New at Reason

April 16, 2007

Steve Chapman wades into the political quicksand to look for John McCain.

Comments

Fluffy|4.16.07 @ 7:21AM|#

I tend to find that despite their protestations that their reasons for refusing to withdraw from Iraq are the dire policy outcomes and humanitarian disaster that might ensue, the real reason most of the stubborn 25% oppose withdrawal is misplaced nationalistic pride. To the lunkhead nationalist, we can't withdraw because 'Merica can't be "beaten" because "dese colors don't run". I'd like to think McCain isn't operating on this crude a level, but he's giving me precious little reason not to think so.

If you base your strategy on pride, you will fail. I don't think McCain understands that, either.

Jason|4.16.07 @ 7:45AM|#

McCain's continued support for the war is just a gamble that it will actually work and he'll be remembered as one of the few who had it right. Does he actually think it'll work? Does that even matter? It's just positioning.

|4.16.07 @ 8:21AM|#

So, the anti-Rudy articles are accompanied by Rudy Giuliani ads, and the anti-McCain articles are accompanied by McCain ads? These guys don't really know how to target their ads, do they?

|4.16.07 @ 9:19AM|#

The only thing keeping McCain's presidential bid alive is his stance on the war. He has no choice but to be optimistic. He's doomed, but he still has no choice. Expect him to stay positive on the outcome right up until we leave or he loses the primaries, whichever comes first.

|4.16.07 @ 10:08AM|#

"Nationalist lunkheads". I like that. No reason to, you know, prefer this country to others. We're so screwed up here, right? What with out not-perfect but better-than-the-rest system.

Please move.

|4.16.07 @ 12:27PM|#

Steve Chapman wades into the political quicksand to look for John McCain.

Noooooooo! It's not worth it! You have so much to live for!

*ties a rope to a tree and to his waist and dives in after the guy*

TallDave|4.16.07 @ 4:26PM|#

McCain did in fact walk around inside a Baghdad market, without a helmet. Yes, he had a security escort. He's a freaking Senator, he has a security escort in Arizona.

It's true a lot of crazy people want to kill each other in Iraq; that was more or less their form of government for decades. Libertarians more than anyone else should realize that violence != a reason to abandon the struggle for liberty.

TallDave|4.16.07 @ 4:37PM|#

Speaking of fools:

"The mass slaughter in Rwanda required helpless victims -- and the warring groups in Iraq, as you may have noticed, have the weapons to defend themselves."

Right, that's why Shia and Kurds are still digging out mass graves from the last two times we decided Iraqi lives weren't worth living up to our principles.

And Anbar becoming an Al Qaeda playground isn't "remotely plausible?" That's breathtakingly ignorant. Did he somehow not notice our two sieges of Fallujah, where they set up their own little fiefdom, not to mention the entire "ratline" campaign? The majority of Anbari sheiks have only very recently decided the coalition/gov't forces were a lesser evil than the Qaedists, and that battle is still raging.

|4.17.07 @ 12:12PM|#

I thought i was the only one that had noticed!

McCain is an arrogant fool and the only reason he is where he is today is the only reason that he got into trouble in Vietnam which is the only reason he got anywhere as a politician - He comes from a long (and wealthy) line of gung ho-shoot em up-top brass military officers.
They've been passing the McCain brain cell down for generations now - you can see how tired it has become.

It shouldn't take much imagination to see how dangerous a fool can be. And…as we all know in hindsight, a fool with power in his hands is beyond reason, especially someone like McCain with his XXL size ego & pompous arrogance.

Fascist Nation|4.18.07 @ 3:15AM|#

McCain is my Senator. Has been for what, two decades? I can say the MSM loves him. I don't know why. He is a mean, SOB who would stomp puppies as easily as he bombs kids. But hey, it's Amerika, where our elected oaficials can do no wrong, and tell no lies.

As for being a hero, he flew a few flights over Vietnam, frequently into situations where the air defenses were so thick you could practically walk on SAMS. One of them caught up. Does this make him brave? Absolutely. Brave in the stupid kind of "I will live forever" that a young 20 something can be when he is a pilot. But a hero? I think I will reserve that for someone who earns it in deed, not in surviving torture and imprisonment under harsh conditions for years. Under that definition of hero, we have more than a few heroes going on trial at Guantanamo.

McCain tossed the Iraq war dice, and lost. He is rapidly running out of money and sanity and I expect will drop out within 4 weeks. Finito. I will be stuck with the bastard another few years. My gift to the nation.

|4.18.07 @ 4:48AM|#

I honor the sacrafice of McCain, as I do Kerry's. Nothing should be lost of their sacrafice, neither should be SwiftBoated.

Does being an honorable soldier make you more knowledgable about all things military or political--- Arnold is an ass despite his history of being a teacher, fireman, robot, android, twin, crook, policeman...oh wait... he is an ACTOR.

McCain is wrong, terribly wrong, about the war. Sadly, I think he believes himself to be right. Like many who drink the koolaid, RR who lost his jellybeans, W in his bubble, and McCain protected as he walks down the farmers market in indiana.... these are the leaders we have elected.

It would certainly be helpful if more than 25% of those able to would get off of their collective asses, and vote.

Whenever I get discouraged, I take the email addresses of the senator in question and send him a letter--- and to make myself feel better I subscribe him to a porn site.

8^) guys just want to have fun

|4.18.07 @ 5:16AM|#

Foolish Americans are governed by liars such as McCains And Bushes

|4.18.07 @ 10:15AM|#

McCain is so lost. He is forever damaged goods and many think that perhaps his being a POW has really affected his ability to be rational. He has made himself the biggest joke of the Republican candidates. Rove and Bush recked his bid in 2000 and he has never recovered. Now he is in the process of destroying his creditabilty with this trip to the Iraq market with 100s guarding him and he is trying to say that so much progress has been made. Can you imagine this guy making decisions any better than the current Pres.