McCain Hands Obama Some Free Advice

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 17, 2012
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          Handing President Barack Obama some free advice, soon-to-be 77-year-old Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) urged Barack to dump Vice President Joe Biden.  Known for his gaffes, Biden told a campaign rally in Danville, Va. that Gov. Romney and his VP and Rep. Paul Ryan would enslave the working class.  “Look at their budget, and what they are proposing.  Romney wants to let—He said in the first 100 days, he’s going to let the big banks once again write their own rules. Unchain Wall Street.  They’re going to put ya’ll back in chains,” said Biden, stretching political correctness to the breaking point.   Obama had to do some fancy rehab on “People Magazine” and “Entertainment Tonight.”  “You consumers, the American people will be a lot worse off if we repeal [Wall Street reform] these laws as the other side is suggesting,” Barack told “People.”  “In no sense was trying to connote something other than that.”

            Barack, of course, knows that Joe went over the top.  Talking of “chains” with “ya’ll …” in Virginia,” pushes the metaphors to the breaking point.  Republicans reacted harshly to Biden’s remarks, not the extent to which former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was creamed by the press for her “Blood-libel” remarks while McCain’s VP candidate in 2008.  McCain said Obama would be “wise” to get rid of Biden, though it’s really doubtful that McCain would give his nemesis helpful tips.  McCain suggested that Barack give Biden his walking papers and ask Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to run in 2012.  Hillary has already taken herself out of consideration, looking forward to “retiring” to the private sector in 2013.  After picking Palin Aug. 29, 2008 in one of the worst political blunders in U.S. history, McCain has been offering gratuitous advice since losing the election.

.            Before Romney picked Ryan Aug. 11, McCain told Romney to pick someone that “fits best in shaping a winning campaign,” precisely the opposite of what he did in 2008.  McCain said emphatically after picking Palin, she was the future of the Republican Party.  Republican National Committee Party boss Reince Priebus has practically blackballed Sarah from the convention.  So much for McCain’s free advice.  “I think it might be wise to do that but it’s going to happen obviously, for a whole variety of reasons,” McCain told Fox News, referring to Barack picking Hillary for his VP.  After Biden’s “chain” remarks, Palin called for Barack to replace Biden.  It’s odd that Palin keeps making the news when she’s not even invited to the RNC Convention Sept. 1-4.  McCain says Biden “continues to say things that are unacceptable in American Politics,” referring to the “chains” reference.

            Since Romney picked Ryan, Biden’s been all fired up, especially over Romney’s comments that Obama plans to cut $71 billion from Medicare.  Obama’s counteroffensive has aimed squarely at Ryan’s own budget proposals that would make Medicare and Social Security voluntary programs.  On the defensive, Ryan told an audience in Oxford, Ohio, “We will win this debate.”  No he won’t.  Before Ryan takes Romney’s campaign to the bottom, he should be muzzled before Medicare leaves the GOP campaign in ashes.  Considered the Third Rail of American politics, Medicare and Social Security, two of the government’s biggest entitlements, have wrecked many GOP campaigns.  Former President Ronald Reagan wisely avoided the incendiary Medicare issue during hotly contested campaigns, especially with former President Jimmy Carter in 1980.

              Only a few days on the ticket, Ryan has already become the lightening rod for liberals, ready to defend Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society’s accomplishments.  Pandering to his Party’s right wing, picking Ryan has already had repercussions.  Ryan’s not going to talk seniors into giving up their Medicare and Social Security.   Republicans are still reeling from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Robert’s June 28 ruling approving President Obama’s health care reform overhaul, known as Obamacare.  Ryan would be far better off ranting about that than taking on Medicare less than three months before Election Day.  Ryan isn’t yet up to speed with what it means to run on the national stage.  He’s no longer preaching to his small Republican choir in Wisconsin.  Taking on Medicare prompted former New York Mayor Ed Koch to say 2012 looks like 1964 all over again.

            Handing out free advice, McCain probably won’t get much traction for his well-intended suggestions.  When it came to his own campaign in 2008, the five-term U.S. senator shot himself in the foot picking Palin.  McCain still has sour grapes for loosing to Obama and finds any excuse to criticize the president.  “What do you get if you win with this kind of campaign?” asked McCain, suggesting that Biden’s campaign tactics have gone too far.  Romney and his new VP have practically accused Obama of being a card-carrying communist.  They’ve essentially blamed Barack for the nation’s economic collapse even before he took office Jan. 20, 2009.  Yet McCain believes Barack has waged a nasty campaign.  “If you run this kind of slash and burn gutter campaign that they are running, what happens when you start governing again?” asked McCain, a case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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