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 The Tragedy of John McCainPosted on Apr 10, 2007By E.J. Dionne WASHINGTON—John McCain’s 2000 campaign for president failed, but it was an unruly and joyous romp. His campaign this time feels quite different: carefully planned, meticulously calculated—and a tragedy. Tragedy, not a word to be invoked lightly, typically involves a morally admirable person who struggles toward a goal and experiences suffering as his own choices collide with forces unleashed by the gods or by circumstance. The distinguished theater critic Walter Kerr once wrote that the tragic man “is free to free himself of obeisance to any power.” McCain’s political trajectory over the last seven years might best be understood as a conflict between his desire to resist the Republican powers that be and his need to appease those forces lest they block his last chance at the White House. His efforts at appeasement have muddied his image as a heroic dissident while bringing him little gain. And so he runs behind Rudy Giuliani in the polls, and Mitt Romney in fundraising. There is another tragic element: McCain suffered mightily during the 2000 presidential primaries at the hands of George W. Bush’s political machine, which smeared the senator on everything from his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam to the racial identity of his adopted daughter. Advertisement McCain had hoped that this week would mark the beginning of his comeback, but it got off to a difficult start. Coverage of his Sunday appearance on “60 Minutes” was dominated by his apology for talking about how safe parts of Baghdad were—even as CBS footage showed that McCain’s stroll through a market was peaceful only because of the formidable military presence around him. Later this week, he’ll give the first in a series of major policy speeches. But even the best speeches and Op-Ed pieces cannot free McCain from the consequences of his choices. It turns out that no matter what he does to court, soothe and pamper the right, many in its ranks will never abide him. He spoke out too forcefully in 2000 for campaign finance reform and against “the demands of big money special interests.” He condemned the “self-appointed” leaders of conservative groups—a rather influential constituency—and singled out Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “the agents of intolerance.” People in politics have long memories. In deciding to make up with the president, McCain’s chosen vehicle was Iraq, on which he genuinely views success in the same terms as the administration. He won over a share of Bush fundraisers (who have failed him up to now) and some Bush operatives, but significant parts of the Bush political family went over to Romney, joining at least a few of McCain’s 2000 enthusiasts. In truth, McCain’s only route to the nomination was not to appease his former enemies but to scare them. He had to be the one person standing between them and the petrifying prospect of a Hillary Clinton or a Barack Obama presidency. Everything right-wingers loathed about the John McCain of 2000 describes what his party most needs now. His independence from Bush (whom he once called a “Pat Robertson Republican”) would be an asset in light of the president’s manifest failures. His reform enthusiasms stand as the perfect antidote to the corruption of the last Republican Congress. His old straight talk would be such a relief after so much prevarication and fabrication from this White House. He could have promised to “build a bigger Republican Party ... by attracting new people to our cause with an appeal to the patriotism that unites us and the promise of a government that we can be proud of again.” Thus spoke the maverick in 2000 in words almost perfectly suited for his party’s plight in 2007. But McCain made different choices—on principle about Iraq and on calculation about almost everything else. In his book “Character Is Destiny,” McCain quotes Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor from Austria, who declares that “everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” McCain is an admirable man because he seems to live by those words. That means he will make no excuses for the choices he has made, even if they turn out to be tragic. E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is postchat(at symbol)aol.com. © 2007, Washington Post Writers Group Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
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By Villon, April 12, 2007 at 11:40 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I have a friend who works in Washington, D.C. and we’ve had this disagreement about E.J. Dionne for some time now. Then I read Dionne’s latest nonsense about John McCain and exploded once again. There is nothing admirable, heroic, tragic, etc., etc. about John McCain. He is a vile, despicable man whose crass political opportunism has had maximum exposure with his recent market outing in Baghdad with two other vile, despicable men, Lindsay Graham and Mike Pence. It was so good to read the comments on Truthdig in response to Dionne’s column. Everyone I know is so sick of hearing this empty Beltway bull from people like Dionne. I went to sleep with a huge smile on my face last night knowing that they’re really not fooling anyone anymore. It’s just great to see a liar like McCain crash and burn. That’s the real straight talk.
Report thisBy YIKES, April 12, 2007 at 8:46 pm #
This is GREAT. What we want is transparency and McCain is now about as transparent as one can get. It sure makes it easy to decide.
Report thisBy Hugh E. Scott, April 11, 2007 at 8:07 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
As a former 2008 McCain supporter, I find it terribly sad and ironic that a war hero who was a POW in North Vietnam and is still afflicted by the injuries he suffered there can’t find the courage to ask for a shared sacrifice from Americans now.
Such as a modest 5% war tax on incomes above $100,000 to pay for better GI medical care.
But then, John ia a millionaire. A monetary sacrifice probably never occurred to him.
Hugh E. Scott, Vietnam vet and editor of http://www.King-George.biz—the only website with hardcopy proof of White House corruption.
Report thisBy Tired of the Lies, April 11, 2007 at 2:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I watched the piece on John McCain calling anyone who wants the troop out of Iraq defeatists, (cowards?), and basically un-American. I am so sick of that kind of rhetoric, and in particular, from a presidential candidate who has kissed up to Bush and the neocons and the religious right after they trampled on him in 20000. McCain is the ultimate flip flopper, and he has sold his soul to try to win support in his ill-concieved campaign to escalate an unwinnable (per most of our generals) war. By the way, Bush puts out the line that he is only following the recommendations of the generals. What a joke. He fired all the generals who would not support his insane plans, and put new generals in place who agreed to do it his way.
Report thisMost important, is the fact that McCain was in Iraq last week touting how safe the streets and markets were, but no one in the media has pointed out the big story there: The day after McCain left that market, 21 merchants and workers were kidnapped and killed by the insurgents to make an example of them for supporting the Americans! Come on. Wheres the outrage? Isnt he accountable or responsible in any way for those people being killed because of his ill-concieved Photo-Op? Report reality, not the talking points that Bush and the neo-cons and John McCains staff are putting out there.
We need to get real and understand that the longer we have an occupation force in Iraq, the more hatred will be generated against us, and the more new terrorists or islamists will be created. Wake up, and report the truth!
By Kathy, April 11, 2007 at 11:06 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
John McCain is a truly despicable man.I fail to see what Mr.Dionne finds so ADMIRABLE about him.Just because Mr. Dionne had loads of fun eight years ago covering McCain’s Phony Straight Talk Express campaign should not excuse him from unmasking McCain’s lifetime of political slime.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, April 11, 2007 at 7:47 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Its interesting that his father (Admiral McCain) was up to his eyeballs in the USS Liberty mess and active in the “coverup” or in other words the removal of it from news scrutiny. Israel still has yet to apoligize or own up and pay restitution to the survivors.
Report thisBy DennisD, April 10, 2007 at 11:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The best thing McCain can do is quit the race, retire from Congress and take the “for sale” sign off his back.
Report thisBy ManOnTheBeach, April 10, 2007 at 10:48 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Ridiculous article. McCain is a right wing crank who got a free ride for an unconscionably long time from a compliant press. So he ran an effective campaign in 2000; this time, not so much: who cares? Finally, he got so ridiculous that the press turned on him. He was always a joke, but he used to be a dangerous joke. Now he’s just pathetic. One less reactionary to worry about.
In fact, it’s getting hard not to feel sorry for the Republicans. What are these guys gonna do? McCain is nuts. On social issues, Giuliani is a cross-dressing Commie. Romney isn’t a Christian; neither, it turns out unexpectedly, is F.D. Thompson (T. Thompson probably is, but does anyone care?). Their best candidate, the bright, telegenic (in a “Seed of Chucky” kind of way) Lindsey Graham, is having way too much fun being a pain in the ass to the Senate majority. They are reduced to the massively compromised Gingrich. And yet, I’ll bet you dollars to donuts the next president is a Republican.
At least it won’t be McCain.
Report thisBy Kol Klink, April 10, 2007 at 10:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
How many articles about does Truth Dig intend to post about McCain?
Report thisWe have been over this ground a couple of times.
Stick a fork in McCain, he is done!
By TAO Walker, April 10, 2007 at 8:45 pm #
If there ever was anything much to electoral politics in the U.S.A. besides pretending to pander to a public held largely in utter contempt by the candidates, there’s sure no sign of it left today….at least among those given any chance to “succeed” at the national level. The cold-blooded calculus informing the Hilbillary Clintons’ campaign, for example, is only remarkable at all for the in-your-face, like-it-or-lump-it way they’re finally “educating” theamericanpeople about their truly subordinate place in the pyramid-scheme-of-things.
It still looks to this Indian like John McCain is falling apart more-or-less on purpose, even if it is only semi-conscious. He seems to be looking to primary election voters to “excuse” him from further participation in a process he’s in too deep to get out of on his own without having to admit how badly he’s blown-it. The always-reliable “health and family” parachute will serve, however, should things deteriorate to that point before next winter.
Is it any wonder Americans get this kind of “leadership” from a system that rejects clear-eyed looks at hard truths while it rewards the glib peddlers of those stale cliches making up the national myth? A people with no stomach for raw reality appears doomed to perish on a steady diet of saccharine platitudes, toxic disinformation, and whatever it is, exactly, that trickles down from the executive level lavatories.
Maybe John McCain has indeed fouled his own nest. Maybe he’ll be “man enough” to admit it. Maybe the other “racers” will slow down a little as they pass the wreckage. This time next year none of it will even be visible any longer in the national rearview mirror, and already eclipsed by what are certain-to-be even more spectacular crashes-and-burns as America chews-up and swallows or spits-out the latest crop of pretenders to the neo-imperial throne.
Or maybe not.
HokaHey!
Report thisBy Paul Bloom, April 10, 2007 at 7:27 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
John McCain, scion of a military aristocracy, used to drop bombs on Vietnamese villages, killing who knows how many children. He sure doesn’t.
His airplane was shot down, and he spent a lousy 6 years in jail as a POW. Imagine if some Vietnamese had dropped bombs on villages in Arizona. He/they would have been lynched.
Dionne’s respectful treatment of this aging war criminal requires a complete burial of this history,
and borders on the psychopathic. There’s nothing tragic or admirable about him.
The loss of our moral compass that has allowed John McCain to be taken seriously as a politician, rather than reviled for his unrepented crimes, is the real tragedy. It’s a sign of a slide backwards that has revived the worst tendencies of our history, and led us into a war without end.
Report thisBy mike shades, April 10, 2007 at 5:57 pm #
how’s this for tragedy: mccain supports racists. without going into all of his support for the exploitation of the native american population in arizona, check out the latest from this, once-upon-a-time, theoretically-centrist fellow:
from: http://www.kfoxtv.com/politics/11604180/detail.html
Imus Gets McCain’s Vote Of Confidence
John McCain Says Don Imus Deserves ‘Redemption’
WASHINGTON—Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain said Monday he stands by radio host Don Imus, who has been suspended for making what his employers called racist comments on the air.
“He has apologized,” McCain said. “He said that he is deeply sorry. I’m a great believer in redemption.”
McCain, whose presidential candidacy has been backed by Imus, said he would still appear on Imus’ program.
* * *
gotta love this guy, eh? one day a nationally-broadcast radio announcer calls the champion NCAA basketball team a bunch of “nappy-headed ho’s”, the next day we forgive him and all is well?
Report thisBy 911truthdotorg, April 10, 2007 at 4:49 pm #
Two words define John McCain: Charles Keating
A leopard can’t change his spots.
Report thisBy Lord B, April 10, 2007 at 1:15 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I don’t see why McCain’s candidacy for President is “tragic.” Who really cares about McCain other than die hard supporters of McCain? Did E.J. writethis piece because h/she thought McCain was once an independent Republican who would never bless George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq?? The real tragedy is McCain’s “McCcain/Feingold” bill which attempted to ban “soft money” from political campaigns. What’s been the net effect? Oh, gee, Hillary has raised 25 million plus, so has Obama and the amount of money to buy politicians votes continues to soar. Therein lies the tragedy. I’m not sure McCain has anything to be proud about in his time in public office. He failed as a maverick,ultimately, being unable to challenge Bush’s decision making when he needed to. But I’m not ready to pity McCain. Too much Arizona sun damaged him and I’m afraid he will die having not made the USA a better place to live.
Report thisBy Kush K, April 10, 2007 at 12:47 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
McCain’s siding with Bush on Iraq is not based on principle as Mr. E.J. assumes. Everything about McCain is now calculated and thus unprincipled. Their is nothing noble about McCain. He is a cheap, mechaivellian politician more than willing to sell his soul to anyone who he misguidedly thinks can win him the Presidency. This cold ambition—to win the Presidency at any moral cost—has transformed and blinded McCain. Or shall we say has revealed who is really is. Which is why the tranformed McCain gladly made peace with “agents of intolerance” and is willing erstwhile political abuser George Bush. All because he thought it will endear him with the far right and the Bush Republicans. I like it when politicians think others are so dumb as not to know their motives!
This ex soldier turned politician who has betrayed his own (the soldiers who are now needlessly dying in Iraq) comes out worse on Iraq. It is on Iraq that McCain’s inhumanity reaches it climax. Without defining “success” or “victory” he continues to support the deathly venture in Iraq not because he is “principled” but because he has been a strong supporter of the Military-Industrial Complex and the status quo which the system perpetuates and of which Mr. McCain is a beneficiary.
McCain is not a tragic spectacle as E.J. tries to portray him. He is a tragi-comic character who, eight years back, killed himself on the inside when he lost his first Presidential race to Bush.
Today this buffoon looks more and more pathetic. An old man with no credibility mumbling disjointed statements resembling a psycopath on drugs.
McCain deserves nothing but contempt from both the right, left, and center. I am glad that is what he is getting! This is popular justice, not a tragedy.
Report thisBy Steve Hammons, April 10, 2007 at 12:19 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Like many Americans, McCain was shaped by the Vietnam war.
But, unlike many citizens who realized that the Vietnam War was a tragic mistake that involved poor intelligence and corrupt US officials ... he still seems to believe that we should have killed more Vietnamese, sacrificed more US troops and achieved “victory.”
He brings this kind of thinking to the Bush-Cheney invasion and occupation of Iraq. That is why Americans do not want him as president and one day Arizonans may not want him as senator.
Related topics are looked at in:
“‘Nam War, ‘Raq War: Similarities, Differences”
PopulistAmerica.com
March 19, 2007
http://www.populistamerica.com/nam_war_raq_war
Report thisBy Quy Tran, April 10, 2007 at 12:05 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
He must stay away from king George and never be his man made satellite.
Report thisBy James Yell, April 10, 2007 at 9:47 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I believe that McCain’s choice to cuddle with George Bush is a clear indicator of how far giant corporations and mega rich individuals have bought our government. It is further indicated by the entrenched Democratic elected officials who have ignored the degree of discontent with the current Bush/Cheney’s lies, corruption and dangerous behavior, by the American People and continue to dilute any drastic response to control this out of control administration. They have all been bought. McCain has been bought by his ambition to be President no matter the cost.
This is sad, because at one time his realistic view seemed an alternate to a Hillary campaign. No longer and even if he tried to disconnect himself from selling out to Bush/Cheney, I for one could never trust him now. I also have trouble with Hillary as she too has bought into pursuing an un-necessary war in a country that is not our own and did not represent a participant in 9/11, although Pakistan and the Saudi’s, who masquerade as friend financed and provided the man power for all these things. I can only hope that one of the other Democratic candidates wins the right to run for President.
Report thisBy Trigger finger, April 10, 2007 at 8:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Really?
Would an admirable American man stand in front of the United States and tell bold faced lies as McCain has just done?
Report thisOr, is he just practicing his “liar routine” in case he is elected President?