The false centrism of John McCain

The press likes to paint Sen. John McCain as a maverick, an independent, a moderate. But McCain, by his own admission, is really none of these things. He is a died-in-the-wool conservative who has taken some positions — campaign finance reform, the Bush tax cuts — that have angered the base, but he remains far to the right of the mainstream of American voters.

The question, as Joe Conason points out, is whether the press will do its job and raise these points. (EJ Dionne Jr. speculates on McCain signalling the fracturing of the conservative coalition, which would be good news for the country.)

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
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Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet