Is John McCain being groomed to run for President

[Redleg]

I watched the John McCain biography movie tonight - Faith of my Father.

Made me wonder is he being sold to the American People before the next election to provide even more name recongition then any other possible candidate?

[Byzantine Prince]

He's so liberal even JAG would vote for him.

[Redleg]

He's so liberal even JAG would vote for him.

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rati...an_id=S0061103

So is he a liberial or a moderate?

I think his record shows that he is a moderate, with postions in both the liberial agenda and the conservative agenda.

[Byzantine Prince]

I've seen him on the John Stewart show, he seemed like a pretty moderate honest person. He'd make a great president. Then again one never knows about these things until they hapen.

[JAG]

He's so liberal even JAG would vote for him.

You know from what I have seen of him, he is not a liberal but I would contemplate voting for him. He seems a hard working, honest bloke who is not on the extreme christian right of his party and in the pocket of that lobby. He does also seem to have some views which are just common sense and completely correct - on the financing of Presidential and other political campaigns.

Most definitely one of the best Republican candidates out there, imo.

[PanzerJaeger]

He seems like a Jimmy Carter to me. A nice, easy talking, common sense guy who doesnt have the balls for the white house. (Yes I know hes a war vet, those arent the balls im talking about)

It seems to me he would have a hard time making tough decisions and sticking to them. He seems a bit indecisive, and of course way too moderate.

[econ21]

There was a piece in the Sunday Times mooting the same idea. It does not seem serious. The killer points seem to be (a) he's too moderate to be nominated by the Republicans; (b) he's too old [In the UK, being over retirement age now seems to disqualify people from leading the country.]

[doc_bean]

I thought he should have been president 8years ago.

Now I'm not sure, I think Condi should run, she's even more a media darling (her views on the use of torture are rather unfortunate though.).

But whoever runs against Hillary is bound to win, so what does it matter ?

4 more years !

(always back the winner)

[Xiahou]

I watched the John McCain biography movie tonight - Faith of my Father.

Made me wonder is he being sold to the American People before the next election to provide even more name recongition then any other possible candidate?

The guy is such a media darling- it's practically nauseating. As I've said before, he'll never get my support or my vote.

The most horriffic thing I could imagine would be a race between him and Hillary.... I think I'd have no choice that I could live with other than voting 3rd party.

[Proletariat]

The guy is such a media darling- it's practically nauseating. As I've said before, he'll never get my support or my vote.

Most enjoyable thing about the filibuster non-sense was watching this moron castrate his chances for any shot at '08. I was deadwrong a few weeks ago when I mentioned he was much more right wing than people thought.

Maybe he has already decided to skip the Republican primaries and just run as a 3rd party candidate. (Which really blows since that's probably the only way Hill could have a snowball's chance at this thing.)

[Byzantine Prince]

Most enjoyable thing about the filibuster non-sense was watching this moron castrate his chances for any shot at '08.

If this guys is a moron then what does that make George Bush, a chimpanzee?
The funniest part about that is that W's face actually resemble's a chimp's.

[ICantSpellDawg]

If this guys is a moron then what does that make George Bush, a chimpanzee?
The funniest part about that is that W's face actually resemble's a chimp's.

very clever
GWB became president

mcain blew his chances (so some think)

that is what the "Moron" reference is to

plus, Bush has a ton of money and is the president
and he won a re-election

he is doing something right
ive always thought that the moron thing was a cover

[Proletariat]

Gratze.

[Byzantine Prince]

he is doing something right
ive always thought that the moron thing was a cover

As for doing something right, can't argue there. He's very apealing to people like him, chimp-like low-intelligence bible thumpers.
As for him talking and looking like a moron being a cover, I must object. Look, the man almost flunked Yale! Yale! How dumb do you have to be to almost flunk out something so guaranteed? Oh wait, I almost forgot, Dick Cheney flunked twice.

[Big_John]

hmm, since many conservatives are pissing themselves in anger over this guy.. he can't be all that bad.

[Redleg]

hmm, since all the conservatives are pissing themselves in anger over this guy.. he can't be all that bad.

Personally I like McCain - he is more in line with what I think a national leader must be - A moderate and center. I just saw the movie - which I thought was okay, not to much pat on the back.

[Aurelian]

Short answer, yes, he is being groomed to run for president. At least by himself. He's run before, and there doesn't seem to be any reason that he wouldn't run in 2008.

His big problem is that his persona is probably too moderate to win the Republican nomination.

Also, let's remember that he fathered an illegitimate black baby, and that he's too unstable from his POW experiences to be president. Of course, he didn't REALLY father an illegitimate black baby, and he's not REALLY crazy, but that's the way the radcon smear merchants went after him in 2000... so it's a good bet that we'd see the same charges or worse if he ran again. Maybe in 2008 we'll 'find out' that he had a gay relationship with a cell-mate in 'Nam, or that he passed nuclear secrets to the Vietnamese. Maybe we'll get to see commercials sponsored by the "Hanoi Hilton Veterans for the Truth". That would be fun.

If McCain did get through the primary process, I think he might have a decent shot at winning the general election. There are enough moderates and moderate Democrats that like him that he might be able to seize the middle. The far right base might not be as pumped as usual, but who would they vote for? Hillary? I don't think so. From a Republican standpoint, at least McCain is pro-life and pro-war. Just think, unlike Bush, he actually could be a uniter, not a divider.

Plus, regardless of what Dobson, Rush, or any of the others are saying, the compromise on the filibuster isn't such a bad thing for the Republicans. Think about it, there were only 10 (?) judicial nominees that didn't get confirmed during Bush's first term. The agreement by Senate moderates ensures that three of those will get through on a second pass. That's an incredibly high success rate for judicial nominees.

It really is a good thing that McCain and the other moderates were willing, in this instance, to look past purely partisan agendas and seek a compromise that keeps Senate rules and traditions intact. The whole purpose of the Senate is to slow down debate, prevent majority tyranny, and give the minority a place to oppose extremist measures. In order to achieve their agenda, the Senate majority leadership was willing to overthrow not only the rule that 60 votes are needed to end debate (the rule that allows filibusters), but to violate the Senate rule that 67 votes are required to change the rules themselves. In order to get around the 67 vote rules change requirment, the Republican leadership was going to argue that they were not 'changing the rules', but were instead setting a new precedent. If that sort of maneuver had succeeded, and the Senate leadership was able to change rules by simply denying that they were doing it, there would be essentially no checks against majority power. That is of particular concern in the current situation where one party holds both houses and the presidency (and has a 'win by any means' mentality).

So, McCain and the others actually did something useful. I'm not terribly thrilled with the man overall because he supported Bush... after being defamed by him in 2000, and after Bush's various nods to torture and extra-legal imprisonment. A man who spent years being tortured by the North Vietnamese should really be more outspoken against his own government employing similar methods. Still, sucking up to your party's leader is expected if you're going to being running for the top job yourself down the road.

[Redleg]

Also, let's remember that he fathered an illegitimate black baby, and that he's too unstable from his POW experiences to be president. Of course, he didn't REALLY father an illegitimate black baby, and he's not REALLY crazy, but that's the way the radcon smear merchants went after him in 2000... so it's a good bet that we'd see the same charges or worse if he ran again. Maybe in 2008 we'll 'find out' that he had a gay relationship with a cell-mate in 'Nam, or that he passed nuclear secrets to the Vietnamese. Maybe we'll get to see commercials sponsored by the "Hanoi Hilton Veterans for the Truth". That would be fun.

He doesn't need any right wing Republicans smearing him, when the left-wing like yourself does a rant like this about the man.

If McCain did get through the primary process, I think he might have a decent shot at winning the general election. There are enough moderates and moderate Democrats that like him that he might be able to seize the middle. The far right base might not be as pumped as usual, but who would they vote for? Hillary? I don't think so. From a Republican standpoint, at least McCain is pro-life and pro-war. Just think, unlike Bush, he actually could be a uniter, not a divider.

First decent thing I have ever seen you write about any Republican - so way the venom in the first paragraph.

So, McCain and the others actually did something useful. I'm not terribly thrilled with the man overall because he supported Bush... after being defamed by him in 2000, and after Bush's various nods to torture and extra-legal imprisonment. A man who spent years being tortured by the North Vietnamese should really be more outspoken against his own government employing similar methods. Still, sucking up to your party's leader is expected if you're going to being running for the top job yourself down the road.

[Papewaio]

Given that alot of the presidential race is determined by media profile... what is Paris Hiltons chance of winning when she turns 40?

[Productivity]

He doesn't need any right wing Republicans smearing him, when the left-wing like yourself does a rant like this about the man.


First decent thing I have ever seen you write about any Republican - so way the venom in the first paragraph.

I got the impression the venom was directed at the Republican system, and how it uses venom on people, rather than McCain. Sarcastically coming out with everything he expects the republicans to come out with as such.

[Big_John]

Personally I like McCain

corrected.

[PanzerJaeger]

So, McCain and the others actually did something useful. I'm not terribly thrilled with the man overall because he supported Bush... after being defamed by him in 2000, and after Bush's various nods to torture and extra-legal imprisonment. A man who spent years being tortured by the North Vietnamese should really be more outspoken against his own government employing similar methods. Still, sucking up to your party's leader is expected if you're going to being running for the top job yourself down the road.

Maybe he understands the difference between what the raving leftists are whining about and real torture.

[Ironside]

Maybe he understands the difference between what the raving leftists are whining about and real torture.

Actually those accusations of torture is comprehensive with what's classified as torture for other countries.

If that isn't torture, then many dictorships havn't performed torture.

[Vladimir]

You don't groom a 71 year old for anything. You buy them a toupee.

[JAG]

Interesting post by me all that time ago - blimey 2005!!! ;) - and I guess what I said still holds true, though the more you find out about the guy and the changing political problems of the present, the less it rings true.

Back then it was looking at radical right wing Presidents - or at least Presidential nominees, from the Republicans - or looking at something less radical in the form of McCain, and in a contest between Bush and McCain, I know who I would vote for. But in the present political context, with Iraq so important and with the possibility of the social situation in the States as well as the general political direction, moving to the left - I don't think I would contemplate voting McCain for more than a few seconds. Though after all it is all irrelevant as I can't and probably never will, have the opportunity to vote in the US Presidential election!