Monday, February 18, 2008

Huggy Bear

It's really quite hilarious that it's okay when Saint John McCain flip-flops, lies, goes against claimed longstanding principles, etc... because even though he does all of these things regularly and constantly, he doesn't like doing it.

McCain's a skilled politician who is good at telling members of the media - and interest groups - what they want to hear. He's good at making them think he agrees with them on whatever issue they happen to care about, and even though he almost never follows up with any coherent action or leadership on these issues, he has flattered the chattering classes by validating their Very Wise Positions and appealing to their intellectual vanity. Then when Saint John McCain is forced by Circumstances Beyond His Control to change his position, everyone involved feels very sorry for poor John McCain. Elites have contempt for those rubes known as "voters" so it pains them when voters force their sainted John McCain to do all of these bad things.

Our elite discourse is run by shallow easily flattered fools.