A McCain Presidency Wouldn't Be So Bad

The New Republic: Ariz. Senator Would At Least Put An End To The Politics Of Karl Rove

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Jonathan Chait.

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The presidential election has an oddly placid feel to it. Four years ago, the notion that George W. Bush would get another four years in office, actually ratified by a plurality of the voters, was more than any liberal could bear, and, after the election, there was loose talk everywhere about "Jesusland" and wanting to flee to Canada. This time, even though Democrats are extremely enthusiastic about Barack Obama, that life-and-death quality is absent. I think the reason is that a lot of liberals kind of like John McCain. I know I do.

Eight years ago, I was a hard-core liberal McCainiac. Here was a Republican saying things no other Republican would say and fighting, Teddy Roosevelt-style, to wrest his party from the hands of the plutocrats who controlled it. And, in the years immediately following that run, McCain established himself as perhaps the country's foremost progressive champion. He was an opponent, on moral and fiscal grounds, of tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefited the rich. He was also a fierce opponent of the extreme elements of the religious right. He was a proponent of global-warming legislation, the Law of the Sea Treaty, a moderate immigration bill, expanded public financing of elections, a tobacco tax, and many other liberal reforms.

Today, he is none of these things. McCain is almost never asked about his scandalous past. On those rare occasions when he is, he either dissembles (claiming to have opposed tax cuts on the grounds that there were no concurrent spending cuts) or interrupts the questioning with an angry outburst (in response to queries about his reportedly extended discussions about joining John Kerry's 2004 ticket). Today, McCain not only claims not to have altered his views for political convenience, he has preposterously made his alleged refusal to do so the central theme of his campaign.

Yet, somehow, I still feel some pangs of affinity for the old codger. Where Bush is peevish, entitled, and insecure, McCain's charming, ironic, and self-deprecating. Bush's path to public life was trading on his father's name to run a series of business ventures into the ground before being handed a baseball team. McCain's was an episode of awe-inspiring perseverance.

Yes, people put far too much stock in the candidates' personalities. (I'd vote for an obnoxious, pampered phony who shared my beliefs over a charming war hero who didn't.) But personality isn't completely meaningless, either. A president sets the tone for our public discourse, and McCain is pretty easy to take. His demagoguery comes with an awkward forced smile, which doesn't make it more forgivable but does make it less irritating.

As for his substantive views, they do (now) closely resemble Bush's. Yet the upside to a candidate who changes his philosophical orientation as often as McCain is that he could always switch back. While I certainly wouldn't recommend that anybody go so far as to vote for him on that basis, it still offers some grounds for hope. The Bush presidency is like being married to a sociopath. A McCain presidency would be more like being married to a drug addict -- however badly he behaves, he could always sober up.

McCain's most longstanding conservative principle is his aversion to wasteful spending. But this has always sprung from an aversion to waste, not a Goldwater-esque opposition to government in principle. McCain's reformist impulses on spending are far more congenial to the progressive vision. If nothing else, his longstanding repugnance for pork-barrel spending would hold out the prospect of clearing away waste in the federal budget. McCain voted against the subsidy-bloated 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill. He nobly opposes the farm bill, one of the few issues where McCain has a sensible position and Obama does not. If McCain could actually trim some corporate welfare from the budget, it would create more fiscal and political space for the next Democratic president to spend money on necessary things like health care.

The best aspect of a McCain presidency is that, while it would probably follow the policies of George W. Bush, it would put an end to the politics of Karl Rove. I went back and reread Michael Lewis's 1997 New York Times Magazine profile of McCain, which gushed (persuasively) over McCain long before McCain- gushing had become a media cliché. You can see in it that, even before his first presidential campaign made him persona non grata in the GOP, McCain really was a highly bipartisan figure. The article cites McCain working unusually closely with Democrats, and quotes Democrats lavishing praise on him. He impugns his own party's leadership as corrupt. He jokingly refers to his younger political self as a "freshman right-wing Nazi." Conservative ideologues, as a rule, do not liken conservatism to national socialism.

Liberals tend to view the press's love affair with McCain as a wildly unfair act of bias. They have a point. On the other hand, they should take some heart in the fact that McCain obviously cherishes the approval of the mainstream (and even liberal) media. His accessibility to the press and public is something small-d democrats should cheer. McCain has conducted interviews with very liberal publications like Grist. He's promised to undertake an American version of "Prime Minister's Questions," whereby members of Congress could spar with him.

Does McCain spin and dissemble? Of course. But the current administration's practices go far beyond mere spin. In Bush's Washington, critics are enemies to be dismissed rather than engaged. A McCain presidency would promise to dismantle the whole Rovian method that has torn open such a deep wound in the national psyche.

Beneath his wildly fluctuating ideological positions, McCain is an establishmentarian Republican. Unlike Bush, he cares about elite opinion. He is comfortable sharing power in the traditional postwar style rather than monopolizing it. He might not be another Teddy Roosevelt, but right now another Gerald Ford doesn't look so bad.

The idea that McCain could establish a reputation as a maverick by standing up to his party on numerous issues, win back his party's support by abandoning nearly all his heterodoxies, then prevail by portraying himself as an unwavering man of principle is nauseating. Yet somehow the idea of a McCain presidency itself doesn't terrify me. What can I say? Bush has lowered my standards.

[joyous88]

jibal, only conservative christians still support

Bush, and that is the support that McSame is getting

as well,

generally speaking not all conservatives are ignorant

BUT, most ignorant people are conservative

[jibal-2009]

"Yes, McCain has his problems, like all people do, but at least he knows that only American Citizens can vote for the President of the USA. Obama must feel that the whole World is citizens to be campaigning in foreign capitals."

Uh, so why did McCain repeatedly taunt Obama to go to Iraq and Afghanistan, and himself went to Mexico and Columbia?

The pro-McCain commenters here once again demonstrate that only the most stupid, ignorant, and dishonest Americans support John McCain.

[jibal-2009]

"I think a lot of you are overlooking the point that congress has been controlled by the democrats for the last 18 months."

The Democrats have been repeatedly vetoed by Bush and blocked in the Senate by filibusters and threats of filibuster by the Republicans, as well as undermined in both the House and Senate by so-called "blue dog Democrats", DINO''s ("Democrat in name only"). Like most Americans, Patriot123456 has no idea of how his government works and can''t be bothered to learn.

[jibal-2009]

"Liberals & conservatives all want American prosperity"

No, so-called "conservatives" want to be RICH! RICH! RICH! and don''t give a flying eff for anyone else.

[jibal-2009]

Either this is satire, or Jonathan Chait is a moron. Given his previous writings, we can be pretty sure it''s the latter.

[joyous88]

A McSame presidency would be just that , the SAME;

Like the state of things today, then you probably voted for bush, you will probably vote for McSame,

and you are probably a christian fool

[joyous88]

hbevis, have some more of that bible thumping kool aid bro,

Do you even know what socialism is, or are you just spreading the conservative buzz word of the day?

All of your republicon senators have socialized medical care and I have not heard a single one complain.

All of you conservative republicon owned corporations are on a corporate / farm welfare system that is right out of the old soviet playbook,

socialized corporate welfare, how many of them have your heard complain?

You live of a country that has socialized the corporate and privatized the individual,

take a look at the economy stupid

You can have McSame, all the criminality of the Bushites and worse. This man is another liar, gold digger and anti-American. With the eminent economic collapse of America, McSame would seal the fate of the U.S.

Top Cop Says McCain Was Never Tortured
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3b1_1202492678

The wife John McCain callously left behind
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html

John McCain betrayed Vietnamese peasant who saved his life
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/election08/253#comment-31914

Is the Straight Talk Express veering off course?
http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/election08/253

Financial Collapse Edges Closer
A total collapse of the US financial system, while not inevitable, is a contingency which should now be planned for.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article20295.htm

McCain''s Personal Holocaust against the Human Rights
& Religious Freedom of the Dineh-Navajo in AZ
http://acsa.net/cain2004.org/?gclid=CJeum47l-pICFQ-WGgodriWUGQ

[hbevis]

The late great USA.
Thanks to George W and his Treasury looting pals.

I just want to have a beer with him.

Posted by sparks224 at 01:18 PM : Jul 20, 2008

So, you think that we are down the TUBE???
I don''t know about that but we are headed for Socialism. If the United Nations has it''s way we will have a one World Government within the next few generations.

And we will have total Weapons Control. The
U.N. right now has a program designed to take all arms away from the private person.

[sparks224]

The late great USA.
Thanks to George W and his Treasury looting pals.

I just want to have a beer with him.

[hbevis]

98 percent of our trouble is the NAFTA bill that was passed in the fall of 1994. The two war''''''''''''''''s that we are in are just a SMALL PERCENTAGE of out national budget.
Posted by hbevis at 11:05 AM : Jul 20, 2008

How did you calculate this figure of 98%? Shouldn''''t you be talking about our national deficit, not the national budget, when trying to put the costs of Iraq (and Afghanistan) in perspective?

Posted by jon2012 at 12:36 PM :Jul 20, 2008

I was talking about the budget. I can''t quote the exact percentage. I saw the breakdown a few days ago and now I can''t find what I read, but it was a small percentage of our national budget.

I know that our national deficit is way out of line for sure. I retired at the end of 1994 because of the NAFTA bill being signed into law by Mr. Clinton. And I know that he debated for a long time before he did so. So, I am not blaming it all on him. It is every ones fault.
It is still wrong for people to try and put all of the blame on Mr. Bush. Sure he has had a big hand in all of this mess that we are in, but we, the Democrats have had the majority in Washington for almost four years and we have not done very much.

[info_powered]

Liberals & conservatives all want American prosperity, & we need to look at the facts:

1) To convert 100% to renewable energy in the next 10 years as Al Gore proposes would cost $3 trillion, which addition to our $9 trillion national debt could collapse our volatile economy.
2) Today over $700 billion flows overseas EVERY YEAR for foreign oil, the largest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind, coupled with over a $200 billion trade deficit with China.
3) Nuclear power is safe, clean, & as cheap as coal. This would decrease our dependence on oil for electricity & dramatically decrease energy costs to the consumer and also create jobs.
4) DO EVERYTHING APPROACH is key. Domestic energy exploration, biodiesel, nuclear, wind, solar, etc is together a comprehensive solution.
Obama is 100% against energy exploration and nuclear power and wants to raise taxes and increase govt spending with our enormous debt?
At least McCain does show a history of aversion to wasteful spending, seeks out better solutions to our energy crisis, and will keep taxes low to keep American businesses succeed which will create jobs.
He''s worked with Kennedy, Feingold, and other Democrats to pass important legislation despite the "DO-NOTHING" Grand-standing partisan congress we have today.

[jon2012-2009]

98 percent of our trouble is the NAFTA bill that was passed in the fall of 1994. The two war''''''''s that we are in are just a SMALL PERCENTAGE of out national budget.
Posted by hbevis at 11:05 AM : Jul 20, 2008

How did you calculate this figure of 98%? Shouldn''t you be talking about our national deficit, not the national budget, when trying to put the costs of Iraq (and Afghanistan) in perspective?

[jon2012-2009]

Your deceitful little half truths are the hall-mark of the republicon party.
Posted by IRLiberal at 07:29 AM : Jul 20, 2008

100% agree. Lying doesn''t begin to describe it. These Republicans are sociopaths.

[cfin5]

98 percent of our trouble is the NAFTA bill that was passed in the fall of 1994. The two war''''s that we are in are just a SMALL PERCENTAGE of out national budget. As long as we let companies close shop and take their equipment out of this country and setup in some other country with super low wages, then we are going to be in the shape we are now. We are headed straight for SOCIALISM, and unless we can stop it we are ruined as a NATION. It does not matter who is in the WHITE HOUSE, PERIOD.

Posted by hbevis at 11:05 AM : Jul 20, 2008--- You are correct. Globalist from either party promote this in sleuth while at the same time put on a good political rivalry shell game to keep our attentions against each other. Is this not historically so?

[rafterman1]

"A McCain Presidency Wouldn''t Be So Bad"

Now there''s a campaign slogan. They should put that on bumper stickers.

[hbevis]

98 percent of our trouble is the NAFTA bill that was passed in the fall of 1994. The two war''s that we are in are just a SMALL PERCENTAGE of out national budget. As long as we let companies close shop and take their equipment out of this country and setup in some other country with super low wages, then we are going to be in the shape we are now. We are headed straight for SOCIALISM, and unless we can stop it we are ruined as a NATION. It does not matter who is in the WHITE HOUSE, PERIOD.

[patriot12436]

irliberal
I guess you are going to name calling because you cannot back up what you believe with facts.My only fear is what obama plans to do. Whether you relaize it or not we both want the same thing for this country, to get it back being successful. Where families can work and build a future. Where neighbors know each other and help one another. A place where all Americans can afford to live the good life.

[grumpas]

I had little hope of a republican president this time around. However it seems McCain has a much better chance than Obama at this point. Obama is so liberal he is too liberal for many democrats. McCain is much closer to the center which is where the American public feels comfortatable. If Obama picks a very liberal VP candidate he will seal his doom. Selecting Hillary would be the kiss of death.

Posted by jdonalds2001

I have listened to McCain! He spouts the exact same ignorance and failed policies George Bush has clung to for 7 1/2 years now word for word! People like you really must hate everything this country stands for? You want to see what little that''s left of it destroyed by 4 more years of destructive Republicanism. McCain is the one who will do it. All we need is one more useless tax cut that adds to the sky high deficit, that will make the dollar even weaker, that will only favor the rich while everyone else starves. The Republican''s always create a mess that Democrats have to clean up after they have gotten through trashing the country.

[cfin5]

Don''t talk to us like we''re getting a bedtime story from Grandpa. Talk like you would face to face with a friend,.....likewise standard against enemies.