Graceless
By Mitch Berg
I disagree with some of my harder-core conservative friends’ animus toward John McCain – to a point. He’s caused a lot of problems for conservatives and the GOP.
Still, it’s just politics. Right?
Bagging on Sarah Palin a decade after the fact is kind of tacky.
May 11th, 2018 at 7:24 am
we must all pray that McCain’s health holds out at least until May 21st and that his enhanced self regard prevents him from resigning his Senate seat before then. If he leaves the Senate before May 21st for any reason his seat will be on the Fall ballot. If he doesn’t then the Arizona governor will appoint a conservative to fill out the last 2 years of his term.
McCain has always been a deep-stater which is why he votes Democrat as often as he votes Republican. George W showed the world what he was during the debates back in 2000; not too bright and filled with a lot of unresolved rage.
May 11th, 2018 at 8:34 am
McCain is a huge hawk. He’s only pissed off at Trump because he’s actually trying to keep us out of another costly war. It’s funny how the left savaged him during the 2008 campaign, getting at least 20 “psychiatrists” to state that his years of captivity and torture, had an effect on his mental state and could do something irrational if he was the President. Now, those same hypocrites are saying that he’s the only sane Republican in Congress.
May 11th, 2018 at 11:28 am
I don’t dispute the harrowing experiences he encountered during the Vietnam War era. But I don’t believe he was ever a political hero. Many have said over the years that he is/was a actually a very self serving, bitter, and mean spirited person. Some may feel he’s been a noble person, me not so much.
May 11th, 2018 at 12:12 pm
Sarah Palin was added to the ticket so people like me would hold our noses and vote for it. Had they added Joe Lieberman as McCain wanted, I’d have stayed home and he’d have won no electoral votes at all.
The fact he doesn’t recognize that, is proof we were right.
May 11th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Ditto, JD.
McCain is fool on top being a graceless prick. That he believed what the NY Times wrote about him prior to the campaign – and after – and would back his campaign as a Republican, revealed his naivete.
May 11th, 2018 at 1:21 pm
I won’t say anything personal about McCain here. As the years have passed, he has become an increasingly poor fit for his job. I suspect he only kept it so long because he (or his staff) is good at constituent service.
I supported, in my small way, Bush over McCain in 2000. I thought McCain was too hot headed & intemperate for the job of Prez (that’s the reason I did not vote for Trump, BTW). Back in 2000 I had a number of pleasantly intriguing conversations with liberals and moderates. All of them preferred McCain over Bush, and they were very clear in stating that they preferred McCain because he was irreligious (compared to Bush), and especially because he had angered the Evangelical/Baptist GOP base.
May 11th, 2018 at 3:07 pm
I dont wish death on anyone but when McCain kicks the bucket I wont shed any tears. I still wish to this day we had nominated Guliani in 2008, he still probably wouldnt have beat Obama but it would have been a closer, more interesting, race.
May 11th, 2018 at 3:14 pm
JD, I can tell you as a volunteer for all 4 days of the RNC back in 2008 at Xcel Energy Center her speech was 100X more impressive and inspiring than McCains. If he had picked Libermann he probably would have done as bad or worse as thee last AZ Republican Senator to run for president (Barry Goldwater in 1964 againms LBJ). Palin is the only reason Obama didnt win 400+ electoral votes in 2008
May 11th, 2018 at 3:20 pm
POD
I remember the McCain/Obama debate of 10/15/08 (economic & domestic policy).
It was clear that night, from the deer-in-the-headlights affect, that McCain didn’t understand even fundamental economics and wasn’t suited for the job of running the federal government. Palin addressed economic policy issues during her debate with more insight and intelligence than McCain.
McCain was where he was in 2008 because just like his friend Hillary 8 years later, It was His Turn.
May 11th, 2018 at 3:34 pm
even being a newcomer to politics I remember that. At 22 I hated Obama (because I thought he was a damn socialist) but knew he was going to win then 100%. I was at a bar, possibly even with Mitch then. I think I nearly threw something at the TV when I saw his lack of reasoning/understanding. Id argue Palin laid the groundwork for what Trump did in 2016. She is a large reason Hillary isnt president because otherwise after that election a lot of people would have, justifably, given up on the Republican Party. Not to mention she had some great lines and absolutely destroyed Biden in the VP debate
May 11th, 2018 at 5:04 pm
POD, through my blog, I got a press credential for the 08 RNC convo. You should have seen the tear squirting from the reprobate alt-media…Lol!
I agree; Palin was an excellent speaker, McCain was warm milk. I hope he goes peacefully and painlessly.
May 11th, 2018 at 6:37 pm
Kelly Sadler is an industry lobbyist hired by Trump, she knows nothing about sacrifice in war. Casual cruelty is one of the hallmarks of this administration.
May 11th, 2018 at 11:52 pm
Yes, it should be viscous, premeditated, and directed, like the last Administration’s cruelty.
McCain is a brave man, but not a very wise one. At the height of an economic crisis, Reagan would have tried to inspire and reassure Americans, Trump would have proposed a “yuge” and “the best” economic plan, and McCain took a knee in front of the opposition. That wasn’t the time to suspend a campaign, that was the time to redouble your effects to reassure the public that you had the capability and vision to lead them, not to cower to events.
Sorry, as much as I dislike Trump personally, I fully respect his relentless drive to action. And if his actions are cruel at times, I would suggest, Emery, that you look at what he deals with from the Democrats and media. He is at best giving back a small fraction of what he gets from them. He fights, and that’s a good thing.
May 12th, 2018 at 12:56 am
[…] Responds To Iran Critics Shark Tank: New Poll Suggests Scott Will Defeat Nelson Shot In The Dark: Graceless STUMP: Happy Idea – Moving From Defined Benefit To “Defined Ambition” The […]
May 12th, 2018 at 6:35 am
Classy. What John McCain says about torture is more important than anything Sadler is ever likely to do or say.
When the boss has not exhibited any integrity or honesty, why would his subordinates have any.
May 12th, 2018 at 8:55 am
Emery shows up after some days to verify not only once, but twice over what Schlichter has been saying for the last few years: The left is shocked that the right has now stopped caring about the old rules, since for so long the left relied on the right to subordinate its human instincts and conform to those rules even when the left ignored them
May 12th, 2018 at 9:04 am
John McCain is a real American hero. The moral lesson here is that Potomac Fever can infect anyone. I hate the idea of term limits but Senator McCain is a good example of why they are needed. Once in power, that power is intoxicating. Though there is a vast amount of good in the man, power corrupts and one becomes self-aggrandized. Personally, I cannot criticize the man much because of his great sacrifice for the country I love. That sacrifice should have kept him more humble. Damn the Potomac disease that is bred in that swamp.
May 12th, 2018 at 9:58 am
JDM
it isn’t so much that the right has started “hating right back” – its that the right has started using Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals as part of their playbook. People like the Emery-Collective™ have grown up secure in the belief that Alinsky’s Rules was only their playbook, now that it is being used against them they are appalled and in Emery’s case a little frightened.
Emery
What McCain has to say about torture is not important, it is mundane and mostly incorrect. Torture does work, especially when you eschew the sadistic hollywood aspect and simply use it as a tool in a toolbox of information gathering techniques. As anyone proficient in Game Theory and Operant Conditioning can tell you negative reinforcement definitely has a prominent and highly effective place in the process. Torture(negative reinforcement) fails when it is your only tool. Stop watching Hollywood B-movies as though they are documentaries
May 12th, 2018 at 10:39 am
Kel: There is an angry ignorance in your comment that is not pleasant. You should consider being more concise in your sarcasm, it doesn’t improve with length.
Furthermore, it’s besides the point what McCain believes regarding torture. It’s the unabated classlessness the WH continues to exhibit.
I believe Gina Haspel is a conscientious, hard-working and experienced intelligence officer. She also knows all about the CIA, having spent many decades there. In some ways, obviously a good candidate.
You on the the other hand, may feel that when reading about what Haspel presided over in Thailand, it might be difficult to avoid the conclusion that she should be in prison, not aspiring to run the CIA. Perhaps you also believe her candidacy is truly a symptom of the moral collapse of the USA. But we don’t know that because you appear to be focused on more Alt-right “chanting points”.
May 12th, 2018 at 11:42 am
Emery
Unlike you I am neither ignorant nor angry.
I am pleased to see that after stating unequivocally: “What John McCain says about torture is more important than anything…” you immediately back pedal to ; “Furthermore, it’s besides the point what McCain believes regarding torture.”. That is a marvelous exemplar of, what shall we call it, how about muddled thinking!
I have not researched AD/CIA Haspel so I have no opinion about her one way or another nor do I have any information about Ms Sadler but your remarks clearly confuse the two, I can only speculate why that may be.
Your ignorance is obvious when you state “when reading about what Haspel presided over in Thailand…” when you have no way of knowing what she did or did not preside over. I admit I was imprecise when I refereed to the obvious influence of Hollywood on your alleged thought process. The taint in your “reasoning” should be more accurately ascribed to Hollywood/MSM and of course your proven record of critical thinking deficits.
May 12th, 2018 at 12:20 pm
Mac, your point is well taken – I did regret somewhat the link, although I still like Schlichter’s comment that I included from that link (which conforms to yours).
That hate will take care of itself as time goes by.
May 12th, 2018 at 1:52 pm
There are few true experts on torture, John McCain is one of them. Although I might add he did torture America through Sarah Palin.
May 12th, 2018 at 2:00 pm
jdm
here’s a good follow on article from pjmedia:
https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/the-semantic-whoredom-of-the-left/
May 13th, 2018 at 6:44 am
We know that when told “This Muslim terrorist set a bomb in a New York City school and we must torture him to learn it’s location before it explodes,” Emery’s crowd would be incandescent with indignation.
But we strongly suspect if it were a White Male Christian accused of owning an assault rifle, they’d be incandescent with eagerness.
May 13th, 2018 at 9:50 pm
What kind of low-life kicks a dying man?
May 14th, 2018 at 5:31 am
What kind of low-life media exploits a dying man with failing mental faculties for their own political purposes?
May 14th, 2018 at 6:13 am
https://pjmedia.com/trending/white-house-refuses-to-apologize-for-aides-hes-dying-anyway-joke-about-mccain/
May 14th, 2018 at 7:08 am
Oh no! That’s it. Trump’s finished now.
May 14th, 2018 at 1:01 pm
What kind of low-life media exploits a dying man with failing mental faculties for their own political purposes?
Our MSM, they have no concept of shame.