McCain Officially Sells Out

[toasty]

Man, this actually bums me out. The Senate has voted to approve a bill that would ban waterboarding.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2008-02-13-senate-waterboarding_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

McCain, champion of POW rights and fervent opponent of torture voted AGAINST the bill.

WTF? I'd expect this from Romney, but McCain? Very disappointing...

[algy]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

Maybe McCain was just referring to sadomasochism dungeon brothels where one can elect to be tortured as part of the role-play sexual fantasy.

[ddr]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

he only voted that way to appeal to the ultra-conservative crowd since their support was lacking.

i would think that an ex-POW would want to get rid of the like-treatment that he was put through but i guess not..

made me lose respect for him no doubt =\

[runningman]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

I am glad to see the USA took a first step to improving their image by banning waterboarding.. You can't claim to be a banner of "freedom" and not follow the rules of the Geneva convention.. If you don't follow it then you are no better then the terrorists..

[toasty]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

he only voted that way to appeal to the ultra-conservative crowd since their support was lacking.

That's exactly the reason this vote is so awful, IMO. There have been occasions where he has gotten into really contentious debates with other republicans over the use of torture. Not looking to put words into his mouth, but I always had the impression that this was one of the core principles he believed in. To then vote this way -- against every public statement he's ever made on the topic -- to appease ultra-conservatives makes me think the guy has no core convictions.

That, I think, is the most troubling thing. I don't agree with McCain on a lot of things policy-wise, but I always felt like I knew where he stood, and that he was a guy who would stand on his principles. The pandering to the religious right and reversal of position on the tax thing troubled me, but I understand that he's a political animal; this, however, is the nail in the coffin. The days of me viewing John McCain as a man who stands by his convictions have come to an end.

[ddr]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

The days of me viewing John McCain as a man who stands by his convictions have come to an end.

agreed.

the troubling aspect of this though, is that 95% of the voting public will never hear about this because they do not keep up with all the political news or happenings.

Political ads should be real interesting this year. That is, IF the pussy democrats will ever attack someone or anything. This is one vote that should be plastered all over their commercials imo.

[toasty]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

the mainstream media hasn't latched onto it, but the blogs are all over it, so I doubt it will go unnoticed in the election...

[jay813]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

if all it took were blogs then ron paul would be president in 08

[AntonyM]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

McCain will eventually fully bow to the far right
just to get them into the voting booths and get
the Republican pundits off his back, there are still
a few months left for him to be seen with the private citizens
border patrol near the Mexican Border, maybe even sit in on
an anti abortion rally in front of an abortion clinic or just go for
the coup de grace and be seen with the godhatesfags group at one of their appearances, he's ready to go down on the ultraconservates, enough to try to get him into office and if that happens, he'll spread his legs way out for a reelection bid.
Oh interesting times ahead.

[Garrick]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

since when did you guys think mccain stands by what he says? haha. yeah right. he has been a flip flopper and a "i conveniently forget what i said" kinda guy forever. this shouldn't shock any of you. he plays to win.

personally, i don't know why he would be trying to get approval from the ultra conservtives. no way that group would ever vote for barack or hillary. i guess a vote is a vote, though.

[toasty]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

personally, i don't know why he would be trying to get approval from the ultra conservtives. no way that group would ever vote for barack or hillary. i guess a vote is a vote, though.

Bush won on Karl Rove's strategy of ignoring the middle and running as far right to get the conservative based fired up. They may not be likely to vote for Obama or Hillary, but if he doesn't convince them that he's on their side, they may not bother to vote at all and he needs those folks to come out for him.

There are probably 25-35% of voters in both parties that would never, under any circumstances, vote for the opposing party. Look at the number of people who still think George Bush is doing an awesome job as president, and you have a pretty good idea of what that number is on the GOP side right now. When you assume that the base on the left is going to come out and vote for whomever the nominee is, McCain needs to get those folks to vote for him to offset that group and put himself on equal footing before going after the people in the middle.

[Garrick]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

yeah after i posted i thought about maybe the voters just not voting... which is where i kind of stand today. go ralph!

i figured you'd clear that up for me in a matter of time.

[toasty]

Re: McCain Officially Sells Out

i figured you'd clear that up for me in a matter of time.

Sorry dude -- been very engaged in the process this cycle, tough for me to just shut the fuck up every now and again...