McCain has his character challenged at a newspaper editorial board meeting. Watch his reaction: his anger and contempt at the suggestion that he is not "100 percent" honest is clear as day:
The more I think about it, the more I see similarities between McCain and Bush. For starters, they both divide the world according to a Manichaean world view: for Bush it's a religiously inspired moral framework and for McCain it's a nationalistic, tradition-bound framework. But even more, McCain has the same lofty conception of himself that Bush has, one that cannot be punctured no matter how low he sinks or what facts he is presented with. If this image is challenged, like Bush again, he gets indignant. Listen to the clip at the end when he talks about his service to his country. McCain's Vietnam experiences have become an excuse that he can lean on to tell himself that at his core he is always a selfless man of honor. Whatever he is doing, whether its approving of a disgustingly inaccurate TV ad, or picking an unqualified person for veep just to win, it's justified because his ultimate motivations are beyond reproach.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I am interested in your characterization of the frameworks of Bush and McCain. Curious whether you have you thought about Obama's, and how it could be described, and whether it is more fluid?
Also, like the word manichean but can't find it in the dictionary. Due to the time of year, I will assume that it has to do with Manichevitz -- or perhaps it shares a root with "maniac."
Post a Comment