John McCain, Grandstanding Coward.

I was talking to a friend yesterday who said that in watching the news he felt like he was seeing some ridiculous satire about a Presidential campaign rather than an actual one.  And sure enough, John McCain's ridiculous call for suspending his campaign and postponing the debates fits into that perception.

I think what McCain is doing is a transparently ridiculous, cowardly, fake-principled Machiavellian move, and luckily lots of other people are seeing through it (including David Letterman, oddly enough). But just in case you're not convinced, here's my take on it:

(1) We are indeed in the midst of a major economic crisis that threatens to sink the global economy. It's like hella serious, and I get that. At the same time, our country has faced worse crises without suspending Presidential campaigns like, you know, fucking war.

(2) Furthermore, as Obama has stated himself, the debates are a chance to speak substantively to the American people about the crisis, about economic stewardship and about the differences between the candidates.  

(3) The problem is, McCain doesn't want to have that conversation.  McCain has long been an advocate for Wild West economics-- complete deregulation of markets and letting the wealthy do whatever the fuck they wanted.  His ideology is the ideology responsible for this mess, and he knows it.  He's also repeatedly tried to get social security privatized so it could be tied into this whole stock market disaster, and he wants to do the same thing with health care.  Simply put: his record on these issues is terrible and unpopular. And he can try to change his opinions on all fo these points, but if he doesn't simply admit that he was wrong and he sees that now, he's going to get hammered for flip flopping.  In other words he's in an impossible position in terms of appearing in front of the American people, he's totally fucked. His main economic philosophy for the entirety of his career has just been completely discredited.

(4) On top of this, his Vice Presidential candidate just gave another complete disaster of an interview with Katie Couric in which she prevaricated incoherently around pretty much every question. Simply put: she will not be ready for her debate next week.

(5) So what's a poor candidate with an unqualified not particularly bright running mate and a disastrous economic policy hanging around his neck like an albatross supposed to do?  Well, why not make sure the debates get postponed until after the government is already doing something about the crisis? And furthermore why not make that debate take place when the VP debate was supposed to be an indefinitely postpone the VP debate?  Sounds great... now... how do we wrap ourselves in the flag enough to get away with this? I know! We'll "nobly suspend the campaign!" BRILLIANT!

(6) I think it's also worth saying how undemocratic this whole thing is.  What McCain is saying is that the crisis is so big, he must not appear in front of the american people so he can go into a secret back room with some other senators and hash out a deal without review from the pesky public. This is ridiculous. If anything, the debates are more important than him being in Washington.  In fact, Harry Reid has specifically requested that the candidates not come to Washington because the injection of the candidates and their staff and media presence into the negotiations will overly politicize it.

Simply put: if John McCain is afraid to face Barack Obama the media and the American people for a substantive conversation about an important issue, how is he going to face Kim Jong Il over his nuclear program? I mean, I knew John McCain was totally willing to sell out his principles, change his position on key issues and compromise his character in a Faustian bargain for the Presidency. What I didn't realize is that he'd turn into a coward too.

Comments

[cj]

Amen.

[malachy walsh]

I agree with a lot here, except your headline.

Whiled "Grandstanding" applies and I might say McCain is afraid of a debate, "coward" really shouldn't be thrown at a guy who's faced things much more personally frightening than getting a national beat down.

It just isn't necessary, if you know what I mean.

[isaac]

john mccain is running away from a debate and trying to make it look like he's doing so due to his sense of patriotism. That to me is cowardice. That he has endured some absolutely horrific things bravely in his past seems of limited relevance here. Although I understand what you mean about it being perhaps unnecessary.

[devilvet]

How about "cowardly" that we can say that he is acting the coward, even though his isnt one... I for one after all the BS am done giving him any sort of free pass due to his five years in a POW camp. We arent talking about a livetime achievement award here. The nobility of his past doesnt counterbalance the cowardliness of his current position, it only serves to highen it.

[malachy walsh]

Ultimately, it's a political stunt designed to make him look like he cares more than Obama.

And it's a gamble. Since I think many people feel that now a debate is more important than considering the problems we're facing. Plus, many feel the same way Obama does: The Office requires dealing with more than one thing at a time.

But it could actually be argued that McCain's fairly brave for trying to back out of the debate considering what the potential consequences could be... People thinking he's got nothing to say, he's unprepared and he can't deal with more than one thing at a time.

At at a time when people expect to hear from the potential leader of the free world, it's fairly bold to say, This isn't the time for this.

It'd be hard not to see that even if you didn't agree.

And no-one's giving him a free pass, nor am I suggesting anyone should.

But 5 years in a POW camp, delivet.... Dude, he'd to do something truly evil before I became disrespectful of his person.

[devilvet]

Something truly evil like approving the campaign tactics that he has, something truly evil (or at the very least despicible and irresponsible). His constant duplicity to the press over the past two weeks borders on evil in my book. And if you think it was bravery that he attempted to cancel a debate that everyone knows would have made him look like a boob, while also attempting to replace the VP debate that would make his VP look like a (any word other than boob so I dont get blamed as sexist), with the displaced debate...Malachy I don't know you that well... so... are you kidding? are you joking? Have you swallowed the kool aid?

The constant trading in on of his 5 years in the POW camp to enable him to run for this office and to use it as a smokescreen for his duplicity on a huge host of positions...

Rachel Maddows pointed out lots of times in the past when there were issues, tragedies, and wars... despite it all our nominees proceeded with debates.

Taking an outrageous risk politically like this ultimate stunt, as you put it, when you arguably have no other recourse is not anywhere near my definition of 'fairly brave'.

Only via the omission of past 2 weeks of flibs, fibs, and total ineptnesson the part of their campaign, only by ingoring all journalism, rather merely the news channel that appeals to one's taste... could anyone suggest that he has put country first.

He suspended his campaign for what a total of 12 hours (if even) and while his campaign was being halted...his pundits were still shit talking Obama... It stinks dude... and every time he pins his war record onto a point or speech or supposition that is a tissue of lies... it is he... not us... that is shitting on his sacrifice.

Coward does not encompass the distain this man has earned since he lost to GWB and compounded by the past few weeks.

[malachy walsh]

I haven't swallowed any kool-aid.

If you read my responses carefully, you know that.

But it's clear we disagree about whether or not he's a coward.

He might be a liar. A stunts-man. A grandstander. A smearer.

I just wouldn't use the word "coward" when it comes to John McCain.

[Joshua James]

I'd say that there are many types of coward. For some folks, a fistfight is preferable over an intense discussion of personal feelings . . . Some people would rather fight anyone, run into a burning building, bomb a country, do ANYTHING other than look at the ugly truth of their own frailties and failures.

It's obvious that McCain is aware that, due to his history and failings on the subject of the economy (he has said he knows nothing about it, and his economic advisor is responsible for the current meltdown we have) that if he debates NOW, with the heat as it is, he's likely to get toasted.

And thus, he's afraid of that. That fits the term coward, by my book. They called John Kerry far worse, I'd note, and Kerry wasn't on record for lying as consistently as John McCain has been.

If there's anything that's really stuck in my craw it's hearing all these politicians from both sides starting every conversation by saying what a great, honorable and brave guy John McCain is.

it's bull. based on how he's acted during this campaign, it's bull.

A person can be brave and dumb. A person can be brave one minute and cowardly the next. A person can be honest and then dishonest. The fact he did a brave thing forty years ago in no way negates any of the shitty things the past twenty years.

OJ Simpson was a great football player. It doesn't mean he's not capable of terrible things. You know?

Just my opinion, of course.

I don't have a problem using the word "coward" and "incompetent" and "liar" and "corrupt" with regard to John McCain, not at all. The fact that he had one act of courage does not negate the possibility of cowardice today, it just doesn't. When it comes to this country, to where its gone with regards to torture, the war, the economy, everything, anyone who doesn't admit the reality of the situation is either really dumb or really dishonest.

McCain doesn't want to get called out for his dishonesty on the economy, which he said was great not too long ago.

As a side note, another motive for postponing the debate is because they want to reschedule it in place of the VP debate on Thurs, thus postponing (perhaps indefinitely) the ass-kicking Palin will get at the hands of Joe Biden.

[Malachy Walsh]

Yeah, but by that definition of coward, nearly all decisions could be characterized as made out of fear, and, thus, cowardly.

For instance, you could reasonably argue that Obama decided to decline McCain's offer to delay the debate because he was afraid it would make McCain look like the leader of the two.

The most widely used definition of "coward" is - a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.

I just don't see it as appropriate here.

[devilvet]

amen joshua....

Malachy I'm not trying to paint a certain way... I guess I really dont get your opposition to the word coward, even as you describe it.

a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.

this describes to me the intent behind McCain's avoidance of the facts about Rick Davis, about McCain's own admitance to ignorance in economic matter, the campaign's avoidance of the press in regardless to Sarah Palin.

But it you don't want to call the man a coward that's ok.

Rose by any other name...

I'll settle for chickenshit or batshitcrazy or ethically frail as a result of a constant self contraction that borders on senility.

What if I just call him yella?

But lo, before I appear to lose any points on this issue, why dont I just go ahead and do the brave thing... and refuse to debate the issue of John McCain's supposed cowardace until we have bi-partisan. I suspend this comment thread into all parties involved can agree about appropriate adjectives and modifiers for a man whose current seeming lack of courage in regards to debating his opponent can be called anything other than "cowardly".

[Joshua James]

It's always a question of context, isn't it? Sometimes to run from a fight is a brave thing, sometimes to stand your ground is . . . it's really about context and WHY one chooses what they do . . . it's a strong word, and it seems your issue is with the word itself rather than the situation.

However, Isaac lays out pretty clearly (to my mind) why he thinks McCain's latest choices are cowardly, and I added my thoughts above.

In context, McCain's choices with regard to the latest political and economical developments are cowardly (as opposed to Obama going and facing O'Reilly, for example . . . I didn't agree with that, but I don't see how someone can necessarily call it cowardly) . . .

It's not necessarily cowardly to avoid confrontation - for example, if you or I run see someone, a neighborhood bully with a bad rep, on the street beating another person up, viciously, and we choose not to get involved directly, we don't break the fight up . . . maybe we call 911 and that's it . . . that's not cowardly, that's a wise decision based on the context of the situation.

If, on the other hand, we happened to be a uniformed cop walking the beat and we see said fight and decide to pretend NOT to see it, because we know the tough bully will be hard if not impossible to handle on our own, that's a cowardly act - because we chose to be a cop, we chose to put ourselves in situations where we face violent confrontations.

McCain WANTS to be President. He's running. He agreed to the debate schedule MONTHS ago. If his numbers were solid and Palin still scoring high, there's no way he'd duck it.

Instead, he's avoiding it like a beat cop who doesn't want to tangle with a tough guy. There's no way you can become President without having to debate and / or take questions from the press.

Of course, you can and should game the situation to your advantage, if you're a cop and facing numbers, call backup, etc. You're running for President and you want fewer debates because that shows your skills better, etc.

It's smart to take advantage of your strengths.

However, that's different than changing the rules once you start losing (I'm taking my ball and going home!) . . . that's a far different thing.

The fact that you don't LIKE the situation as presented, that things are not working out well for you, is beside the point. This is the way it works. That's the job. Face it or don't.

McCain is not facing it. By my definition, I call that cowardice. I understand people disagree, but it seems that the only reason they disagree is because the guy was a war hero forty years ago.

As I pointed out, it's entirely possible for someone to be brave at one point in their life and cowardly at another. Honest and dishonest. Smart and stupid (Bill Clinton, for example). Rather than judge him on actions decades old, why not judge him on actions he's taking RIGHT now?

The guy went on THE VIEW and blatantly lied. Among other things.

had he not been in prison in Vietnam, would we be having this conversation? Were he a democrat, would we (you know Jimmy Carter was an outstanding military officer, has a sub named after him, yet neo-cons sneer and call him coward every chance they get?) - or is it because he's republican and a war hero, he gets a pass?

It plays that way to my eyes.

Just my opinion.

[devilvet]

thumb up again at josh

-dv

[Malachy Walsh]

Events in just the last several hours prove my point.

John McCain is no coward. He's something else altogether. He is fearless. And reckless. And making a power grab in order to win an election.

I think it's worth noting that Paulson was reported to have knelt and begged at Nancy Pelosi's foot after McCain's cabal refused to sign on to the bipartisan deal struck by Frank and others in committee.

Amazing.

With WAMU down the tubes, the markets will tank tomorrow. And no-one is going to be thinking about a debate.

Ballsy dangerous.

And it's important to diagnose the problem correctly because that's the only way you can truly fight it.

[Joshua James]

I disagree again, if the markets tank and McCAin goes on TV and talks about the economy, with Barack calmly pointing out McCain's complicity in it, he'll get his ass handed to him.

Everyone will be thinking how much life sucks and it's the fault of Republicans.

Personally, I never believed that we need to RUSH to find a solution to the Wall Street problem, I don't think we should hand billions over with no strings, nothing.

But it seems we'll have to agree to disagree. and I'm happy to do that;)!