The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

John McCain Gets His Queeg On

Posted on | April 5, 2010 | 21 Comments

“Bitter”? “Unprincipled”? “Self-pitying”? Gosh, it’s a shame Newsweek didn’t notice this stuff back in 1999:

Many of the GOP’s most faithful, the kind who vote in primaries despite 115-degree heat, tired long ago of McCain the Maverick, the man who had crossed the aisle to work with Democrats on issues like immigration reform, global warming, and restricting campaign contributions. “Maverick” is a mantle McCain no longer claims; in fact, he now denies he ever was one. “I never considered myself a maverick,” he told me. “I consider myself a person who serves the people of Arizona to the best of his abilities.” . . .
His dramatic shifts raise several questions: How much of his maverick persona over the years has been real and how much simply tactical? . . .  Is the anger people sense in him anger at Obama, or the American electorate, or fate, or himself? . . .
Something about John McCain leaves people, on both left and right, feeling betrayed and disappointed. . . .
Yet catch McCain off guard—or off script—these days, and he can act authentically put-upon and self-pitying. His former champions in the press are picking on him, writing hatchet jobs, he suggests. . . . As for those pleas to bring back “the old John McCain,” it’s a familiar refrain to him, code for saying he’s unprincipled. The old John McCain, the current one insists, hasn’t gone anywhere: any changes in his positions are readily explainable tweaks rather than anything systematic or nefarious. He bristles at charges that he’s bitter.

“Ah, but the strawberries — that’s where I had them! They laughed at me and made jokes . . .”

J.D. HAYWORTH FOR U.S. SENATE

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Category: Arizona, J.D. Hayworth, John McCain, Republicans, Senate

Comments

21 Responses to “John McCain Gets His Queeg On”

  1. John McCain Gets His Queeg On : The Other McCain | Toss Congress
    April 5th, 2010 @ 4:26 pm

    […] here: John McCain Gets His Queeg On : The Other McCain Related Reading: The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track […]

  2. Dave C
    April 5th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm

    He may have never used the word Maverick before but I’m sure he used Inconformista a few times.

  3. Dave C
    April 5th, 2010 @ 4:42 pm

    He may have never used the word Maverick before but I’m sure he used Inconformista a few times.

  4. MrMaryk
    April 5th, 2010 @ 10:06 pm

    I love it when you bring my favorite movie into a blog post.

  5. MrMaryk
    April 5th, 2010 @ 5:06 pm

    I love it when you bring my favorite movie into a blog post.

  6. proof
    April 5th, 2010 @ 11:40 pm

    McCain has steamed across his tow line more than once!

  7. proof
    April 5th, 2010 @ 6:40 pm

    McCain has steamed across his tow line more than once!

  8. Yes, John McCain really did say he never called himself a maverick | The Lonely Conservative
    April 5th, 2010 @ 7:17 pm

    […] have no idea why McCain would say what he said. Allahpundit calls the move cynical and pathetic. Stacy McCain wonders why Newsweek didn’t pick up on McCain’s anger and bitterness in 1999. Whatever, […]

  9. J Driscoll
    April 6th, 2010 @ 4:53 am

    Whatever. I’m still for McCain. His challenger creeps me out. He has nothing to offer and is a lying thief. At least McCain has moral fortitude.

  10. J Driscoll
    April 5th, 2010 @ 11:53 pm

    Whatever. I’m still for McCain. His challenger creeps me out. He has nothing to offer and is a lying thief. At least McCain has moral fortitude.

  11. DaveP.
    April 6th, 2010 @ 10:13 am

    McCain got Obama elected and worked to produce a permanent Democratic voting majority of amnestied illegals, as well as eliminating the First Amendment.

    But y’know, his opponent is “creepy”… so let’s give Ol’ Johnny another chance to end democracy in America.

  12. DaveP.
    April 6th, 2010 @ 5:13 am

    McCain got Obama elected and worked to produce a permanent Democratic voting majority of amnestied illegals, as well as eliminating the First Amendment.

    But y’know, his opponent is “creepy”… so let’s give Ol’ Johnny another chance to end democracy in America.

  13. Bob Belvedere
    April 6th, 2010 @ 5:29 pm

    I’m willing to try the creep after having lived with the self-ptying jerk for so long.

  14. Bob Belvedere
    April 6th, 2010 @ 12:29 pm

    I’m willing to try the creep after having lived with the self-ptying jerk for so long.

  15. Bob Belvedere
    April 6th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm

    Quoted from and Linked to at:
    Today’s Delusional Moment Is Brought To You By…

  16. Bob Belvedere
    April 6th, 2010 @ 4:23 pm

    Quoted from and Linked to at:
    Today’s Delusional Moment Is Brought To You By…

  17. Ellie Light
    April 6th, 2010 @ 11:32 pm

    I love McCain. He’s so much like Obamao.

  18. Ellie Light
    April 7th, 2010 @ 4:32 am

    I love McCain. He’s so much like Obamao.

  19. Fantastic Mint Juleps Revive Americans : The Other McCain
    April 10th, 2010 @ 11:25 am

    […] at SearchlightVIDEO: New Marco Rubio Ad; PLUS: Rudy Giuliani vs. Arianna HuffingtonDa Tech GuyFaustaJohn McCain Gets His Queeg OnToss CongressThe Lonely ConservativeNevada Voters to Hopeless Harry Reid: ‘We’re Just […]

  20. Quartermaster
    April 23rd, 2010 @ 12:35 am

    I see little moral fortitude in Juan McCain’s political career. I have noticed a very large amount of stupidity, however.

    You might not like J.D., but you won’t be any worse off with him that you are with Juan. Right now, Juan is trying hard to reinvent himself and try to get people to forget about his behavior of the last 20 years. I sincerely hope AZ gives this small man his pink slip. It’s past time for him to go home and stay.

  21. Quartermaster
    April 22nd, 2010 @ 7:35 pm

    I see little moral fortitude in Juan McCain’s political career. I have noticed a very large amount of stupidity, however.

    You might not like J.D., but you won’t be any worse off with him that you are with Juan. Right now, Juan is trying hard to reinvent himself and try to get people to forget about his behavior of the last 20 years. I sincerely hope AZ gives this small man his pink slip. It’s past time for him to go home and stay.