John McCain

[Naskra]

Eulogies, ppl. At least for a short time. Pile on later.

 

[Ajidica]

Eulogies, ppl. At least for a short time. Pile on later.

Surely any retrospective on a person should include an honest appraisal of them - both their strengths and their flaws. Otherwise you get hilarity like Katie Hopkins (I think, some British right wing weirdo) writing on Mandela's death that "he was neither left nor right, he was a humanitarian".

 

[Sommerswerd]

He killed the ADA repeal over the wishes of his best friend with a senatorial vote from a red state. He preached civility and respect of his opponent as he lost to him. He was an explicit rejection of everything that is worst about Trump. Sometimes the best of rivals is more necessary than the worst of allies.

We'd have done better with a 3rd term in this instance, for one.

One of my enduring memories of McCain is when he snatched that mic out of that old lady's hand at his Town Hall event, when she was beginning to spout seekrit Muslim/birther lies about Obama.

 

[Farm Boy]

Here you go. He was still trying to beat him there. The boos continued at his campaign events, he never bought on.

We need more Republican primary voters than me saying this ****. I don't know where to find them, but it's going to take work. That's the game.

 

[Naskra]

Surely any retrospective on a person should include an honest appraisal of them - both their strengths and their flaws. Otherwise you get hilarity like Katie Hopkins (I think, some British right wing weirdo) writing on Mandela's death that "he was neither left nor right, he was a humanitarian".

Honest appraisals can wait; some people are in mourning, if you can't share that, at least respect it.

 

[Ajidica]

Honest appraisals can wait; some people are in mourning, if you can't share that, at least respect it.

Is one of McCain's relatives or friends on this forum? If not, I'm not sure who is in morning that would be offended by honest retrospectives of the man. Surely for a man who ran a "Straight Talk Express" he would want straight talking retrospectives and not mindless platitudes.

 

[Naskra]

not mindless platitudes.

Mindless platitudes are the order of the day. McCain has gone to eternity, you can't alter that with fully mindful ephemeralities.

 

[Ajidica]

Still think a guy who plastered "Straight Talk Express" on the side of a bus would prefer honest assessments and thoughts on his life and time in office rather than the boilerplate "he was a great statesman who hearkened back to a better form of politics". Let's look at that, but also his questionable involvement with the Keating 5 and shameful folding on the recent tax cut legalized looting bill that had bribes incentives for congresscritters scrawled in the margins in the voting text of the bill.

 

[Naskra]

I'm only saying decency requires you to hold your tongue for a time.

 

[Ajidica]

I'm only saying that a politician who prided himself on his honesty and "straight talk" would prefer for us to be honest and "straight talking".

 

[Lexicus]

One of my enduring memories of McCain is when he snatched that mic out of that old lady's hand at his Town Hall event, when she was beginning to spout seekrit Muslim/birther lies about Obama.

His campaign had fanned those flames.

I'm only saying decency requires you to hold your tongue for a time.

 

[Berzerker]

RIP and condolences to his loved ones


I'm conflicted on McCain... He seemed like an honorable man exemplified by the campaign incident with the woman calling Obama an Arab. I dont blame him for hating the people who tortured him, but they had reason to hate him too. It aint like they just woke up one day and decided to spend 5+ years torturing John McCain. He was flying a plane over their city killing people and they captured him, he's lucky they didn't kill him on the spot. And his support for the invasion of Iraq and general hawkish policies got a bunch more people killed, so he's got a long line of people waiting for him at the Pearly Gates. I'm an atheist when it comes to my judgement day, but everyone else will pay for their sins. War sucks, the moral imperative to be immoral.

 

[Commodore]

It's interesting that people are becoming more and more willing to write slam pieces on prominent figures who die. On one hand I enjoy that it's becoming less kosher to just glorify whatever they did simply because they've died, but on the other hand it seems almost fetishistic how eager some are to get the last word in, to really drive home the point that the person who died is dead and they're plainly enthused that's the case.

I just think it's bad form and shows just how ugly a person is if they attack the recently deceased since, you know, the deceased can no longer defend themselves against any accusations or criticisms levied against them. Plus, there's no real way to look like a reasonable, relatable, or even likable person if you are the type to constantly say "I'm glad they're dead" every time someone you don't like dies.

 

[Mouthwash]

Slate Star Codex has a poem up about McCain that I'm not comfortable posting or linking to. Just mentioning it for those interested.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

Whoops. Thought this was going to be a Die Hard film.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Whoops. Thought this was going to be a Die Hard film.

That's McClane

 

[metalhead]

He preached civility and respect of his opponent as he lost to him. He was an explicit rejection of everything that is worst about Trump.

Sarah Palin.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Sarah Palin.

Well considering that he got his arm twisted on that and was really pining away hard for Joe Sleazeberman... who I despise like no other... I'm giving him a mulligan on Sarah Palin.

The thought of folks fawning over the former, praising the pick as a "groundbreaking show of bipartisanship" actually makes me want to vomit in my mouth. I'm pretty glad I didn't have to go through that. I'll take ol' Sarah prancing around the stage, winking at everyone and saying "hockey mom" and "you betcha", over Joe's sniveling voice any day of the week... to say nothing of the Lisa Ann "parodies"

 

[Farm Boy]

Palin was a mistake. A mistake for which he courted boos at his own campaign events.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Palin was a mistake. A mistake for which he courted boos at his own campaign events.

Huh? You remember that way different from me. I remember the Palin pick being a home run in terms of crowd-pleasing. She was a smash hit on the stump. The crowds went crazy for her. She was actually overshadowing McCain at some points. There was certainly no "boos" that I remember.