Try not to laugh, although I find this a trifle preposterous myself and I'm the one advancing the speculation -- but, don't be surprised if John McCain takes another whack at the White House.
I thought I'd just get that out there, rather than creeping up on it. And why not? Republican politics and its politicians can't get any weirder than they already are.
I first detected a possible -- not probable, maybe, but quite possible -- McCain re-rerun fairly early in the year, when he seemed to be taking to the Senate floor with rather excessive anti-earmark zeal. Here he had just been thrashed to within an inch of his superannuated political life, and his partisan compadres were still shaken and traumatized and darn near comatose, but there was Senator McCain, yearning for the camera's red light and bellyaching about some piddling hundred-thousand-dollar project in the frantic midst of a $30-trillion economic collapse.
It was classic modern Republicanism for national consumption: never ever address complexity or core problems, since that only bemuses and bores the multitudes. Stick to comprehensible superficialities. Drop them like breadcrumbs on a presidential trail; maybe the voters will find their way back to you.
Then came some of the procedural stuff. In August, for example, Congressional Quarterly reported that notwithstanding his painstakingly manicured "maverick" image, "Arizona Sen. John McCain has been a staunch Republican vote since failing to win the White House."
Suddenly, although he of course had had to make ideological concessions in 2008, just to please the very necessary base, McCain was "siding with his party ... on closely divided votes with greater frequency than at any other period in his 23-year Senate career."
One would think that a crotchety old maverick, shorn of chief executive dreams, would take the opposite route, that he would revert to lone-wolf status and howl singularly on the Hill late into the night. But this wolf appears to be in search of his once-abandoned pack. He seems to need them.
And now, on top of the procedural and ideological, comes some of the organizational stuff.
To wit: "Sen. John McCain is working behind-the-scenes," reports the Politico, "to reshape the Republican Party in his own center-right image." He's "recruiting candidates, raising money for them and hitting the campaign trail on their behalf. He’s taken sides in competitive House, Senate and gubernatorial primaries and introduced his preferred candidates to his top donors."
In short, the senator is dispensing favors. And politicians are like mobsters: They never dispense a favor without the expectation of a bigger favor in return. Now let's think ... what could that be, what could that possibly be.
I suppose it's my unexceptional cynicism about the imperishability of overarching Republican cynicism -- after 73 years, McCain sees the party-line light? -- that makes me brace for a spot of retching when I read that "those familiar with McCain’s thinking say he has expressed serious concern about the direction of the party.... In McCain’s case, that means backing conservative pragmatists and moderates."
Try squaring that warped circle. Since when did promoting pragmatism and moderation comport with voting 95.4 percent of the time with, as CQ put it, "the consensus GOP position"?
No, McCain is playing both sides; or rather, he's playing the genetic drift of one side and attempting the foundational, debt-owing construction of another. And were it any other high-profile Republican pol, twenty years younger, there'd be absolutely no doubt as to the reason why.
It's smart politics for this plucky septuagenarian who, as a former Navy flyboy, regards himself as invincible but nonetheless wouldn't be bothered by the seductive promise of one term. Before he goes out, as, sadly, even flyboys must someday do, he just wants to get in there and by God put a stop to that intolerable scourge of humanity -- those doggone earmarks.
Or some such easily comprehensible mission, because Lord knows any complex rational plan for straightening out the towering mess his party stuck us with is far beyond any of its perpetrators. They do have, however, some pretty neat slogans.
"At a time when our party is struggling and has a lot of shrill voices and aggressive voices," said a former McCain strategist, "he’s one that can expand our party." To which the strategist added, "John remains the titular head of the Republican Party and he will be until there’s a new nominee."
Or, perhaps, an old one? Just wondering.
McCain rerunning?
Sounds to me like he got a major upbraiding from his dear Cindy, the ultimate bank account.
She's on his case for dropping the corporate Republican ball with that Palin fiasco. Cindy dearly wanted to redecorate that White House in the true Arizona Southwest decor that she loves so much. Cow skulls and bull horns, ropes and straw bales. Ye-haw!
No one has any idea if McCain ...
... is planning a rerun, but the way Obama's going so far, the Republicans could probably run Rush Limbaugh for POTUS and still win in 2012
"Hope" for some "Change"!
Given our incursions into
Given our incursions into Iraq and Afghanistan, having an OLD war criminal (dropping bombs on a civilian power plant) and traitor (he sang like a canary) in office would be in character for the U.S., no?
The sad truth
The sad truth is that Obama is totally emulating Carter day by day. Just as Carter moved further to the Right during his term, so is Obama. The health care failure can be laid right at Obama's feet. He bargained away single payer and gave the Republicans everything they want for their corporate masters in the Baucus bill. Yet the Republicans are still stabbing him in the back. Obama traded away hundreds of orchards to the Republicans and he didn't get a single rotted apple back in return. He's playing right into the GOP hands and they are going to get the House back in 2010 and pick up a bunch of Senate seats. This will open the door for any Republican candidate to pull off a Reagan and get the White House again. Look, I remember 1980 all too well, I ran Teddy Kennedy's Pennsylvania campaign and I can still remember how everyone in the mainstream media laughed off Reagan in 1978-79. They're doing the same thing with Palin right now, and my fear is she will get in.
We need McCain in 2012!
I sure hope so! And we will be "boots on the ground for McCain." McCain is needed now more than ever. The fate of our country is at stake. All of Obama's "promises" are going down the drain one by one. He can fly to Coppenhagan for the Olympics, but what about stopping unannounced in either Iraq or Afghanistan to visit our courageous troops, make them feel that what they are doing means something to all of us and the freedom of the civilized world! Obama doesn't connect with National Security on any level (Iran), and don't get me started on the economy and job loss in this country. Now the rest of the International world is catching on to his ineptness, inexperience and ignorance. Thank you Sarcozy for letting your comments leak out about this jerk. Seems like the kool-aid is finally starting to wear off.
Freedom of the civilized world
Apparently, Afghan freedom fighters and patriots ("insurgents") are peeved at a brutal invasion and occupation by a distant foreign power, and they're doing what any decent person does for his homeland, kill the invaders.
I don't quite see what dropping a 500 pound bomb on a wedding party does to help the "civilized world." In fact, I think dropping the bomb is fairly uncivilized. Our mercenaries (Oh, sorry, volunteer killers, ah, servicemen and women) are hardly as courageous as those who oppose them against terrible odds.
I think we all agree that people have a right to determine the society in which they live and not be bothered by B-52s and drones in the night.
I say, "Go for it, Big Guy!"
Enough with the hip young black professional. Trust your instincts that America is hungering for a twitchy, scary old white dude who isn't sure how many homes he owns with a reputation for a really bad temper and the judgement to go with it. Victory in '12, Republicans! Victory in 12!!
Why not?
It's a free country, and there's no nut like an old nut.
He'd be well advised to steer clear of Palin this time. Maybe he can persuade Bugs Beck to run with him.
Not Humorous At All
We haven't had much to agree about lately, PM, but I agree with you that there is reason to believe that McCain may well see an opportunity. We can disagree on HOW Obama is bungling his advantages, but we can agree THAT he's bungling it. Without his (deliberate?) incompetence, there is no way the GOP should be able to show its ugly face in the light of day for the shame and public opprobrium they are so correctly due.
On the GOP side of this farce, no one currently announced - except for Pawlenty - differs from the slate of candidates the GOP put up for the primary in 2008. McCain beat them all, and is in good position to beat them all again with the right running mate. We can be sure that won't be Palin, and it could be Pawlenty. He is to be considered seriously as a candidate until he takes himself out of the running with another stupid and ill-considered act.
The time remaining for Obama to turn this disastrous course around will end in January when the mid-term campaign begins in earnest. Obama has cost himself valuable yardage with the Olympic fiasco, and he doesn't seem to know how to throw a successful Hail Mary. He leaves himself and the entire country vulnerable to a return to power of the corporate-owned GOP. If the GOP reclaims the Congress - granted, a long shot but possible - Obama will be finished. He will be able to do NOTHING for us.
And that prospect REALLY doesn't tickle my funny bone.
It's likely ...
... now that the 2012 GOPer candidate will be an Americanized version of Hitler ......... and Democrats will be divided because of Obama's failure to be 'Left' enough.
Given continued economic meltdown and the percentage of our fellow citizens immune to reality and reason whilst awash in nationalistic religiosity, I don't like the odds against another 30's Germany outcome.