M
Mr4701
Guest
and others...
It's clear this guy is using the "you are a flip flopper" tool because it
was so effective against John Kerry. It is also an effective tool to use
with the rural/average conservative or /urban/average liberal.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9111.html
Just to follow-up briefly on Michael's guest-post from yesterday, Sen. John
McCain's (R-Ariz.) new-found opposition to Roe v. Wade is rather remarkable,
even for him.
In 1999, McCain was in New Hampshire, campaigning for the GOP nomination as
a moderate. He proclaimed himself a pro-life candidate, but told reporters
that "in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal
of Roe v. Wade." He explained that overturning Roe would force "women in
America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations." Yesterday,
campaigning for the GOP nomination as a conservative, McCain said the
opposite.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask one question about abortion. Then I want to
turn to Iraq. You're for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with
some exceptions for life and rape and incest.
MCCAIN: Rape, incest and the life of the mother. Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So is President Bush, yet that hasn't advanced in the six
years he's been in office. What are you going to do to advance a
constitutional amendment that President Bush hasn't done?
MCCAIN: I don't think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take
place, but I do believe that it's very likely or possible that the Supreme
Court should - could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these
decisions to the states, which I support.. Just as I believe that the issue
of gay marriage should be decided by the states, so do I believe that we
would be better off by having Roe v. Wade return to the states.
The old McCain didn't want an amendment and didn't want Roe overturned. The
new McCain completely disagrees with the old McCain.
It's worth noting that politicians' opinions on abortion can, and often do,
"evolve" over time. Dick Gephardt and Al Gore, for example, both opposed
abortion rights before eventually becoming pro-choice. With this in mind,
McCain's unexpected shift may simply reflect yet another pol whose thinking
has changed over time.
Or, far more likely, McCain is once again abandoning any pretense of
consistency and integrity, and is now willing to say literally anything to
win.
Let's return, once again, to McCain's flourishing flip-flop list, which is
now a Top 11 list.
McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance"
in 2002, but has since decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans
"deserved" the 9/11 attacks. (Indeed, McCain has now hired Falwell's debate
coach.)
McCain used to oppose Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he
reversed course in February.
In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being
corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential
campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly
violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In
April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his
name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.
McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill
for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began
to reconcile with Norquist.
McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White
House demands.
McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and
won't back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.
McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones
University before he was for it.
McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.
McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
And now he's both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.
It's not exactly a newsflash that McCain is veering ridiculously to the
right in a rather shameless attempt to reinvent himself, but Dems should
take advantage of the situation and help establish the narrative now.
Despite his rather embarrassing record of late, we still have major media
figures telling the public that "no one would accuse McCain of equivocating
on anything."
Now is the time to begin characterizing McCain - accurately - as a man with
no principle beliefs. Dems should not only criticize McCain's constantly
evolving opinions on nearly everything, they should openly mock him for it
now, so that the storyline becomes second nature (like the GOP did with
"serial exaggerator" Al Gore).
The nation is seeing McCain 2.0, and we like the old one better.
--
________________________
"Let me note if you get endorsed by The New York Times you're probably not a
conservative," Mitt Romney
It's clear this guy is using the "you are a flip flopper" tool because it
was so effective against John Kerry. It is also an effective tool to use
with the rural/average conservative or /urban/average liberal.
http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/9111.html
Just to follow-up briefly on Michael's guest-post from yesterday, Sen. John
McCain's (R-Ariz.) new-found opposition to Roe v. Wade is rather remarkable,
even for him.
In 1999, McCain was in New Hampshire, campaigning for the GOP nomination as
a moderate. He proclaimed himself a pro-life candidate, but told reporters
that "in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal
of Roe v. Wade." He explained that overturning Roe would force "women in
America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations." Yesterday,
campaigning for the GOP nomination as a conservative, McCain said the
opposite.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me ask one question about abortion. Then I want to
turn to Iraq. You're for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, with
some exceptions for life and rape and incest.
MCCAIN: Rape, incest and the life of the mother. Yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So is President Bush, yet that hasn't advanced in the six
years he's been in office. What are you going to do to advance a
constitutional amendment that President Bush hasn't done?
MCCAIN: I don't think a constitutional amendment is probably going to take
place, but I do believe that it's very likely or possible that the Supreme
Court should - could overturn Roe v. Wade, which would then return these
decisions to the states, which I support.. Just as I believe that the issue
of gay marriage should be decided by the states, so do I believe that we
would be better off by having Roe v. Wade return to the states.
The old McCain didn't want an amendment and didn't want Roe overturned. The
new McCain completely disagrees with the old McCain.
It's worth noting that politicians' opinions on abortion can, and often do,
"evolve" over time. Dick Gephardt and Al Gore, for example, both opposed
abortion rights before eventually becoming pro-choice. With this in mind,
McCain's unexpected shift may simply reflect yet another pol whose thinking
has changed over time.
Or, far more likely, McCain is once again abandoning any pretense of
consistency and integrity, and is now willing to say literally anything to
win.
Let's return, once again, to McCain's flourishing flip-flop list, which is
now a Top 11 list.
McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance"
in 2002, but has since decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans
"deserved" the 9/11 attacks. (Indeed, McCain has now hired Falwell's debate
coach.)
McCain used to oppose Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy, but he
reversed course in February.
In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being
corrupt, spending "dirty money" to help finance Bush's presidential
campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly
violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In
April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.
McCain supported a major campaign-finance reform measure that bore his
name. In June, he abandoned his own legislation.
McCain used to think that Grover Norquist was a crook and a corrupt shill
for dictators. Then McCain got serious about running for president and began
to reconcile with Norquist.
McCain took a firm line in opposition to torture, and then caved to White
House demands.
McCain gave up on his signature policy issue, campaign-finance reform, and
won't back the same provision he sponsored just a couple of years ago.
McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones
University before he was for it.
McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he's pro-ethanol.
McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.
And now he's both for and against overturning Roe v. Wade.
It's not exactly a newsflash that McCain is veering ridiculously to the
right in a rather shameless attempt to reinvent himself, but Dems should
take advantage of the situation and help establish the narrative now.
Despite his rather embarrassing record of late, we still have major media
figures telling the public that "no one would accuse McCain of equivocating
on anything."
Now is the time to begin characterizing McCain - accurately - as a man with
no principle beliefs. Dems should not only criticize McCain's constantly
evolving opinions on nearly everything, they should openly mock him for it
now, so that the storyline becomes second nature (like the GOP did with
"serial exaggerator" Al Gore).
The nation is seeing McCain 2.0, and we like the old one better.
--
________________________
"Let me note if you get endorsed by The New York Times you're probably not a
conservative," Mitt Romney