Posted on 08/28/2018 6:14:19 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
If you’re confused by President Trump’s reluctance to celebrate the life of Sen. John McCain, it’s because Trump knows something you don’t: his base.
The Red Hats And Talk Radio wing of American politics has long had a problematic relationship with the Arizona senator. And by “problematic,” I mean, they hated his guts. For years, McCain was the poster child of the kind of Republicanism they loathed, the kind of Republicanism that eventually led many of these voters to turn to Trump in the first place.
And if he were still with us, McCain would say “You’re damn right.”
New Hampshire political consultant Michael Dennehy, who worked extensively on McCain’s 2000 campaign, told me this weekend that, in his own way, McCain was the Donald Trump of his day. He sees a parallel in their willingness to ignore the party leaders, say what’s on their minds and give people straight talk.
He has a point. But McCain’s straight talk often involved insulting the base of his own party.
In McCain’s world, Trump voters were “wacko birds” and “crazies.” In “Game Change,” the much-praised (by the Left, anyway) book about the 2008 election, McCain is quoted as saying opponents of his amnesty solution for illegal immigration are “going to destroy the (expletive) party.”
“Listen to these people,” he reportedly said to fellow amnesty supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham. “Why would I want to be the leader of a party of such (expletives)?”
The point of bringing this up is not to speak ill of the dead, but to remind the media engaged in their hagiographic coverage that the dislike between McCain and the talk-radio base isn’t about allegiance to Trump. The two sides have been battling for years.
When McCain was losing badly to Barack Obama, he pulled Sarah Palin out of obscurity to rescue his failing campaign. It worked, in the short term. But when the media pile-on of Palin was complete, McCain threw her under the bus, saying later:
“I wish I’d picked Joe Lieberman instead.”
Nobody doubts that he meant it, either. And now, the same talk-radio Republicans McCain trashed are being trashed yet again for not fully celebrating the life of a guy who despised them.
Trump knows this, and I suspect that’s one reason why he’s reluctant to issue the sort of eulogy the media wants.
There’s also the fact that Trump hated the guy, and the feeling was mutual. Proactively disinviting the sitting president from your own funeral isn’t exactly “reaching across the political divide.”
Should the president be the bigger man? Should he celebrate the life of an American hero who suffered so much for our nation, its uniform and its flag?
I think so. But Trump knows his base. Trump knows the praise for McCain coming from Democrats and the media is praise for McCain’s willingness to support Democrats: their positions, their politics and their antipathy toward the Americans who made Trump president.
This is not an insult to Sen. McCain or his memory. He’s still a hero. People who deny that fact truly are crazies. And it’s true he was willing to tell people tough things they didn’t want to hear. But it’s hard not to notice that he reserved his toughest talk for his fellow Republicans.
I wish we had a better president. I wish we had more graciousness in American politics. I wish our political discourse could be elevated above current pettiness of “My team good, your team bad.” But it’s not. We’re here.
And one of the many people in American politics who helped us get here was Sen. John McCain.
McCain is a bad person who did a good thing many years ago. And he has a staff that is still very active and needs to go away. I hope the governor of Arizona does not pick a McCain staff member to replace him.
Bus League Republicans must become extinct before the Republic does.
“I mean, they hated his guts.”
Because he hated their guts.
JM was a dem operative as far as I’m concerned. Spent a whole lot of time on cnn bashing the right.
Bush League Republicans must become extinct before the Republic does.
For 30 years they had US voting for their amnesty candidates with no hope of stopping the illegal alien inundation.
We wouldn’t have needed Trump if both parties were not committed to the fundamental transformation of America into North Mexico.
mcccain: Ptuh!
Filthy Traitor!
Moreover, the media was ready to pounce on whomever McCain picked, so they could ease off knocking McCain. Palin energized that convention crowd and the Dems and the media (I repeat myself) were absolutely scared. There was an image of Piper licking her hand to wipe down Trig's hair. Dem strategists deemed it the spit that would sink their campaign because it was something so lovable and relatable that their campaign didn't have.
They needed to Dan Quayle her quickly.
McCain was not a stateman or a politician who deserves a week long celebration - he chose to run for office and enjoy incredible perks, attention and power. In the end, he was only a senator, not a king, not a President. Enough already.
The media’s over the top adulation is, sell like everything else, fake. They know McCain hated Trump and was disliked by conservatives so this fake love is just childish to get under the skin of patriot conservatives. It will be over soon, thankfully.
There are seven million (7M) Americans that reside in Arizona. It will be interesting to see how many of them turn out to pay their respects to Senator, John McCain in the Arizona State Capital.
The love fest fairy tale on our TV and media outlets is nowhere near the true story and impact of John McCain, a man who held many serious flaws. I believe in truth in reporting and we, the people have gotten nothing but an “Orwellian” “1984” Big Brother readout on the life of John McCain, from our Media, Swamp creatures and both the Republican & Democrat Establishments. McCain in real life had his good points and he had plenty of terrible points. Sad!!!
I think if you asked a hundred of us who voted for McCain in 2008 about feeling crappy giving the guy our vote....right now today, more than fifty percent are negative about that vote, and regret it. So this hyped chatter from the news media is having zero effect on us.
I think things run deeper than we’ll ever know. I suspect Trump knows of things McCain has pulled over the past several months to undercut Trump and his agenda. McCain flew as staffer to London to pick up the fake dossier. Instead of giving it to Trump he gives it to the FBI. Fact is, they already had it.
Then you have him showing up in the AM to nix the Obama care repeal vote.
I’m sure there are other things, that only Trump knows about.
One thought. Who leaked the story that Trump vetoed a different tribute to McCain, or did Trump want that spread?
““I mean, they hated his guts.”
Because he hated their guts.”
It was mutual.
Oh THAT Boston Herald. LOLOLOLOLOLOL! Okay scummy Trump supporters. They figured us out. LOLOLOLOLOLOL! WTH ever happened to the NE corner of this country where this whole thing started?
I would have voted for Satan himself against Obama. I will stand by that.
Yes, McCain worked his last two years focused almost solely on undermining Trump - I think that is obvious.
Great post...
You might be thinking of the Boston Globe. The Herald can be surprisingly conservative for it’s location.
Jeremiah Denton didn’t get half the honors McCain is getting.
Well FU2 Michael.
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