“My Democratic friends know all about John’s record of independence and accomplishment. Maybe that’s why some of them are spending so much time and so much money trying to convince voters that John McCain is someone else. I’m here, as a Democrat myself, to tell you: Don’t be fooled.
God only made one John McCain, and he is his own man.”–Joe Lieberman–9/2/08
JOHN MCCAIN'S MANHOOD:
1999: “in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade.”
2008: Favors a Constitutional Amendment banning abortion with exceptions–rape incest and saving the life of the mother. In a move exemplifying the Republican version of diversity, his running mate opposes even those exceptions.
Opposed Bush tax cut for the wealthy; now favors extending them.
Once favored the estate tax; now opposes it.
Opposed torture; now favors it (and proved it by featuring Dubya, Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman in one night).
Opposed subsidies for ethanol. Now favors them.
Opposed off-shore drilling; now favors it, while his party condemns Democrats for flip-flopping on the issue.
Once favored amnesty for immigrants; now opposes it. Maybe.
Once favored Social Security privatization; now opposes it (a rare improvement over the original)
Opposed anti-affirmative actions measures; then endorsed them; then put Sarah Palin on his ticket.
To the degree that John McCain qualifies as a moderate, it is only to the extent that it defines how his position on any one issue has averaged out over the years. In this year, the only year that would seem to count, he is a decidedly conservative Republican. To assume otherwise would be to presume his complete and total insincerity.
I won’t even get into more symbolic flip-flops such as the 180 degree turns on the confederate flag, Jerry Falwell (alev ha-shalom) and Bob Jones University, because frankly, I think to John McCain, the entire list of backflips (except torture, which is a shameless and unprincipled cave-in), be it abotion, Social Security or state flags, is symbolic.
McCain is a man who built his career criticizing the influence of lobbyists while letting them run his campaign and sees no contradiction there, or anywhere else, because except on matters of national security, where he has a sincere worldview which fulfills the neat trick of being both oblivious to history and outdated at the same time (like looking at Russia in cold war terms when their behavior has been the same since the time of the Tsars), McCain believes in almost nothing (and has the expertise to back up his beliefs) aside from an amorphous idea of bi-partisanship as a goal, rather than a means of accomplishing worthy aims, because he has no idea (and no ideals), outside of national security, what his aims are.
It’s been said concerning many issues that we need to have a “great national conversation” (330 google entries). With McCain, we will get that.
The problem is, McCain will be able to hold it in a locked closet.
God made only one John McCain, and now Joe Lieberman is helping him put his best face forward.