FeedPolitics: McCain isn’t all that maverickry after all
October 6, 2008 in Politics Tags: John McCain, Rolling Stone
At the suggestion of Eyebrows McGee, I’ve been reading Rolling Stone’s lengthy profile of John McCain.
I had been hesitant to do so. I long ago came to the conclusion that RS’s reputation for journalistic excellence was largely undeserved, probably because its conclusions usually jibed with the preconceived cultural biases and world view of those who pass judgments on journalistic reputations. Plus, the RS is just soooo …. sixties.
There are a few parts of this article that make me cringe, like this one:
During his 1992 campaign, at the end of a long day, McCain’s wife, Cindy, mussed his receding hair and needled him playfully that he was “getting a little thin up there.” McCain reportedly blew his top, cutting his wife down with the kind of language that had gotten him hauled into court as a high schooler: “At least I don’t plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt.” Even though the incident was witnessed by three reporters, the McCain campaign denies it took place.
I’ve seen this story in print before. If true, I makes it almost impossible to vote for McCain. But, as I’ve said before, I would find this anecdote would be much more believable if it named the reporters.
It’s a glaring omission in an article I found remarkably well-sourced. Time and again, writer Tim Dickinson quotes colleagues and former comrades — including those held at the Hanoi Hilton — to paint a picture of a reckless aviator who was accustomed to special treatment, who pulled strings to advance his career, and who didn’t behave especially bravely compared to other POWs:
Soon after McCain hit the ground in Hanoi, the code went out the window. “I’ll give you military information if you will take me to the hospital,” he later admitted pleading with his captors. McCain now insists the offer was a bluff, designed to fool the enemy into giving him medical treatment. In fact, his wounds were attended to only after the North Vietnamese discovered that his father was a Navy admiral. What has never been disclosed is the manner in which they found out: McCain told them. According to [Air Force Lt. Col John] Dramesi, one of the few POWs who remained silent under years of torture, McCain tried to justify his behavior while they were still prisoners. “I had to tell them,” he insisted to Dramesi, “or I would have died in bed.”
Dramesi says he has no desire to dishonor McCain’s service, but he believes that celebrating the downed pilot’s behavior as heroic — “he wasn’t exceptional one way or the other” — has a corrosive effect on military discipline. “This business of my country before my life?” Dramesi says. “Well, he had that opportunity and failed miserably. If it really were country first, John McCain would probably be walking around without one or two arms or legs — or he’d be dead.”
McCain own words are also used to source the article. But the writer quotes Republican colleagues, who say they don’t want McCain’s finger anywhere near the trigger because he’s too hotheaded. The picture painted is that of a candidate too willing to place career above principle, too willing to flip-flop on matters of core ideology and who has never really stopped being the selfish son and grandson of admirals.
Basically, McCain is a maverick only because he keeps telling us he is. All evidence in this article is to the contrary.
It’s a fascinating read.
October 6th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Thanks Billy, but my not being able to support McCain has nothing to do with that.
For me, it is more things like these.
I know that there are conservatives that know their stuff, but sad to say, McCain isn’t one of them.
It appears to me that the totality of his “national security credentials” stems from the fact that he was once a Navy pilot who fought bravely. Yes, he broke under torture, but everyone eventually does. And yes, there were better combat pilots but this isn’t a “best pilot” contest.
October 6th, 2008 at 11:01 am
The story is unsourced because the original teller Cliff Schecter sourced it anonymously in his hit piece “The Real McCain”. It’s pretty thin gruel on that specific allegation.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I think Maverick McCain might look better if he DID pile on the make-up like that super-rich “trollop” of a wife does.
Personally, I find Cindy McCain kind of hot looking… in a loosey-goosey, hyped up on prescription drugs sort of way.
All this time, I thought that there were just four Maverick brothers and cousins. James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore, and some other dude, whose name I can’t recall, and was only in a few episodes.
I missed the episodes with Maverick McCain in them… but, I’m pretty sure they were the ones where, instead of ROBBING a bank, Maverick McCain was taking money from the citizens, and HANDING it over to the bank. Not the most popular of episodes, but they were interesting in that Maverick McCain was the most angry drunk of all of the drunken Maverick brothers and cousins.
October 6th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I’m just curious…..how many other documented acts of sexism and nastiness to women does it take for people to see a person’s true character?
For example, I just recently made a posting with the video where a McCain supporter calls Hillary Clinton a “bitch” and not only does McCain refuse to admonish his supporter, but he ads a joke of his own.
Then, there is the disgusting Ms. Buffalo Chip contest video.
On top of that, there is his treatment of his first wife.
I find it quite hilarious that Billy has a problem with a publication that actually fact checks it’s reporting, most probably because it falls beyond his political leanings.
Okay, now someone, throw in the Clenis to distract from the original point.
October 6th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Bill, you gossip more than any girl I know.
October 6th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
It should also perhaps be pointed out that this whole “trollop/c–t” thing was right smack dab in the middle of Mrs. McCain’s prescription drug problem. They might not have been on the best of terms… just saying.
In the end though it doesn’t much matter. With other well documented examples of McCain’s temper and sexist behavior, the anecdote has the immortal power of truthiness, and as we know that is all it takes. Al Gore claims he invented the Internet — right?
October 6th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Reading RS for the political news is just not smart. This guy Matt Taibbi, who has been covering the campaign for a while now, is just unreadable, almost. The politics pages of RS is always the last thing I read, and that’s only during a lengthy time on the ole’ thundermug.
October 7th, 2008 at 1:49 am
mcsey,
Quit picking on Al Gore and the moronic internet inventing lie. He never said that or claimed that.
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.asp
On top of that, in an issue of, I believe Time magazine earlier this year, the father of the “internet” was interviewed and even he stated Al Gore was very, very instrumental in the version of the internet that we have today.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Prego - you are so clever! Serious funny!
And Roger Cohen writes a really interesting and astute review of the Veep debate in his WaPo column today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....02634.html
Note: WaPo is a conservative paper.
I liked Joe Biden’s deconstruction of McCain’s “maverick”-ness in last week’s debate - it was spot on.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Floyd — are you kidding me? RS is one of the best sources on popular culture and current events (yes, that includes the political articles). I wouldn’t put it in the same category as news or even expertise (and really, it shouldn’t be used for that anyway). But if you want to know what people are thinking, RS is indispensable and Taibbi is good reading about 99% of the time.
That being said, I am stealing the phrase “ole’ thundermug.” It is epic.
sctobrien — THANK YOU. I can’t believe people are still parroting that crap. Gore has been exonerated for YEARS now.
October 7th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Gawdarn postsimian/sctobrien neither irony nor Stephen Colbert watching appear to be amongst your strengths — though given the former the latter is probably understandable.
truthiness — the /appearance/ of being true
October 8th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Heh, missed the truthiness part.
October 10th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
McCain rally in Davenport; doors open at 8:30 and the event starts at 10:30. I am leaving at about 7; the McCain campaign called and said that you could get tickets at the door.
So, this is an open invitation to anyone who wants to carpool (even Republicans!).
Yes, at the rally I’ll keep my mouth shut and be very, very respectful.
If McCain says “Who is Barack Obama” I promise not to yell out “Our Next President!” as I want to get out of there alive.