I don't often make political predictions. But I will issues this one: the presidential debate on Tuesday night will show if John McCain has any soul left.
I admit it: I used to be one of those liberal reporters/saps in Washington who fancied McCain in the late 1990s and during his 2000 presidential run. In those days, he was about as enjoyable as a senator came--and about as publicly candid. And it was fun to watch him poke the GOP in the eye on campaign finance reform and tobacco. It's not as if I believed he was worth voting for in a general election; he was still archly conservative in important ways. But he was indeed a different type of Republican and provided entertaining company in the Green Room or on the campaign trail.
Those days are long gone. McCain leveraged his soul at the end of the 2000 campaign at the GOP convention, when he gave a speech sucking up to George W. Bush, whose campaign had maligned him viciously during the primaries. It was as if a switch was flipped, and McCain realized his only true path to greater power was to make nice (generally) with the Republican establishment and the GOP base. It was a calculation with some logic to it, as 2008 proved. But it meant he had to jettison his best parts.
So we're left today with a fellow who still appears to believe he is a straight-talking maverick--when he is actually just another pol who will say practically anything to get elected and who has turned his campaign over to the sort of whatever-it-takes political operatives he once derided.
Look at his speech from Monday. It was chockfull of misrepresentations that are hard not to call lies. From The New York Times' analysis:
Mr. McCain claimed that "as recently as September of last year," Mr. Obama "said that subprime loans had been, quote 'a good idea.'" But that quote is taken out of context and reverses the intent of Mr. Obama's remarks, which were clearly meant primarily as a criticism of practices on Wall Street.
"Subprime lending started off as a good idea helping Americans buy homes who couldn't previously afford to," Mr. Obama said in a speech to NASDAQ in September 2007. But, he added, "as certain lenders and brokers began to see how much money could be made, they began to lower their standards. Some appraisers began inflating their estimates to get the deals done. Some borrowers started claiming income they didn't have just to qualify for the loans, and some were engaging in irresponsible speculation. But many borrowers were tricked into glossing over the fine print."
Mr. McCain also said that Mr. Obama "was silent on the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and his Democratic allies in Congress opposed every effort to rein them in." That oversimplifies a complicated situation that was the subject of partisan wrangling dating back to the 1990s, long before Mr. Obama arrived in the Senate in 2005.
From his remarks, it would appear that Mr. McCain is referring in part to the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act, which Democrats did oppose when it was introduced in 2005. But they did so vocally, not silently, because they saw the proposal as fundamentally flawed.
...Mr. McCain also criticized Mr. Obama's policies on taxes, in language similar to last month's first debate, with a few new fillips. But fact-checking organizations have already repeatedly dismissed the bulk of the accusations he made as inaccurate or exaggerated.
.... According to Mr. McCain, Mr. Obama also has "promised to double taxes on every American with a dividend or an investment." This too is false: Mr. Obama has said he favors raising the capital gains tax rate from its present 15 percent to somewhere between 20 and 28 percent, and that "my guess would be it would be significantly lower than that" 28 percent ceiling.
More importantly, however, Mr. Obama's planned increase would apply only to couples making $250,000 a year or more, or less than two percent of the population. It would not, therefore, double taxes on every American.
...Mr. McCain said that Mr. Obama has "promised higher taxes on electricity." This is apparently a reference to Mr. Obama's support for a cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions. But Mr. McCain has also endorsed the same concept, albeit with less detail, which would impose new levies on the consumption of coal, gas and oil in order to encourage a shift to clean and renewable sources of energy. So by that definition, Mr. McCain too wants higher taxes on electricity.
On health care, Mr. McCain repeated accusations he made in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention, which fact-checking organizations criticized then. "He has said his goal is a single payer system where government is in charge of health care and bureaucrats stand between you and your doctor," Mr. McCain claimed Monday.
Each of those statements is misleading or distorts Mr. Obama's position in one way or another.
That is some parade of falsehoods. The old McCain would have been ashamed. The new one doesn't seem to mind.
Will McCain bring his cavalcade of mischaracterizations to the debate Tuesday night? Will he beat the Bill Ayres drum? Bang the Jeremiah Wright tambourine? His campaign advisers now obviously believe that with McCain slipping in the polls he can only win by delegitimizing Barack Obama and that he should throw whatever he can at him, be it true or not.
McCain once declared, "I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land." And not long ago his wife Cindy said, "None of this negative stuff though, you won't see it coming out of our side at all." But his campaign is taking a hard turn toward the low road and the "negative stuff." And the question for Tuesday night is whether McCain will bring his slime bucket to the debate? Will the John McCain of 2008 completely and utterly turn his back on the John McCain of the past?
If he does, he will be even more of a hollow man than he has already become.
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Comments
"Those days are long gone."
I'll say! Everybody will be tuning in tonight to see if mcsame blows a fuse. I mean, I WISH Obama would just once, not 'play nice' and 'get his goat'. One wild-azz eruption from mcsame would tank his campaign even more.
Posted by: Alan
| October 7, 2008 10:26 AM
Everyone would like to see Obama provoke McCain as Col Jessup in A Few Good Men, but don't expect it to happen.
Just for grins, notice the resemblance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j2F4VcBmeo
Posted by: Hunter Gatherer
| October 7, 2008 11:54 AM
DC,
"I don't often make political predictions."
I read your work and you do make many political predictions. I think you don't like to do so because you are often less than prescient.
That is no reason not to make predictions - the worst thing that can happen is being wrong.
In this case - I expect the unexpected. Maybe something completely off the tracks.
Maybe McCain will have Palin fly in on a hanglider? Parachute into the debate in the buff?
I can't wait.
Thanks!
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 12:03 PM
how can anyone call mccain a hero? what is heroic about carpet bombing innocent people who live in huts in the jungle? what is heroic about turning his back on and even insulting other less fortunate POWs?
Posted by: as_if!
| October 7, 2008 12:15 PM
"John McCain: From Hero to Hollow Man"
not a chance - he has always been, right to this day, a greedy evil bastard.
Posted by: as_if!
| October 7, 2008 12:18 PM
Straight Talk?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnxuqj99y8c
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:09 PM
Today's Polls, 10/7
As the political world's focus shifts to the second presidential debate in Nashville, Barack Obama continues to expand his lead upon John McCain in all of our projection metrics, and now rates as almost a 9:1 favorte to win the election in November.
Obama 345.4 McCain 192.6
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
*****
I bet we see a shift towards McCain after the debate. If not - the story will be how this is no longer even a horse race.
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:17 PM
Obama 349 McCain 174 Ties 15
Dem pickups (vs. 2004): CO FL IA MO NV NM OH VA
GOP pickups (vs. 2004): (None)
10/07/04:
Kerry 253 Bush 264
http://electoral-vote.com/
*****
McCain will have to do something. I wonder how crazy he will get? I guess calling Barack a terrorist and calling for his assassination is pretty over the top. I doubt that kind of thing will get any votes from the center.
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:22 PM
Crisis Stalls McCain's Presidential Campaign
[...]
In the beginning, Palin was actually put on the ticket to give a boost to McCain's struggling campaign. He chose her hoping that she would mobilize the religious right to support his candidacy and gain the votes of the white women in the political center who would have voted for Hillary Clinton -- but not for Obama. Now, however, the Alaska governor is looking more like McCain's biggest mistake than his savior. Although her performance in Thursday's vice-presidential debate was not nearly as bad as many had feared it would be, Palin -- the Republicans' shooting star -- has fallen back down to Earth.
At the same time, mediocrity is not going to help McCain win this election, either. In fact, all recent polls are predicting he will lose. After months of running neck-and-neck, it now looks like the battle between the candidates could even end in a sudden landslide victory for Obama. In nationwide polls, McCain now trails Obama by up to nine percentage points, and he is also behind in the key swing states: Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Colorado.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,582721,00.html
*****
Who could've seen it coming?
(hint: everybody except the RW's)
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:50 PM
Via ABC:
After Bailout, AIG Execs Head to California Resort
Rescued by Taxpayers, $440,000 for Retreat Including "Pedicures, Manicures"
Less than a week after the federal government committed $85 billion to bail out AIG, executives of the giant AIG insurance company headed for a week-long retreat at a luxury resort and spa, the St. Regis Resort in Monarch Beach, California, Congressional investigators revealed today.
"Rooms at this resort can cost over $1,000 a night," Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) said this morning as his committee continued its investigation of Wall Street and its CEOs.
AIG documents obtained by Waxman's investigators show the company paid more than $440,000 for the retreat, including nearly $200,000 for rooms, $150,000 for meals and $23,000 in spa charges.
*****
Getting $85 billion is taxpayer dollars is hard work.
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:54 PM
"Getting $85 billion IN (not is) taxpayer dollars is hard work.
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 2:58 PM
Palin' around?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eniG9l_7its
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 3:03 PM
The Palins' un-American activities
Imagine if the Obamas had hooked up with a violently anti-American group in league with the government of Iran.
"My government is my worst enemy. I'm going to fight them with any means at hand."
This was former revolutionary terrorist Bill Ayers back in his old Weather Underground days, right? Imagine what Sarah Palin is going to do with this incendiary quote as she tears into Barack Obama this week.
Only one problem. The quote is from Joe Vogler, the raging anti-American who founded the Alaska Independence Party. Inconveniently for Palin, that's the very same secessionist party that her husband, Todd, belonged to for seven years and that she sent a shout-out to as Alaska governor earlier this year. ("Keep up the good work," Palin told AIP members. "And God bless you.")
http://tinyurl.com/3rdlhk
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 5:00 PM
OBAMA - GUILT BY ASSOCIATION!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfvzLCTyqFo
Posted by: as_if!
| October 7, 2008 5:12 PM
See now the press is working as they are beginning to agree with me!! lol
Well said sir that about sums it up for this old independant voter.
I've been saying for months that it is time to roll the dice. What the hell the guy gives a heck of a speech. And that beats the heck out of keating 5 John and the wicked bimbo from the north.
Posted by: XRugly
| October 7, 2008 6:54 PM
XRugly --- She's also the wicked bimbo from the far east and far west.
:-)
Posted by: David B. Benson
| October 7, 2008 9:07 PM
"My Friends", thank God for the Mute button. What a bunch of crap.
Now he's going to buy up your mortgage AND freeze spending. We can get em all done, AND freeze spending.
"My Friends, this other fella spent $3 million on an overhead projector for a planetarium in Chicago."
Jeez John, we aren't talking about the thing in your Middle School AV department. This is something that displays the Universe on the ceiling.
'My friends, this other fellow spent nearly a billion on projects and earmarks."
If every Senator took $1B home to his state that would be $100B. The debt alone went up $5T so that isn't the problem.
McCain is actually worse than Palin at making things up in stating his positions and attacking Obama's.
Posted by: geof01
| October 7, 2008 9:44 PM
Hero to Hollow
I still want to know what one thing McCain ever did that made him a hero.
Was it getting 134 sailors killed on the Forrestal?
Was it crashing 5 planes?
Was it bombing civilian targets in Vietnam?
Was it spending 5 years in a Vietnamese jail as a war criminal?
Or was it joining congress under Reagan and spending 26 years dismantling the middle class.
Hollow. Watching the guy at the bottom of the class do his book report knowing that the guy at the top of a better school is getting the A.
Posted by: geof01
| October 7, 2008 9:53 PM
How hollow is a man that won't shake his opponents hand?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI0iIOqPGak
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 11:35 PM
Progressive Accountability puts out this video - McCain vs. McCain:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwwawgFFGqs
Posted by: capt
| October 7, 2008 11:38 PM
geof01,
Your disrespectful and slanderous comments are disgusting, but I'll give you some answers you don't really want to hear:
"Was it getting 134 sailors killed on the Forrestal?"
NO. The cause of this terrible tragedy was determined to be an electrical malfunction on an F-4 Phantom aft of McCain's A-4 that caused the rocket to fire. Period.
If you claim it's something else you are either an uninformed dolt or are deliberately repeating misinformation.
"Was it crashing 5 planes?"
NO. What's your point?
"Was it bombing civilian targets in Vietnam?"
NO. More uninformed leftist claptrap. Why don't you name the target list genius?
"Was it spending 5 years in a Vietnamese jail as a war criminal?"
NO. This is the most vile statement I've seen in a while. You dishonor not only John McCain, but all P.O.W.'s by making such a statement.
People like you should be deported to the nearest communist country that has a gulag so you can learn what patriotic Americans already know. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave. Too bad there are those like you who are able to enjoy freedom purchased with the blood and treasure of this country, while at the same time SPITTING on those who BOUGHT IT FOR YOU!
Moron.
Posted by: Tim
| October 8, 2008 12:07 AM
Even the DEMOCRATIC underground web site has debunked the obviously false assertions repeated uncritically (see above) concerning the USS Forrestal accident!
geof01, you are busted. Go get some more of that koolaid you've been drinking.
Posted by: Tim
| October 8, 2008 12:24 AM
------ LANDSLIDE !!! -----
Barack CRUSHES McSame
--- By 2 to 1 Margin ---
(UPDATED w Mega Eye Candy)
http://tinyurl.com/4vsogu
Posted by: capt
| October 8, 2008 12:40 AM
Political Wire:
Tonight's debate wasn't even close. Sen. Barack Obama ran away with it -- particularly when speaking about the economy and health care. Talking about his mother's death from cancer was very powerful. On nearly every issue, Obama was more substantive, showed more compassion and was more presidential.
In contrast, Sen. John McCain was extremely erratic. Sometimes he was too aggressive (referring to Obama as "that one.") Other times, he just couldn't answer the question (on how he would ask Americans to sacrifice.) And his random attempts at jokes (hair transplants?) were just bad.
http://tinyurl.com/5yqob2
Posted by: capt
| October 8, 2008 12:42 AM
Andrew Sullivan:
This was, I think, a mauling: a devastating and possibly electorally fatal debate for McCain. Even on Russia, he sounded a little out of it. I've watched a lot of debates and participated in many. I love debate and was trained as a boy in the British system to be a debater. I debated dozens of times at Oxofrd. All I can say is that, simply on terms of substance, clarity, empathy, style and authority, this has not just been an Obama victory. It has been a wipe-out.It has been about as big a wipe-out as I can remember in a presidential debate. It reminds me of the 1992 Clinton-Perot-Bush debate. I don't really see how the McCain campaign survives this.
http://tinyurl.com/5xz2jp
Posted by: capt
| October 8, 2008 12:43 AM
I wish Obama would've said out loud "you're LYING Senator" at least once. How about when Obama virtually said word-for-word what he had said before about "if we have actionable intelligence on bin Laden and Pakistan can't, or won't act, then we will". Immediately after that mcsame repeated the lie that Obama wanted to attack Pakistan. say wha?? Either he's an idiot, or just a forked-tongue devil who thinks Americans are idiots, to out-and-out lie about something WE JUST HEARD. That's just crazy.
Btw, my uncle flew Corsairs off the Forrestal in WWII, if it's the same ship and not an updated newer version. I even have a 'yearbook' of the ship for that time. Looks just like a high school yearbook, full of pictures.
Posted by: Alan
| October 8, 2008 12:51 AM
http://thinkprogress.org/
They live-blogged the debate. Check it out. They have linked the proof of lying as each one is said. Way too many articles to read at one time, but that's a hella job!
Posted by: Alan
| October 8, 2008 1:30 AM
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Posted by: dennis
| October 8, 2008 2:42 AM
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