I used to like John McCain. Not his politics, just him. Alone among all
the Republicans (and virtually all the Democrats) he seemed like
someone who had his own thoughts and spoke his own mind. He didn't seem
to test out his sentences in front of focus groups before they dropped
from his lips. He called it “straight talk,” and it was a welcome
relief from the bullshit that comes flowing out of the Beltway on an
hourly basis.

The John McCain who ran against GW Bush in the
2000 primaries seemed like a guy that, even if I disagreed with him on
90% of social issues, I could support and respect in other ways. He was
the quintessential maverick, or so it seemed. Heck, even Jon Stewart liked him.

But not anymore. What changed?

At
some point over the last three years McCain sold his soul to the White
House. He traded public support for “the surge” for a promise of help
rallying the Bush Base (billionaires + flat earth conservatives) behind
him. He began to walk, talk, and crap like every other politician in
Washington with his eye on the big prize.

The choice of Governor
Sarah Palin as running mate is, publicly at least, a desperate attempt
to resurrect that Maverick image. "Look at Johnny go, making a pick
completely out of left field. He's still his own man, by golly."

But
the reality is just the opposite. Palin is not a serious choice for
vice president. She's Dan Quayle with tits. OK, maybe she's a little
smarter than Dan Quayle. But imagine just for a moment the croak or
stroke scenario: McCain suddenly kicks the bucket or goes into a
persistent vegetative state, and we have President Sarah Palin. From
mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population 6,000), to leader of the free
world in less than three years. What a great story for Hollywood. What
a disaster for the planet.

Does anyone on the GOP side honestly
relish that thought? Well, yes – the power brokers in DC who would use
Palin as a hand puppet the same way they used W. (I wouldn't rule out
Dick Cheney re-emerging to pull the strings. I still believe they're
going to have a hell of a time evicting him next January.) Then god
help us.

Palin is cute, no doubt about it. She has an appealing back story. She's like that chick from Northern Exposure – Janine whatshername.
But what she really is, at heart, is a sop to the evangelicals that
McCain desperately needs to turn out in force if he has a chance of
derailing Obama. She's the female Huckabee. And if that isn't politics
as usual, I don't know what is.

(I can't say I'm thrilled by
Obama's choice of Biden, either. It seems a step backward in the wrong
direction toward DC. But I also can't think of any really good
alternatives, despite how pissed off my wife is that he didn't pick
Hillary.)

When I was young, Maverick meant two things. It was a comedy-western TV show from the 50s starring James Garner.
And it was a compact car put out by Ford in the early 1970s when
Detroit was trying to compete with Toyota and Datsun. The show was
great – Garner was charming, funny, and always two steps ahead of the
other guy; the car sucked and was discontinued shortly after it
debuted.

McCain as Maverick is much closer to the car than to
Garner. He is a tired wannabee product put out by a factory town that
lost its way decades ago. He's a lemon destined for the junkyard. And
no amount of new paint – or physically appealing running mates – can
change that.

From The WitList