On Selling Souls
David Ignatius has a column in today's Washington Post that's really a puff piece for John McCain. In it, McCain is quoted as saying he won't sell his soul to the devil. Which is a good thing, I suppose.
"I don't want it that badly," McCain says. "I will continue to do what is right. I will continue to pursue torture, climate change. If that means I can't get the Republican nomination, fine. I've had a happy life. The worst thing I can do is sell my soul to the devil." He explains: "Every time I did something because I thought it would be politically helpful, it turned out badly." As an example, he cites his waffle during the 2000 South Carolina primary, when he said flying the Confederate flag at the state capitol was a state issue.
Everyone knows that a presidential candidate has to straddle a lot of issues. Everyone right now is pretty well snickering at the antics candidates go through to make those straddles. These days, running for president guarantees that you will be put through a media meat grinder, pretty much no matter where you stand. Very seldom these days is any candidate perfect, they always have a stand on some issue that bothers some. Most voters know that and look for the candidate they can mostly stand.
But, almost everyone also has a deal breaker issue. One that simply cannot be ignored and that will automatically disqualify a candidate who is on the wrong side of that issue.
Mine is the first amendment. McCain will not ever get my vote.
By Bradley J. Fikes, Wednesday, 3 May , 2006 @ 9:57 am
I’m with you on the First Amendment, for obvious reasons, personal as well as professional.
On campaign finance “reform,” I’m with the full disclosure group. Give what you want to whom you want, but disclose it on the Internet immediately.
McCain’s cuddling up to Falwell is nauseating.
By TC@LeatherPenguin, Wednesday, 3 May , 2006 @ 10:23 am
After the campaign “reform” free speech clampdown he helped foist on the country, the only way I would have ever voted for him was by holding my nose. After his recent performance on Imus, I wouldn’t care if he was running against a Gore/Kerry ticket, I’d rather get taxed out my ass than pull the lever for that clown.
By Gauis Arbo, Wednesday, 3 May , 2006 @ 10:40 am
I wasn’t happy with the “reforms” either. Notice it didn’t take long for people to work out a way to get around them anyway.
What Bradley says makes some sense, but I’d like to see some limits on the money allowed. There’s too much money involved already. I’m not sure of a good way to limit it, though.
By Jim O'Hara, Thursday, 4 May , 2006 @ 8:45 am
Gauis, have you considered the chilling effect or indirect suppression of the first amendment caused by warrantless wiretaps, snooping (logging?) of all data sent across the Internet by the NSA, and the gag provisions in the Patriot act?
For example, don’t you think free speech would be impacted if it was proven that the government was reading and logging all emails/IMs/blog posts on the Internet?
Sadly, we’ll never know for sure, because it looks like the government is going to shut down the EFF lawsuit using some little used “offical secrets act.” It’s a beautiful thing; if the government is doing something unconstitutional, brand it a secret so nobody can investigate! And somebody talk to Arlen Specter and get him to tow the line- He’s asking too many questions about this issue. Maybe Black Jack can tell us Specter is a lefty pinko Clinton lover and isn’t even half the conservative he is! :-P)
Jim