I went to the doctor today, so it meant I had some time to and from work to hear the speeches of Shrew and U Know Who. Having also listened with nostalgia-mixed with sad realization-to McCain’s speech last night, I slowly realized that , for the good of my health and blood pressure, I need to channel my literary efforts in another direction. ( For at least a little while).
Watching McCain’s speech last night was indeed sad. Because throughout-I saw whispers and glimpses of the old McCain-the guy I liked and admired. The guy who called the wacko “true conservatives” what they are: “Agents of intolerance“, mean spirited people who are on the same moral plane as the Pharisees and Philistines they decry each week in the mega churches. (Before diving deep into the prosperity Gospel of how God will make you rich-if only you sell the poor down the river).
I saw the guy who broke with the boneheads of his own party, to challenge the milk trough that is government in Washington these days and also is the campaign trail. Who stood with an opposition Senator to propose fixing campaign finance-only to have his own party wrap their greed and sloth in the banner of the first amendment.
I saw the man who recognized, long before many others did, that the once Grand Old Party was selling its soul some very narrow minded people. People who are epitomized by his running mate for whom this election is about only one thing-getting even and imposing their twisted view of government upon all the rest of us. The man who toyed with becoming a Democrat because his own party had sunk so low- that it used the very tactics that it now excoriates the media for-solely for the purpose of undermining one their own.
And as McCain spoke I realized that his campaign had pulled off quite a coup. That they had proceeded to break this election into some great sound bites-and nothing but a personal narrative. When the truth finally comes out about the bitch he picked to be the Vice President ( and believe me it will someday-the only question is whether it will be before or after the election-think female version of Agnew). Facts will not matter at that point-such will be the cult of personality that will have built up around the Moosey Girl. ( Which by the way- is exactly what they rail against Obama for).
I saw glimpses of that old guy and realized that McCain’s speech was a requiem for that guy-and a coming out party for the Republican version of Joe Boyd. And just like Joe-you realize that McCain has had to make his own deal with the devil to ensure he wins this election. Go shake hands with Mr (Ms?) Applegate.
And I missed that guy, the guy I liked and admired. The guy who was probably the one man to lead the Republican party back to real greatness instead of turning it into America’s version of the Tory party.
But I also realized that guy, the one who ” used to be a passionate believer in limited government and sound public finances; a man with some distaste for conservative Republicanism and its obsession with reproductive matters.”-that guy is never coming back. Even if it was just a ploy and he would make all right after the election-by his own choice he has made that possibility impossible. She will still be there. ( Kind of like the horse’s head in the Godfather). By the time two months go by, she will have been morphed by the conservative wing of the party into a scary creature. Indeed if you read between the lines of all the sycophant rhetoric about Palin- and believed in conspiracy theories enough-John McCain will need a coffee and food taster, the wackos might try to bump him off-just to ensure they get what they think they want. That’s a stretch of course-but you better be clear minded on this: When the sun rises on the morning after election day-McCain will find himself in the political equivalent of waking up married in Vegas. Only in this version-his new bride will be expecting money and favors right away. There will be no honeymoon.
And what does it say about the Republican party these days-when before McCain picked Palin-McCain had exactly the same experience that was extolled Wednesday and last night, but people strongly spoke about holding their nose when thinking of him. But now, he picks Her, and somehow all is made well. And people call me shallow…………..
But the Republicans will win. You can say you heard it here first-McCain 287 electoral votes, Obama 262. Senate 54 Democrats-45 Republicans and Joe Lieberman. House 244 Democrats -191 Republicans. The Devil will deliver on the deal-at the cost of the Republican party’s soul.
In a way its kind of appropriate the day that McCain takes the nomination: the stock market tanked and unemployment and consumer growth will have been revealed to have been really really bad. Because it highlights the problem Obama has. He has to actually explain the facts. he actually has to point out that for all the talk of change and reform-the party of Palin has presided over a splendid decline. That fro all the talk of reform, McCain has also been a part of the problem-as has Obama. However the facts won’t matter. The current gaga reaction to the local school marm shows that. All the American voter wants is good slogans and a reason to feel good. Last night they got that. However unlike Reagan, there will be no George HW Bush to clean up the mess.
It’s not morning in America again. Its twilight for the party of Lincoln and dawn of the party of the New Puritans. Welcome to the brave new world. Now if you will excuse me-I need to go browse the want ads over here.
Goodbye John-America will miss you……………..
The [Vice] presidency is now a cross between a popularity contest and a high school debate, with an encyclopedia of cliches the first prize. ~paraphrased from Saul Bellow