Centrist Pundits

I always liked John McCain.  I regretted that he wasn’t the candidate in 2000.  I probably still would have voted for Gore, but I would have felt that no matter who won, the country would have been in good hands.  John McCain 2000 seemed to be someone who gave some thought to his issues, and didn’t hide behind a veneer of civility that makes politics seem so phony. George Bush seemed like a big phony, and someone who didn’t give a lot of thought to anything, let alone political issues.  8 years of his Presidency didn’t convince me otherwise, by the way.  But those 8 years did a lot to convince me that what I thought of John McCain was incorrect.

McCain wanted to be President.  He wanted it bad enough that he sold out his maverick nature to toe the Republican line far more frequently; frequently enough that his moments of breaking with orthodox thought appeared more bizarre than maverick.  By 2008, he had fallen far enough in my estimation that I essentially never even considered voting for him.  He no longer appealed to the independent streak in me, instead seeming fairly standard issue Republican.

And yet, maybe the maverick spirit lives within in the McCain family.  I’ve liked Meghan McCain since she appeared on the scene – she’s a conservative, sure, but she has sensible stands on gay marriage, sexual freedoms, and she can explain her concerns on most issues, and is willing to listen.  She also has a sense of humor, which counts for a lot.  And she tells other Republicans that blind faith to far right agenda will never appeal to the youth voters, which is true.

And today, I have new reason to respect Cindy McCain.  I always thought of her as the severe and somewhat mean-spirited woman on John’s arm.  Not only was she a political wife who only seemed to speak in order to support her husband or take a swipe the candidate couldn’t take, but the darker rumor mill indicated she allowed her husband to get away with things that are verbal abuse.  She seemed smart, but willingly used.   So of course she had to throw off all my expectations by posting for the NoH8 campaign, a movement that photographs celebrities with duct taped mouths and No H8 penned on their faces, for promoting marriage equality – or, in another term, for gay marriage rights.

Mrs. McCain, I’m not sure I like you, as I genuinely like your charming daughter… but bravo.  Bravo indeed.

JC Personalities, gay rights gay marriage, gay rights, McCain, NoH8

Only a quick one today…

I’m developing a little political “crush” on Meghan McCain.  Let’s ignore, for a moment, that she’s a Republican (which isn’t really my thing, even if she says she’s liberal on social issues).  She’s telling it like it is, perhaps the only member of the McCain family to remember what the straight-talk express is really all about.

She called Ann Coulter obnoxious and insulting.  She’s right, and maybe if more people pointed that out, Ann Coulter would stop getting away with being so inflammatory.  (Incidentally, this is a trait her dad shares; McCain 2000 (as opposed to 2008) was perfectly willing to point out the blowhards in his own party)

She pointed out that the Republican party needs to catch up with the Democrats on tech savvy, and she’s right about that, too.

Laura Ingraham took a dislike to Meghan’s blog (which is an endorsement in and of itself) and called her a valley girl and a plus size model.  Putting aside for a moment the idea that someone at McCain’s weight is fat, which is ridiculous, McCain responded “Kiss my fat ass!” which not only shows she doesn’t take guff from other pundits just because they don’t like what she has to say, but also shows that she understands context – if she’s been called fat, they can kiss her fat ass.  Seems reasonable to me!

Is Meghan brilliant?  No.  Is she immune from criticism?  No, of course not.  But she’s getting people to listen to her, and that’s no crime.  I probably wouldn’t vote for her, but I like to hear what she has to say.

JC National Politics, Society McCain, pride