McCain Unraveled by 'Gay Sweaters'?

I have written about John McCain in the past, but it is not a subject about which I enjoy writing. In fact, it is a subject that makes me quite sad. For me, writing about him is akin to composing the obituary of a recently deceased quirky relative you really liked but in a quirky strange sort of arms-length way, or helplessly watching a loved one fade away as the result of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

I used to admire John McCain. I would never have voted for him since he is way too conservative on the issues near and dear to my heart, but that didn’t stop me from admiring his service to his country, his principled stands, or his courage (back in the day) in taking on the Religious Right and calling them what they were: agents of intolerance:

Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance, whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left, or Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell on the right.

But sadly, most of what made me admire John McCain is gone. And I now feel I am watching an old friend die a painfully long and protracted death. And now I have to add another adjective to the list – embarrassing:

In the final days of his imploding candidacy, John McCain has taken a page out of Richard Nixon's play book, finding increasingly bizarre explanations for his political failures. Strangest of all: He reportedly feels his handlers forced him to wear "gay sweaters."

Gay Sweaters? What the hell does that mean John? Gay Sweaters? Are you for real?

Today, I am officially done. Anything that I might have admired about the man is GONE, replaced by embarrassment that he is even my Senator. Anything good I could have said about him is GONE, replaced by scorn for his complete abandonment of every principle that made people from both sides of the aisle admire him. He is beyond repair and he should do to his campaign what you’d do with a dying beloved pet in unbearable pain: put it down, bury it, mourn, and move on.

So Senator McCain, take this in the manner in which it is intended, as a piece of sincere advice from a concerned constituent whose heart is in the right place: QUIT.

It’s over Sir. It was not meant to be. Now you are even endangering your Senate seat by continuing this farce. Just look at this letter to the editor in yesterday’s paper:

After he loses race, let's retire no-show McCain

Jul. 12, 2007 12:00 AM

After Arizona Sen. John McCain inevitably loses his bid to become the Republican nominee for president, he will return to Arizona with his hat in his hand and with false humility to ask voters to once again elect him to represent our interests in Congress.

This is the same man who missed almost 50 consecutive votes in the Senate. He couldn't be bothered to vote on stem-cell research, Iraq war funding or the immigration bill. He was too busy trying (unsuccessfully, I might add) to raise money for his failing George Bush rubber-stamp campaign.

McCain deserves nothing from us but forced retirement. - Rick Acree,Phoenix

Please sir, don’t let it end this way. Go out with dignity. Quit now before you do any more damage to your once respectable image. Retire, enjoy your beautiful wife and family and take solace in the fact that you gave it your all.

And then hope that the people of Arizona only remember the good times.