Newflash: McCain is an Arrogant Arse
One of the many persistent myths about John McCain perpetuated by his fans in the media is the notion that he is somehow more "respectful" and "mature" than many of his Republican colleagues and therefore we can expect him to run a dignified and civil presidential campaign.
The reality, however, is that since he secured the nomination, John McCain has consistently addressed his likely opponent, Barack Obama, in the most condescending, disrespectful, and downright hostile manner I've ever seen from a major party candidate. Consider this back and forth between the two campaigns today. First Obama:
As dripping with condescension as that is, it's pretty mild in comparison to some of things McCain has said recently. The McCain campaign--and the candidate himself--have essentially decided that Barack Obama is entitled to zero respect. He is to be addressed at all times in the most dismissive and obnoxious manner possible and treated not as an equal, but as pretender and someone completely unworthy of basic civility.
I'm not kidding. Find me any recent statement by McCain about Obama that is even remotely respectful. I'll save you some time. There aren't any. So can we please dispense with the notion that McCain is some kind of beacon of civility. He's made a conscious decision to treat his opponent with contempt and it's about time that journalists started to notice.
The reality, however, is that since he secured the nomination, John McCain has consistently addressed his likely opponent, Barack Obama, in the most condescending, disrespectful, and downright hostile manner I've ever seen from a major party candidate. Consider this back and forth between the two campaigns today. First Obama:
Then McCain:I respect sen. John McCain's service to our country. He is one of those heroes of which I speak. But I can't understand why he would line up behind the President in his opposition to this GI bill.
I can't believe why he believes it is too generous to our veterans. I could not disagree with him and the President more on this issue. There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.
It is typical, but no less offensive that Senator Obama uses the Senate floor to take cheap shots at an opponent and easy advantage of an issue he has less than zero understanding of. Let me say first in response to Senator Obama, running for President is different than serving as President. The office comes with responsibilities so serious that the occupant can't always take the politically easy route without hurting the country he is sworn to defend. Unlike Senator Obama, my admiration, respect and deep gratitude for America's veterans is something more than a convenient campaign pledge. I think I have earned the right to make that claim. . . .
Perhaps, if Senator Obama would take the time and trouble to understand this issue he would learn to debate an honest disagreement respectfully. But, as he always does, he prefers impugning the motives of his opponent, and exploiting a thoughtful difference of opinion to advance his own ambitions. If that is how he would behave as President, the country would regret his election.
As dripping with condescension as that is, it's pretty mild in comparison to some of things McCain has said recently. The McCain campaign--and the candidate himself--have essentially decided that Barack Obama is entitled to zero respect. He is to be addressed at all times in the most dismissive and obnoxious manner possible and treated not as an equal, but as pretender and someone completely unworthy of basic civility.
I'm not kidding. Find me any recent statement by McCain about Obama that is even remotely respectful. I'll save you some time. There aren't any. So can we please dispense with the notion that McCain is some kind of beacon of civility. He's made a conscious decision to treat his opponent with contempt and it's about time that journalists started to notice.
posted by A.L. at 10:58 PM
11 Comments:
I don't know if journalists will ever notice, but I think the people will. Whenever Obama speaks, I'm floored by how he addresses our intelligence and speaks the truth.
This is politics on a higher plane than most of us have ever witnessed, and it'll take a long time (if ever) for the establishment to catch on. So many pundits, pols, and Clinton supporters are strangled by fear, they can't see what a gift he is.
I'm floored by what a damned mountebank Obama really is. McCain should frankly put the junior senator over his knee.
If anyone's lost it, it's Kos. He should get a handle on his anti-Semitic diarists before he spouts his spittle off on McCain.
i would challenge our good friend Americaneocon to delineate for a gentle audience the difference between 'anti-semiticism' and 'anti-zionism'.
1. Anti-semitists hate the Jews;
2. Anti-zionists hate the Jews in Israel, and the rest of the world, just in case.
Cheers
McCain's position on the GI Bill is in great conflict with public sentiments. I would think a shrewd man would let all this go without comment as he only keeps is actions ( voting NO!) in the limelight with them. The anger stuff will soon out. His treatment of the 14 year old girl a few days ago and now this? What is he thinking? Is he thinking?
AL- I think you are wrong that there has been a conscious decision on McCain’s part to treat Obama with contempt. The problem is that McCain has taken the measure of the man, and believes that he is nothing but a slick political operator. This goes back to a few years ago, when Obama went back on a promise to work with McCain on an ethics reform bill. McCain believed (with good reason, as I recall it) that Obama broke his word for political gain, and that is not something that McCain forgives easily.
Anybody who has followed McCain knows that he has a tendency to view his opponents as having less than noble motives. In the past this has usually been directed at conservatives and Republicans so it was not anything that troubled the media (or, I imagine, you). This is a real weakness on McCain’s part, regardless of whether he is right or wrong about the motives of particular opponents.
The difference between McCain and Obama is that Obama will attack McCain’s motives (eg, he doesn’t care about veterans), but will do it subtly and with plausible deniability. Plus which Obama doesn’t actually believe what he is saying. McCain actually doesn’t respect Obama, and it comes through in the tone that he uses.
So I agree with you that McCain needs to work on showing Obama respect, not so much because Obama has earned it but because Obama’s supporters deserve it. By the way, you yourself could afford some work in this area. Using words like “arrogant asshole” doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in your desire to have civility and respect in political debate.
The only thing on which I disagree with Obama is the "I respect his service" bit. McCain has so dishonered his service that it is no longer worthy of respect. I am a veteran, and I am quite serious. See my blog post at On My Mind today.
John McCain is simply trying to use a variety of Rovian tactics here: attack your opponent for your own weakness. McCain's weakness is that he cannot seem to remember the political position he espoused last month, or last week, or even yesterday, so he's trying to portray Obama as a political opportunist. Baloney. And John McCain's career, upon close examination, does not bear up well, either his undistinguished military career or his subsequent political career, so he attempts to project disdain on Obama.
It's not likely to work, as the strategy cannot withstand the reality, which is that Obama is cool, thoughful and obviously intelligent, while McCain is, equally obvious, none of these.
Not that I expect MLS or Americaneocon to see any of this.
Al, I'd be interested to know what you think about Hillary's comment today regarding Bobby Kennedy's assasination.
I believe it's the end of her candidacy, and the end of any hope she had for VP.
I had suspected that this might be a reason she was "hanging around", and now she's revealed it, by way of a careless, but very revealing remark.
i thought the original "a-hole" title was more appropriate...
Why should McCain show any respect for an empty suit who does not in fact understand a damn thing about Iraq or dismissively waives off the progress made in Iraq ?
Why would any one respect a doofus who says that Iran and Syria must "pull their weight" to gasp.. help Iraq -
A. when the Iranians have been openly supporting the Shia militias of Sadr and conducting attacks on US armed forces with their deadly EFP's
B. and the Syrians are the main conduit for the weapons flowing into Iraq. Not to mention a terrorist supporting regime that backs Hezbollah in Lebanon ?
Iran and Syria have interests that run directly contradictory to the US when it comes to Iraq - they cannot stand the idea of a moderate Muslim democracy where political leaders dont kowtow to the Khomenis or thugs like Assad. And Barack Obama wants these people to "pull their weight" - is he still smoking some of that crack that he used to as a teen ??
C. Who would have any respect for a waffler who once wanted to meet with Ahmedinejad without any pre-conditions, (claiming that it is foolish to think that we are punishing these thugs by not talking to them) but now has three distinct positions
1. Ahmedinejad is not the real leader -so although Obama said he will meet with him, he now says that he really meant Komeni !!
2. There will be "preparations"
not pre-conditions - yeah, to bend over backwards to Iran would be difficult for a 6 feet 4 inches tall man - he is taking some yoga classes now "preparing" for these talks.
3. He may not even have talk to Ahmedinejad because he may not be Iran's President after their elections in 2009. Why is Obama worried whether Ahmedinejad is Prez when he knows who the real leader of Iran is ? But what if Ahmedinejad wins ? I think he will go back to rationale 1 :-)
D. Who would have any respect for a flat out liar like Obama who says that the Selma march united his parents and lead to his birth ?? He was already 4 years old in 1965 !! Who would have respect for a candidate who runs as some one who wants to "unite" people and yet at the same time provoke white liberal guilt about the Original sin?
E. Who would have respect for a dishonest fraud who sat in a church like Trinity for 20 years contributing hundreds of thoudands of dollars, got married in it, baptized his children, gives a speech one month back telling people that they have no idea of what a black church experience is and THEN PROCEEDS to resign it barely within a 100 days of that speech ?
What a dishonest charlatan ! Obamaniacs who have drunk the kool aid just cannot get of their cocoon - and you people dare to ask why Obama gets no respect ?? He has not earned it - thats why ! he IS NOT ENTITLED TO IT. There is no affirmative action when running for the US Presidency. Thats WHY.
And i have a question for anonymous liberal - what ever happened to the Bertrand Russell quote on your site The essence of the Liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held, but in how they are held: instead of being held dogmatically, they are held tentatively, and with a consciousness that new evidence may at any moment lead to their abandonment
Is that policy under cold storage with respect to the progress made by the Iraqi and US forces in the last 16 months ?
Is that policy conveniently in cold storage during the time you actively suck up to an Obama candidacy - the candidate who has been the most anti-Bertrand Russell when it comes to Iraq and routinely dismisses the improvements there ?
Just asking.
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