By Writer X
Senator John McCain (RINO-AZ) is up for re-election in November. And we all know what that means...
It’s time for the Maverick to dust off his conservative mask and puff out his chest. Oh, joy.
McCain is like the high school kid that we all remember running for Student Council. Suddenly he wants to sit with you in the cafeteria; he wants you to believe that he’s working hard to improve the greasy cafeteria food and that he’s playing hard-nose with the Principal to bring open-campus privileges to seniors. Suddenly he’s everywhere—on cheesy posters, at basketball games, on the overhead PA system. And just like we were suspicious of the fair-weather friend kid kissing up for Student Council, we should definitely be suspicious of John McCain’s intentions. Instead of the poster child for conservatism, he’s proven himself the perfect poster child for RINOs. And it’s not pretty.
This election cycle with McCain in Arizona is even more bizarre. He’s already started campaigning against J.D. Hayworth, a former conservative Arizona Representative, presumably because recent polls have them in a statistical dead-heat. McCain is running scared. His campaign has begun airing these absolutely insipid campaign commercials, one in particular has this boozy-sounding lady musing aloud to herself about McCain’s greatness and Hayworth’s loserness. It’s probably the dumbest radio commercial I’ve ever heard. Additionally, McCain is making almost weekly desperate appearances on Phoenix radio shows to beat his “I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty” drum—and Hayworth hasn’t even declared his candidacy. (Side note: Hayworth said that he would make up his mind on whether he will run within 30 days.) And of course, miraculously, McCain now plays hardball with Obama, trying to have us believe that he’s some kind of tough guy fiscal conservative.
Please. Spare me. If only his record reflected that.
I’ve already received at least three robo-phone calls from McCain, begging for support, including a disturbing robo-call from Scott Brown, not even 12 hours after his amazing win in Massachusetts, begging for Republicans to support McCain. I have to say, that sort of sucked a little of the euphoria out of the previous night’s win. And when Scott Brown mentioned in his acceptance speech that he appreciated John McCain’s support, well, I had to cringe a little.
Even more disturbing, suddenly McCain and Sarah Palin are BFFs! After letting her hang out to dry following his pathetic Presidential campaign, now he talks about how he and Cindy and Sarah and Todd all hang out for barbecues at his ranch. Just one big happy family. Isn’t that quaint? Frankly, I’m surprised that Palin has agreed to campaign for him in Arizona. She needs a reality check on what his own constituents think about his performance as their senator.
Sorry, but not this time. If J.D. Hayworth runs, my vote will be for Hayworth. And why won’t I vote for McCain? Let me count the ways:
In short, whenever there is an important issue that I care about, John McCain is always standing “across the aisle,” arrogantly thumbing his nose at me and the people who elected him to office. Why in the hell would I vote for him again in November?1) McCain was practically foaming at the mouth to declare his support for Janet Napolitano for Homeland Security, another glowing tribute to his ability to “be bipartisan.” And we all know how well Janet has turned out!
2) McCain pushed hard for amnesty, practically telling those of us at Arizona townhalls who deal daily with the effects of illegal immigration that we were a bunch of insensitive morons. When public opinion rose vehemently against amnesty, suddenly he got religion. Just in time for his lackluster Presidential bid. Then he became the tough Border Guy. And our southern borders are still wide-open.
3) He was a global warming alarmist. And proud of it. But now he never says a peep about it, despite the alarming emails that have surfaced showing evidence of a cover-up and manipulation of data. Where’s the Maverick now?
4) He was for cap and trade before he was against it. (And, thanks John. I’m already seeing the effects on my monthly electric bill.)
5) McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. Another attempt to “reach across the aisle” and screw his own party and trample on free speech. By the way, has he ever authored any meaningful legislation? I have not seen any.
6) He supported the $700 billion TARP bailout, the $25 billion auto bailout, the $300 billion mortgage bailout, and the first $85 billion AIG bailout. And who could forget when he stopped his already failing presidential campaign to race back to Washington, D.C. like a crazyman, only to push forward a bailout that most taxpayers, including his constituents, didn’t want. Well done, John!
7) He grandiosely opposed CIA enhanced interrogation techniques that have saved countless lives.
8) I’ve heard the cringe-inducing “my friend” one too many times for this lifetime.
Footnote: On Friday, Hayworth left his job at a popular local Phoenix KFYI radio show because of pressure from the McCain campaign and the FCC, both claiming Hayworth was abusing his public airwaves privileges, even though he had not yet declared his candidacy. Hayworth expects to decide whether he will challenge McCain within 30 days.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
JOHN MCCAIN: POSTER CHILD WANNABE FOR CONSERVATISM
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35 comments:
I know what is bad about McCain, I just don´t see what is good about Hayworth. He cannot win on an anti-immigration platform alone. There are not that many single issue voters, not even among Republicans.
El Gordo,
Good point. However, Hayworth's voting record is more consistent than McCain's. With McCain, you never know when he's going to "jump the aisle" to grab some spotlight. He's proven that time and again. For me, personally, he's always on the opposite side of the big issues that I care about. Regarding the illegal immigration issue, it's a big enough issue in Arizona and the other border states that it might make a difference. Time will tell.
Writer X, Thanks for the article. I think McCain has been a serious problem for the Rpeublican party for so long that it's hard to see his recent conversion to conservativism as genuine. I like the current McCain -- he's very impressive, but sadly, I just don't believe it will last.
I don't know much about Hayworth, but if there was ever a year to replace McCain, this would be it.
Andrew, I have voted for McCain every year he has run for the Senate. But not this year.
We feel your pain WriterX.
McCain has always been an enigma, it seems that he lost a lot of his conservative cred after being implicated in “The Keating Five,” in which he availed himself well.
Sarah Palin is an honorable person and for good or ill, it doesn’t surprise me that she would help McCain, a sense of loyalty if you will.
J.D. Hayworth would be my guy as well.
“My friends,” is indeed yak inducing!
Writer X, I don't blame you. I could barely bring myself to vote for him for President.
Unfortunately, the latest polls show him pulling ahead of Hayworth, but it's going to be interesting. Maybe, even if McCain wins, he'll learn a lesson about acting the way he does around election time throughout his term?
Stan,
I think this election year is going to be a lot about change and cleaning house, not only in Arizona, but in many other states, particularly where there are moderate Democrats who've thumbed arrogant noses at their constituents.
Regarding Hayworth, he needs to hit the ground running, especially since McCain has already begun campaigning against him.
Andrew, I'm not sure if you can teach an old dog new tricks. That's largely his problem. Again, McCain hasn't given me too many reasons to keep supporting him--both with my vote and campaign donations.
I have such a hard time liking McCain because I remember every time he stabbed us on issue after issue. I hope whatever happens, the Democrats don't get the seat.
I liked Palin a lot when she first hit the scene, but she's just turned me off in move after move since then. Campaigning for McCain and getting paid to attend the Tea Party Convention are just the latest nails in the coffin for me. I think she is our Barack Obama - looks good in the suit, but will be a disaster if we run with her.
Mega, I haven't heard of any Democratic challengers to McCain. Right now, the show is pretty much McCain vs. Hayworth.
Writer X, Believe it or not, that's not unusual this election cycle. I've been putting together a primer on Senate races all over the country and in several races there is no Democrat yet. For some strange reason I can't possibly fathom ;-), they seem to be having a problem recruiting candidates.
Great article Writer X! I would so love to see McCain go down. I'll send money to Hayworth in a heartbeat if he enters the race. I think a lot of other out-of-state people will too--the same people who sent money to Scott Brown.
As for Palin, I had my hopes and doubts about her, but I'm now finished with her. Supporting McCain is unforgivable. She is exactly the kind of politician who didn't have to play this kind of political game and "repay" McCain. She could've stayed silent on the race and NO ONE would've questioned it.
Great article. Though I can only speak for myself, I have been lazy about holding my representatives' feet to the fire. I just assumed I didn't know enough to have an opinion on policy so I never let them know what I wanted. McCain is a by-product of that kind of disconnect not only with our representatives, but with each other as well. Now that we can share ideas with each other and with our representatives instantly, the jig is up. McCain (and others like him) must explain why they are voting for or against policy or face the wrath of the voters. They must represent the majority of his constiuents because they have no excuse to not know what they want anymore. If they are smart, they will understand who actually has the power - We the People. Of course, we have to understand that too.
Andrew, trouble with recruitment? I wonder why! :-)
Thanks, Pittsburgh.
I think Hayworth will need all the campaign contributions he can get, especially since he's up against McCain's war chest. Agree with you completely on Palin.
Thanks, Bev.
If we continue to re-elect people who don't represent our interests, we really have only ourselves to blame. In Arizona, McCain has gone largely unopposed for the last bunch of election cycles. This time, he has some explaining to do. If Hayworth runs (which looks likely), I look forward to their debates.
Yeah, interesting that Lil' Biden decided not to run in Delaware. I guess Big Daddy Joe's not doing so well that it was a sure-thing.
(Actually, I shouldn't make fun of him. He's been serving in Iraq.)
I'm done with "my friend". Glad I'm not alone.
Bev, I would have had more respect for Beau if he just stated the obvious: "I'm not running because I don't believe I can win." And regarding these families where everybody goes into politics--Republican or Democrat--it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
Anonymous, you are most definitely not alone. You should see how the "my friend" shtick is parodied in Arizona! Not pretty.
WriterX: Sorry I'm this late getting on board. Excellent article, and I join in the comments above. I can just say that if I were an Arizonan, I'd be fighting for Hayworth even if he only stood against McCain on his immigration record and McCain-Feingold.
I'm probably going to have the same decision to make if Carly Fiona wins the nomination here in California. Better to vote for a RINO and increase the numbers of the Republican Congressional caucus for majority control or near- majority status, but it doesn't make it a happy decision.
Thanks, LawHawk. Hopefully Hayworth will make his decision soon. He's going to need all the time he can get. But I think he's challenging McCain at exactly the right time.
It's nice to see that members of McCain's campaign have joined us.
FYI, For those wondering why we deleted four comments. . .
We don't normally delete comments unless they are spam. But when a public relations firm posts four comments in a row under different names, we consider that deceptive and we will delete them.
I'm so happy to find others who yak every time he says "my friends."
If he loses, it would be bigger than Brown.
How is the Tea Party movement in Arizona? Any hope there?
Hi FB,
McCain must be extremely worried, given his media blitz against a candidate who hasn't even officially declared his candidacy.
I'd say the AZ Tea Party movement is pretty strong. There doesn't seem to be, however, one central group. The state is far too large geographically. Instead, you'll have various groups within each city--Phoenix, Gilbert, Yuma, etc. That said, their intentions are still the same. The Tea Party back in August (when it was 120 degrees) in downtown Phoenix was huge, although you'd never know that if you followed our local/national news. My guess is that the AZ Tea Party movement would be squarely behind Hayworth.
it's not just the dems that should be fearful in the '10 elections. they all need to pull their heads from their behinds and start listening to the words coming from our mouths. i've had it with all politicians who think they merely need to run against their opponent. head's up jokers, we are more informed, more focused, and have more expectation than any voting block before us we are on the interwebs scrutinizing your records. if that doesn't scare you staright, nothing will and you'll find yourself out of a job.
Frankly, Writer and FB Hink - I think the worst thing that could happen to the Tea Party movement is to centralize and nationalized. That may be contrary to popular thinking, but this whole idea of a convention has actually turns me off. It was bound to happen, but we need to keep it local or at most state-wide.
Amen, Patti! ;-)
Bev, I don't have an opinion on that one way or another. As long as the movement continues to motivate and educate voters, I'm fine either way.
Absolutely Patti! I think this is what has most politicians confounded. Like no other electorate in history, we have the ability to trade info instantly with NO quick spin control (before the fact) for our politicians. it should scare them.
Bev: I'm with you on the Tea Party Movement as being grass-roots and local. It is the heart and soul of the current conservative resurgence, but if it goes national, or starts taking positions on candidates they favor as a group, it will lose all its momentum and cause a split for the Republicans. It's just too easy for national political powerhouses to co-opt the movement for personal political purposes. The Tea Party movement should instruct the Republican Party, not attempt to take it over nationally. And "centralization" automatically implies central control rather than response to local concerns. The John Birch Society has already attempted to co-opt the Virginia convention, and I can easily envision political adventurers doing the same elsewhere.
Let's keep the Tea Party movement local, independent, advisory, and strictly apolitical in its momentum. That's where the real power lies, and focuses local attention on the issues most critical to them. Even the Democrats said that "all politics are local." They just didn't believe it or understand it properly.
I'm late to the party, but great article, WriterX! Add me to the list of people hoping you guys toss him out.
No problem, Crispy Rice! Great to hear from you.
The people opposing McCain in the next election does seem to be growing. This will be change I can believe in!
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