Rolling Stone rolls over McCain

Michael Balter 10/11/2008 09:44:00 AM Politics
I've been waiting to comment on Tim Dickinson's hit piece on McCain in Rolling Stone, "Make-Believe Maverick," until I had a chance to read it through and see whether it provided anything new or was rather a useful rehash of what those of us who have been paying attention to the details of McCain's career knew all along.

My conclusion is that the story does not provide many new revelations, and is mostly based on secondary sources and a handful of new interviews. But while it is a rehash, it is a very useful portrait of the real McCain, and one that Obama supporters could use to good effect in convincing their McCain-supporting or undecided friends to join the good fight. The article makes it crystal clear that McCain is a total opportunist, despite his undeserved reputation for honesty and "straight talk," and it provides enough examples of the man's legendary temper to make all but the most rabid warhawks think twice about letting this guy anywhere near the nuclear trigger (or anywhere near a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.)

Meanwhile, I don't have to tell many readers of this blog that McCain is veering close to a total meltdown. At the debate next Wednesday, I think Obama should call him out on the Bill Ayers attacks and the other lying ads McCain's campaign has been putting out. McCain is clearly on the defensive, and is paying a high price for waging a nasty campaign--as those videos of his confused reaction to a supporter calling Obama an "Arab" clearly show (see below.)

Oh, and Sarah Palin can discount the findings of the Alaska legislative investigation that she abused her power all she wants, it doesn't help the fact that this is another setback in a campaign that is already set back, way back.

Death to fascists: It will not be often that this blog celebrates the death of a human being, but there is cause to celebrate the fatal car accident that took the life of Austrian right-wing demagogue Jörg Haider. Haider was a major figure in the pantheon of latter-day fascists that includes France's Jean-Marie Le Pen. For more on his career, the Anti-Defamation League has a good summary.

Michael Balter

Posted by Michael Balter

I have been a working journalist for more than 40 years, beginning in Los Angeles as an investigative reporter and then in Paris as a travel, food, and science writer. For more than 20 years I have covered anthropology and archaeology writer for Science, Audubon, Scientific American, SAPIENS, and other publications. I have also covered sexual misconduct for The Verge, Scientific American, and others; I write about mental health, especially schizophrenia; and I engage in occasional media criticism. I returned to the USA in October 2017 after 30 years in Paris, and now live in the New York City area, where I currently teach journalism at City College of New York (I previously taught journalism at Boston University and New York University.) For more about me and what I do, copies of my articles, information about my book, and other goodies, please visit MY WEB SITE

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2 Comments

Anne Gilbert said…
If it's any comfort to you, the McCain campaign is sounding increasingly desperate, and this "Obama is a terrorist", plus all the anger and shouting at McCain rallies by McCain supporters, just shows how desperate he and his campaign actually is. However, the tone of some of his more "fanatic" supporters bothers me; while I must say I don't think McCain would actually encourage anybody try to go out and assassinate Obama, some addled gun nut just might try, on general principles. While I don't think this is real likely, I don't discount the possibility, either,As far as Jörg Haider is concerned, I don't particularly rejoice in the fact that he was killed in a car accident. The death of any human being, no matter how despicable, is a mournful event. But I do thnk he was an absolute excrescence in Austrian political life.
October 11, 2008 at 10:21 PM
Richard Parker said…
Michael, I think you are beng totally unfair to John McCain.
As a senior citizen, he deserves our respect.
As a veteran of America's last great defeat, in Vietnam, he deserves our respect, even though he was called 'Songbird' by his fellow banged-up war criminals.
As a sufferer from skin cancer (as I am), with a 2-4 year life expectancy, he deserves our respect. That gives him just enough time to hand over America to Sarah Palin.
He may be a hypocritical lying bastard, but that's no reason not to give him due respect.
The fact that nearly half the American population wants him to be president says more about America than it does about John McCain.
October 12, 2008 at 5:35 AM
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