One Flip Left in His Flop, I Think
Josh has a new post up arguing that McCain doesn't even have a Hail Mary left in his depleted political arsenal. He writes:
But you can't undo the last three-plus years. Someone who is a master of the politics of opportunism can manage countless transformations. Not someone whose whole schtick is candor, authenticity and integrity. McCain is a good example of the fact that life can take almost everything away from you, and usually does. But your dignity you've got to give away. And he did.
I think he does. It isn't one that any political advisor would ever advise him to do. In fact, most professionals would say it is political suicide. But I think the American public would find it politically refreshing, if not endearing. And it would give open anti-war Republicans, as well as closet anti-war Republicans just waiting for an excuse, someone they could openly support as a real alternative.
He could say, "I was wrong. I see that now. I thought that if we just gave the president enough time, he could find a way to win in Iraq. But the truth is, he hasn't been looking for a way to win. He's only be looking for a way to protect himself politically from being forced to admit defeat. He fooled me. He fooled a lot of people. I supported him, and I was wrong to support him, and as a result a lot of good soldiers and Marines have paid the ultimate price. But no more. I draw the line in the sand here. I am going to do everything in my power as a US Senator to stop this insanity. I hope I can make a difference, but there are a lot of Senators who are still blind to the situation we are in. I don't know if I can make a big enough difference in the Senate, but I do know that as your president, I can make all the difference in the world."
Campaign Theme - All the Difference in the World.
No, unless you're making a joke of it, this would only make McCain subject to flip-flopping attacks. We know how that works out for the victims.
July 13, 2007 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
Flip-flopping attacks from the media and his opponents. But if he follows up with real action to stop the war, none of that will matter. Americans are waiting for someone to say basically this very thing. The first one who does gets a ticket to the White House.
And it's only flip-flopping if you try to claim you were right both times.
July 13, 2007 10:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fair point. What sort of actions as a senator should he take? Join ongoing efforts, or lead his own unique effort in an outspoken manner?
July 14, 2007 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
A savvy campaign would not have sided with the President in the first place. We have to assume McCain actually believes in his position. It must be belief since it sure ain't successful, and he surely isn't expecting any favors from the guy that smeared him in the primaries.
He would have flipped if he could.
July 13, 2007 10:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hoped McCain might do exactly that for quite a while, but I've given up hope. The McCain of 2007 is so far removed from the McCain of 2000 (hell, even the McCain from 2005) that I'm tempted to engage in some pop-psychology and suggest that his own war experience blinds him to the unecessary and brutal nature of the current expedition.
McCain's foremost calling card used to be his ability to seem like the only sane Republican in the Senate. Not so, now. These days, I think anyone who once believed in his integrity could say many of the same things you have McCain saying about Bush, about Straight-Talk Captain himself.
At any rate, McCain has never been the Republican Machine's candidate; for my money, that's Fred Thompson.
-Wes Collins
July 13, 2007 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Fred's got a problem. I overheard one of his early canvassers express it months ago.
This was well before his campaign was starting to form, really only when people first sort of started suggesting it. I was at a restaurant in Memphis. Two men were sitting at the table next to me, one of them asking questions, the other answering. It took a while for their discussion to filter through and catch my attention. Really, it was the last question.
"As a man of faith, if you were to find out that Senator Thompson is not a man of faith, how would that affect your vote?"
I think he's going to have a tough time beating that rap with the grunts in the trenches of the battle to establish an American theocracy.
July 13, 2007 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now that's interesting. I've been wondering where the evangelical Christians are going to swing in 2008. None of the prominent candidates on either side jibe too well with their ideology (and Romney would be almost as much of an Anti-Christ to them as would Hilary Clinton).
Before last year's Congressional elections, I would have said that Thompson would have no problem pretending to be a man of faith, enough to satisfy the base; however, I think the actual voting republicans (not the same as the Republican Machine)have finnaly started seeing the errors of their representatives ways.
I still think Thompson is the Machine's perfect candidate. He's an actor, so he can pretend to be sincere possibly better than his adversaries; he's a somewhat unknown quantity, al almost perfectly malleable cipher; he has the sort of Bush-swagger that lulls a certain kind of man into feeling like "ladyboys" for not voting for him, the alpha male.
-Wes Collins
July 13, 2007 10:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not saying McCain doesn't believe his own BS.
All I'm saying is that McCain has a Hail Mary left in his arsenal - the truth. If he would pull his head out of Bush's ass, he still might be able to turn his campaign around.
But he would have to pull it out honestly, starting with an apology and admitting to his mistakes. He couldn't play that "my positions haven't changed" card that so many of them like to play. And he would have to actually follow up, maybe even have himself a Mr. Smith moment on the Senate floor. People are willing to forgive a candidate if that candidate asks for it and then actually changes his ways.
That's McCain's Hail Mary, and I'm pretty sure it would have broad public appeal.
But I don't think it will actually happen. He'll keep punting and playing for field position until the clock runs out.
July 13, 2007 12:03 PM | Reply | Permalink