John McCain Panders to...the Peace Vote?
John McCain, who credits his defiant defense of the Iraq war for his comeback victory in the Republican primaries, is using his first major television ad of the general election to show his dovish side.
"Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war," McCain says over mournful strings against a bleak backdrop, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. "I hate war, and I know how terrible its costs are."
Of course he does; according to him, McCain suggested the oh-so famous "surge" in Iraq! But don't expect him to make any kind of connection here.
In his latest ad, which is on the air in 10 states and is to start on national cable today, McCain does not mention Iraq or Iran, areas where he has tried to draw stark policy contrasts with Democrat Barack Obama, and says only that "I'm running for president to keep the country I love safe." McCain's background is used to introduce him not as a relentless combatant, but a reticent one.
"Because he's so well-known as a warrior, as a prisoner of war, as a hawk on foreign policy, somebody who does not know him well might think he would err on the side of using military force," said Charlie Black, a McCain adviser. "And nothing could be further from the truth."
Just a part of the Grand McCain Makeover, America. The past is past. Pay attention to the future.
Ignore that John McCain said, "There's going to be other wars. ... I'm sorry to tell you, there's going to be other wars. We will never surrender but there will be other wars." Ignore that John McCain suggested that the Iraqi occupation may be a 100 year deal.
Ignore what Pat Buchanan, of all people, said about McCain:
He didn't say promise. What he said was, make no mistake, there are going to be more wars. That is straight talk, to be quite frank, Joe. you get John McCain in the white house, and i do believe we'll be at war with Iraq. That's one of the things that makes me very nervous about him. I think we need an Eisenhower, who got us out of Korea or a Nixon who tried to get us out of Vietnam with honor. I think that's the kind of president this country needs. there's no doubt John McCain is going to be a war president. Can anybody see John McCain as sort of a peace-time Calvin Coolidge president? it's preposterous. His whole career is wrapped up in the military, national security. He's in Putin's face, he's threatening the Iranians. we're going to be in iraq 100 years. If we're in iraq 100 years, Joe, we'll be fighting 100 years of war, just as the British, if they stayed in our country 100 years, would be fighting the Americans for a century. I'm telling you, what John McCain's promising you...
...I don't say he's starting them. He expects more wars and he anticipates them and he's predicting them. And i think he's talking straight because if you take a look at the McCain foreign policy, he is in everybody's face. Did you see Thad Cochran's comment when he endorsed Romney? He is John McCain is an angry guy who constantly explodes. His whole career is the military. His big issue, the one he's comfortable with is what? Is national security, fachism, the long war, 100 years in Iraq. That's where he's comfortable, that where he's at his best...
P.S.: Also, ignore those tasteless jokes John McCain made about Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and his current and ex-wife.
P.P.S.: Oops. What are we going to do tomorrow night, Brain?
UPDATE: Here's McCain's ad
And here's a funny response to it
Slate.com also has some fun with the ad.
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