Back during the 2000 campaign, George W. Bush unleashed his flying monkeys to carry out a truly despicable whispering campaign in still-race-sensitive South Carolina, saying Senator John McCain's dark-skinned daughter was the result of a tryst with a black prostitute.
Bridget McCain was actually adopted from Bangladesh.
Classy.
Relations between the two men have been tense ever since, to put it mildly. But what a difference eight years makes - now that McCain has clinched the Republican nomination, Bush has come off the sidelines to endorse him. And so yesterday they gritted their teeth, put aside their differences (or at least tried to) and met at the White House so Bush could pass the GOP mantle to McCain.
It didn't go well. McCain looked like he would much rather have been back in the Hanoi Hilton being tortured by the Viet Cong. For his part, Bush hogged the spotlight, rambled incoherently, and basically did all he could to push his would-be successor out of the picture. Such as when he grabbed a question about the economy and replied with a rant about "an enemy that lurks, an enemy that wants to strike us."
With the event such a disaster, McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee have been conspicuously silent about the endorsement, leaving it off their websites.
Good gravy, you'd think they didn't want anyone to know about it.
Fortunately, the Democrats are more than pleased to get the word out, displaying it prominently on their own page.
A Bush endorsement is quite simply the kiss of death. The president is so unpopular and so toxic that any endorsement by him is almost guaranteed to have the opposite effect. Independents, Democrats tempted by the nominee's "maverick" persona and disgruntled Republicans will see a McCain presidency as little more than four more years of Dubya. But as with his acceptance of wingnut televangelist John Hagee's endorsement, McCain knows he can't rally the GOP power structure to his side without the support of the current president.
With his warmongering speeches and relentless flip-flopping on positions, McCain has anchored himself firmly to Bush. And as the Decider sinks like a stone, he will drag McCain down with him. Fine by me.
Bridget McCain was actually adopted from Bangladesh.
Classy.
Relations between the two men have been tense ever since, to put it mildly. But what a difference eight years makes - now that McCain has clinched the Republican nomination, Bush has come off the sidelines to endorse him. And so yesterday they gritted their teeth, put aside their differences (or at least tried to) and met at the White House so Bush could pass the GOP mantle to McCain.
It didn't go well. McCain looked like he would much rather have been back in the Hanoi Hilton being tortured by the Viet Cong. For his part, Bush hogged the spotlight, rambled incoherently, and basically did all he could to push his would-be successor out of the picture. Such as when he grabbed a question about the economy and replied with a rant about "an enemy that lurks, an enemy that wants to strike us."
With the event such a disaster, McCain's campaign and the Republican National Committee have been conspicuously silent about the endorsement, leaving it off their websites.
Good gravy, you'd think they didn't want anyone to know about it.
Fortunately, the Democrats are more than pleased to get the word out, displaying it prominently on their own page.
A Bush endorsement is quite simply the kiss of death. The president is so unpopular and so toxic that any endorsement by him is almost guaranteed to have the opposite effect. Independents, Democrats tempted by the nominee's "maverick" persona and disgruntled Republicans will see a McCain presidency as little more than four more years of Dubya. But as with his acceptance of wingnut televangelist John Hagee's endorsement, McCain knows he can't rally the GOP power structure to his side without the support of the current president.
With his warmongering speeches and relentless flip-flopping on positions, McCain has anchored himself firmly to Bush. And as the Decider sinks like a stone, he will drag McCain down with him. Fine by me.
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