|
|
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
|
|
IT'S GETTING UGLY
The worst kept secret in Washington, D.C is the depth of loathing that exists between President George W. Bush and Senator John McCain (R-AZ). The animosity lingers from the 2000 Republican primaries, which were almost unparalleled in their savagery. Bush resented McCain's contesting him for the nomination, which he considered to be a family heirloom, and his the unquestioning adoration that the press had for him. This of course culminated in a shocking upset in New Hampshire, where McCain bested Bush by 19 points.
Bush hit back relentlessly. The desperation that the campaign felt drove them to almost unimaginable ugliness. Third parties, on behalf of Bush 2000 made several wildly vulgar charges during the South Carolina primary, including;
-That McCain's wife, Cindy was a drug addict. This one was true, during the late 1980's and early 1990's, the very hot Mrs. McCain became addicted to vicodin and OxyContin.
-That McCain, who was a Prisoner of War in the Hanoi Hilton for five and a half years, knowingly covered up live POW/MIA cases in Vietnam during his Senate terms.
-That McCain, during his captivity, was programmed by the North Vietnamese as a kind of "Manchurian Candidate."
-That McCain, due to his famous temper, is mentally unstable.
-That McCain is the father of a black child. In fact, McCain and his wife adopted a daughter from Bangladesh.
-That McCain specifically voted for a power bill that resulted in widely documented cases of breast cancer on Long Island, New York.
McCain lost decisively in South Carolina and his campaign disintegrated shortly thereafter. Being the good soldier that he is, Senator McCain campaigned vigorously for the Republican ticket during the fall campaign but the wounds never fully healed and neither man hid his contempt for the other. The president routinely ignored McCain's very existence and McCain never lost an opportunity to decry the president's spending bills from the Senate floor.
In early 2001, the Washington Monthly ran a cover story asking whether John McCain might not make the ideal Democratic presidential nominee for 2004. Most serious people, including McCain himself, dismissed the idea as ridiculous. As hatred of Bush grew in the Democratic party, however, that ream was rekindled. The surest way to defeat George Bush in a general election was to have John McCain on the ticket. Fewer and fewer people started dismissing the idea, given the antagonism between the two.
Once it became clear that McCain's friend, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass), would be the Democratic nominee, McCain's named started appearing on media short-lists for the vice-presidency. This morning, Senator McCain decided to help the speculation along, saying that, "Obviously, I would entertain it."
McCain, went on to note the extremely long odds against such an offer being made, citing his conservative record on issues such as abortion and trade. As a matter of fact, McCain is among the most conservative members of the of the Senate. His record is close to 100% pro-life, he's an ardent free-trader, and even voted against federal recognition of the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday. The last time I checked, women labor unions and blacks were vaguely important to Democratic chances of getting elected. Putting McCain on the Democratic ticket would destroy both parties. For John Kerry to offer John McCain the vice-presidency would be the surest way to get Ralph Nader elected president of the United States.
In short, a Kerry/McCain ticket will never happen. But a lot of very important people in the White House feel like they've been kicked in the balls. Which was the point all along.
Whoops, as I completed the last sentence, McCain's Senate office issued a statement saying that Senator McCain will not be a vice-presidential candidate.
Nevermind.
|
|
|
| |
