Has John McCain “sold his soul”?

[Cyrano]

Most of us know that McCain spent years being tortured in the “Hanoi Hilton,” a North Vietnamese prison camp. He had the option of being set free because his father was a U.S. Navy Admiral. And he turned it down.

No one can deny the bravery, fortitude and sheer will power that this man possessed.

Yet, it seems to me, that John McCain himself has turned his back on his own bravery, fortitude and will power. He has become just one more political whore who is willing to “sell his soul” to get into a room called the Oval Office.

So here’s my question. How can this man condone an ongoing “war” that never should have taken place? How can he hug a tyrant who has allowed torture to take place, and continues to take place even as you read this? How can McCain not be screaming out about the evil that has occurred in his/our name, and is still continuing today?

Perhaps, the very act of running for president requires that you “sell your soul.” Or, perhaps, that's just the definition of the despicable version of today's American "conservatism."

[misanthrope]

1. He sold his soul when he hugged Shrub onstage**nm

**

[sam sarrha]

17. i was certain he was actually hump'n W's leg

[Staph]

22. I think that he sold his soul after the 2000 primaries.

In the smear campaign in the South Carolina primary, unknown political operatives (either the Rove gang or Lee Atwater protegee Warren Tompkins) accused McCain of fathering a black child out of wedlock (he actually has an adopted daughter from Bangladesh), accused his wife of drug abuse and himself of homosexuality. Bush won the state and McCain's campaign never recovered. After all of this, he embraced and supported Bush, not just in the 2000 election but throughout the Bush presidency.

If someone treats you so badly, should you support him? Is supporting the party more important than supporting your child and your wife? The contest between Obama and Hillary is a tea party compared to South Carolina 2000.

[misanthrope]

23. That's what I was referring to...

...anyone who would kiss the ass of a political rival who did that to him is a piece of work himself.

[babylonsister]

2. Yes. nt

[trthnd4jstc]

3. He has always been a Republican

He has just lowered his standards to obtain the post of Republican Nominee.

[Fed_Up_Grammy]

4. McCain isn't a conservative or a liberal---he's a candidate.

All candidates care only about votes and will gladly sell their soul,as you put it,to get those votes.

[tabasco]

21. Still squawking the "there's no difference" drivel, eh?

Take a long hike on a short pier, "grammy"

[Happyhippychick]

5. I thought this was going to be a post about his flip flop on torture.

So my answer is "hell yes".

And I don't believe that the very act of running requires you to sell your soul but maybe I'm an idealist.

[Kolesar]

8. Yes, I agree, that is the thesis of this thread

John McCain must have moments of doubt about selling out on torture or even sucking up to the religious right, for that matter. He is too wise to miss that.

[gemdem]

6. I wouldn't say that he sold his soul

But he certainly has sold out his principles and has embraced the agenda againt which he once stood. At this point, McCain is no longer a maverick in the GOP -- he is the GOP and promises a continuation of * policies and tactics.

[DJ13]

7. You know that distrust of McCain the conservatives have?

Thats because they know he's just been wooing the base over the last few years, kissing their ass so to speak, once he's secured the nomination he'll turn on them and become a moderate for the GE.

(Which is his true leanings. Thats why he had to kiss butt.)

The McCain many Dems expect to be running against in November will cease to exist after the GOP convention.

[Cyrano]

14. Perhaps. But I don't want him picking the next Supreme Court Judge. Or

deciding whether or not a woman has a right to an abortion. Or how much longer we should stay in Iraq. Or so many other issues on which he agrees with those who manage to somehow hide behind the term "conservative" when they are, in fact, fascists.

I am not calling McCain a fascist, but he agrees with far too many "conservative" principles with which I am extremely uncomfortable.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. Yay! An easy rhetorical question...I say YES.

Only in the most allegorical sense.

:toast:

[Rosemary2205]

10. What soul?

[acmavm]

11. You act like he had something to sell in the first place. He didn't even have

one to rent.

[Cyrano]

16. That is an extremely unfair evaluation of him. Would you have posted that if you had

spent five years in a North Vietnamese prison camp?

I'm not defending his current positions, or those he might pretend to have. Nonetheless, how many of us could have endured what he did?

Whatever we think of him today, let's not forget what he once was. It deserves the respect that he himself has unfortunately thrown into the Republican sewer.

[acmavm]

24. Don't give me that blantant bullshit. 1) The man sold out his country and his

comrades by telling the Viet Cong EVERYTHING HE KNEW, relevant or not, for medical care. 2) He was not doing anything in the honorable defense of this country when he got caught, he was fighting an earlier and as offensive and obscene war that killed basically innocents. He was such a brave guy he did it from the air. 3) There were others who were captives of the Viet Cong. Not only did they not turn, they died. 4) McCain has been fighting for years to keep the families of MIAs from getting their hands on the debriefing records of prisoners who came home. One of the biggest questions other Viet Nam vets have asked was 'why, what is he afraid of. What is he afraid will come out. 5) The minute McCain came back and got into politics he got caught with his nasty little fingers in the cookie jar and was almost indicted as party of the Charles Keating savings and loan scheme. 6) The man let george bush** say the most foul and disgusting things about his family and then he turned around and publically kissed his ass and backed everything that he did for his own disgusting agenda.

[Annces]

12. He probably had the same concept

of the world as a POW as he does now. Being in a vulnerable position does not necessarily change your outlook or view of the world.

[w8liftinglady]

13. so have all Republicans-read this ltte in my paper

P.S....guess which comment following the letter is my mom's..hehe

http://www.thedailylight.com/articles/2008/02/17/opinion/doc47b4a4753bafb375396242.txt
Letter: Unite the GOP
Published: Thursday, February 14, 2008 2:30 PM CST
To the Editor,

I am a long time Mike Huckabee supporter, but the recent poll numbers and primary results have shown that no matter what happens, John McCain will win the Republican nomination. I have heard talk from conservatives that a no-show is in the works to protest McCain’s nomination. Others talk about voting for third parties or a write-in. This is the worst mistake to make on election day, other than voting for the Democratic nominee.

On March 4, we must vote for John McCain and guarantee him the 140 winner-take-all delegates Texas offers. The quicker we guarantee him the nomination, the longer we have to unite as a party and win over the conservative independent voters. If we keep Mike Huckabee in the race, we will suffer the same division that faces and endangers the Democratic Party.

We must also pledge to vote for John McCain in November, because a vote for a third party, write-in or a no-show is as good as voting for the Democratic Party. We need to put our differences aside and unite as Republicans to keep the radical liberals at bay and make sure tax hikes and a disaster in Iraq are safely confined in the dreams of the Democratic candidate.

We must support John McCain with full effort all the way to convention. A victory in Texas would help ensure a victory on Nov. 8 in the general election. No politician is perfect, but we must stand behind the candidate who can beat the Democratic nominee.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

15. No, he just keeps refinancing it.

[proud patriot]

18. Yes , the evidence leads me to believe so .

[Cyrano]

19. It's sad to see the fall of a man who seemed to have greatness.

The key word there is "seemed."

It's hard to believe that any person who endured what he did could end up being a Republican. I suppose it was the only way he could get elected in his home state.

Nonetheless, it seems to me that there is a huge difference between taking on some party title to get elected, and turning your back on human beings being tortured, when you yourself have been a victim of such barbarism.

I really have no idea what goes on in this man's head.

[BearSquirrel2]

20. His ambition trumped his reason ...

The "maverick" John McCain ran in 2000 and got his teeth kicked in by GW Bush. Initially he was seen as a broker in the Senate but steadily he allowed his ambition for the Oval Office to trump his principles. He has kissed the ass of the religious right and the president. He has backflipped on:

* Tax Policy
* War Policy
* Torture Policy
* Opinion on the Religious Right
* Campaign Financing
* Ethanol

He takes the "wishy-washy" opinion of anti-abortion with exceptions for "rape and incest" as if that somehow nullifies the core objection to abortion. He's all over the place on abortion.

Just wait till the right starts asking him about a Jesus amendment.

I would have voted for the 2000 John McCain. The 2008 version is a weasel.

[AgadorSparticus]

25. yes, a loooooooooong time ago.