2008 Woodie Awards
Rogue no more
By Ted Trevorrow
Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: Op-Ed
A little over eight years ago, I had just graduated from the Basic Training and tech school of the United States military. I arrived at my first base, Vandenberg Air Force Base in Central California, around the time the primaries for the 2000 election were kicking into high gear. At the time, I remember not being too thrilled with Al Gore being the Democratic nominee. Looking to the Republicans, I wanted no part of 'George Junior' still remembering the total let down of his dad's time in office. Then there was easily the best candidate for either party, John McCain.
Senator McCain impressed me for many reasons. First, he was a former Navy pilot and POW survivor. You have to have character to do either of those things, let alone both. As a Republican senator, he always seemed willing to go against the party line, work with Democrats and generally do what he felt was right versus what other politicians told him to do. He ruffled the feathers of the staunch conservatives who seemed more concerned with defeating liberals and democrats than actually accomplishing anything.
Senator McCain seemed less styled, formulaic, and politically correct. He was known for speaking frankly and saying non-politically correct things. This made me feel that he would be a straight shooter not afraid to say and do what needed to be done, as opposed to a soft move which accomplishes nothing, which has become normal in Washington.
Unfortunately, as this year's Presidential Election comes closer, John McCain is nowhere to be found. Instead, we are left with someone who looks like Senator McCain but no longer acts or sounds like him. Gone is the individual spirit and man who refused to be bound by a party line. It seems the thrashing Senator McCain took in the 2000 Primary at the hands of President Bush forever changed him as a politician and a man.
At the time, a smear campaign was launched against Senator McCain, including rumors that his adopted child was actually his illegitimate child fathered with another woman out of wedlock. Of course there were no ties to President Bush's campaign but everyone knew it was perpetrated by Bush supporters in order to secure the nomination from their primary opponent in the race. The subversive efforts worked according to anonymous phone surveys, with the primaries swinging many voters to then Governor Bush.
Senator McCain impressed me for many reasons. First, he was a former Navy pilot and POW survivor. You have to have character to do either of those things, let alone both. As a Republican senator, he always seemed willing to go against the party line, work with Democrats and generally do what he felt was right versus what other politicians told him to do. He ruffled the feathers of the staunch conservatives who seemed more concerned with defeating liberals and democrats than actually accomplishing anything.
Senator McCain seemed less styled, formulaic, and politically correct. He was known for speaking frankly and saying non-politically correct things. This made me feel that he would be a straight shooter not afraid to say and do what needed to be done, as opposed to a soft move which accomplishes nothing, which has become normal in Washington.
Unfortunately, as this year's Presidential Election comes closer, John McCain is nowhere to be found. Instead, we are left with someone who looks like Senator McCain but no longer acts or sounds like him. Gone is the individual spirit and man who refused to be bound by a party line. It seems the thrashing Senator McCain took in the 2000 Primary at the hands of President Bush forever changed him as a politician and a man.
At the time, a smear campaign was launched against Senator McCain, including rumors that his adopted child was actually his illegitimate child fathered with another woman out of wedlock. Of course there were no ties to President Bush's campaign but everyone knew it was perpetrated by Bush supporters in order to secure the nomination from their primary opponent in the race. The subversive efforts worked according to anonymous phone surveys, with the primaries swinging many voters to then Governor Bush.
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