Post-Republican. Post, As in Toast.
The general campaign has barely started and John McCain is already setting himself on fire.
Imagine things a few months from now! Get your asbestos undies ready.
I've been quite emphatic in poking fun at Democrats who, since Florida 2000, seem to be living in a state of permanent paranoia. Their latest set of symptoms has been to convince themselves how tough an opponent John McCain is going to be.
Well, only your typical quivering Dem could believe that.
Anyone who has maintained as much as a minimal pulse for the last two years or so -- basically since Katrina-- ought to have been able to figure out that we've moved into a new political era. If not exactly a "pwogessive" or even Democratic one, it's most certainly a decidedly post-Republican era.
Post as in toast, John.
It would take darn near a miracle to see a Republican victory in November. And on top of that, as I've been saying for months now, John McCain is gonna make one terrible candidate.
Is that not already crystal clear?
It took a while, for sure, but the slow-fuse bundle of dynamite that is the Reverend Hagee finally blew up all over McCain in a rather Riefenstahl-like splattering of scheiss. A cretin could have seen this coming two-three weeks ago but McCain just stood there, like a doe in the headlights, and allowed himself to get plowed right under.
Then we have the ongoing exodus of bagmen lobbyists oozing out of his campaign. And that's not (yet) counting the infamous Charlie Black, top McCain adviser and -- as The Washington Post aptly puts it-- an "uber-lobbyist." Black and his lobbying firm have a long history of acting as registered foreign agents for a laundry list of despots including such straight-talking mavericks as the former dictators of Zaire, Nigeria, Somalia, the apartheid-backed Jonas Savimbi and the warm and fuzzy Ferdinand Marcos.
Add to that the grotesque spectacle of John McCain opposing fellow Republicans like John Warner in denying GI's extended educational benefits.
And then, when dinged by Obama for his opposition, McCain throws a verbal temper tantrum and issues a statement saying: “I take a backseat to no one in my affection, respect and devotion to veterans. And I will not accept from Senator Obama, who did not feel it was his responsibility to serve our country in uniform, any lectures on my regard for those who did…If that is how he would behave as president, the country would regret his election.â€
Did you get that? McCain raps Obama for never having served in the military -- in peace time?
Does that mean that John McCain now favors a draft?
Does that mean that John McCain now withdraws his numerous statements of support for an entire gallery of administration officials who plunged us into an endless war but who, like Obama, never served?
Or does it just mean that McCain is simply a cruddy candidate who is already floundering?
P.S. In self-promotional mode, I'm pleased to announce that I'm a finalist in two categories (Columnist and Individual Signed Commentary) for the current round of Greater Los Angeles Press Club Awards. Winners are announced June 21.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:50 am
re ” rather Riefenstahl-like splattering of scheiss ”
good morning
if/when using german, it is : SCHEISSE
saludos , wg
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:36 am
Voters generally won’t care about the issues you mentioned–only “pwogressives” and journalists out to help Obama.
It’s a joke to think that McCain is tainted by a distant connection with Hagee but that we’re not allowed to discuss Re. Wright’s long-time spiritual and personal relationship with Obama.
On McCain discussing his vote on veteran’s issues and putting Obama in his place, I read the entire thing and it sounded fine to me. (I can’t remember where I read it.) Read the WHOLE release–not just the portions the press spoon feeds you. Obama was simply playing politics with it and, therefore, lying through his teeth about McCain’s lack of concern.
Now, watch the media go nuts over McCain’s release of his medical records when they looked the other way when Kerry refused to release his and still does to this day.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:51 am
As usual Woody displays his cluelessness. McCain flew to San Antonio to get Hagee’s endorsement, hardly a distant connection.
Waltgerbi:
Siben haben rechts, aber ich glaube dass Marc ist schriftlich in Jiddisch und auf Jiddisch das wort ist scheiss.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:59 am
Yeah, Randy. I’m clueless. Who’s clueless are the Obama supporters who think that Obama had no idea that Rev. Wright is a nutcase and deny that Obama agrees with him.
Think about other people surrounding Obama–which includes just about every crook in the Democratic Party. Do you think that he’ll distance himself from them?
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:09 am
“Yeah, Randy. I’m clueless.”
Now THAT is what I call an epiphany. Way to know thyself!
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:20 am
Obama questions why McCain stands with Bush in not supporting a GI benefits bill and McCaiin talks about Obama not having signed up for the volunteer army. That this makes sense to Woody makes sense to me.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:52 am
I hope that you are right, Marc, about John McCain being dead in the water come November, but I have my doubts. Serious doubts. The problem here is that Obama is not just taking on McCain, he is also taking on the mainstream media. The double standards in the media that don’t seem to apply to Republicans has plagued Democratic presidential every four years.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:53 am
fourth to last word in the final paragraph should be inserted the word, “candidates”
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:14 am
“I’m pleased to announce that I’m a finalist in two categories Columnist and Individual Signed Commentary”
Congrads Marc. Hard earned. They didn’t have a Blogger category?
I agree with you about McCain. He is a terrible candidate/communicator/speaker. A good example why legacy Senators general do not make good presidential candidates. He’s a snoozer.
So like Hillary, McCain is gotta hope Obama screws up royally.
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:22 am
Good luck Marc.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:00 am
Great post, Marc. I only have one quibble with this statement:
“Their latest set of symptoms has been to convince themselves how tough an opponent John McCain is going to be.”
All I can say is that if you substitute “George W Bush” for John McCain, and turn the clock back to 2000, I think it’s maybe a little less surprising why anyone might be wary of any bonehead the GOP puts forth. I realize that times are different–in 2000 the American people had Clinton fatigue after Monicagate–but it was still a shock that someone as incompetent and unpresidential as W could win an election (well, like with Barry Bonds, we always need an *asterisk* here).
Anyway, I share your belief on McCain’s low chances, but crazier things have happened.
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:01 am
Oh, and congrats on the Press Club Award!! Good luck on June 21st…
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:32 am
I believe that this post on Tapped explains why McCain’s seeking of an endorsement from Hagee and Parsley is so disturbing.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:26 am
Scheiß m , -
sl shit sl , crap sl
Scheiß- inf
a (=verdammt) damn(ed) inf , bloody (Brit) sl vulg , fucking
b (=miserabel) awful, crap(py) sl , shitty sl
…well struck.
I’m in agreement that McCain seems fatally flawed and this Hagee thingy is but the tip of the ice berg that’s going to sink his campaign. In thinking about why Sen. Clinton hangs around — there’s that theory you helped suss out about HRC eyeballing 2012 as the ‘I told you so candidate’ — we might want to just simply add the obvious: Any Democrat SHOULD be able to prevail against McCain in the fall (even Sen. Clinton).
And all of this is tragic for Sen. McCain. His personal story is very compelling and I find it hard not to like him. But he seems to have so terribly wrapped himself in such, well Scheiß positions, that the outcome in November is going to be quite an anticlimax.
I’m wondering if President Obama will pick John Edwards for AG. Joe Biden as Sec.of State?
Congrats on the nomination Marc. You’re amongst some very talented writers. Great job!
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:24 am
The problem is you simply cannot satirize the current administration and its links to the corporate elite. Although, I give the folks at the The Onion credit for trying. Still, as someone elsewhere observed, just about the time you think you’ve found a way to do it, within 24 hours it plays more like a documentary.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm
As I’ve always said, about half of Americans want a president at least as stupid as they are and half want a president at least as smart as they are. We have representatives of both trends on this blog, although fortunately the primary rep of the former trend is outnumbered by the reps of the latter.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
“We have representatives of both trends on this blog, although fortunately the primary rep of the former trend is outnumbered by the reps of the latter.”
Damn.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Here’s an example of the latter:
Maxine Waters (D-Calif. to oil executives - The government will take over and run all of your companies. )
She’s on the short list for Obama’s Energy Secretary.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Sorry bob williams, I didn’t mean to leave you out–Woody does need company.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Schumer qualifies for a cabinet position under Obama, future President of these 57 States.
Fifty-seven. Hey, that takes me back to the last Presidential election.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Don’t say that I haven’t been warning you for months.
HILLARY RAISES ASSASSINATION ISSUE - DEFENDS LONG-RUNNING CAMPAIGN
The ghost of Ron Brown needs to speak with Obama.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I know that the Hagee stuff and the campaign folks with lobbyist ties created some momentary splashes, but will these things really change voters’ minds? Is anyone spooked off of McCain because of Hagee? I’d like to think so, but I have my doubts. The temper could be an issue, but when used to denigrate Obama for lack of military service, it may help McCain as much as it hurts (not saying it should help). However, repeated temper outbursts on other sorts of issues (domestic, not nat’l security) could cause McCain some damage.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Geez, she’s been speaking from the murky depths of HillaryWorld this week. What is she saying, “the race isn’t over ’til the skinny guy gets shot?”
Btw, Woody, you must be getting dizzy rotating between attacks on Obama and those on Hillary. Good catch on this one, though.
Marc, congratulations. The competition for Best Columnist is strong. Best wishes!
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Marc’s outrage is excessive. Politics make strange bedfellows; there was never any question that Johnny Mac shares Hagee’s theology. And after all, he repudiated it right away.
I’m not a big McCain fan, and the election may well be a blowout for BHO, but diss the guy for something important, like “Bomb, bomb Iran . . . ” not because he has some supporters with weird ideas, or snarls back at Barack.