Regarding John McCain and the GOP attempt to remove healthcare protections.

[guillaumeb]

We are probably in general agreement at this site that the only real goal of the GOP is to remove healthcare protection from millions of voters in order to provide more money to the already too rich in the form of another tax cut.

We know that McConnell has failed so far in his attempts to pass various iterations of this toxic bill. And we all know that McConnell needs nearly every GOP vote if he is to be successful.

Right now, Senator John McCain has promised to be on the Senate floor for the voting. We also know that McCain's reputation as a maverick is totally undeserved because when his vote is needed he is a reliable lockstep GOP Senator.

My question relates to his illness, and the reaction of some here to that illness. Without identifying the post, or the posters, some here expressed no sympathy to McCain's situation, stating that because McCain is willing to vote for the GOP bill he and his family deserve no sympathy.

My response to that is that if we behave that way, no matter the outcome of the voting, the GOP has already won.

Thoughts?

[ananda]

1. All I can think is : 2018.

Vote the suckers out!

[guillaumeb]

2. Assuming that likely Democratic voters turn out and vote in huge numbers

in a non-Presidential election.

[Zoonart]

3. Assuming that the vote totals

can be verified. No faith in our elections anymore.

[get the red out]

5. And that is assuming

That Democrats aren't kicked off the voter rolls in massive waves to begin with.

[Zoonart]

6. YEP!

[guillaumeb]

10. With good reason. eom

[get the red out]

4. I can still have normal, human empathy for them

I lost my father in 2010, a couple of weeks after his cancer diagnosis. So I have empathy for what they are going through. BUT I think that if he can vote for so many Americans to lose access to healthcare, going through this horrible disease and watching his family have to see him sick, that is something that is REALLY COLD and next to impossible to understand. So I can see that it is hard to have sympathy for someone if they demonstrate no sympathy for others. I certainly wouldn't take someone to task or say the GOP wins if McCain votes with his party and they don't sympathise with him for it.

I would love for McCain to be heroic today and prove himself more human than most of his GOP colleagues.

[guillaumeb]

11. As would I love for that to happen.

But my political faith and my philosophical faith both tell me that it is necessary to not hate another.

[get the red out]

14. I don't hate McCain

But I understand why there are people with no sympathy for him, depending on his vote.

I can't say I don't hate Mitch McConnell, because I certainly do, that son of a bitch can burn in hell. I'm not the nicest person in the world, maybe it comes with being, like Mitch, a Kentuckian.

[guillaumeb]

15. I think McConnell is corrupt.

Concerned with his power and position.

[SCantiGOP]

7. So, if we show compassion and civility for another human being

the GOP has already won?
My thoughts - that would be the GOP position.

Agree with your stance, guillaumeb. Let's hold on to our humanity.

[FreeStateDemocrat]

8. Any prick that votes to deny basic access to healthcare to 20 million Americans can go to hell!!!

It is personal when you create pain, despair and death for millions of our fellow Americans and that makes you a very insensitive, nasty POS.

[guillaumeb]

12. True, but division does not make us stronger, it weakens bonds.

And unless one feels that there is a permanent and irreparable divide between conservative voters and liberal voters, one must accept that not all political difference can be attributed to a desire to create pain on the part of an opponent.

[loyalsister]

9. I am not jumping to conclusions about his vote

In addition to his republican loyalty, and hyperpatriotism, McCaine has good reason to hate Trump, he is not running for re-election or even helping a successor, and he is approaching death. The last 3 things have only been true since last year or recently and it's not beyond reason that they could impact his world view and loyalties in surprising ways.
There's a wide range of possibilities and we won't know the facts until they happen. Regardless, I have compassion for him and his family. I'm sure they're all very scared. I take no delight in that and I see no reason to berate him at such a terrible time. We are not privy to the inter-workings of the GOP right now. I doubt that it is business as usual, and I suspect strange things are happening because this off-the-wall presidency is unprecedented.

[guillaumeb]

13. Very well said. Nothing to add. eom