The Whine-Track Candidate

The New Republic: How John McCain And The Republicans Have Become The Aggrieved Party

(The New Republic)  This column was written by Michael Schaffer.

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Back in the languid summer of 2004, George Bush left it to a shadowy 527 group to rough up his opponent. Straight talker that he is, John McCain is keeping the dishonest slime in-house. His campaign spent much of July in high dudgeon over nearly everything Barack Obama did, had done, or would do. In record time, the disdain shot from campaign subconscious to television screen by portraying Obama as dissing the troops like Jane Fonda, pirouetting for cameras like Paris Hilton, and playing to black rage like Al Sharpton.

Whoever foots the bill, it's a quadrennial Republican pastime to portray a Democratic candidate as unfit to live, much less hold high office. Left with a choice between ignoring the attacks or engaging in rapid rebuttals, Obama seems determined to avoid the fate of doomed predecessors like Michael Dukakis or John Kerry, whose failures to respond to negative campaigning contributed to their election-day losses. Instead, his campaign has responded rather meekly, with fact-based denials -- an uncomplicated task, given the absurdly dishonest tone of ads like McCain's Obama-snubbed-wounded-soldiers spot --or a frontrunner's posture of dismissing the hits as "desperate." On Monday, the campaign finally released an ad linking McCain to Bush -- but it was nowhere near as personal as McCain's ads about Obama have been.

Time will tell whether that works out for him. But McCain's summertime transformation from happy warrior to feckless attack dog also offers Democrats a chance to perform a piece of political jujitsu that could reverberate for years. It's time to close the whining gap.

America doesn't like a whiner. A generation of progressives learned this the hard way. Sometime between their New Deal-era successes at fighting for the nation's underdogs and their failed Reagan-era defense of the Great Society, liberals morphed in the public imagination from noble warriors to carping Chicken Littles. A decade and a half after Bill Clinton returned an optimistic shine to their brand, his party remains seen as the home of serial victimology, forever carping about the unfairness of the world. With Democratic leaders cast as process-obsessed kvetchers, the implication about their rank-and-file supporters was clear enough: The Democrats were the party of losers -- personally, economically, and politically.

The old image came through vividly in last-month's mini scandal over ex-Senator Phil Gramm's diagnosis that the United States had "become a nation of whiners." A Reagan-era star who's been out of politics for most for most of the Bush years, the McCain advisor was simply touching an old button from his political heyday. Make a choice, America: Are you whiners or Republicans?

Of course, the idea of casting any party as the whiners' faction is silly. Politics is the act of organizing grievances. Pretty much every political group that has ever existed has involved significant amounts of bellyaching. That's especially true of the modern right, whose Nixon and Goldwater contingents alike organized themselves around noisy, grouchy complaining about eastern elitists, bureaucrats, long-hairs, and the other bullying bad guys of the Republican imagination. But when insurgents, as the GOP was in the '60s, harp on opponents' every word, questioning their patriotism or their integrity or their fairness, it can sound like righteous indignation. When a party in the deep autumn of its political era does so, it comes off as petty bitching. And exhibit A, improbably enough, is John McCain.

With his five years of stoic imprisonment and his history of making nice with old tormentors, John McCain seemed like a perfect addition to the decades-long tradition of playing the foil for grievance-obsessed Democrats. But a funny thing happened to cheery McCain: He started whining himself.

The jury's still out on whether McCain's first three negative ads and accompanying attacks will sway voters. But there's no doubt that they've already succeeded in driving a week's worth of news, as talking heads debate whether the Illinois Senator is an out-of-touch celebrity, a troop-disser, a race card-player, or a fussy hysteric.Critics, including a onetime Republican rival and one of McCain's own former top campaign aides, say the salvo has made him seem bitter and unpleasant, which is surely true. But Obama's reactive posturing seems mostly like a slightly more competent update of previous Democratic losers. He expresses dismay or bemoans cynicism but doesn't use McCain's own words to make the sort of emasculating, delegitimizing point that seems most appropriate: John McCain is a sniveling whiner.

After all, what is the Republican really arguing for in his newly ferocious incarnation? He's not actually talking about leadership, or plans to leave Iraq. He's complaining about Obama's good fortune. Boo hoo! The press likes Obama. Sob! The general public enjoys novelty and spectacle. Does someone have a hankie? Some people find his race an appealing reason to vote for him. Cry me a river. And forget pointing out the hypocrisy of such a line of criticism from the guy who's never lacked an invitation to "Meet the Press," nor been shy to accept one. Pointing out hypocrisy is for losers. Pointing out un-American wussiness, especially in someone whose life story involves plenty of the contrary, is a tactic the GOP's own strategists would recognize. Ronald Reagan would have known just what to say in Obama's place: "There you go again." He'd have found a way, sweetly, to suggest over and over again that McCain ought to grow a pair. The response would have simultaneously belittled McCain and preempted future recurrences of the attacks. More importantly, it would have established an easy -- and extremely unflattering -- framework for people to interpret further Republican negative spots: as yet another example of the party's inability to shut its whiny pieholes.

Painting the Republican as the whiner's candidate isn't exactly a stretch. Like the Democrats of an earlier generation, the Republicans in their own age of hubristic overreach seem to revel in playing the victim. Things are always so darned biased against them: The media harps on negative news from Iraq. The secular elitists look down on the religious fundamentalists. The neocons are invariably misunderstood and discriminated against. Those poor young conservatives can't even get a date on an Ivy League campus. The griping has long been part of the Republican style, but in 2008, with the rest of their brand so thoroughly damaged, it's all they've got left. And when a political movement changes its focus from complaints that are based in reality (illegals are pouring over the border!) to gripes about process (the mean, mean New York Times asked for rewrites of McCain's op-ed!) its candidates start to look awfully puny, however heroic they used to be. If only their opponents would point it out.

Right now is the Democrats' moment. Goodbye, John McCain, war hero. Hello, John McCain, bellyacher. What are the Republicans going to do in response? Complain about how unfair it is to say such things about a decorated national treasure? Typical. The whiners.

[sanfelz]

McCain is using the same code words and race-baiting tactics that every Republican candidate, with the possible exception of Dole,has used to instill fear and hatred to win an election.
The refrain is always a variation of "They''re not ready yet" when it comes to a minority having the same rights, privileges and jobs that cranky old white guys take for granted.
Then the Republicans cry media bias. These paranoid politicians are afraid of everybody and everything but their small circle of co-conspirators.

[veteran188]

An interesting FACT,

The republicons rejected McCain and elected Bush!

McCain was thought of as not being as good as Bush by

the REPUBLICONS!

And look what we got with Bush?

Anyone still want to vote for McSAME?

[kazoodan]

Posted by cbscrash07 at 07:09 PM : Aug 06, 2008

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McCain put out an ad on June 27 with Obamas'' face superimposed over Ben Franklins'' on the $100 bill. You don''t suppose THAT had anything to do with Obamas'' remark, do you?

[kaelinda]

Shaffer is right about the whining, crybaby Republicans - but he''s also right about Obama losing this election if he doesn''t start fighting back. One of the things his supporters liked about him at the beginning was his stance for a higher level of campaigning. He''s keeping his promise, but it won''t get him elected. He should issue an ultimatum: Either McCain stops denigrating Obama as a person, a patriot, and a candidate and starts focusing on the issues, or Obama will start denigrating McCain. And McCain will be trashed like nothing you''ve ever seen before. Obama has wit and intelligence, neither of which McCain has EVER been accused of having.

[mrtutto]

The media is propping up McCain like " Weekend at Bernie''s "

[nearl4511]

The whining doesn''t seem to be a winning approach does it?

[noloyalisti]

Wait a second. Both McBush and McSame did not support the GIO Bill that overwhelmingly passed Congress. These are the boys of the Grand Oil Party who had we don''t provide safety equipment for the troops Donald Rums Failed.

Get a grip on reality. Not your made up right wing reality, either.

[Syndicate]

Wait a minute. The ad that points out Obama''s celebrity was funny and true. The media acts like groupies when he is around. Now I wonder if that Paris ad wasn''t meant to help McCain? The ad pointing out Obama''s lack of interest in the troops was spot on. This from the guy who recently replaced the American flag on his airplane with his Obama logo. The guy doesn''t get it. He is truly clueless when it comes to patriotism. You can tell its a new concept for him. As for the race bating thing well I am very happy McCain called Obama out on that one. I knew what Obama meant when I heard him say he doesn''t look like the other presidents. Thats a little bit of that black culture sneaking out again. He better learn to hide it a little better. Americans don''t like a racist even a black one.

[noloyalisti]

You would whine too, if you had no plans, no programs that make sense and cannot defend your party or your record as having done anything good for the people. Can someone give me one reason to vote for this war-monger McSame?

[wogerwabbit]

Anybody who is alive knows that the biker chicks usually take off most of their clothes and dance on the tables for this contest. He''''s nothing but an old moron.


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Posted by mswolfestock at 02:41 PM


Anybody who''s been there knows they take off ALL of their clothes
;)

[wogerwabbit]

NOBAMA

NO WAY

NO HOW

NOT MY PRESIDENT!


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Posted by mbcsmith at 04:17 PM

Now you know how Dems have felt these last 7 years with that republi-**** in the white house. Deal with it. Better yet, leave.

[dashortround]

"The griping has long been part of the Republican style, but in 2008, with the rest of their brand so thoroughly damaged, it''s all they''ve got left."


That statement is so true - "petty whining" really IS all the Republicans have left. The Republican party has totally discredited itself over the past few decades, and now they''re politically bankrupt.

On another note, simply because so many racially and ethnically bigoted Repugs seem to think it''s some sort of crime to have a middle name like "Hussein" -- I just wanted to say to them that having "Hussein" in his name is actually one of the reasons that I will be voting FOR him.

I think that doing so helps to show the rest of the world that the American people are above such petty stereotyping - especially when it''s based on something as silly as a person''s middle name.

[noloyalisti]

Don''t give in to any righty talking points. No prisoners, no working together, no quarter for the wackos. We know what they are about and we know what they were trying to do. No slack whatsoever for these Bushoccio lovers. They like the current fascist system and they want more of the McSame.

[krenz4]

Obama is the one that whines.

About his name, about his picture on the money !

He does not even have his picture on the money yet and he is whining about it !

Obama is the one that changed his name from Barry !

He picked his name, why should he whine about it ?



Posted by old300d

Old300d: You are just plain stupid. Obama was BORN Obama and called himself Barry to ease his acceptance in Hawaiian schools. He does not whine about the garbage that Mccain and his crew are slinging, but RESPONDS like any intelligent person would, with the FACTS.....Mccain should look into it.

[old300d]

Obama is the one that whines.

About his name, about his picture on the money !

He does not even have his picture on the money yet and he is whining about it !

Obama is the one that changed his name from Barry !

He picked his name, why should he whine about it ?

[jmurrieta1]

John McCain--poor little rich boy.

Daddy and grandaddy were admirals, so Johnnie went into the Navy, where he got a big boost from his family.

Nickname: "punk".

Dumped loyal wife #1 and married a beer heiress.

But now he''s so, so oppressed by that mean mainstream media, you know, the reporters who suck up to Johnnie every chance they get.

Let me get you a crying towel, McCain!

[old300d]

I think McCain is a funny guy ! I like his ads !

He is always funny on the late night talk shows.

I don''t think Obama gets the jokes ! He is too straight !

Paris gets it ! She is HOT !

[mbcsmith]

NOBAMA

NO WAY

NO HOW

NOT MY PRESIDENT!

[skyk-2009]

THIS GUY IS A WHINER AND SCARED OF JOHN McCAIN GAINING ON THAT FAKE BARRY HUSSEIN.

;)

Posted by johnny1285 at 02:27 PM : Aug 06, 2008

THAT is NOT what the Article says! It absolutely amazes me how people can get online and lack the basic intelligence to read and understand what an Article say''s. Course when you think about it these are people who supported and defended George W. Bush! I guess that say''s they can''t be all that intelligent doesn''t it?

[irliberal]

Good article. The whining from the neocons has turned into a high pitched wail, much like that of a sorority girl who''s just found a mouse in her purse.

I hate to think how awful that sound will be in November.