John McCain: Straight Talk Express Derailed
August 18th 2008 06:26
I recently conducted an experiment. I asked about 25 supporters of Senator McCain to tell me why they support him. (I live in the upper midwest of the U.S., so Conservatives are not difficult to come by) There were two main answers. 1. He is a straight talker. 2. He is a war hero.
When I asked them to elaborate, I got stories about his days as a P.O.W and long soliloquies about how even though they don't agree with every thing he stands for, at least he stands for something. He is a "Maverick" and he has convictions.
Ok fine. Next, I asked for reasons why people should not vote for Obama. The overwhelming response is that he is all talk, he doesn't stand for anything, and the biggest reason: He is a flip flopper. When I raise the point that McCain is the flippingest floppingest Candidate in recent memory, there is instant defensiveness, denial, and quick dismissal.
I am a firm believer that Candidates are too quickly demonized for changing their minds. I think it is perfectly healthy and necessary for a person in a position of power to re-evaluate their stances regularly, and adjust to new information. However, that Senator John McCain somehow seems to be receiving a free pass on the "flip flop" while he brandishes that label on his opponent is simply laughable. While every clarification of point made by Senator Obama is quickly declared by McCain Inc. as a "Flip flop", McCain's own stances seem to change as the wind blows.
For your reading pleasure, I am posting a list of McCain "flip flops" courtesy of Ed Schultz. And, if the list doesn't convince you, please watch the video at the end of this post. I'm just asking for a little "Straight Talk", Senator McCain!
THE 27 McCAIN FLIP-FLOPS
1) Was against the Bush tax cuts; now is for making them permanent and even bigger.
2) Was against the GI Bill; now is for the GI Bill.
3) Was for immigration reform; now is against immigration reform - and repudiated his own prior position on immigration reform.
4) Opposed the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill - which had his name on it.
5) Was for gay marriage, and then opposed gay marriage.
6) Was for Roe v. Wade, then was against Roe v. Wade; then for it, sort of; then against it, sort of.
7) Was for storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain; then was against it.
8) In 2000 was for military action against rogue states; now is against it, EXCEPT for Iran….which he sings about bombing and says it's good to sell them cigarettes so we can kill them.
9) Negotiating with North Korea; was against it; then for it, especially when Bush did it.
10) Negotiating with Castro's Cuba - in 2000 was for it, now against it.
11) No negotiating with terrorists except when Colin Powell went to Syria in 2002 and when, in 2006, said we'd eventually have to deal with Hamas.
12) Unilateral military action against terrorists in Pakistan - against it when Obama said it was good; for it when Bush did it in the spring of 2008.
13) Warrantless wiretaps - against them 6 months ago; for them now.
14) Torturing detainees - always against it; since he was tortured he should know. Now, in favor of torturing detainees.
15) Perpetual detention of detainees - bad a few years ago, good now.
16) Iraq - the right course in 2004; stay the course in 2005 and now he was always against the flawed strategy - especially when Rumsfeld was there.
17) Estate tax - for it in 2006; against it now.
18) 2004 - for privatizing Social Security; 2008 against privatizing Social Security.
19) February 2008 promised a balanced budget in 4 years. April 2008 said it will take 8 years. June 2008…..back to 4 years. [And, since he is now for the Bush tax cuts, balancing the budget EVER will be impossible.]
20) In 2008 - first glad to look at oil windfall profits tax; then it's a bad idea - Jimmy Carter's bad idea.
21) In 2000 - no new offshore oil drilling; now, just very recently, it's a great idea.
22) In 2000 - attacked Bush fundraising leaders; in 2006 had some of the same people co-chair his own fundraisers.
23) In 2000 - Jerry Falwell was an "agent of intolerance"; in 2006 McCain delivered the commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University and in 2008 McCain was big buddies with Rev. Hagee and Pastor Parsley.
24) Opposed and voted against the Martin Luther King holiday; now says he was for it.
25) 1986 - opposed South African divestment to attack apartheid; June 2008, praised it.
26) In 2000 - defended South Carolina's Confederate flag as a symbol of heritage; in 2002 said it should come down and it was an "act of political cowardice to not take it down."
27) 2000 - against teaching creationism in schools; 2005 - alternatives to evolution should be taught.
AND HE'S ATTACKING OBAMA AS A FLIP-FLOPPER??!!?? Those living in glass houses……
When I asked them to elaborate, I got stories about his days as a P.O.W and long soliloquies about how even though they don't agree with every thing he stands for, at least he stands for something. He is a "Maverick" and he has convictions.
Ok fine. Next, I asked for reasons why people should not vote for Obama. The overwhelming response is that he is all talk, he doesn't stand for anything, and the biggest reason: He is a flip flopper. When I raise the point that McCain is the flippingest floppingest Candidate in recent memory, there is instant defensiveness, denial, and quick dismissal.
I am a firm believer that Candidates are too quickly demonized for changing their minds. I think it is perfectly healthy and necessary for a person in a position of power to re-evaluate their stances regularly, and adjust to new information. However, that Senator John McCain somehow seems to be receiving a free pass on the "flip flop" while he brandishes that label on his opponent is simply laughable. While every clarification of point made by Senator Obama is quickly declared by McCain Inc. as a "Flip flop", McCain's own stances seem to change as the wind blows.
For your reading pleasure, I am posting a list of McCain "flip flops" courtesy of Ed Schultz. And, if the list doesn't convince you, please watch the video at the end of this post. I'm just asking for a little "Straight Talk", Senator McCain!
THE 27 McCAIN FLIP-FLOPS
1) Was against the Bush tax cuts; now is for making them permanent and even bigger.
2) Was against the GI Bill; now is for the GI Bill.
3) Was for immigration reform; now is against immigration reform - and repudiated his own prior position on immigration reform.
4) Opposed the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill - which had his name on it.
5) Was for gay marriage, and then opposed gay marriage.
6) Was for Roe v. Wade, then was against Roe v. Wade; then for it, sort of; then against it, sort of.
7) Was for storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain; then was against it.
8) In 2000 was for military action against rogue states; now is against it, EXCEPT for Iran….which he sings about bombing and says it's good to sell them cigarettes so we can kill them.
9) Negotiating with North Korea; was against it; then for it, especially when Bush did it.
10) Negotiating with Castro's Cuba - in 2000 was for it, now against it.
11) No negotiating with terrorists except when Colin Powell went to Syria in 2002 and when, in 2006, said we'd eventually have to deal with Hamas.
12) Unilateral military action against terrorists in Pakistan - against it when Obama said it was good; for it when Bush did it in the spring of 2008.
13) Warrantless wiretaps - against them 6 months ago; for them now.
14) Torturing detainees - always against it; since he was tortured he should know. Now, in favor of torturing detainees.
15) Perpetual detention of detainees - bad a few years ago, good now.
16) Iraq - the right course in 2004; stay the course in 2005 and now he was always against the flawed strategy - especially when Rumsfeld was there.
17) Estate tax - for it in 2006; against it now.
18) 2004 - for privatizing Social Security; 2008 against privatizing Social Security.
19) February 2008 promised a balanced budget in 4 years. April 2008 said it will take 8 years. June 2008…..back to 4 years. [And, since he is now for the Bush tax cuts, balancing the budget EVER will be impossible.]
20) In 2008 - first glad to look at oil windfall profits tax; then it's a bad idea - Jimmy Carter's bad idea.
21) In 2000 - no new offshore oil drilling; now, just very recently, it's a great idea.
22) In 2000 - attacked Bush fundraising leaders; in 2006 had some of the same people co-chair his own fundraisers.
23) In 2000 - Jerry Falwell was an "agent of intolerance"; in 2006 McCain delivered the commencement address at Falwell's Liberty University and in 2008 McCain was big buddies with Rev. Hagee and Pastor Parsley.
24) Opposed and voted against the Martin Luther King holiday; now says he was for it.
25) 1986 - opposed South African divestment to attack apartheid; June 2008, praised it.
26) In 2000 - defended South Carolina's Confederate flag as a symbol of heritage; in 2002 said it should come down and it was an "act of political cowardice to not take it down."
27) 2000 - against teaching creationism in schools; 2005 - alternatives to evolution should be taught.
AND HE'S ATTACKING OBAMA AS A FLIP-FLOPPER??!!?? Those living in glass houses……
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