For proof of the factional infighting, one only needs to know the story of Florida in 2006. Then Attorney General Charlie Crist had decided to run for Governor, but in order to win he had to get in good with Jeb Bush’s Neocon brigade. He needed the Bush endorsement, connections and financing. Charlie Crist charmed the Neocons and won the election. Then, after he took the oath of office, the new Governor fired 300 members of the former administration. In one sweeping dismissal, he threw out the entire Neocon power structure in Florida. I captured this story in detail in my novel, Purple State. The relevance should be obvious. Charlie Crist is a close friend of John McCain, he is a confidant of the Senator and they are leaders of the pragmatic, reform faction in the Republican Party. Charlie gave the axe to the Neocons, and John is preparing to do the same thing. There is no way they will let him do it.
As the trickle of confusing, and often counterproductive, advertising slogans create a drag on the McCain campaign, don’t be surprised when someone drops the anchor through the floor. Maybe Sarah Palin has slippery hands? John can’t trust anyone. Regardless, he will do everything in his power to win this race but the shadows who fear him will make sure that he does not cross the finish line. Obama might very well win by default but he will win. As always, the Maverick stands alone.
Article comments
1 - Glenn Contrarian
Alex -
Every once in a while I read a blog post that is not simply well-written, but puts out information that I didn't expect, and from which I can learn. Yours is such a post.
Now I don't berate myself quite so much for having supported McCain (if only in spirit) in 2000. Yours is a cautionary tale that of those who stand up to The Man - whether it is the NeoCon Machine, a corrupt military officer entrenched in his position, or even just a schoolyard bully - not everyone survives the encounter with their career or their integrity intact.
Well done, Alex, and thanks for the lesson.
2 - Baritone
Hmmm... John McCain = Second Coming? What a guy!
B
3 - Joanne Huspek
Gawd... politics is a dirty business. Just when I was starting to feel rosy and positive, too.
4 - Clavos
Joanne,
It certainly is. It's also a major reason why the best people rarely go into politics, so we're stuck with having people who are second and third best (or worse) running the country.
5 - Arch Conservative
"so we're stuck with having people who are second and third best (or worse) running the country"
that hardly does the situation justice Clavos.
What we are stuck with are people that believe their own ambition justifies baselessly savaging the character and lives of others while and also having the character and lives of their own friend's and family savaged.
What we are stuck with is people that will look you in the eye and lie to you time and time again so that they maintain their power.
What we are stuck with is have other people imprisoned or even killed in order to obtain or maintain their power.
Let's not sugarcoat things folks. It's a mad world out there. Make you sure you brought you cup and check your soul at the door if you want to get in the game.
6 - Baritone
As bad as all the "savaging" is, it's certainly nothing new. Politics were much more heated and underhanded during the early years of the country.
Each electoral cycle, as the intensity renews, it seems that the people running campaigns and their surrogates try to push the envelope further than the last. Things get edgier, more personal and the focus on actual issues tends to diminish proportionally. And there are always loose cannons out their that, having their own agenda, put out a large part of the really off the wall stuff.
Yes, the attacks on Palin have been harsh and mostly without merit. Also, consider Corsi's compilation of baloney, "The Obama Nation" which is selling like hotcakes - (mainly in bulk sales, interestingly enough.)
While some people undoubtedly take some of these things to heart, by and large it seems to me unlikely that the election will be unduly affected by most of this crap.
B
7 - Cannonshop
An excellent point, Baritone. some of these scandals are downright silly (The Edwards baby tempest-in-a-teapot, for instance, or the Bush Sisters' little alcohol problems-something that anyone who grew up around PK's (PReachers' kids)would tend to expect...) Some proceed from silly to downright ridiculous (Clinton's BJ in the oval office? there were far more substantial issues, like the Grand Staircase Escalante coal-deal for Riaty, but the damn pols focused on something ridiculous.)
Personally, I tend to blame forty years of educational degradation and concern for "Self Esteem" issues for it-raise kids without teaching them to think critically, they'll drool and focus myopically on lowest-common-denominator pap.
8 - bliffle
Good article. Much the same is going on in the dems with the Clinton faction.
the neocons effectively neutered McCain on Larry Kings program after the SC primary when McCain mildly chastised Bush for the lurid lies Rove spread about McCain, and Bush aggressively confronted McCain and said noone could accuse him of running a dirty campaign. McCain submitted. Not a hero.
And now, for the thousandth time I'm hearing some character at the rep convention praising mccain for being so heroic against his vietnamese captors.
He missed his chance to prove his heroism against Bush.