I’ve always credited John McCain’s primary campaign for the 2000 presidential election as the entity that sucked me into the political realm. Prior to that I had only been a middle school kid with a geek’s interest in history and a largely passive listener at lively family dinner conversations between my parents and my older sister. In 1999 I was neither a Republican nor a Democrat; I was instead learning about the political process and campaigns by passionately following the Straight Talk Express, reading McCain’s stump speeches and furiously watching his undoing by the Bush Machine in South Carolina.
The twelve years that have since past by have revealed much about the inconsistencies of candidate and Senator McCain. I think my slow disenchantment with the man started with the advent of the Iraq war my Junior year in high school and ended with the colossally dangerous decision to have Sara Palin as his running mate. That was the moment that he lost me and I haven’t looked back.
These last few days, however, it has been pleasant to see a McCain again fueled by actual conviction. He has stood up as a passionate and crotchety voice against the torture advocates that have once again popped up since the killing of bin Laden. These Republicans are trying their best to excuse and espouse the idea of “enhanced interrogation techniques” as both righteous and necessary and McCain is having none of it. Kudos Senator. I’m not going to be permanently in your corner, but it is still…I want to say heartwarming…to see your conviction and leadership present once again.
And I even managed to tweet it.
McCain is an opportunist. His only convictions are to whatever serves his self-interest. The McCain you used to know was a fictional character created by a pandered-to media. For a more complete picture, please read Make-Believe Maverick.
Incidentally you may want to ask where McCain’s principled stand against torture was when he voted against a bill that would have prohibited the CIA from torturing prisoners.