John McCain: American Disgrace

What has happened to Senator John McCain over the course of Campaign 2008? never before have I seen a candidate for office so completely changed over the course of one election. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, what the change has resulted in is abhorrent.

John McCain entered this campaign with a truly inspiring story in many respects. The son and grandson of admirals in the US navy, McCain followed the family tradition and entered the navy after graduation from the US Naval Academy. McCain proudly served his country during the Vietnam War, and his years-long nightmare as a POW is truly the stuff of legends.

Coming into 2008, McCain enjoyed admirers across the political spectrum. He was seen as an independent voice in Washington, a real maverick. His signature issue was campaign finance reform. A frequent guest of both news programs and late-night comedians, he appeared at ease with almost any interviewer. he looked to be a formidable candidate.

Then something changed. Something caused a change in McCain. maybe it was the brutal early stages of the fight for the Republican nomination. maybe it was the meteoric rise of Barack Obama to near rock star status. Maybe it was frustration at being saddled with the toxic legacy of a president who was responsible for derailing McCain's 2000 campaign. in any event, McCain began to change.

McCain's behavior began to become erratic. For most of 2008, McCain had gotten a lot of traction by questioning Senator Obama's perceived lack of experience. This was a good argument for McCain. Then, he announced that his running mate would be an unknown, freshman governor with no national experience and a pending ethics investigation by her own party. At first, the choice of Sarah Plain was hailed as a game changer. As the press and the public got to learn more about Sarah Palin, she did become a game-changer: she turned off swing voters as she energized the far right.

The GOP convention in Minnesota also showed changes in John McCain. The McCain campaign had always expressed a desire to wage an above-board campaign and to talk about issues. The convention gave us neither. From Mitt Romney's shrill attacks to Joe Lieberman's open contempt for a party who had nominated him for vice president just eight years ago, the venom flowed freely. McCain's camp even sought to rekindle American memories of a national tragedy by running a shockingly graphic "Memorial Video" regarding 9/11. To continue the blatant fear-mongering, they chose Rudy Guiliani to be their keynote speaker. Rudy Giuliani, the philandering ghoul who has turned 9/11 into a very profitable cottage industry for himself.

As McCain's post-convention bounce faded and turned into an Obama lead, a truly frightening change came over John McCain. Abandoning his calls for a clean, upright campaign, McCain and his forces have taken a road so low as to be almost uncharted. In addition to the traditional denouncing of the Democratic candidate as an "extreme liberal" who is "out of touch", the McCain campaign has chosen to run a campaign designed to appeal to some of the most sinister elements in America today.

For McCain, it is no longer a question of personal honor. It is about winning at any cost. No price is too dear for McCain in his blind lust for victory. He has shown that he will impugn Senator Obama's patriotism and even his standing as an American. McCain has played on both subtle and overt racist slants to try to scare voters. he has even blatantly lied on the stump.

Of course, McCain has proven himself to much of a coward to lob many of the worst attacks himself. For this, he has conveniently chosen to hide behind Governor Palin's skirts. The same Governor Palin whose ignorance on a myriad of topics has caused her reputation to devolve into something akin to a "National Bimbo" is now the McCain attack dog. McCain doesn't seem to have any courage left. The tone at several recent McCain rallies has gotten ugly. Egged on by McCain (but usually Palin), crowds are now shouting "terrorist" when Senator Obama's name is mentioned. At a recent rally , cries of "Treason" and "Off with his head" were heard. All the while, McCain and Plain grin wildly from the dais. Even George Wallace's rallies were less racist that those encouraged by Team McCain.

America is better than this. I used to think that John McCain was better than this. Apparently, he is not. A war hero has morphed into a racist demagogue. The former "maverick" has become a Rove disciple, sowing fear and discord in place of ideas. The candidate who once promised us a clean, issues-oriented campaign has given us a campaign that has left many Americans embarrassed at best and sickened at worst.

In the end, the ultimate victim of this tragedy will be John McCain. At this point, his campaign appears doomed. Unlike Bob Dole, who managed to maintain his dignity in defeat, McCain has no dignity left. His reputation will be permanently tarnished by his own slime. When the curtain comes down on the McCain campaign next month, it will also come down on McCain's reputation. rather than his work in the Senate or his much-vaunted bipartisanship, the McCain legacy will be summed up in two words: national disgrace.