John McCain - The Man Who Will Say Or Do Anything To Get Elected

[ruggerson]

The media loves to frame Hillary Clinton as a politically expedient politician. She will tack leftward to appease Democratic primary voters and then rightward to attract independents. The Clintons both famously poll extensively before choosing the exact nuanced position that jives with their findings, according to the corporate media. By extenuation, this allows the Republicans to take the frame one step further and call into question Hillary's veracity and integrity.

John McCain is currently performing a very public courtship of the far rightwing base of the Republican party. He is tacking hard right to make sure that he does not get destroyed in the early Republican primaries.

But, aside from Jon Stewart and the occasional MSM article (one today in the NY Times), there is not much buzz out there denouncing him as a man without integrity for doing this.

In this we see an extraordinary double standard. The media will cast Hillary Clinton in hard stone as an expedient politician without principle. But, they do not perform the same character demolition on John McCain, or most other Republicans, when those Republicans do the exact mirror image tack to the right, dance-with-the-base, disingenuous courtship of the religious rightwing.

If we are to destroy John McCain in the eyes of independents, and that is something we must do if we are to avoid a McCain presidency, it is our job to frame him much as the media as framed Hillary: a man without values whose only goal is power.

John McCain is a politician who will say or do anything to get elected.

John McCain has no core principles.

He just wants desperately to be President.

[DanCa]

1. General Clark would crush Mccain in an election

Clark would also own Rudy Guilani.

[KalicoKitty]

2. McCain is a flip-flopper.

I agree; he will do or say anything to get that job of “president”! One time McCain criticizes Bush, then the next time, he sucks up to him!

[bluedeminredstate]

7. Oh my God!!

I guess I never did the full scroll down on this picture that I've seen dozens of times. Please tell me this is photoshopped and McCain is not giving the Chimperor a ball squeeze. I knew he did all kinds of things in private, but I never thought he'd grab Bush's nuts in public on stage - - and look like he's enjoying it like he's cuddling up to his favorite teddy.

[Island Blue]

8. That one is photoshopped

but the original one (minus the nut squeeze) is equally disgusting. The look on McCain's face says it all IMO.

[ruggerson]

10. the original one should be played over and over on TV in '08 by the DNC

n/t

[0007]

3. John McCain has no decency, morality, rectitude, or virtue

all John McCain has is a mouth full of junior's smegma that does nothing but spews down right lies and misinformation. McCain is a big accident waiting to happen.

I say swat him down like a diseased fucking fly.

[msgadget]

4. They're often linked in reporting, as though they're being thrust upon us

He has been unmasked as a "pro-life, pro-family, fiscal conservative." Those words are his, and they are a reasonably accurate description of the man who voted against the prescription drug entitlement and the most recent transportation bill because of their costs.

...

...his quest for the 2008 Republican nomination was bound to require tactics inconsistent with his carefully cultivated reputation for unexampled authenticity. He has endorsed teaching "intelligent design" theory in schools and has sought a detente with Jerry Falwell, one of "the agents of intolerance" he denounced in 2000. But who has ever assembled a presidential constituency without endorsing positions formerly avoided or compromising positions formerly endorsed?

...

This November could produce what McCain could use -- grim election returns for Republicans. If on Nov. 8 Republicans are reeling and a reelected Hillary Clinton is rampant, hitherto unenthralled Republicans might suddenly consider McCain as virtuous as he considers himself. For the politically nervous, "virtuous" is a synonym for "electable."



...

McCain also has gone out of his way to cozy up to President Bush after their bitter rift in the 2000 presidential campaign. McCain has said he does not look back in anger at old political battles. That's wise -- he's going to need Bush's backing in a presidential bid.

McCain also has taken other stands that should put him in good with Southern conservatives. Hailing from a military family -- his father and grandfather were admirals in the Navy -- he is a strong supporter of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and believes the number of U.S. troops there should be beefed up.

He is against abortion rights and gun-control laws and believes students should be taught the religion-oriented "intelligent design" theory of creation as well as the theory of scientific evolution.

...

[izzie]

5. When they run they all do it, I think

The top looks to good to stick to your values I guess.

[Brigid]

6. Disappointment

I love what Jon Stewart did last week, having a segment on Jerry Falwell's hypocracy and then having John McCain on immediately afterward. McCain is a cruel disappointment.

[Bobbieo]

9. McCain Wants to Be Pres

I am on an AZ activist that sends e-mails to McCain all the time. He has never bothered to respond to anything but this past week I have re'cd two snail mail letters from him. Guess he wants my vote in '08