Bullies on the Right

I was originally going to title this post “John McCain on September 5th 2008” but thought that would give away the “spin” of the article too much! (insert appropriate emoticon here)

I am unable to listen to my favorite drive-time AM talk radio anymore. I know you’re all crying for me. It seems like my (heretofore arguably semi-rational) talkbots are downloading their RNC talking points again, and the message is “John McCain is the Republican Candidate, Everebody Get In Goosestep err Lockstep err I mean Line!”

Now I don’t have a dog in this fight at all. As a card-carrying Civil Libertarian, I only get mildly interested in RepubliCrat (DemmiCan?) follies when our interests overlap (social issues for D’s, economic for R’s generally).

However- the argument from the bullies on the right now seems to be “We Need To Support McCain Because Otherwise We Will Get Hillary.” In various forms- the message is if you don’t support McCain, you are supporting ClintAma. BarIllary? What-ev.

Now a few years back (when I was doing my cypherin’ on coal shovels by candlelight) I took a class in rhetoric. I vaguely remember something about the logical fallacy called “The False Dilemma.” Sound familiar?

The underlying, unspoken assumption of the Bullies on the Right is that McCain would actually stand a ghost of a chance against Hillary Nation. Or the OpraBamicans. So therefore, all good soldiers of conservatism must abandon their principles, hold their noses, and line up behind McCain in order to not “throw their votes away and put HillAma in office.”

So- here we all are on September 5th, 2008. The “Dream Ticket” of McCain-Whoever has now taken up the battle standard and marches off into the meat grinder . . . then what? Will McMaverick enjoy the benefit of the free ride he has been getting so far once he goes up against a “true” progressive? Keating 5, Keating 5, hmmm . . . voting record, voting record, hmmm . . . old white guy, old white guy, hmmm . . . war pig, war pig, hmmm . . . do you think the MSM will let McCain’s and Hillary’s stench factor cancel each other out, and focus on “The Issues?” Not likely.

McCain is a pinata in a Louisville Slugger factory, he just doesn’t know it yet.

The “national polls” showing McCain competitive against Barillary in a head to head matchup (taken today) are a phantom. Give the MSM a couple of months to proctologize over John McCain and it will be a BLOWOUT.

You heard it here first.

So for my on again/off again friends on “The Right:” you can die with your swords in your hand or your [male genitalia] in your hand . . . choose wisely!*

Scorch

*apologies to my USMC friends for stealing part of their culture to make this point