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2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumGOP’s John McCain problem
The reason he still speaks for them on foreign policy: They hate substance and literally have no other "experts"BY JONATHAN BERNSTEIN
Many have noted, including Salons Alex Pareene, that John McCain is the senator everyone in the press listens to. While this is certainly true, a key question remains: Why? Why is John McCain, years after his solidly defeated presidential run, a man who isnt even the top Republican on a key committee a man who, truth be told, most Republicans dont particularly like and never trusted the leader of the opposition on foreign affairs and national security?
Actually, its not just because a lot of elite reporters appear to worship the guy. Politics, like nature, isnt all that comfortable with vacuums, and the post-policy Republican Party has plenty of enormous empty spaces when it comes to questions of public policy. John McCains knee-jerk invade-everyone responses may be shallow, ill-informed, and often proved wrong but its something, and something almost always beats nothing.
After all, what else do they have? Could anyone even name the Republican senators with the actual top slots on Foreign Relations (Bob Corker), Armed Services (James Inhofe), Intelligence (Saxby Chambliss), or Homeland Security (Tom Coburn)? Or anyone from the GOP who specializes in these issues from the House? And then theres the 2012 Republican ticket, widely considered the least experienced and credentialed in foreign affairs and national security since before World War II, and who were so uninterested in the topic that Mitt Romney forgot to pay ritual respect to the troops in his convention speech. If I spot you apology tour and Benghazi!, Id bet you still couldnt remember three things the Romney/Ryan ticket had to say about foreign policy. And neither of those is actually about policy.
Until recently, of course, there were plenty of Republicans with excellent foreign policy and national security credentials, and plenty to say. Many of those associated with the Bush administration, however, were mostly discredited by the disaster in Iraq, just as Democrats from the 1960s were discredited after Vietnam. Others, such as Colin Powell, turned against the partys views, and wound up marginalized. And many of those associated with (perceived) successful Republican presidencies have retired or died George H.W. Bush, after all, left the White House twenty years ago.
full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/06/15/gops_john_mccain_problem/
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GOP’s John McCain problem (Original Post)
DonViejo
Jun 2013
OP
The problem is that he's NOT reasonable! He's a warmonger and that's no
Liberal_Stalwart71
Jun 2013
#2
Laelth
(32,017 posts)1. Indeed. Gramps is the best they have, and that's quite sad. n/t
-Laelth
Liberal_Stalwart71
(20,450 posts)2. The problem is that he's NOT reasonable! He's a warmonger and that's no
different than what the ReThugs already have.
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)3. Mosquito McCain. All the heft of a mosquito and twice the whine.
All I hear is "Get of my lawn, you brats!!!"
Rain Mcloud
(812 posts)4. They have all the love of the 1%,it is all they need or want.
[link:|
NCLefty
(3,678 posts)5. So angry.