How McCain Reconciles Lies With Honor

The New Republic: The Logic And Rationale Behind John McCain's New Sleazy Campaign Style

(The New Republic) 
McCain does run some risk of a backlash. After years of portraying him as a uniquely honorable figure in American politics, the national press corps has started to take note of his brazen distortions, a development that may threaten his most precious asset. But we should consider an alternate possibility. Suppose that McCain has committed himself, with the Palin pick, to running a campaign centered around mobilizing the Republican base. He has enjoyed clear success with this since the Palin pick, attracting larger crowds, drawing higher fund-raising totals, and even seeing dramatically higher numbers of voters identifying themselves as Republicans in polls.
If this is McCain's strategy, then a bunch of news reports debunking his claims isn't going to hurt. Indeed it may even help. Last February, political scientists Brendan Nyhan of Duke and Jason Reifler of Georgia State published the results of an experiment designed to test the effects of political untruths. The results would unsettle any idealist. The first conclusion they found was that lies work. When subjects were confronted with an untrue political claim (President Bush banned stem-cell research; weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq) respondents naturally moved toward those positions. When the lie was corrected, however, the effect of the untruth in moving opinions largely remained. The truth, in other words, is no antidote for a lie.

Their second conclusion was even more disturbing. Subjects who identified as politically conservative were not only immune to the effects of having a lie corrected, the correction made them even more likely to believe a lie. So, for instance, one group of conservative subjects was presented with a news story that depicted President Bush claiming weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. A second group of conservatives was presented with the same thing, along with a paragraph noting that Bush's statement was untrue. The second group was more likely than the first to believe that Iraq possessed WMDs. The very fact of the press challenging their beliefs seems to have made conservatives more likely to embrace them. If this finding is broadly correct, then the media's newfound willingness to fact-check McCain will only succeed in rallying the GOP base to his side.

But wait. Those of us who have admired McCain are not used to analyzing his actions in purely amoral terms. This is a man with a history of true heroism who takes honor seriously. What happened to him?

The McCain campaign and its sympathizers have offered one semi-acknowledgment in public. According to their theory, McCain tried to run a high-road campaign, but was ignored by the press and rebuffed by Obama. McCain, complained his former aide, Dan Schnur, "had a poverty tour and nobody covered it." (McCain's tour did get some coverage, but not the commanding attention McCain hoped for, possibly because he had no actual poverty proposals to accompany it.) Likewise, McCain cites his unrequited offer to hold joint town halls as evidence of his good faith. "I think the tone of this whole campaign would've been very different," he said recently, "if Senator Obama had accepted my request for us to appear at town hall meetings all over America." McCain's proposal of joint town halls was salutary, but it wasn't an act of charity--the obvious purpose was to draw Obama into a forum where McCain excels. Even if McCain did make the offer out of a pure-hearted desire to lift the public discourse, Obama's refusal hardly justifies embarking upon a sustained campaign of slander. McCain's rationale is a bit like saying your rejection from law school forced you to turn to a life of crime.

Any attempt to determine McCain's true motives is necessarily pure speculation. It's possible that McCain has convinced himself to actually believe the lies he has been telling. But here's a more likely explanation: All this dishonesty can be understood not as a betrayal of McCain's sense of honor but, in an odd way, as a fulfillment of it.

McCain's deep investment in his own honor can drive him to do honorable things, but it can also allow him to believe that anything he does must be honorable. Thus the moralistic, crusading tone McCain brings to almost every cause he joins. In 2000 and afterward, McCain came to despise George W. Bush and Karl Rove. During his more recent primary campaign, McCain thought the same of front-runner Mitt Romney. Not surprisingly, Romney was the target of McCain's most unfair primary attack--an inaccurate claim that he favored a withdrawal timetable in Iraq.

In time, when Bush's support became necessary for his second presidential campaign, McCain reconciled himself to his former rival--and even to Rove, whom he has reportedly taken on as an outside adviser. More recently, he apparently changed his view of Romney. Now, Obama is the villain. "The contempt that many McCain aides hold for Barack Obama," The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder wrote this summer, "rivals the contempt that McCain held for Mitt Romney a year ago." As Time reported, "McCain and his aides now view Obama with the same level of contempt they once reserved for tobacco-company executives, corrupt lawmakers and George W. Bush. They have convinced themselves that Obama is not honorable, that he does not love his country as much as himself."

The pattern here is perfectly clear. McCain has contempt for anybody who stands between him and the presidency. McCain views himself as the ultimate patriot. He loves his country so much that he cannot let it fall into the hands of an unworthy rival. (They all turn out to be unworthy.) Viewed in this way, doing whatever it takes to win is not an act of selfishness but an act of patriotism. McCain tells lies every day and authorizes lying on his behalf, and he probably knows it. But I would guess--and, again, guessing is all we can do--that in his mind he is acting honorably. As he might put it, there is a bigger truth out there.

[wakeup60]

How low is a Snake''s Stomach? McBush''s is lower than that...BY A MILE-"Religion" has NO PLACE in POLITICS what so ever...and YES/PRO CHOICE IS "NOT" THE SAME AS "PRO ABORTION...AND YOU KNOW WHAT''S REALLY INTERESTING WITH PRO-"LIFE" PEOPLE/"MEN" ARE THE SPEAKERS ON THAT ONE/GO FIGURE! WHERE DO YOU GET OFF ON THIS/OR ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER/OBAMA WILL HAVE ALL THE SHEET ON A SHINGLE HE CAN POSSIBLY HANDLE...TO TRY AND SALVAGE MORE GOOD THAN BAD-TO CORRECT AND OVERCOME THIS HORRIBLE MESS OF A BLUNDER AFTER BLUNDER BANQUET/NOV. CANNOT COME FAST ENOUGH/LET''S SEE HOW THE DEBATES UNFOLD TONIGHT SINCE THE NO-SHOW IS GOING TO BE A SHOW-AFTERALL-HIS PRESENCE AND FINAL STAMP OF APPROVAL IS NOT THE TURNING POINT TO THE TALKS THERE-AS THE GOP HAS STATED-THAT''S FUNNY-ISN''T IT!FOR ALL THE CRAPOLA THIS PAST 8 YEARS HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE TABLE-WE''RE ALL FULL OF HIS BELLYACHES-THANK YOU!!!!

[rwassel]

"An actual independent study comparing ads noted that the liberal ads were 70% more negative than the conservatives."

Well, exploremore, since you cited your source, I guess I''ll just believe you.

Oh wait, you didn''t. God, you people are hysterical!

As long as we''re just making research up, the latest study done found that John McCain is a terrorist that was actually born in a foreign country, and is secertly working for Al-Qaeda.

[rwassel]

"these little facts don''t really matter."

This statement from McCain''s campaign says it all. Makes you think about the last time the "facts didn''t matter"...the Iraq War perhaps?

[rwassel]

exploremore - I know you are being paid by the McCain campaign as a blog troll, but your facts straight.

Obama has been in the senate for 4 YEARS, not 143 days. Your lies just make you look like an imbecile.

But, judging from this dirty, untruthful campaign of McCain''s, I''m not too surprised you guys are stooping this low.

[exploremore]

Oh, what a load this all is. Obambi spent his 143 days in the Senate avoiding any decision-making, similar to his stint in the IL legislature. An actual independent study comparing ads noted that the liberal ads were 70% more negative than the conservatives. Ironic that until he became a candidate against the messiah, McCain was lauded as a radical force for change and applauded for his independent thinking. Did he change? No, but the MSM cannot stand to think that he could win, and use this kind of obviously slanted reporting to push their chosen one over the edge. But so far, the country is not buying it. Keep trying, MSM, you may just push McCain into the White House.

[bobnjersey]

[So, a pro-abortion(that means it''''s okay to kill innocent babies), muslim, anti-america, anti-christ is the solution for the presidency? ]
[Posted by pci7763 at 08:33 AM : Sep 26, 2008]

a good psychologist ... and a long term of therapy would be a good solution for your condition ... commonly known as delusion.

put down your bible ... it''s contributing to your problem.

[bbyn]

First: PCI is an idiot! Second: mccain has turned into a puppet like bush to get the nomination. His "handelers" have put thier greed ahead of the country and that has been has been so painfuly clear. palin is a joke. Suspend your campaign...PLEASE!!!! It isn''t an honest one anyway.

[lucasnico]

So, a pro-abortion(that means it''''s okay to kill innocent babies), muslim, anti-america, anti-christ is the solution for the presidency? Obama will not be there for this country. There are direct quotes in his book that state if the political wind changes, he would support muslims. Don''''t think he is pro-Israel either. His roots are from a religion that has gone evil. Far more evil than all this republican bashing that is going on. Think twice before you elect the anti-christ. Check your bible!

Posted by pci7763

Big, BIG difference between pro-choice and pro-abortion....and let''s keep religion out of politics.... the president, no matter who wins, has enough to fix.

[incog-nito]

And what exactly was the republican "political objective"? To ruin the country? Because they certainly succeeded in that.

Posted by MANDALAY-BAY at 04:43 PM : Sep 25, 2008

Yes, and do you know how they succeeded? By WINNING the last two elections. You made my point precisely. You can''t do a whole lot if you don''t win.

[mswolfestock]

WogerWabbit - Dude, I think you''ve hit that nail squarely on the head. This probably WAS planned and timed by Rove.

[sanfelz]

McCain is a panderer and liar. He has taken three sides on the SC confederate flag issue, four sides on regulation of Wall Street, two sides on his own immigration bill. His latest lie is that he has "suspended" his campaign. In what way? His ads are still, his surrogates are still all over the media. The only thing suspended is the absurd belief that he is somehow a straight talker or honorable.

[wogerwabbit]

And the lies keep coming. Suspend his campaign? Then why was I seeing McLiar ads last night? He just wants out of the debate because Obama''s gonna bury him... I bet they never have a debate... all we''ll see is pinup Palin smiling for the ignorent masses as the gnarly old guy hides in his cave back in DC while working hard to prevent an agreement until right before the election. This whole financial crisis came on so suddenly and so conveniently timed, I''m wondering if this is Rove''s September Surprise...

[chad55555]

They both do this but take into consideration the OTHER person was trained as a Muslim,not even from this country and hates christians and whites. STUDY YOUR HISTORY AND WHAT YOUR SETTING THIS COUNTRY FOR,REMEMBER THE MILLION MAN MARCH BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE TELLING LIES.WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO AMERICA WHEN PEOPLE CAN BE DECEIVED SO EASY.

[pci7763]

So, a pro-abortion(that means it''s okay to kill innocent babies), muslim, anti-america, anti-christ is the solution for the presidency? Obama will not be there for this country. There are direct quotes in his book that state if the political wind changes, he would support muslims. Don''t think he is pro-Israel either. His roots are from a religion that has gone evil. Far more evil than all this republican bashing that is going on. Think twice before you elect the anti-christ. Check your bible!

[formrusmcsgt]

Posted by andylance1 at 06:13 AM : Sep 26, 2008

Franks isn''t the one who sat back and watched investment banks leverage themselves to tha point that they had 30 times in debt what they had in assets.

That was Paulson and Cox.

[naturaltwo]

The cowardice of the republicans, their predilection to homosexuality and pedophilia, and their unabashed greed make them the sodom and gomorrah of this generation.

Republicans are godless pharisees stabbing this country in the back and need to be hung by the neck until dead.

This is one gun toting Christian that says kill every one of these women hating mongrel dogs.

I spit and urinate on republicans.

They are the scum of the earth and will never know God''s grace.

[gunfighter51]

When will these people susceed from the union and start there own socialist state. We could do it like the Indians, give them there own reservation. Then we can all die happy.

[andylance1]

Ross Perot used to ask, "what is that giant sucking sound?" It is the sound of tax dollars being sucked out of the US Treasury to rescue Freddie and Fannie''s subprime mess. You can take that to the bank, Barney Frank.

Barney Frank believed the point of Fannie/Freddie is taxpayer-subsidized housing for low-income borrowers - no matter how bad their credit is. You could say about old Barney Fife: never before has one individual done so much that was so wrong, or shafted so many on behalf of so few. Now he is having a hizzy fit. Talk about sleaze!

[memerider]

Gosh, C.B.S. Let''s not show our bias or anything. Why haven''t we read about Obama''s signature on the United Nations'' Millenium Declaration and his refusal to sign on to a congressional amicus brief in support of our right to self-defense?

Why don''t you tell your viewers that Obama supports U.N. policy that undercuts both the first and second amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which, if implemented in America would result in a global police state?

And explain why people who complain about police abuse and military torture should advocate disarming ordinary citizens of the world so only these groups and criminals have access to tools of self-defense, and ending free speech.

Why aren''t any of your headlines screaming about that?

[758880]

LETS SEE??? OBAMA says to Washington during a major crisis w/America..."If you need me call" CALL FOR WHAT??? ANOTHER TIME YOU CAN''T VOTE ON SOMETHING?? LIKE THE PAST 136 TIMES YOU VOTED PRESENT?? yea..we really need you. Stay out there to deliver your endless promises WITHOUT SOLUTIONS!! Oh yes, you did have a solution...RAISE TAXES! WOW! Why didn''t anyone else think of that?? That must have taken a Harvard degree....YOU KNOW HOW LAWERS ARE....SMOOOOOTH TALKERS!