Columbia Journalism Review rips McCain's "classy" concession speech

[nichomachus]

A lot of people called the speech classy. I said it was bullshit. The Columbia Journalism review says what I was thinking:

Of course, McCain’s gracious concession speech is only notable because it contrasts so sharply with the sad and shabby campaign that he chose to run. Five classy minutes should not expiate several months’ worth of name calling, insinuations, and intellectual dishonesty. Honor cannot be worn like a jacket, to be slipped on and off as the situation dictates. John McCain irrevocably ceded his moral high ground during the course of his campaign, and the press should realize that one good speech doesn’t change that. Joe Klein has it right: Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.

http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/mccain_ends_classy.php?page=all

[ellacott]

1. Lipstick on a pig

Great point and very applicable.

[Flying Dream Blues]

2. My feelings exactly, and well-stated. Thanks for posting this. nt

[Aloha Spirit]

3. Obama's not going to kill babies and teach 5 year olds about sex? that's a relief.

[unblock]

18. mclame never retracted that. he only said that obama also loves his country.

of course, he never specified which country that was....

[Sinistrous]

4. Wholeheartedly agree with that comment.

There is no redeeming aspect or factoid relating to the McCain campaign.

"...several months’ worth of name calling, insinuations, and intellectual dishonesty" completely describes the travesty committed by the GOP this year.

[zulchzulu]

5. Like I've said... McCain needs to address the nation and APOLOGIZE

His campaign went into the dark depths of hate, racism, jingoism and 4th grade McCarthyism for months. His audience lapped it up.

He needs to apologize immediately.

[TheCoxwain]

6. The speech was a fig leaf for him to go back to the Senate .. He did not want hellfire

from the democratic senators he would have to deal with on a daily basis.


I remember McCain saying, early in his campaign, that what Obama was saying in his speeches was nothing but a mouthful of platitudes... What an Ironical twist of fate?

[Nye Bevan]

7. So the CJR agrees that the speech was classy

("five classy minutes") but pointed out that his campaign was disgusting. That's exactly what most DUers seem to think.

[Jack from Charlotte]

8. I thought Obama should not have congratulated McCain....

on a hard fought campaign or whatever he said. There needs to be a price to pay for calling someone a terrorist or allowing your fans to yell "kill him" at your campaign stops.

I wish Obama had said... "I congratulate everyone in the opposition who ran a campaign without calling your opponent a terrorist or questioning their religious beliefs.... etc..."

McCain is a dirtball like Coulter, Limbaugh and Malkin and should not be allowed in decent company.

[grace0418]

17. Obama is a class act. He doesn't need to point out McCain's failings. People saw them

and certainly McCain hung himself most of the time.

[Renew Deal]

9. That's a good summary.

[grantcart]

10. It was classy and completely superficial

Now what would be classy is if he helped Obama pass good legislation through the Senate.

[ej510]

12. How about picking Sarah Palin? Fuck for putting this country in danger.

[NotThisTime]

11. This was my assessment immediately... he was doing damage control to his image nothing more

[depakid]

13. It is impressive how many were willing to overlook so many disgusting things

as if they were aberrations.

I guess some people need to prop up their notion of "hero's" without much regard to actual facts.

[EffieBlack]

14. This is all about the MSM trying to redeem themselves

They know they were exposed as sycophants this year after their precious "Mr. Straight Talk" revealed his true colors, causing his media base to look unprofessional, biased and utterly ridiculous.

In fawning all over his concession speech, they are really saying, "See? THIS is the real John McCain that we knew. Isn't he a really wonderful guy? We were perfectly justified in loving him the way we did!"

[grace0418]

15. That's exactly what I've been saying, but the CJR said it much more eloquently

than I have. My comments were more along the lines of "fuck that shit." :)

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

16. Good for them! They are exactly correct.

Mr. Maverick can go slink back to the Seanate knowing he revealed his true self to the entire country.

[unblock]

19. the republican "ethic" is that all's fair in politics as long as they're friendly in person

they chum it up with democrats in the "collegial" senate and behave like bestest friends, then go out and publicly accuse democrats of being commie liberal pedophile elitst rapists terrorists baby-killers who hate america. and for some reason democrats seem incapable of punishing republicans for their behavior.

[yellowcanine]

20. McCain should take his lumps for the crappy campaign AND get credit for the gracious speech.

Credit where credit is due. Blame where blame is due. Good people can get caught up in a series of events and behave badly for a while. But when they do see the light, they should be encouraged, not trashed for it.