BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

John McCain: Portrait of a Demagogue

Demagogue: "A leader who obtains power by means of impassioned appeals to the emotions and prejudices of the populace."

The American Heritage Dictionary

And there’s a very good reason for that.  A demagogue’s agenda is virtually always fundamentally at odds with what’s in the best interest of the people.  So the only way that they can get the people’s support is to appeal to their hatred, fear, or anger–that’s when individuals are most prone to act without taking the time to think about their actions.  Demagogues specialize, therefore, in appealing  to the emotions.  That allows them to circumvent the mind, and thus, not have to deal with one’s common sense.

An example of that strategy at work is clearly demonstrated at a recent  John McCain rally.  While addressing his angry supporters--who were already frustrated over the economy, the financial bailout, pending foreclosures, and the loss of jobs–instead of reassuring them by sharing  policy initiatives that he’d developed to address their concerns, he further inflamed the crowd by giving the floor to, and agreeing with, a supporter who stood up to called Barack and Nancy Pelosi hooligan socialists.

The event  was more of a hatefest than it was a rally, and during a video recording of the event,  in spite of the fact that the nation is going through the most severe financial crisis since the Great Depression, neither McCain nor Palin wasted one word on how they intended to address the issue.  Their entire message seemed to be that Obama is not one of us.  While McCain didn’t give the crowd any answers to their concerns, he did give them someone to hate, and the crowd loved it.  He had successfully used their emotions to circumvent their ability to think, and without thought, nothing is as cathartic as unadulterated hatred.

Therefore, it was an absolute must for McCain and Palin to pull this off, because if the crowd had managed to remain in possession of their faculties, they might have started asking a series of embarrassing questions.  They might have asked McCain, for example, why did you come all this way and not have a thing to say about how we’re going to address this national emergency?  And why is it that Barack Obama didn’t become a threat  until you started sliding in the polls?  They might have also wanted to discuss McCain’s change in strategy.  He started out the campaign talking about his experience, and how he was  going to bring about change.  So a clear thinking supporter would probably ask, “Ok, so how is that vast experience you’ve been talking about going to get us out of this mess--and about that change, when is it suppose to begin?

So the fact is, by allowing themselves to be hoodwinked, McCain’s supporters relieved him of the need to address the very issues they were most concerned about, just as they relieved Bush of the need to be  responsible eight years earlier.  The moment McCain supporters showed him that he  could get their support by simply keeping them scared and angry, they lost all leverage in getting their most passionate concerns addressed.

But fear and anger are not the only weapons that McCain has in his arsenal.  McCain has been playing on America’s patriotism for his entire career.  In fact, that’s one of his most formidable talents.  Due to his status as a “war hero”, most Americans feel honor bound to never, ever, question his patriotism.  But fortunately, there are a few true mavericks among us, and we’re rather reckless in our homage.

Thus, if you take a close look at Sen. McCain’s record when it comes to supporting of the troops, you’ll discover some very surprising facts.  While he’s always delivering sermons on the necessity of supporting our troops, VetVoice.com gives him a failing grade when it comes to actually living his sermons:

“ In its most recent legislative ratings, the non-partisan Disabled American Veterans gave Sen. McCain a 20 percent rating for his voting record on veterans' issues. Similarly, the non-partisan Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a "D" grade for his poor voting record on veterans' issues, including McCain's votes against additional body armor for troops in combat and additional funding for PTSD and TBI screening and treatment.”

           

You see, while McCain has a sterling record when it comes to voting our troops into battle, that’s not  supporting our troops, that’s supporting Halliburton, Blackwater, and the military/industrial complex.  When it comes to actually supporting our troops–by spending to provided them with the best equipment to help protect their lives while in battle, or paying to take care of the disabled, and  many other vets, after they’ve completed their service, his record is atrocious–in fact, given his rhetoric, scandalously so.

The most cursory review of McCain’s voting record reflects that in September of 2007, McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate rest for the troops between deployments. In May of 2006 he voted against an amendment (H.R. 4939, S. Amdt. 3704) that would provide 20 million dollars for veteran healthcare facilities. In April of 2006 McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against a $430,000,000 amendment (H.R. 4939, S.Amdt. 3642) for the Department of Veteran Affairs to improve Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for vets. And in March of 2006 he voted against an amendment (S.Con.Res.83, S.Amdt.3007) to increase veteran's medical funding by 1.5 billion dollars. And of course, he didn't even show up to vote for the latest veteran's bill that increased veteran's education benefits.

According to USA Today, "The Arizona senator opposes the scholarship measure, as does the Pentagon, because it applies to people who serve just three years. He fears that would encourage people to leave the military after only one enlistment even as the U.S. fights two wars and is trying to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps."

It is astonishing that McCain would even make such an admission, since the stated rationale suggests that his philosophy is that we can't afford to improve the standard of living of the poor and middle class, because we need them to fight our wars.

I’m sure that many Americans are quite disheartened to learn these facts–and you should be.  But actually, we’re fortunate, because after allowing demagogues to control this country for the past eight years, we’re lucky that we’re not in worse shape than we in.  After all, we could be in the military, waiting for McCain to vote us a fair shake.

Eric L. Wattree
wattree.blogspot.com
  

The Most Important Donation of the Campaign I hope you don't mind, but I'm posting this one to the Democratic site. Somehow I think Obama will view this as the most important $25 he's collected during the entire campaign: "That one" (14+ / 0-) My husband, blue collar white guy, truck mechanic, flag outside on the front porch, not a political junkie at all (basically, someone Sarah Palin would condescendingly describe as "Joe Six-Pack", called me a little while ago to tell me he sent $25 to Obama's campaign. (With no prompting at all from me, BTW.) It was his first political contribution in the 20 years I've known him. You know why he did it? Because McCain called Obama "that one." He yelled at the screen when McCain said that, and couldn't stop venting about it all through the debate. I can't exactly describe his reaction -- it wasn't just "how dare he insult the candidate I'm voting for." It was as if it was his patriotic duty to help stand up for Obama and stop McCain. So yeah, I think he sees Obama as his President. From Daily Kos

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE A Footnote to Posterity As I watched the second presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain, my mind drifted off to when I once watched the landing of the Space Shuttle. All the drama of the mission was over, and the space walk had been completed successfully. Now all that was left to complete a perfect mission, was to bring the bird in for a landing. As the shuttle grew larger over the horizon, I remember being overwhelmed with pride over this marvel of engineering, and for the thousands of ordinary people who had come together to accomplish its mission. Then as the dot over the horizon grew larger, the sound of unabridged competence suddenly crackled forth as the commander of this magnificent vessel spoke to ground control: “Landing gear down, and all systems online. Glide path and descent, five by five.” Then after several seconds of awestruck silence, as we watched the majestic bird descend, the commander’s voice chimed in once again, with that matter-of-fact tone, as though he was pulling his car into the driveway. “Thirty seconds to touchdown.” Then finally it glided to a picture landing. As impressed as I was over the feat of engineering that went into the space shuttle and its mission, I found myself even more fascinated by what must have gone into building the kind of man with the competence, intelligence, and cool professionalism that could command such a vessel--and I had that very same feeling as I watched the cool professionalism of Barack Obama’s performance last night. I felt privileged to bear witness, to the very best this nation has to offer. During this election cycle, some of the world’s most experienced politicians have thrown everything, including the kitchen sink, at Sen. Obama, and he handled it with a cool professionalism that has rarely, if ever, been seen in the political arena before. While his opponents sling mud in desperation, he remains firm and steady, and stays right on point. That, is the key to his success. While his opponents have promised and preached sermons about what they will be as president, for all intent and purposes, Barack Obama has very quietly, become the president–and it is for precisely that reason, that John McCain had already lost the debate the moment he stepped on stage. Due to his many gaffs, awkward moments, and demonstrations of bad judgment contrasted with Sen. Obama’s invariably steady and solid control, many Americans no longer see Sen. McCain as Barack Obama’s opponent, they see him as a boorish, and disrespectful pest, harassing the next president of the United States–and they resent it. That explains why at this point the McCain campaign is scratching its head at their slide in the polls. They’ve all but given up on trying to win by addressing the issues. They’ve even decided, for some unfathomable reason, to publically announced that from this point forward their game plan is to play in the mud. It’s a desperate move, because they just can’t figure out why after slinging some of their most tried-and-true mud, none of it seems to stick--and why, in spite of their most unconscionable efforts, their poll numbers continue to head towards Dixie. What they fail to understand is, a lie needs help. In order for them to call Obama a Muslim terrorist who likes to “pal around” with a Bill Ayres, who they describe as a domestic terrorist, and make it stick, the lie needs to be assisted by an American public who wants to believe it–but in their effort to smear Barack Obama, they simply don’t have that support. McCain’s primary problem is, the American people have gotten to know Barack Obama. With all of the publicity he’s gotten over the past two years, they’ve learned more about Obama in just two years than they have about McCain in his twenty-six years in the public eye. And beyond that, they like Obama, which is not always the case with John McCain. McCain also has another serious problem–he’s a walking contradiction. While he’s telling the American people that he tried to protect them from the current financial crisis before it happened, the only person he’s documented as ever trying to protect is convicted felon Charles Keating. He desperately tried to protect him from public accountability after Keating was responsible for the collapse of Lincoln Savings and Loan, under conditions identical to our current crisis. In that case, more than 21,000 investors, mostly elderly, lost their life’s savings, totaling $285 million. And even after getting a pass on that as a result of his status as a “war hero,” McCain continues to be one of the senate’s most prolific deregulators. And beyond that, many consider legislation authored by Phil Gramm, McCain’s chief economic advisor, the one component that was indispensable to the current financial crisis. It was also recently revealed that Rick Davis, chairman of McCain’s campaign committee, was being paid $15,000 a month by Freddie Mac, right up until their financial bailout. So his words don’t past the sniff test. He’s either lying, or has extremely bad judgment in choosing his staff. So while McCain is talking out of both sides of his mouth, George Bush is hiding out in the White House, Cheney is secluded in his “secret location,” and Sarah Palin is avoiding reporters while slinging mud from a script, Barack Obama has quietly taken on a role of national leadership. While it is not his intent to usurp anyone’s authority, at this point, all official authority has been abdicated, so he’s using the campaign as a vehicle to step into the vacuum, in order to reassure the American people who are desperate for some kind of leadership. Even at his young age, he’s stepped in as a sort of elder statesman to assure the people that while we are indeed undergoing a crisis, it is a manageable crisis, and together, we will see it through. So absolutely, John McCain was fighting a losing battle when he first stepped up on that stage–and to make things even worse, yet again, he showed atrociously bad judgment by referring to Sen. Obama as “that one.” The man has an invariable penchant for digging holes and jumping in. Even sitting in my den, I could feel the entire nation wince as he said it, because what America knew, which was obviously lost on John McCain, was that we were witnessing a footnote, casually dismissing, the next President of the United States. Eric L. Wattree wattree.blogspot.com

BENEATH THE SPIN • ERIC L. WATTREE

Is a Black President Too Much Change for America to Bear?

Ok, let’s drop the nonsense and be real, here. If Barack Obama was White, he’d be at least twenty points ahead of John McCain in every major poll in the country. His election would have been so certain by now that Michelle would have already been sent the keys to the White House–and we all know it.

By any indicator–intellect, character, prudence, demeanor, or competence–Barack Obama is clearly not only head and shoulders above John McCain, but he’s one of the most impressive presidential candidates in the history of this nation. So what American voters have to decide at this pivotal point in our history, is how much do they truly love America. It’s time that we really embrace this question, instead of simply paying lip service to it.

Too many of us love America by rote rather than passion. With some, it’s not so much about loving America, as it is hating everyone else, and others love the American plot of land, but hate the ideals that America stands for. So this November is where the rubber meets the road. It may very well be our last chance to decide whether or not we truly love America, and the American ideal, or decide that the mere thought of having a Black president, is just too much change for Americans to bear? That, is the one and only question before us this election season, and we all know it.

Now, we can continue trying to delude ourselves into believing that the primary issue in this election is experience and not race, but at this point, even the most naive among us can see through that sham. Experience in office notwithstanding, there is virtually no one in this country who’s so dense that they can’t see that Barack Obama, even as a candidate, is the most presidential figure in the country today, and that’s exactly what we so desperately need at this point in our history. So don’t start talking to me about experience–Wall Street was full of experience, and so was the Bush administration. What we need is good judgment, and Obama’s judgment has been sternly tested as he presides over the most flawless campaign that this nation has ever witnessed.

The experience issue is nothing more than a talking point. Some of the very same people who say that Obama lacks the experience to be trusted in the Oval Office, also says that if it became necessary, Sarah Palin is more than qualified to take over the helm. That position is ridiculous on its face. Is there anyone in the country, Democrat or Republican, that’s so delusional that they actually believe that Sarah Palin is more capable than Barack Obama? I don’t think so. While there are still those who claim to believe it, I think I’m safe in saying that every person in America knows better.

On judgment alone, Sen. Obama not only managed to defeat Hillary Clinton, but former President Bill Clinton as well--two of the most powerful political forces in the world today, while Gov. Palin can’t even be trusted by her own running mate to give a news interview. The fact is, and I don’t want to sound sexist, but it is indeed a fact, that any television weather girl could replace Sarah Palin seamlessly, and in a heartbeat. John McCain could be easily replaced as well–they’re both what my late wife use to call "typicals." But consider the amount of effort it would take to replace Barack Obama–if, in fact, he could be replaced at all.

Nevertheless, Sarah Palin supporters contend that her executive experience in Alaska makes her more qualified to be president than Barack Obama. But while they’re saying that out of one side of their mouth, they’re having to defend the complete disaster that Ms. Palin left behind out of the other.

They want to ignore the fact that as mayor of Wasilla, a town of only 6300 residents, Palin, this fiscal conservative, left behind a debt of $22 million ($3492 per resident) as a direct result of her administrative incompetence. During her tenure as mayor, Palin built a $14.7 million sports complex for the city of wasilla, but there was only one problem–she failed to gain title to the property that it was built on. As a result of this minor oversight, the city’s long term debt went from $1 million, to over $25 million. And during her short tenure as governor, she’s left behind a full-blown scandal ("trooper gate") after only 22 months in office. Both issues suggest poor judgment.

And with regard to McCain, notice that once again, we find ourselves discussing Sarah Palin rather than John McCain, who’s at the top of the ticket. The fact that a man with 26 years in office is being overshadowed by a novice running mate with a dubious record, speaks volumes about McCain’s own suitability to be president. Considering his 72 years and the condition of his health, the fact that McCain would choose someone of Sarah Palin’s pedestrian proclivities and modest grasp of world affairs at this precarious juncture in our history, raises concerns regarding McCain’s judgment on behalf as well. How could one watch Sarah Palin’s performance in the Katie Couric interview and not recognize that McCain put the nation’s interest on the back burner when he made his vice-presidential selection?

Then there was McCain’s performance during the financial crisis. Watching McCain flail back and forth during this financial emergency, contradicting himself by trying to play both sides of the issue, and at the same time desperately attempting to maneuver himself into position to take credit for any bailout was a pathetic thing to watch. The nation was facing the worst financial crisis in its history–in world history–but instead of trying to figure out how to best serve the American people, McCain made an absolute fool of himself by trying to gain political milage out of a national tragedy. In addition, he was clearly in over his head and operating in panic mode. But it gave us a clear, though horrific snapshot of what we could expect from him as president during a national emergency. The thought is horrifying.

Thus, the irony in this situation is just short of Biblical in nature. First, as the nation is crumbling around us, the only chance we have of saving ourselves is by overcoming the racism that has been a pervasive part of the nation’s fabric since its inception. Secondly, and just as ironic, is the only person that seems to be qualified to save the nation, is part of a group that has been derided over the years as ignorant, lazy, and without class. Yet, the very qualities that will allow him to save us, is the fact that he is better educated, more intelligent, a harder worker, and has more class, wisdom, and common sense than anyone else available. And finally, Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president exactly 45 years to the day, after Martin Luther King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

The irony of all this is much too pointed to have simply come about by chance.

Eric L. Wattree

wattree.blogspot.com