I have no opinion on your reasons, but seriously, as a Hillary admirer and former supporter who for so long had longed for her crack at the presidency, I consoled myself recently with the fact the US is in so much trouble financially that her domestic agenda would once again fail and thus undermine the Clinton legacy.
I’m afraid the agenda of the next president will be severely hamstrung financially and politically as a result of the previous US government ineptitude. Honestly, I would think to lose this election would be a huge relief.
I’ve been only semi-joking about this for a long time.
As **CairoCarol **said: not.
I agree. As recently as a year ago, I enjoyed McCain’s appearances on The Daily Show and other interviews I saw. In accordance with his self-proclaimed “I can work across the aisle” status, I saw him as someone I might not agree with, but who I could work with. (Metaphorically speaking, of course. By “I”, I mean people in DC, not me.)
And where did that get him? A whole lot of nowhere. So he hired Rove and his cronies, and their strategy is fear and hate. McCain is an asshole when he sticks to that script. When he deviates - when he tries to calm his angry mob, or when he spoke at the benefit dinner - I see the old McCain peeking through.
I think it’s sad that he thinks the hate and fear route is his best chance of winning, and I’m glad that he’s wrong.
I think his barely constrained (contained) rage is more self directed, to be honest. I think he feels sick that he’s agreed to this Rovian script. It looked to me like he couldn’t look Obama in the eye because he was ashamed, not because he loathes him.
McCain at the debates is just not himself. The McCain who stopped the lady after the “scared…Arab” comment (even if he put his foot in his mouth doing it), reads to me like the real guy. He was rattled that this juggernaut of negativity and hatemongering was being taken so seriously - to him, it’s just a strategy. He’s shrewd and calculating, but he’s not as evil as he’s pretending to be, I think.
Of course, I’m basing all of this off of my own filters and experiences with other people and interpretation of his body language, and not much else, so I could be way off base.
This is just idle speculation, but…
Were I a strategist within the GOP, I would silently, wish for an Obama win. The economy, Iraq and a lot of other messes to clean up. That’s going to cost a gazillion dollars. Obama’s election promises needs to be payed for. I would be betting that Obama would be a new Carter, serving only one term and becoming famous for being the first black prez, but pretty much failing in everything else. I’d then spend the next four years undermining his precidency and creating a brand new shiny candidate for '12, hoping for eight glorious years.
And you’re a great patriot, too. Don’t forget about that.
It’s amazing to me how Pubbies actually spout this patriotism meme while all but openly (and sometimes openly) admitting that they hope (HOPE!) Obama will fail, that the economy tanks, that he spends a shitload of money while taxing people to death and ends up making things so bad we elect a Pubbie in 2012 and every year thereafter. Wouldnt you be better off if you prosper under Obama, despite your fears and doubts? According to the Pubbies, the best result would be if his presidency is a total failure, and they’re comfortable rooting for that to happen, even working for that to happen, while claiming (with no basis) that the dems are anti-American. Get a mirror, would you?
Bear in mind that it’s actually corporations which run our government, not political parties. Just this past week, I’ve noticed a seismic shift in media bias – traditionally conservative and/or centrist papers, such as the L.A. Times and the Chicago Tribune, have endorsed Obama, and I’m seeing lots of stories which indict “Joe the Plumber” for his flaws, and other stories which downnplay Ayers’ “terrorist” history. “Socialism” is no longer a dirty word. Since corporations also run the media, this must mean that our Corporate Illuminati (if you like) has decided to abandon the conservatives and focus on liberalism instead. After all, it’s pretty clear at this point which candidate is going to win. Which essentially leaves the GOP powerless.
It’s a mistake to assume Obama will be blamed for all the messes he has to clean up. People have short memories, and while this recession may last for 2-3 years (which would actually be quite a long recession), if the economy starts booming again by Nov. 2012, people are likely to vote for the Democrats again.
I do get the feeling McCain can’t wait to get back to the Senate – he’s looking mighty exhausted lately. Obama, on the other hand, is looking more Presidential than ever.
McCain has always been consistent on this point: he’s opposed to abortion. It’s not a sudden change.
For some reason, his position on abortion comes as a surprise to some people, who are sometimes puzzled when they hear his position and think that he’s pandering to the social conservatives on it. But he’s always taken this position. If he were to take a different position now, that would be a major flip-flop.
Interesting comments, everyone. As a moderate Republican who used to support McCain, I am baffled by how he has chosen to run his campaign. He just does not appear to be the John McCain who I thought I knew…but based on the cites provided by Northern Piper, maybe I never really knew him. I always thought he was personally pro-life, but believed abortion had to remain safe and legal --no cites, but I could swear I’ve heard him say this…many times.
I feel duped by him…but I’m feeling better and better about voting for Obama.
I know many friends of mine who are moderate republicans feel much like you do. They are not putting ‘republicans for Obama’ stickers on their cars, but they are voting for the man.
I think those ardent republicans who will not vote Obama but do not want McCain will just as soon stay home election day, and let Obama clean up the mess of the last 8 years. I trust him to do that.
Be honest, Cervaise. His FIRST opponent in that race was banging Seven of Nine and wasn’t satisfied. He had to take her to swingers clubs, for heaven’s sake.
If that’s not evidence that running against Obama does weird things to you I don’t know what is.
I’ve wondered the same thing myself–especially after the “treason” and “kill him” remarks started coming from the crowd at his rallies. I somehow picture the real McCain, somewhere in the back of his mind, saying, “What the hell am I doing? I hate this!”
I actually liked McCain back in 2000 when he was bucking the GOP establishment–now look at him. He wants Lieberman or Ridge as VP–his handlers tell him “No, you have to pick Palin” and he appears to have no choice but to accede to their demands. I think, deep down, he’s over all of it.
Does this remind anyone else of “The Leader” in the Star Trek episode about the Ekosians? A man who thinks he can run as a Republican benignly, without all the hate and polarization, only to find out too late that the ones with the real power won’t let him?
Where was that interview? I’d like to see it. I had no idea he felt that way about the Gulf War, especially considering how much better that went (at least for us) than the second one.
Also, that doesn’t seem like a wise thing to film when there was still a chance he would be president again. I would think it would be harmful if it got out.
“I’d love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”
It’s what I remembered and went looking for when I heard his “new” position, but as the article says, he misspoke. Apparently lots of people missed the quick retraction.