Posted by
Andrews on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 4:30:14 PM
As McCain actually said something right today, I think it may be time to go back and look at his various shifts left and right during the campaign. But first, let me say that McCain is completely right in his denunciation of federal bailouts. I worry that he said it more from populist than conservative principles, that is he did it more out of dislike for "big business" than dislike of "big government", but he is right regardless of his reason. The government should not bail out failing businesses*.
McCain's record is rather a mixed bag. He did start off well, making some quiet noises about
moderating his environmental position. He then made a hard turn back into maverick land,
denouncing corporate greed and tossing out other populist rhetoric.He seemed to realize that populism was a hard sell, a she was basically saying "me too" to leftist positions of his opponents, so he moved
back to the right once again. And he stayed there for some time, taking
sensible positions on drilling, and even picking Palin as his running mate.
But it couldn't last. With the market problems, McCain appears to have reverted to his old media pleasing "maverick" ways yet again.
Actually, it started a little before then, when McCain decided
to play the "change" card, arguing that he and Palin were fighting corruption. It would not have been a bad ad, except that McCain decided to emphasize Republican corruption, essentially selling out his own party to gain a few votes. When he could have just as easily pointed out that the Democrats in charge, including Obama, had stood in the way of any meaningful energy policy, any reforms of lobbying, any corruption investigations, it is puzzling why he instead chose to insult his own party.
Following that, it appeared the old McCain was back, in
full "maverick" mode. Denouncing the head of the SEC, claiming that "we won't run Wall Street as a casino", in general spouting all the populism that made me have doubts about him during the primaries.
Now he has finally said something right. But even then, I am not so sure. First of all, as I mentioned before, it is likely this is a populist rather than conservative position, which makes me uncomfortable. Second, he not only feels the need to take a position, but to use it to denounce the president. Now, I know he is interested in distancing himself from Bush, but it is rather tactless to do it by denouncing the president's policies. If he continues to alienate his own party, McCain may find himself an important president, unable to find support in congress from either party.
I don't think this will last. It seems to be McCain's reaction to economic crisis, this reversion to his old populist screed. But it never seems to last. Whether McCain returns to his senses on his own, or is reigned in by his handlers, I can't tell. But whatever the case, I doubt he will continue in this vein for much longer.
It isn't exactly encouraging when the best choice in the race is a semi-conservative given to lengthy populist tantrums. On the other hand, as the alternative believes such nonsense 24 hours a day, I suppose I have to accept what I can get. I only hope that once he is in office, and facing an angry and hostile press, as well as a congress which refuses to support him no matter how many concessions he makes, that McCain will realize that no amount of pandering to the left will help, and will decide it is time to mend fences with his own party and conservatives in general.
Only time will tell.
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* I suppose there could be some incredibly unusual circumstance under which a bailout could be justified, but it would have to be quite a unique circumstance. For example, during war time the single supplier of an essential war material is on the verge of bankruptcy. Perhaps then it could be justified as a short term solution. But such exceptions are incredibly rare, if they exist at all.