disgusting

Remember February? It will go down as the time in this campaign when John McCain had some modicum of dignity and respect. October will be known as the time in this campaign when the soul of John McCain died. In February he said:

“It’s my understanding that before I came in here a person who was on the program before I spoke made some disparaging remarks about my two colleagues in the Senate, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton,” he said. “I have repeatedly stated my respect for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, that I will treat them with respect. I will call them ‘Senator.’ We will have a respectful debate, as I have said on hundreds of occasions. I regret any comments that may have been made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans.”

Wingnut talker Bill Cunningham had just repeatedly used Barack’s middle name Hussein as a slur that whipped the rabid GOP crowd into a frenzy. John McCain quickly and forcefully repudiated this action. He did so just after Bill spoke.

Today he stood and watched while someone yelled TERRORIST when he had rhetorically asked who the real Barack Obama was:

In this clip you can see a microcosm of what this campaign has become for John McCain. His original self, the John McCain of 2000 and you could argue even the John McCain of some months ago would be horrified by such a comment being yelled out. That is his initial – and natural – reaction. He was horrified. This quickly gives way to apology and indifference to rightwing conservative bloodlust. They had, afterall, struck a deal. The transformation of John McCain “Maverick” into John McCain “Right Wing Partisan” is thus complete. The soul of the maverick is dead. What could cause such a turn of events? Ambition. Powerfully singular and blind ambition.

The desire for any kind of respectful debate on the issues was jettisoned along the campaign trail like so many of his past airplanes about to crash. This one is going down in flames as well. McCain will once again be a POW. This time, he’ll be a prisoner in his own cell of inadequacy and inability to live up to the expectations of his much vaunted father and grandfather – both admirals in the Navy. It was something John could never obtain given his track record in the military. His ambition to be President was his last grasp at family redemption. His last best hope to live up to the McCain name.

The plane is on fire and it is in a flat tailspin.

Any dignity and respect that John McCain had in this campaign has been all but used up in this October campaign period like oil from an offshore “drill, baby, drill” rig. The disgusting level to which the McCain camp has sunk in a desperate attempt to stem the tide that is rising against their bid for a date with McCain family ambition and continuation of disastrous George W. Bush policies is simply breathtaking.

The entire thing has left me with this sick feeling all day. Right in the pit of the gut. It’s a combination of sadness and anger. Sadness for segments of our society who would shout “terrorist” about another candidate for President of the United States of America and anger for those who would so bastardize their right to free speech that they’d literally shout for the execution of another human being. All of which happens at a Republican campaign event without the slightest hint of repudiation. Not one word. The show, of course, had to go on. [click to continue…]

Share on Facebook

{ 5 comments }