McCain in 2000 and McCain now

Swift · 09-11-2008, 12:58 PM

I've heard a lot of people on the forum say they liked McCain of 2000 and may have even voted for him if he was the same in this election.

Since I didn't start paying attention to politics until about 2001 or so. Can some of you describe the differences you've seen between then and now?

Thanks.

HughRuss · 09-11-2008, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Swift-Bass

I've heard a lot of people on the forum say they liked McCain of 2000 and may have even voted for him if he was the same in this election.

Since I didn't start paying attention to politics until about 2001 or so. Can some of you describe the differences you've seen between then and now?

Thanks.

John McCain: Reformed Maverick \| The Daily Show \|...

On top of that, his pandering to voters, both female and evangelical (not just with Palin, but with the video I posted yesterday).

JaJae · 09-11-2008, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by Swift-Bass

I've heard a lot of people on the forum say they liked McCain of 2000 and may have even voted for him if he was the same in this election.

Since I didn't start paying attention to politics until about 2001 or so. Can some of you describe the differences you've seen between then and now?

Thanks.

It wasn't really McCain in 2000 people liked as much as when he went against his party fairly soon after the start of the Iraq War. When things started to get hairy he stood up to the GOP base and attacked Bush. As a Republican war hero he gained a lot of credibility among liberal blogs who wanted to recycle his opinions and rub it in the face of conservatives. They began to worship him and follow his every move and statement. During this time he started chumming up with Democrats to speak out against the war and other Bush/GOP policies.

But then he flipped again and began supporting the surge and essentially turned into a moderate Republican again those liberals who once beloved him felt betrayed. And the conservative blogs/talk radio remembered how quickly he could flip and wouldn't support him during the primaries and you even had the conservative blogs/talk radio telling people not to vote for McCain. They still haven't gotten over his change of stance over Iraq or his "amnesty" immigration bill.

An interesting tidbit... Joe Biden actually recommended McCain for John Kerry's Vice Presidential pick in the last election.

WASHINGTON - Sen. Joseph Biden, a senior Democrat, on Sunday urged Republican Sen. John McCain to run for vice president with the Democratic hopeful, Sen. John Kerry, in order to heal the “vicious rift” dividing America.

McCain, of Arizona, “categorically” ruled out standing with Kerry, but Biden, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had no second choice.

“I’m sticking with McCain,” Biden said.

“I think John McCain would be a great candidate for vice president,” Biden, from Delaware, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where the two senators appeared together to take questions on Iraq and other subjects.

“Do I think it’s going to happen? No,” he said. “But I think it is a reflection of the desire of this country and the desire of people in both parties to want to see this God-awful, vicious rift that exists in the nation healed, and John and John could go a long way to heal in that rift.”

JaJae · 09-11-2008, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by HughRuss

On top of that, his pandering to voters, both female and evangelical (not just with Palin, but with the video I posted yesterday).

I can't watch the video at work, however, I agree he is a panderer. He really wants to be president and he'll say or do just about anything to make that happen.

HughRuss · 09-11-2008, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

An interesting tidbit... Joe Biden actually recommended McCain for John Kerry's Vice Presidential pick in the last election.

Joe Biden and John McCain --it has been said-- are (used to be) quite chummy with one another.

C4Casey · 09-11-2008, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by HughRuss

Joe Biden and John McCain --it has been said-- are (used to be) quite chummy with one another.

Wouldn't be suprised if they still are. Since they're running on opposite tickets it probably would be ackward for the two to have an openly chummy relationship, and it could cause them to lose stance in their own party. There have been other high profile cases of good friends being political opponents. Ford and Carter come to mind.

DosEquis · 09-11-2008, 01:42 PM

The McCain of 2000 might have been conservative but he was also a realist. He would stand for things that were indeed putting his country first instead of putting his party first. He has changed his fundamental principles to meet the needs of the republican base. He used to be a brand of conservative that also had a grasp on reality. He had to let reality go and grab the bible. Once figures he deplored, like Falwell, he switched gears... there are countless examples.

David Octavius · 09-11-2008, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

The McCain of 2000 might have been conservative but he was also a realist. He would stand for things that were indeed putting his country first instead of putting his party first. He has changed his fundamental principles to meet the needs of the republican base. He used to be a brand of conservative that also had a grasp on reality. He had to let reality go and grab the bible. Once figures he deplored, like Falwell, he switched gears... there are countless examples.

Exactly! I think losing to Bush affecting him deeply and was the beginning of him changing

WickedLou9 · 09-11-2008, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by DosEquis

The McCain of 2000 might have been conservative but he was also a realist. He would stand for things that were indeed putting his country first instead of putting his party first. He has changed his fundamental principles to meet the needs of the republican base. He used to be a brand of conservative that also had a grasp on reality. He had to let reality go and grab the bible. Once figures he deplored, like Falwell, he switched gears... there are countless examples.

ON the Daily show they actually went back and forth with video clips of him being against IRaq and then for it, he supported Roe V Wade and now he is against it. It went on and on. As soon as he started running for president he just toed the GOP party line verbatim.

kinggovernor · 09-11-2008, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by JaJae

An interesting tidbit... Joe Biden actually recommended McCain for John Kerry's Vice Presidential pick in the last election.

I really think the RNC is holding onto this ace in the hole until right before the election.

Scrum · 09-11-2008, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

I really think the RNC is holding onto this ace in the hole until right before the election.

Their going to use John Kerry as a life preserver?

Good luck with that. Let us know how it works out.

kinggovernor · 09-11-2008, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Scrum

Their going to use John Kerry as a life jacket?

Good luck with that. Let us know how it works out.

Biden is so confident in McCain's ability in the executive office that he wanted to be part of the Democratic ticket just 4 years ago.

Come on, seriously you can't see how the RNC could use this?

WickedLou9 · 09-12-2008, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

Biden is so confident in McCain's ability in the executive office that he wanted to be part of the Democratic ticket just 4 years ago.

Come on, seriously you can't see how the RNC could use this?

I don't questions McCains ability to lead. I would be pretty scared if we were nominating candidates that had no leadership ability. It's a question of who you think would be the better leader.

kinggovernor · 09-12-2008, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

I don't questions McCains ability to lead. I would be pretty scared if we were nominating candidates that had no leadership ability. It's a question of who you think would be the better leader.

Biden wasn't saying that McCain had leadership ability, Biden wanted McCain to be on the Democratic ticket. That is totally different.

HughRuss · 09-12-2008, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by kinggovernor

Biden wasn't saying that McCain had leadership ability, Biden wanted McCain to be on the Democratic ticket. That is totally different.

And it was 4 years ago when McCain could rightfully call himself a Maverick instead of a public charlatan.

kinggovernor · 09-12-2008, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by HughRuss

And it was 4 years ago when McCain could rightfully call himself a Maverick instead of a public charlatan.

yea McCain really went down the party line of "stay the course, Rumsfeld 4 EVA"