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Posted on 08/28/2009 7:30:02 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
I didn’t vote for her father, but should Meghan McCain ever run for president, she’ll have my support.
Unfortunately, McCain, 24, wouldn’t be eligible to run until the 2020 election cycle if she chooses to do so. Although she has not garnered much media attention until recently, this member of the almost-presidential family, who has been a registered Republican since 2008, has made it clear that her views depart somewhat from those of her father, John McCain, the senator from Arizona.
She has socially moderate views. While she is pro-life, she supports same-sex marriage. At a recent convention of the Log Cabin Republicans, Meghan declared, “I am concerned about the environment. I love to wear black. I think government is best when it stays out of people’s lives and business as much as possible. I love punk rock. I believe in a strong national defense. I have a tattoo. I believe government should always be efficient and accountable. I have lots of gay friends, and yes, I am a Republican.”
In the immortal words of Hannah Montana, “Cute, blonde Republican chick say what?!” But is she actually a Republican? I’d argue yes. Republicans are about personal responsibility and individual freedoms, and it is the party’s leadership, not McCain, that has diverged from those principles by pandering to the social values of the religious right.
McCain, who runs McCainBlogette.com, has the advantage of being a strong, sassy, attractive young woman who is not afraid to speak her mind.
Recent media coverage has focused largely on her public spats with conservative commentators who have lambasted her for her views and even her appearance. When Laura Ingraham, a radio host, took a shot at Meghan’s weight in March, she didn’t shut herself in her room with a box of Godiva chocolates left over from Valentine’s Day — she used the experience as a teachable moment to start a dialogue about appearance and gender bias. On “The View,” McCain’s response to Ingraham went beyond just saying, “It’s terrible. It infuriates me. I’m a political writer on a blog and all of a sudden I’m too fat to write? There’s no place for weight criticism of women in 2009.” She notably added, “When Tyra Banks went on her show in her bathing suit and said, ‘kiss my fat ass,’ that’s what I feel like right now. I’m like, ‘kiss my fat ass!’ ”
While some may have had their delicate sensibilities offended by this remark, I applauded McCain from behind my computer screen when I saw the YouTube clip. After that comment, McCain was more interested in moving on with her life than further engaging in discourse that would end up in tabloids. Still this helped to put her on the national radar.
Meghan McCain has a bachelor’s in art history from Columbia University. Does that make her qualified to be a political commentator or expert? Maybe not. But it’s hard to follow your dad on the campaign trail and still be clueless by November 4.
McCain has said there is a war brewing in the Republican Party between Republicans like herself and the old guard, and that the status quo Republicans are “scared shitless” because her generation is going to revolutionize the party.
McCain has even said, “[Karl Rove,] twittering is not going to make [young people] come to the Republican Party.” Further, she advised Rove and Dick Cheney, “You had your eight years, go away.”
In 2006, the Democrats already had a 12 percent advantage over the Republicans among voters aged 18 to 29. McCain’s advice should be heeded by the GOP, which lost nearly one million registrants since 2004 while the Democrats gained 700,000. Call me a “Republican in name only” if you want, but being a true conservative is about limiting government interference in people’s lives. These social issues aren’t about party; they are generally about separation of church and state, which is arguably a strict constructionist conservative value.
Whether Meghan McCain and others like her can actually revolutionize the party remains to be seen, but I’ll be rooting for them.
Sammy Dweck is a columnist. E-mail him at opinion@nyunews.com.
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Are you a capitalist Meghan?
Go away.
Meghan Dweck... they should marry.
The vile chubess should just shut up!
Have you been had? Its rabscuttle time! Look Carefully at the name of the articles magazine!!!
Why does the G.O.P need to redefined. It just needs to back to its roots.
this is laughable. If Meghan was running for president as gop, the author would still voted for Democrat, kinda like they don’t vote for Mccain even though he was their most favourite republican. I hate dishonest arguments
And what makes the author think Meghan views represent majority of the young ppl who vote for GOP. Why don’t they do a poll on, are you closer to Meghan Mccain or are you closer to Palin
Stop using big words, you’ll confuse her.
Someone should send MM her blog musings from the weeks after Palin and her family joined the campaign. She couldn’t say enough about Palin and the family, especially the kids. If she believed it then, what happened? If she didn’t believe what she wrote than she’s a typical conniving pol.
Who cares what another pampered political rich kid thinks? Aren’t we burying one of those tomorrow?
> I didn’t vote for her father, but should Meghan McCain ever run for president, she’ll have my support.
I stopped reading after that opening...
Pond slime is smarter than the buffoon who wrote this. McCain and Dweck= Double fail.
If I had a name like Sammy Dweck, I think Megan McCain would be the last of my concerns
Yes sir, sounds like a real republican candidate, IQ = 95. Same as her dads.
Reverse the 5 and the 9.
So she's a wishy washy RINO wanting for the left to lead her home.
Lets face it. Rabscuttle WOULD HIT IT!
You may be correct!!!
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