"What do we do now?" Robert Redford - The Candidate

I don't know if he'd "have lost everything he once recognized and admired in himself", but he'd lose everything some people once recognized and admired in him.

American Citizen, putting aside that i never once recognized honor in john mccain and admired him for it, i think you're right.

mccain is utterly capable of convincing himself that any time he behaves dishonorably, it's because he had no choice ("obama wouldn't join me in town hall debates").

as someone i saw commenting elsewhere put it, it's surprisingly similar to domestic abusers, who like to claim it's really their partner's fault....

Ezra (and howard),

I agree with the analogy that McCain is like an abuser, who loses his soul while rationalizing his excesses. Unfortunately, like many abuse cases, we not only allow it to happen, but encourage the behaviour. Perhaps not you and I, but at least tens of millions of our countrymen.

The GOP convention and smear campaign both demonstrate the American electorate respond to this kind of behavior with rewards and praise. Obama needing to respond with more vehement, but at least truthful, messages to gain any electoral traction is almost as depressing.

Unfortunately, it usually takes some kind of extreme event to jolt individuals out of their self-abusive cycle. I'm just saddened our current economic and foreign policy meltdowns haven't provided that catalyst. I'm also scared to think about what would.

Do you question his patriotism?

Let's remember he's the son and grandson of admirals. Born in the Canal Zone he would have grown up with flunkies right and left - washing his socks, mowing lawns, making kool-aid, kissing his ass.
Would he have gotten into Annapolis on his own? I doubt it. He farted his way through, finishing almost dead last in his class. No way the Admiral's boy was gonna get an F. Given all that plus his imprisonment, he feels he's ENTITLED to be president and no "uppity" (you know what I mean), low-born kid who got where he is on merit is going to keep it from him.
He's a nasty little fuck with nothing to offer but lies and and something that happened 40 years ago.

American Citizen & Howard:
McCain has lost both Joe Klein and Andrew Sullivan, and there is still two months(or so) left until the election. McCain lost any dignity he had once he dumped his first wife. If McCain does happen to win, it'll be a hollow victory. He sold his soul to the devil for one last chance at the holy grail.

McCain has truly given up every last shred of his honor, every last whisper of his dignity, to win this election.

Sleeves off a vest, Ezra, sleeves off a vest.

You don't have to be evangelical to know this one --Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

It's important to note that McCain has avoided the media, other than Charlie B., for the better part of a month.

It was refreshing to see the ladies on "The View" showing more cojones than the MSM in calling him out.
Will this shame the MSM into growing some spine?

Moosolini won't go anywhere near the View, even she knows the team there can smell a scamming bimbo a mile away and they'd rip her a new asshole or 3 if she did. Now that'd be one sigth to see but even she's just barely smart enough to not go there.

I admire the women on The View. Since McCain won't do serious interviews anymore, they didn't let him get away with appearing on their show as a fluff visit where they talk about his kids and what he likes to do in his spare time. They hit him dead on and showed they are are aware of what he's doing.

Whoopi Goldberg really grilled him on the Republican's stealth pro-slavery plank. Finally, someone has asked McCain the important questions about the Republican's desire to repeal the Emancipation Proclamation.Obama needs to work the slavery angle into some of his commercials.

Whoopi Goldberg really grilled him on the Republican's stealth pro-slavery plank.

Yeah, I gotta say that was exceedingly, um, odd. Whoopi Goldberg I have noticed is kind of an idiot.

The story they had on cnn about this interview was VERY odd.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/09/13/snow.mccain.view.cnn

They (cnn) paint the whole interview as very positive for McCain. The video they show goes something like..
'you do realize those ads are a lie dont you'
McCain 'no they're not'
--->cut
Cnn 'McCain came out and defended his position'

--------------------------
Very paraphrased by me.. but it was rediculous.. he didnt defend his position. He just engaged in the same debate tactics that 2 year olds use.

Thats what we need.. a tortured, bitter, old man with the debating skills of a pissed off militant pre-schooler. Nice..

McCain has truly given up every last shred of his honor, every last whisper of his dignity...

So Ezra, you're pretty sure the Miss Buffalo Chip stuff was a gaffe, and should not be seen in the context of the trollop/c**t comment? That the parallels between his personality and GWB's aren't that great? The more I see of McCain, the more he looks like a spoiled, arrogant, petulant son-of-privilege whose sense of honor and dignity come not from humility but from arrogance.

It's obvious that the spoiled elitist members of the view, who have never sacrificed or contributed to America, like McCain has, are in the tank for Obama, while enjoying the benefits from others who have sacrificed and contributed. And while Sherri Shepherd practically offered to drop everything and stump for Mr. Obama ... isn't she the one who couldn't answer Whoopi, as to whether the earth was round or flat? Kudos to McCain for going into the lion's den with this useless group. No wonder they support an unqualified inexperienced candidate like Obama. It takes an empty suit to know one.