers. Seriously. If you haven't seen the video, click over to Robert Emmet, where I had some fun with the assertion.
But there's a serious aspect to this line of argument. Two actually.
The first is near and dear to me because it touches on my own peculiar area of expertise -- the relationship between a politician and their speechwriter. (My White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters was published to positive reviews in April.) There is a distinction, I argue, between authorship and ownership of a speech -- regardless of who first put words onto paper the pol who actually delivers the speech must get credit for it. That applies for both good and ill -- a pol should get credit for winning words and so can't pass off inept or failed verbiage on staffers.
The application here is: It's McCain's campaign, not Steve Schmidt's or Mark Salter's or anyone else's. We might joke otherwise, but John McCain does take credit for his bizarre ads. It's not for the press to declare he probably doesn't mean it.
Second -- what's the broader message? That McCain is an honorable dolt kept in the dark by his insidious handlers? This is their idea of a defense?
Reallly? Take a good look. A good, hard look. Your beloved maverick today is just a common playground bully. I wouldn't elect him president of the student body, let alone President of the United States.
go to your room
By the way McCabe the biker rally was in South Dakota and it was the Miss Buffalo Chip Contest.
When McCain aides basically claimed that he "didn't speak for the campaign" after his tax increase blunder on George Stephenopolis' show, it was considered hugely amusing and completely ridiculous. And now - two weeks later - after more "blunderb-s" - the media is actually promoting this as an excuse for McCain's ?!*@?!??
It is a very good question to ask - just what kind of a commander -in-chief would this man make if he cannot even be held responsible for the words he speaks?
Shudd-dder.
Ornery is John McCain's middle name. ...so he said it. Orneriness was part of his survival mechanism at the Hanoi Hilton. I get berated at times when I state he was and will always be a hero. Yet.
Whether McCain is behind the wheel with these latest barrages of negativity I would have to say:YES. The press has given John McCain mucho latitude in gaffes, but the surreal ads and obvious mis- representations are different fodder.
They are production numbers that John McCain endorses for better or worse. He seems to be enjoying the rukus. So lets call it like it is and let Senator McCain take the credit he wants. I believe this time he deserves it.
righwing King John McCain IS RESPONSIBLE
for his own negative SMEAR CAMPAIGN.
McCain APPROVED IT.