Who Is John McCain?

We know what we know.

But next week, his campaign hopes that you will find out a lot of things you don't know... how the story of this Scots-Irish politician is the story of America.

Monday, McCain talks family history at the Naval Air Station north of Meridian, MS. Tuesday, he'll speak about education and his educational influences in Alexandria, VA. Wednesday is the major speech: he'll talk about service-to-country and partiotism at the Naval Academy and then, later in the day, in the cradle of Navy aviation in Pensacola, Fl. Thursday is Jacksonville, which is actually a very Navy town... he celebrates MLK day on Friday and then wraps up the tour in Prescott, Arizona on the very same spot where Barry Goldwater touched off his 1964 presidential campaign.

Comments

Isn't MLK day in January?

Posted by RKA | March 28, 2008 4:30 PM

April 4th is the day MLK Jr. was assassinated. MLK Day was on January 21st.

Note: McCain voted against MLK Day in 1983.

Posted by Colin Hicks | March 28, 2008 4:35 PM

McCain voted against MLK day? You've got to be kidding. I didn't know that.

Posted by Mike | March 28, 2008 4:40 PM

Because the Goldwater campaign went so well.

Posted by Jack | March 28, 2008 4:43 PM

Thanks, Colin. I did not know that.

Regarding McCain's tour, may I suggest a soundbite:

"I'm John McCain, and I'm reporting for duty."

We know that one is a winner!

Posted by RKA | March 28, 2008 4:44 PM

Marc, no one is "celebrating" the anniversary of April 4, 1968. Perhaps you meant commemorating.

Posted by along | March 28, 2008 4:51 PM

He did indeed....here's an article that mentions it (although I don't think its been brought up since 2000):

http://archive.salon.com/politics2000/feature/2000/04/18/mccain/index.html

Posted by Colin Hicks | March 28, 2008 5:05 PM

McCain has since acknowledged that voting against MLK day was wrong and now fully supports it.

I guess at the time he probably thought there were thousands of other honorable Americans who did amazing things but didn't get their own "day".

I think looking back though its clear just how important MLK was.

Posted by Jesse | March 28, 2008 5:27 PM

I guess at the time he probably thought there were thousands of other honorable Americans who did amazing things but didn't get their own "day".

...or maybe he ws voting in lock-step with the right-wing, as usual.

Posted by goethean | March 28, 2008 5:31 PM

Jesse -- It was very clear in 1983, as well.

Posted by Colin Hicks | March 28, 2008 5:31 PM

Arizona instituted MLK day in 1992.

Posted by ben | March 28, 2008 5:45 PM

Ben:
And AZ only approved it because the NFL was going to pull the Super Bowl from Temple over it. Also, doesn't that phony maverick realize that Goldwater got his ass kicked like a rented mule back in '64? Another senior moment obviously.

Posted by Joe Klein's conscience | March 29, 2008 1:03 AM

then wraps up the tour in Prescott, Arizona on the very same spot where Barry Goldwater touched off his 1964 presidential campaign.

Because that went well.

Posted by AJ | March 29, 2008 10:01 AM

"...how the story of this Scots-Irish politician is the story of America."

When will the Republicans get the fact that John McCain/GW Bush are NOT the story of America? The story of American is much more nuanced and complicated than what they want to project. I mean really, McCain is part of a prestigious military family, went to a military academy, married an heiress, and has never had a real job outside of the military and politics. This is America?

The Republicans and their candidate is fantasy America; a right wingers' dream of America. It's the hot air of values, honor, patriotism, and victory. But in reality it's turned into corruption, war-mongering, nationalism, racism, and a lack of compassion for others outside their socio-economic class.

Will they ever get it? We've had eight years of this crap and now they're peddling another "story of America?"

Posted by SMN | March 29, 2008 11:31 AM

The Goldwater event should remind everyone that John McCain isn't the first senator from Arizona to run for president on the promise that he will be the one who will blow up the world quickest.

I think the a 21st Century Daisy Ad, highlighting both McCain's warmongering (Bomb Iran, 100 year commitment) and his uncontrolled temper tantrums (cursing out fellow senators), would be great in demonstrating to the country why we can't have a hothead with a hair trigger in the Oval Office.

Posted by Jimmy's Brother | March 29, 2008 2:30 PM

Um, Jimmy's brother, did you actually listen to McCain's speech on foreign policy last week, or do you just repeat talking points from Salon.com?

I'm not supporting McCain, but I do think it was an interesting move away from unilateralism, and in line with McCain's overall view of foreign policy over the years.

As well, can you can the suggestion that he wants to continue war for 100 years in Iraq? That's a cheap shot if you actually listen to what he said. He said "presence" as, and he gave a specific example, in South Korea. Not "war for another 100 years."

I'm embarrassed when my fellow liberals and fellow Democrats act just like certain Republicans by taking quotes out of context and repeating them ad nauseum.

Posted by rolaids | March 29, 2008 4:13 PM

This is an essential question. We can always hope McCain will address his fundamental weakness on national security and foreign policy as TPM and Acropolis Review have highlighted: http://acropolisreview.com/2008/03/john-mccains-iraq-war-five-year.html

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/184135.php

Posted by Michelle | March 29, 2008 5:07 PM

I'm pretty sure there are 10x as many black people in the US as Scots-Irish and 3x as many Asian-Americans as Scots-Irish. So John McCain's background is the story of John McCain, not America. There's nothing wrong with that but more people have Barack Obama's life story then have a father and grandfather who were Admirals.

John McCain is a lot of things, many of them good, but the American Everyman he ain't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_demographics_of_the_United_States

Posted by joejoejoe | March 31, 2008 2:12 AM

I'm pretty sure there are 10x as many black people in the US as Scots-Irish and 3x as many Asian-Americans as Scots-Irish.

McCain is only Scots Irish in his patrilineal descent, otherwise, like most Americans his ancestors come from various European countries. (http://www.wargs.com/political/mccain.html)

The comparable category to those you mention would be European-American, of whom (as per your own wiki link) there are roughly six times as many as African-Americans, and eighteen times as many as Asian-Americans.

McCain's immediate family history may not make him an American everyman, but his ethnic origins are as common as could be.

Posted by Alex | April 1, 2008 12:37 AM