John McCain is gaining some recognition in Germany as a potential Republican presidential candidate and successor to George W. Bush in 2008. But there is a lot of misleading information concerning McCain in the German press, which is understandable, since McCain is regularly described in the US press as a "moderate" or a "maverick" Thus we see a glowing article in the Financial Times Deutschland about McCain – Der Mann für die Zeit nach Bush – where McCain is labeled "ein moderater Republikaner" and " Der Lieblingskonservative der amerikanischen Liberalen". Even the German blogosphere has been misled about McCain. The usually astute Dr. Dean wrote the other day about McCain: " Ein militarismuskritischer und sozialstaatlicher US-Republikaner als Präsident: Das wäre etwas Neues."
At best, McCain is old wine in a new skin. He is ranked as the 3rd most conservative Senator. He expresses a loud support of the Iraq War. Indeed, McCain would like to dramatically increase US troop levels in Iraq, sending more young American men and women to their deaths. But MCCain is already looking to the next war, and has been a most forceful advocate of a military option against Iran. McCain is a flip-flopper on social issues: he has been critical of the Bush administration’s reckless fiscal policy, yet he voted for the Bush tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest Americans while punishing the poor with cutbacks in social programs. He has expressed support for women’s rights but indicated that he would have signed the recent legislation in South Dakota that criminalizes abortions even for victims of rape and incest. So if McCain does win the the presidency we can expect more wars of aggression, more diversion of our common wealth into military spending, and government control of our wives’ and daughters’ uteruses. Does that sound like a moderate?
The most disgusting display of McCain’s political opportunism took place over the weekend, when McCain delivered a speech at the right-wing evangelical Liberty University – a center of Christo-Fascist re-education. Watch for McCain to repudiate his former opposition to the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage (aka the Hate Amendment). McCain desperately wants the support of the right-wing evangelicals who voted Bush into office. The only way to achieve that is to embrace discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans – and that is the final missing piece in McCain’s quest for the Republican nomination for the office of president.
UPDATE: Michael Kinsley puts it much better in today’s Washington Post op/ed piece:
McCain is like another larger-than-life character in American politics: Colin Powell. Both men are so admirable and so likable that people convince themselves against all evidence that Powell or McCain must agree with them on the big issues. In Powell’s case, the theory always was that he was speaking truth to power from within, while telling the necessary public fibs to hold on to the privileged position this service required. With McCain, something more magical is going on. He says plainly that he is for the war, or against abortion choice, and people hear the opposite. It’s a gift, I guess.
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Thanks for this post, David.
I agree that McCain is overrated in Germany.
The coverage of US politics is very superficial in Germany. We hear about the Bush administrations latest wrong doings all the time. When McCain spoke up against the torture bill, he scored high points in Germany. Fair enough.
Everything else McCain is doing, is pretty much ignored. German media coverage is focused on criticizing the Bush admin.
What do you think of Senator Hagel? Will he have a chance, if more Americans are fed up with Iraq? Probably not much of a chance.
Has Giuliani been more principled than McCain? He is considerate a moderate.
Or what about George Allen?
There is next to nothing about all these politicians in the German media.
The only potential candidate who was recently mentioned in the German press as far as I know, was Jeb Bush. And that’s only because George Bush said he would make a great president one day. I guess it was only newsworthy to mention Jeb Bush because of George Bush, the darling of the German media. the focus of attention.
Will the Democrates make the mistake to nominate Hillary, who I believe will have no chance against the GOP spin machine?
I guess it is too early for all this.
Joerg –
Right now Al Gore is generating much excitement (hard to believe! but true). Check out his new movie and his appearance on Saturday Night Live last week.
Hagel would be a terrific candidate for the Republicans – a principled conservative. But he stands no chance and is hated by the neocon war machine. Allen has some personal issues (like the book his sister wrote about her “abusive” brother).
Anything could happen, but Gore seems to have discovered his true voice this time.
I’ve always suspected that Bush was paving the way for a more popular Republican president — especially now, when he’s wrestling with his sins a la Michael Corleone in Godfather III. But is McCain the guy? To make another mafia reference, he’s definitely not a made man in the party. I think Republicans make their men out of straw now anyways. We’ll be introduced to him sometime in the next year — same as with Bush.
I am quite unsure about my opinion. Maybe my position is a bit pardoxically:
Colin Powell: GOP would lose (and: Powell would’t run)
Guliani: GOP would lose
John McCain: GOP would win
In my blog…
http://dermorgen.blogspot.com/2006/05/ist-john-mccain-berbewertet.html
…i tried to explain my opinion.
I suppose it is possible to promote John McCain as a bush-critical “Kuschel-Konservativer” AND a good candidate for bible belt-conservatives.
If this idea is right then this is the unique selling point of the conservative politician John McCain.
I hope the Democratic Party has learned the lesson and nominates a candidate with the right social background like John Edwards or, better, Bill Richardson.
Nevertheless in Germany, the Democratic Party is generally associated with Hillary Clinton, but think that’s due to lack of interest and information I think. Some still have the absurd dream of a race Hillary vs. Condy, though Condy has repeatedly denied she would run for president.
McCain? Great! I certainly hope the Republicans will make the mistake and nominate him – against Bill Richardson!
McCain? 2008? lol
I hope the Democratic Party has learned the lesson of 2004 and nominates a candidate with the right social background like John Edwards or, better, Bill Richardson. Nevertheless in Germany, the Democratic Party is generally associated with Hillary Clin…
In the end it doesn’t matter. One political party with two heads, gerrymandering of voting districts or simple fraud with electronic voting machines have rendered any illusion about ‘democracy’ a stale joke.