He needs a "Bad Cop" so he can play "Good Cop"

He's doing the same thing he does every night Pinkie, tries to take over the world ; )

Oh, sorry he and Karl Rove that is. My bad, don't hurt me Karl.

Hey, if Clinton "saved the constitution" by having an adulterous relationship with a disillusioned fat Jewish chick while in office, then perhaps the conservatives can cut McCain some slack here.

No, Palin saved conservatism. McCain intended her to be a bone thrown to keep the conservatives off his back while he and Linsday Graham continued to spend every waking moment sleeping with democrats.

Instead, Palin saved his campaign, so he's changed the political direction and riding the wave.

Palin/McCain '08

No, you're an idiot, of course. But taking the question seriously: what McCain has, almost uniquely among modern politicians, is the desire and ability to actually get stuff done by cutting deals with people who are not his friends. Hence, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy, the Gang of 14 deal, and so forth.

Each of these were responses to general demands for Congressional action. That is, in each case, there were loud and general cries to Get Something Done -- about campaign finance reform, about immigration reform, and about confirmation of judicial appointments. Also, in each case, action was blocked because of profound ideological differences between left and right. And in each case, somehow McCain managed to cut some kind of compromise deal with his political opposites to actually get something done.

Now, many folks find out, after such a thing happens, that they didn't really want something done, they just wanted to jump up and down like monkeys and screech about nothing being done. Or they realize that the cost of getting something actually done -- which is compromise with their ideological foes -- is higher than they really want to pay, so they'd prefer nothing happen, and wait for some far-off (maybe fantasy) day when the tide of history will change, wash their foes away, and they can have an entire loaf instead of half. So for that reason, interestingly enough, McCain is effective as a legislator -- he gets stuff done -- but not especially popular -- because it turns out, ha ha, people often don't want stuff done, not if it involves compromise and bargaining. What they really want is some magic Dear Leader who by sheer force of personality or sheer force shoves the Perfect Solution down the throats of the opposition (preferably with all the corners sticking out).

It's the same way here. McCain is trying to get elected, and he believes -- correctly, very likely -- that the only way to do that is build a coalition that includes both conservatives (economic and social), independents and moderates, and a few Democratic-leaning folks who are OK with welfare, who think Our Schools Need More Money, who think a bit of gun control would not come amiss, and so forth.

So he has done what he can to build that coalition. Everyone gets a little something, enough to keep them at the table, but no one gets everything he wants. If all goes well, it ends up where no one 15% slice of the electorate (e.g. IMAO ronin) is fabulously excited about McCain but a coalition making up 55% of the electorate is grudgingly OK with him enough to pull the right lever in November.

Social conservatives get Sarah Palin's reg'lar church-going and anti-abortion stand, backed up by Trig. Second Amendment freaks get the YouTube videos of the Vice-President taking a few accurate shots on the practice range in Iraq. Gitmo cranks get McCain's stand against "torture." National security geeks get his pro-surge stand. Hispanic "community leaders" and their (tens of millions) of house-cleaning strawberry-picking followers get his pro-nearly-open-immigration history. Grumpy old vets get his impeccable military service credentials. And so on. No one gets left out, but no one gets all they'd like.

Generally speaking, this is how successful politics works, and this is why McCain has any chance at all in a year when every imaginable objective measure would predict the Democrats win even if they nominate a talking horse act from the circus, which they kind of have.

Considering this is supposed to be a humor blog, I hope your kidding.

"Getting things done" for the sake of "getting things done" does more harm than good.

McCain-Feingold curbed free speech, but did nothing about corrupt politicians. McCain-Kennedy did nothing to deport criminal aliens, it swept the problem under the rug. The Gang of 14 blocked the posting of conservative judges.

His "compromises" did nothing about the problem and created more in the process.

The only people who aren't his friends are conservatives. He throws us under the bus

"What's the matter, Sis, don't you like McCain?"

"He's an asshole."

"Yeah! I like assholes."

"He's just like Bush."

"No, he's a way bigger asshole than Bush. Bush was only an asshole part of the time. The rest of the time he was a Democrat."

"I don't agree with you. McCain just wants more war."

"No, McCain wants to win - and then end - the war."

"Yeah, well, I don't."

"Well, then YOU'RE the asshole."

(This conversation actually took place between me and my Democrat sister.)

The only reason I want McCain is that he buys us time. Our enemies are scared SHITLESS of him. And Carl, not for any of the reasons you mention.

'Cause he's an asshole - to our enemies.

And I'm votin' for him.

McCain is right. Only a Republican can fix the problems brought on this country by Republicans. They say that in order to solve a crime, a detective needs to understand the thought processes of the criminal he's trying to catch...and who understands the thought processes of a Republican better than a Republican. Go get 'em McCain!

Wow, #8! That was impressive! Did you spend the four hours since this was posted to come up with that?

Seriously though. I agree in some part to what Carl posted, but the fact of life is this: No Democrat or "moderate Republican" should even be let near the white house again, much less in it. McCain doesn't give me as horrible a feeling as Obambi does, but he's still a guy who wants to please most of the people some of the time. As cooperative as that seems, giving anything to the seditious side of the political spectrum & their phony concern for people who aren't even citizens makes me sick to my stomach.

There are a few requirements that need to be met for me to gladly vote for any given candidate, and while Barack Obama meets none of them, McCain doesn't meet several.

Protecting our borders does not mean "throw the borders open". This whole "make them all insta-citizens" nonsense is a bad economic decision at best and seems to be a poor way of securing future votes.

Passing the Fair Tax could be the best thing for this nation's economy EVER, but neither candidate has been vocal about it. Hell, with a fair tax, even I'd say let the illegals stay; we'd need them just to fill all the jobs that would emerge here & return to our shores.

Coalition thinking only works when you're working with *allies*. Are the Democrats friends to conservatives? Are they friends to American ideals? I don't think so. These are the people who are violent toward fetuses & clearly stated Constitutional rights, but friendly to Fascists of every sort & loosely interpreted or non-existent rights.

Why do you think their most passionately held ideals are ones that only go through the courts? Because letting us vote on abortion & gun rights scares the crap out of them. God forbid the Democrats allow the nation to participate in democratic processes where major issues are concerned.

#10 - Posted by: AlanABQ on September 5, 2008 04:02 PM

It's like he says what I'm thinking! Great post.

Totally agree #11; well done AlanABQ.