Remember, He Lost Badly

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_02/016907.php

REMEMBER, HE LOST BADLY.... Watching CNN's John King interview John McCain yesterday was annoying on several levels. The obvious one was seeing the Arizona Republican take pot shots at President Obama, sounding terribly bitter, angry at the man who defeated him. The audience got to hear McCain say things like, "What I would have done..." and complain about the president not being "bipartisan" enough.

We also got to hear McCain lecture Obama on cabinet choices, saying Obama should "get outside of Washington" and "get people who have succeeded. Get the Meg Whitmans and the Carly Fiorina and the Fred Smiths and the John Chamberses." Given that the advice was coming from the man who picked Sarah Palin to be one heartbeat from the presidency, McCain will hopefully understand if we're skeptical about his personnel judgment.

But what really stood out yesterday was the media reaction to McCain's complaining. Here we had a conservative Republican going after a Democratic president with tired talking points and inane observations. Nothing especially surprising. And yet, by mid-day, the lead story on CNN's site read, "Obama off to a bad start, GOP senators say." Soon after, Mark Halperin's lead story was, "McCain: Bad Bipartisan Start for Obama."

Um, guys? McCain lost. Badly. His opinions and ideas were roundly rejected by the electorate. McCain has been reduced to whining about how much better he'd be if he were president. Why give his complaints more weight than they deserve? Republicans don't even think of McCain as being especially significant right now. As Atrios noted a couple of weeks ago, "The dude lost Indiana. No one cares what he thinks."

No one, that is, except the political reporters who consider his bitterness newsworthy.

For what it's worth, Democrats who thought McCain might re-embrace one of his previous personas, and go back to being a senator they can work with, are slowly realizing he's a lost cause.

Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated with the brash political attacks Sen. John McCain has launched against Barack Obama in the weeks since the new president took office. No one expected the Arizona Republican to be a legislative ally for this administration. But it was widely assumed that Obama's overtures to McCain in the weeks after the election would dull some of the hard feelings between the two. Now, they are realizing, it has not.

Alas, it was probably unrealistic to expect anything different.

—Steve Benen

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. All a loser has is whining rights. McCain is no different.

[babylonsister]

3. He seems to be using those rights judiciously.

Too bad the m$m feels compelled to listen.

[Danascot]

12. He earned whining capital in the election

and he'll be spending it for the next four years.

[patrice]

2. I will no longer be refering to corporate media, nor MSM; henceforth it is the Idiot Media.

[sweetpotato]

4. The media are becoming irrelevant.

Who watches anymore?

They are doing the *dirty laundry* thing that Don Henley sang about. All bloody and eye-gleaming and sensationalistic.

They are making themselves irrelevant.

[DFW]

5. We DO remember (he forgot).

[JerseygirlCT]

6. Thanks for that. I watched a bit of his whine-fest yesterday

and was disgusted by him.

Others keep trying to convince me that he's really ok, and will be one who is willing to work sensibly with the Dems.

I don't buy it. I didn't buy it before, and I don't buy it now. He's a cratchety, ill-tempered has-been who won't face that. His alliance with Bush showed his true colors, and also showed that they share some personality defects - narcissism among them.

We're so fortunate that he didn't manage to win.

[bdamomma]

7. why is it a bad start for Obama? cause he is not kissing up to

your thuggish Party Senator McCain.

[jhain]

8. He did not say Carly Fiorina???????

Good god, they are completely delusional. Is there nor some sort of mental screening program?? Could they even tell us what freaking day of the week it is at this point?

[DemoTex]

9. "Hymn, hymn .."

Fuck him!

[timtom]

23. I was in the Crotch, too.

Semper Fi!

[underpants]

10. Halperin is such an ass.

As Chris Rock said "Bush f'ed up so bad he made it hard for a WHITE GUY to get elected President!"

[Kahuna]

13. Halperin is the KING of asses. He just repeats his own drunken drivel..nt

[blogslut]

11. The masses look where the spotlight shines

n/t

[Graybeard]

14. McC got smaller percent of vote than Mike Dukakis.

I don't remember the media breaking down Dukakis's door to opine about anything.

[GardeningGal]

15. Hey McCain - you lost. Get over it. nt

[madmom]

16. Some one needs to remind him, we know what he would have done, that's why he LOST!

[Zenlitened]

17. Really. The story about McCain's comments should have been...

"Whew, America Sure Dodged a Bullet!!!"

McCain is in WAY over his head on economic issues. He's admitted it in the past, and everybody in the media knows it.

His recent comments show he's not even up to the task of complaining from the sidelines, -- he's uninformed, obtuse, and entirely unaware of the magnitude of the economic crisis.

Can you freekin' IMAGINE if he was president?

THAT'S the story here: America would be flat-out DOOMED if John McCain was president now.

:yoiks: :yoiks: :yoiks:

[tritsofme]

18. The media talking heads are the only ones who care what McCain had to say.

Democrats couldn't care less what the sore loser has to say.

And I don't think Republicans are particuarly fond of their loser either.

[gratuitous]

19. If McCain really wants to goose the economy . . .

He should sell one or two of his houses.

[Graybeard]

20. No, no. The answer is tax cuts.

For people like a certain multi-millionaire beer heiress.

[quiet.american]

21. McCain has not stopped wandering around the stage since the second debate.

Somebody put him to bed with a warm blanket and a nice cup of hot chocolate. Please!

(And on another note: Carly Fiorina?! Is he serious? The Carly Fiorina who nearly drove HP into the ground and was forced out by the board? Give us a break, McCain, you idiot!)

[Cheap_Trick]

22. Hey John, if you're NOT an asshole, raise your hand.

Yeah that's what I thought, asshole.

[Greyhound]

24. Corporate media, it would be funny except that they form the opinions of so many.

The drum beat is effective, sad to say.