Cohen: it doesn't matter if McCain flip-flops, he was a prisoner of war.
It appears that there is no hoop of hypocrisy that journalists aren't prepared to jump through, desperate to explain why John McCain's constant flip-flopping on major issues simply isn't a big deal.
Richard Coen explains why:
I'm sorry, but that's frankly ridiculous on it's face. There is "only so far he will go and then his pride or his sense of honour takes over"? Is that a gag?In some recent magazine articles, I and certain of my colleagues have been accused of being soft on McCain, forgiving him his flips, his flops and his mostly conservative ideology. I do not plead guilty to this charge, because, over the years, the man's imperfections have not escaped my keen eye. But, for the record, let's recapitulate: McCain has either reversed himself or significantly amended his positions on immigration, tax cuts for the wealthy, campaign spending (as it applies to use of his wife's corporate airplane) and, most recently, offshore drilling. In the more distant past, he has denounced then embraced certain ministers of medieval views and changed his mind about the Confederate flag, which flies by state sanction in South Carolina only, I suspect, to provide Republican candidates with a chance to choose tradition over common decency. There, I've said it all.
But here is the difference between McCain and Obama -- and Obama had better pay attention. McCain is a known commodity. It's not just that he's been around a long time and staked out positions antithetical to those of his Republican base. It's also -- and more important -- that we know his bottom line. As his North Vietnamese captors found out, there is only so far he will go, and then his pride or his sense of honor takes over. This -- not just his candor and nonstop verbosity on the Straight Talk Express -- is what commends him to so many journalists.
Let's repeat the places where he has flip-flopped.
Immigration. Tax cuts for the wealthy. Campaign spending. Off shore drilling. The use of the Confederate flag and "agents of intolerance" suddenly becoming no such thing.
Cohen also left out McCain's flip flops on abortion, torture, campaigning at Bob Jones University, and ethanol.
But there is only so far he will go before "his pride or sense of honour takes over"? Is Cohen taking the piss? McCain has turned in so many areas that there's few places left for him to change his mind on, so where does Cohen imagine this line is where McCain's sense of honour and pride kicks in?
Oh wait, it's here:
Obama might have a similar bottom line, core principles for which, in some sense, he is willing to die. If so, we don't know what they are. Nothing so far in his life approaches McCain's decision to refuse repatriation as a POW so as to deny his jailors a propaganda coup. In fact, there is scant evidence the Illinois senator takes positions that challenge his base or otherwise threaten him politically. That's why his reversal on campaign financing and his transparently false justification of it matter more than similar acts by McCain.Obama did not promise not to reject public funding, he promised to negotiate with McCain on the subject. That's not the same thing.
However, it's simply ludicrous - even if Obama had reversed his position as some claim - to say that McCain's flip flops don't matter "because he was once a prisoner of war". I have never heard anything more ridiculous in my life.
The man who took that stance against his Vietnamese captors all those years ago seems utterly unable to show the same resolve when faced with Christian fundamentalists and GOP hardliners.
Why? Because it suits him politically to bend to the prevailing wind. John McCain the soldier may have had honour, but John McCain the presidential candidate has none.
He'll believe whatever those nutcases want him to believe as long as they will make him president. There's no honour in that. None at all.
It's the worst kind of political opportunism, and - yes - it's disgraceful flip-flopping.
Click title to read the whole ridiculous argument.
2 comments:
there is a prevailing 'childishness' in the US so even with all the posturing, people will accept something like this. You know, as the general public has not been exposed to war or having been occupied, anyone who's a vet becomes a veritable 'hero' or untouchable in the sense that you can't criticize him. They're very cowardice like that, don't know why. I just think it's immaturity and childishness.. like in general, if you give real or strong critique, a lot of Americans can't handle it because in general, they really don't know about a lot of things..
Ingrid
Ingrid,
It is childish. In that it takes no special courage to become a prisoner of war, as I assume McCain never meant to become one.
And the medals he was given were all for what he endured as a prisoner of war rather than for any actual act of courage.
And, even if he was the bravest man in the world, he no longer is anything of the sort. It's cowardice to sell your core beliefs to please Christian fundamentalists or the insane GOP base. And yet, that is what McCain is doing, on a list of subjects as long as your arm.
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