A Tale Of Two Johns - McCain and Lewis

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
A Tale Of Two Johns - McCain and Lewis
4
Sun, 10-12-2008 - 12:20am
Everybody remember the moment during the Saddleback debate, hosted by pastor Rick Warren, when Warren asked each candidate what three people they knew who they considered the wisest and would rely most heavily on in their administration for advice? Obama answered with mostly family stuff - his wife, his grandmother and then some "usual suspects" political figures, from Ted Kennedy to Dick Lugar. But McCain gave a VERY curious answer: he said General Petraeus (go figure), and Meg Whitman, the CEO of eBay. But his third was Congressman John Lewis. For anyone who doesn't know, John Lewis is a living hero of the civil rights movement. When marchers faced the repression of the segregationist south in 1963 at the Edmund Pettis bridge in Alabama during the Selma to Montgomery march, and was beaten so badly by the Alabama police (even though he was marching nonviolently) that he nearly died, and the head wound scars are still very visible today. He's considered a living legend, so it's no surprise that another politician on the make might try to bask in a little of that reflected glory.

Only I don't think anyone expected that politician to be John McCain. McCain and Lewis had never previously been close, as Lewis pointed out when asked about it the day after the debate. Without attacking McCain, he simply told the facts: "I don't consult him, and he doesn't consult me." Lewis was a Hillary Clinton supporter - a pledged delegate to Clinton, early on in the process of the primaries...and was one of the first very visible "switchers." He actually described the decision to switch his loyalties to Obama (after the Clinton campaign went so negative and seemed so rudderless earlier this year) as equally painful an experience as the Edmund Pettis bridge.

So it's interesting, today, to hear that Congressman John Lewis has recently had this to say to the Politico:

As one who was a victim of violence and hate during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, I am deeply disturbed by the negative tone of the McCain-Palin campaign. What I am seeing reminds me too much of another destructive period in American history. Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin are sowing the seeds of hatred and division, and there is no need for this hostility in our political discourse. (more at link)


Spoken by a man who should know, if anyone does. Senator McCain? Your thoughts?
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
Sun, 10-12-2008 - 12:26am

Not surprising, is it? No one knows who John McCain is anymore.

Funny...I just posted a link, in the "Palin was groomed" post, to the Alaskan gubernatorial debate in 2006 in which SP actually sounds intelligent--no folksy talk.

It seems that we not only have two John McCains, but we also have two Sarah Palins, LOL!

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http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-08-2008
Sun, 10-12-2008 - 12:35am

That was interesting. Thanks for sharing.


 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-08-2008
Sun, 10-12-2008 - 1:08am

McCain definitely crossed a dirty line in politics. Character defamation causes irreparable damage and Obama does not deserve that. Calling out your opponent on issues and deeds is different than making up lies about him/her and hoping the voters feel uncertainty and fear towards that opponent.


In this case, McCain stoked the fires of racism and revived that old "us" versus "them" mentality to alienate voters from Obama. That was irresponsible of McCain and highly immoral. He needs to do more than snatch the microphone from an Arab-hating spinster to convince me that he's anything but a hate monger.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-10-2008
Sun, 10-12-2008 - 3:00am
Is Obama's grandmother really going to be in any condition to serve on his cabinet after having been thrown under the bus? LOL!