The Low Road: Stay the Course.
For those of you I've offended and ostracized over the last two years. Especially you, Mike.
But before I take a break, here's one more kick to the groin just for old times' sake.
Read this article from the New Yorker about McCain's glorious defeat in 2000 and ignoble defeat in 2008.
In 2000.
McCain's concession speech:
“I will not take the low road to the highest office in this land,” he said. “I want the Presidency in the best way—not the worst way. The American people deserve to be treated with respect by those who seek to lead the nation. And I promise you: you will have my respect until my last day on earth. The greatest blessing of my life was to have been born an American, and I will never . . . dishonor the nation I love or myself by letting ambition overcome principle. Never. Never. Never.”
In 2008:
Ads appeared accusing Obama, who had served on the boards of two charities with William Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground, of being allied with a “terrorist.” Voters received flyers featuring a mug shot of Ayers and the words “Terrorist. Radical. Friend of Obama.” Then came the same kind of robo-calls that had savaged McCain in 2000, and that he had once denounced as messages of “hate.” McCain even hired one of the same firms that Bush used in 2000.
I mentioned earlier that we watched McCain interviews in the movie Why We Fight, and I wondered, "Who is that guy?" He was brilliant. Perhaps he listened too much to his worm-tonguesque advisers.
But before I take a break, here's one more kick to the groin just for old times' sake.
Read this article from the New Yorker about McCain's glorious defeat in 2000 and ignoble defeat in 2008.In 2000.
McCain's concession speech:
“I will not take the low road to the highest office in this land,” he said. “I want the Presidency in the best way—not the worst way. The American people deserve to be treated with respect by those who seek to lead the nation. And I promise you: you will have my respect until my last day on earth. The greatest blessing of my life was to have been born an American, and I will never . . . dishonor the nation I love or myself by letting ambition overcome principle. Never. Never. Never.”
In 2008:
Ads appeared accusing Obama, who had served on the boards of two charities with William Ayers, a founder of the Weather Underground, of being allied with a “terrorist.” Voters received flyers featuring a mug shot of Ayers and the words “Terrorist. Radical. Friend of Obama.” Then came the same kind of robo-calls that had savaged McCain in 2000, and that he had once denounced as messages of “hate.” McCain even hired one of the same firms that Bush used in 2000.
I mentioned earlier that we watched McCain interviews in the movie Why We Fight, and I wondered, "Who is that guy?" He was brilliant. Perhaps he listened too much to his worm-tonguesque advisers.
It's too bad McCain didn't win in 2000. He would have been a better president.
ReplyDelete"Potential weaknesses of a McCain candidacy included his senatorial accomplishments skewing towards the maverick side rather than those that would appeal to the party core" (wikipedia). He may have overcompensated this time around.