One of the best things about Election 2008 is that Meghan McCain is still around, on the TV talk shows and lecture circuits.  Meghan McCain is just a breath of fresh air.  She is a Republican who isn’t afraid to disagree with her dad and she is unafraid to speak her mind. 

Have a listen:

Meghan is definitely her own woman.  She cannot be put in pigeon hole.  Does she have a political future?  Is she Republican enough or will she end up as a Democrat because of the culture wars?

60 Thoughts to “Meghan McCain–A Breath of Fresh Air”

  1. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    I find it hilarious that women who agree with leftist radicals are put on a pedestal, and women who don’t agree are demonized to the greatest possible extent. Sets the women’s movement back a good 100 years, because anyone with a brain can see it’s not about the achievements of women, it’s only about the achievements of ultra-left women. Like her father, Meghan is a “useful idiot.” She can call herself a Republican all day long, just an I can call myself the “Exalted Grand Poo-Bah of the United Arab Emirates”……it’s pretty much the same thing. Democrat, Republican, whatever…..people are looking for leaders who believe in something or just say they do. I’m more about conservatives or leftist radicals, not the Democrat or Republican labels they might put on themselves. Anyway, people like Meghan who allow themselves to be exploited by the left are welcome to try to be taken seriously, but to me, she’s delusional.

  2. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Meanwhile………creepiest thing EVER!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I4qAzC6Z4E

    God the man loves himself!

  3. Emma

    It is unfortunate that a woman can’t be conservative and also credited with “speaking her mind”. The media hatchet job on Sarah Palin is a case in point. It’s shameful, but so many people have bought into it hook, line and sinker, and smear her in every way imaginable. And I always find it sad to see how gleefully women will chew up one of their own and spit her out. It really is still very much a man’s world, and woman are complicit in keeping it that way.

    I really wish women wouldn’t treat life–and politics–like the cool girls’ high-school lunch table.

  4. Starryflights

    Meghan is much brighter and articulate than her father is. Sarah Palin pales in comparison. Palin can’t even name any of the founding fathers.

  5. Emma

    And you know this for a fact, Starryflights? Or perhaps you saw the heavily-edited interview clips the news shows wanted you to see, and then listened to their commentary.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Palin supporter. But I can recognize a media-manipulated hatchet job when I see one, and it disturbs me when women are totally fine with it if the female victim is of a different political stripe. It especially galls me that now that we have a person of color in the White House, so many people will scream “racism!” at any and all criticism directed at him. Where are the cries of “sexism!” in the case of Sarah Palin, who apparently can’t do anything right?

  6. Pat.Herve

    Palin – she is a joke. At the tea party (which was selling tea bag trinkets), she gave a speech that I would expect from a comedian, not from someone who was getting ready for a campaign for 2012. What was one thing she suggested as a way to move forward, other than the vague blanket, cut taxes for small businesses, drill baby drill, etc. Drill Baby Drill is not an energy policy, cut taxes for small businesses is not a tax policy. Where was the tea party for the past 20 years when the gov’t was enacting all kinds of unfunded mandates on the states? In my mind, she is no forward thinker, even I can run a state that generates income, a task she resigned from to benefit herself. Look at the Couric interview, there were no edits there, and she could not name off one newspaper that she reads.

  7. Emma

    From last weeks WaPo, Katie Couric, that rock-solid feminist bastion of objective journalism:

    Couric wears a black Giorgio Armani jacket and short — very short — skirt. She clutches the jacket closed with one hand, creating the illusion that she isn’t wearing a blouse. Her feet are tucked into black Christian Louboutin booties that have gold bands rising up her ankles like repurposed Ndebele neck rings.

    Couric stands atop two TV sets, one with a still shot of her interviewing Palin during the presidential campaign and the other with a shot of her speaking with President Obama at the White House.

    It’s a victory photograph — Couric as the conquering and influential anchor — and it not so subtly sends a message about cause and effect: The Palin interview influenced the Obama win. Couric is on top of her game, at least in this photo story — no matter that her “CBS Evening News” lags in the ratings.

  8. AndyH

    I don’t know whether she has a political future but I do hope that she collects much more in the way of life experience before she makes that decision. Writing a column for the Daily Beast and following the Old Man’s campaign is pretty thin cred….

  9. Emma

    @AndyH And that’s a fair statement that doesn’t attack her intellect, her child-rearing decisions, her appearance, her accent, etc. That’s the kind of dialogue that should be happening about women in politics.

  10. Emma

    However, one could argue that as governor, she did have a wee bit more executive experience than our sitting president did.

  11. hello

    Couldn’t agree more with Emma and Slow here… some women get soooo excited when Palin does anything they can sink their teeth into. It’s like they just sit on the edge of their seats with giddy school girl smiles on their faces in anticipation watching MSNBC waiting for the Sarah Palin segment in every one of their ‘news’ shows on a daily basis. I just find that odd. If a woman has liberal views she is treated with the utmost respect and regarded as an inspiring intellectual by most.

    If a woman has conservative views they are talked about and slandered, made fun of, exploited on a daily basis to the cheers and glee of other women. I just don’t get it.

  12. A PW County Resident

    Off the subject but just noticed that there is someone on the bvbl site that is using “A PW County Resident”. The person has not posted any opinion so far so I don’t know the politics but so that no one mistakes them for me, I will be changing my moniker to Rez to make it easy on everyone. No one holds a copyright for a name. Oh well.

  13. Wasn’t Andy H speaking of Meghan? If he was, I agree. She needs to get more of her own credentials under her belt. However, she is out there keeping her name in lights and not spouting the party line. Good for her.

    I am curious, would some of you that have been on here bitching this morning prefer a post about Whoopie Goldberg? I see a young woman who is a Republican out there creating her own message.

    I don’t see much difference in her politics and those of Scott Brown. Meghan, unlike some woman like Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann, has something to say rather than rhetoric based on sound bites from the ultra conservative movement. That to me is refreshing.

    I agree with Pat re Palin. I also think when the dust settles, people will find out that the Palins have feet of clay like most other well-entrenched politicians. Those emails that MSNBC FOIA’d will be quite revealing about Big Daddy First Dude, if my instincts are right.

  14. Rez, you can hold a copy right here. There is also a Starry Flights from what I am told who sounds nothing like the Starry Flights who posts here.

    Rez, let me know when you need that copy right…etched in stone and thanks you for clarifying.

  15. Actually, this blog is living proof that there are people who want to divide and keep ideas apart riather than finding common solutions. To wit, there is a post about Meghan McCain, a very positive post, showing that young Republican women can think for themselves. Some of you are acting like raw meat has been thrown out. She isn’t Republican enough….whatever that means. Meghan gets to decide her political party, not the rest of the country.

    The second post down is a very positive Republican post about not only the governor of the state doing the right thing with the LCI but also praising Republican Jackson Miller for taking the time to let me know. He knows I am not a Republican. There are 4 comments. That is a pretty important post that might very well be about whether your kids’ classes have 27 kids or 37 kids in them. Raw meat must taste better than praising a new governor who responded to the wishes and concerns of a region or a delegate who responds to a constituent over a serious issue.

    Offer up more Republican women who think for themselves and whose ideas can be debated and they will get more positive press. I don’t see how anyone can give positive press to a sound bite on steroids or a harpy like Bachmann.

  16. Rez

    Thanks, Wolfie. I did have a log in but with people posting on both sites, I did not want people to get confused. My other moniker was just too common to expect a long run–it was about 2 years as it was, which was surprising.

    I don’t get emotionally attached to candidates so I can’t get too excited about this thread. The quotes from politicians prove my point about our being the “soundbite” generation.

  17. A PW County Resident

    Wolfie, my first post as Rez is in moderation, if you could pass it through, it would be most appreciated.

  18. Emma

    By “think for themselves,” Moon, it appears you mean that they are left of center in their views. If they are right of center, then they are full of “rhetoric based on sound bites from the ultra conservative movement.”

  19. hello

    Moon-howler :Those emails that MSNBC FOIA’d will be quite revealing about Big Daddy First Dude, if my instincts are right.

    My point exactly…

    I’m not bitching about it either, I’m just pointing out that I find it odd. It kind of reminds me of a black friend of mine. He isn’t a Republican but is somewhat conservative and did not vote for Obama. However, he always tells people he did because other black people will hammer him for it and it’s just easier to say he did rather than argue with people as to why he didn’t. Is it because most women are liberal that they can’t understand how or why another woman would be a conservative, or hunt and fish?

  20. Diversity Gal

    As a woman, I was offended that Sarah Palin was ushered in as an out-of-nowhere candidate for the vice presidency. Please tell me, Emma, do you really, really think that McCain and other higher-ups in the Republican party would have approached her if we hadn’t had the perfect storm of a multiracial Democratic presidential candidate, a lot of voters who wanted the Democratic candidate to be Hillary Clinton (a female:), and a lot of voters who were either craving a much more conservative Republican or were mistrusting of the educated, referring to them as “professor,” “eloquent,” etc. (as if those terms were an insult and being well-educated was a bad thing, and that having less of it somehow gave you more credentials with the people)?

    I feel that John McCain and the Republican party were pulling some sort of Hail Mary to turn the tide. One could probably say, “DG, Why don’t you think the Dems were doing the same thing with Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?” Well, sooooo many people in the government didn’t take female or minority presidential candidates very seriously before (unfortunately so), until polls started showing that people were ready to elect these candidates. It seemed to me that Republicans wanted to get in on it, and tried to find someone quickly who could fill the shoes.

    Did Sarah Palin have governing experience? Yes. In my opinion, is she conveying a respect for education when she dismisses that education is an important quality in our leaders? No, and I think that is extremely unfortunate. I don’t agree with her politics, I think she said some extremely inflammatory things about our current president during his candidacy, and she has gone back to some of those things even after his election. I think that she is supporting a movement in which people are still encouraged to be suspicious of Barack Obama’s nationality, religion, and other aspects of his background.

    I think it is relevant that while she can sometimes deliver a speech that her supporters like, she has in many, many instances (whether some think it is all editing or not) not been able to handle political questions, or hold political conversations coherently. Being able to speak well (not perfectly, but well) about politics in a variety of situations is a quality I think we should expect in a leader, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.

  21. There you go Rez, all renamed!

  22. Emma

    And calling Bachmann a “harpy” only supports my point. Why would you play into the media’s misogyny by calling a high-profile female a “harpy”?

  23. Emma

    “Being able to speak well (not perfectly, but well) about politics in a variety of situations is a quality I think we should expect in a leader, regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.”

    Did you see Slow’s video? Talk about trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat for political gain.

  24. Because I feel like she is a harpy. She screams and caterwauls from podiums. Harpy is far more polite than calling her an AH which is what I am really thinking.

    Emma, why would you put yourself in the position of dropping the ‘gender card?’ My dislike of Bachmann has nothing to do with gender. It has everything to do with her being the Queen of Soundbite.

    How about that coalition of NoVA leaders working together from both sides of the aisle to convince the governor to unfreeze the LCI formula?

    DG, I pretty much agree with you on this one.

  25. Emma

    @Moon-howler “Some of you are acting like raw meat has been thrown out. She isn’t Republican enough….whatever that means.”

    Actually, no one has said a disparaging word about Meghan at all.

    “Because I feel like she is a harpy. She screams and caterwauls ”
    “Queen of Soundbite.”
    “Emma, why would you put yourself in the position of dropping the ‘gender card?”

    Moon, why do you disparage members of your own gender in such blatantly misogynistic terms?

  26. Some members of my own gender need to be disparaged. Why should females get a pass?

    I don’t feel harpy is necessarily misogynistic. Would you feel the same way if I had called her a siren? I could do that but it isn’t really what I wanted to convey. Homer wasn’t kind to the Sirens either. How about lets just leave Homer out of it, just for you Emma, and call her a fish wife. Is that less misogynistic?

    Typical. Rather than addressing the behavior of an shrill, rude, often erroneous politician, Emma tries to drop a woman card. Oh PUH-leez.

  27. Emma

    “Some members of my own gender need to be disparaged. Why should females get a pass?”

    No, no pass for them. Not at all. They should be challenged like anyone else, just without the stereotypical gender jabs that don’t seem to have a male equivalent, and sound so much worse when they come from other women. Women can be their own worst enemies, and sometimes they are responsible for securely nailing in place that glass ceiling right over each other by not-so-subtly reinforcing those nasty stereotypes against their own.

    For example, who perpetuates the “mommy wars”? I submit to you that women do that to each other, on one end playing the self-righteous soccer mom while questioning the priorities of the career mom next door. And the career mom who disparages the SAHM for what she believes is a dull, unrewarding lifestyle dependent on a husband. There have been less reflective times in my life where I admit I have been on both sides of that fence and guilty of some of those assumptions. And there is no end to the women are are willing to line up to give their opinions when the media decide to stir up this issue every so often.

    And I do very much appreciate the Homer reference, Moon.

  28. Witness Too

    Oh come on, don’t be so angry at the child. Just accept that this is what happens a far right extremist bubble gets popped. If you go to such great lengths to only expose your self to “news” channels that repeat the mantra of the 15% of the population Tea Party bubble, you’ll be shocked when you hear from people who are under 65 and/or comfortable around people of color.

    Personally, I LOVED THIS!!!

  29. There are Democrats and then there are Democrats. There are Republicans and then there are Republicans. What I do see is Republicans trying to determine who is really and truly a Republicans based on one’s impression. I don’t see a lot of that with Democrats.

    It is sort of like someone deciding who is a Christian and who isn’t.

    Of course nowadays Saint Ronald would be considered way too liberal for some of the Republicans like Bachmann. Actually there are other words I could have chosen but they weren’t as polite as harpy. I wouldn’t like her a bit better if she were a male.

  30. hello

    Earth to WitnessToo, the far left extremist bubble is GOING to pop here come November.

    If the Scott Brown win showed us anything it showed everyone that as of right now pickup truck politics is going to beat Prius politics.

    How ironic that Priuses are being called back now too… 🙂

  31. That is ironic because? re Priuses

    I am sure Scott Brown doesn’t walk on water and the scales will fall soon. He really isn’t the first Republican to hold high office in Massachusetts. Mitt Romney and Gov. Weld spring immediately to mind.

  32. Rez

    Wolfie, I don’t think Scott Brown walks on water either. I have a doubt he thinks he does either.

    I think it is noteworthy that the President, after Brown’s election, decided that he must “stay the course.” And I saw a poll today that said he has actually dropped in approval ratings again when people expected him to spike a little bit after the State of the Union.

    I can’t help but think that Washington still hasn’t gotten the message and people were pretty disappointed that the decision was “stay the course”. I think people are saying, “what do we have to say to get Washington’s attention.”

    IMHO, this is a pretty dangerous strategy to assume that they know better than the electorate. Even the attempts at “bipartisanship” sounded like a lecture from the President and the possible upcoming meeting sounds a bit like the democrats intend to keep going and all they have to do is invite the republicans in to talk without listening. So independents like myself are getting more disappointed in the idea that you think you can talk TO me rather than talk WITH me.

    The scales won’t fall soon unless there is a real effort, which has been missing.

  33. Emma

    I am in full support of the Democrats staying the course.

  34. Rez

    Emma :
    I am in full support of the Democrats staying the course.

    Good one.

  35. AndyH

    FWIW, I was talking about Ms. McCain.

    I haven’t found that Gov. Palin has much to add in a constructive manner thus far. I do admire that she came up from the local ranks to higher elected office but her record since being elected governor leaves somewhat to be desired.

    I would add the caveat that I’m a local government guy so my priorities tend to be very different than statewide and (especially) national politicians. I just don’t have much time for them: I have to make sure the streets are policed, fires are put out and kids are educated…:)

  36. If Brown thinks he walks on water, I am sure it is for other attributes, rather than ….oh you know what I mean. 😉

    I just think too much is being made over a Republican in Mass. He isn’t the first and he won’t be the last.

    Didn’t Bush talk about ‘staying the course?’ There have been so many stay the courses that I have forgotten who said what.

    Andy H, I thought you were. I have been impressed with Ms. McCain because she seems cut from a different cloth than most political kids. I have enjoyed watching her since the election. Do I always agree with her? No. But she lends a bit of refreshment to tired old politics.

  37. Emma

    So, to recap:

    Center-to-left-leaning women are “bright,” “articulate,” “a breath of fresh air.” “can think for themselves.”

    Conservative Republican women are “harpies,” they “scream” and “caterwaul, use “rhetoric based on sound bites,” deserving of misogynistic derision because they were “ushered in as an out-of-nowhere candidate for the vice presidency.”

    And if you have issues with this inconsistency in the way conservative women are treated, you are simply uncomfortable “around people of color.”

    Did I get the rules right? They can get really confusing, as the sands seem to shift depending on how far from the right women drift. It makes it easier to figure out which lunch table to avoid.

  38. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Moon-howler :
    If Brown thinks he walks on water, I am sure it is for other attributes, rather than ….oh you know what I mean.

    You tickle me with your Scott Brown comments… 🙂
    Where were we….oh yes, Megan McCain’s butter-bags on twitter. Personally, I’m in favor of them, I found her talents to be very impressive. Actually, I wish them the best of luck. If she remains a “progressive Republican” (her label, not mine), she’s just leaning the wrong way right now. With any luck at all, J.D. Hayworth will allow her father to find something useful to do with his time. If she choses to follow her heart, she’ll make a fine Democrat (it sure is working splendid for Arlen Sphincter!) Whatever she and her snuggle-pups decide to do, more power to her!

  39. Typical again, Emma. You are embodying everything I dislike about ultra conservative animals. You take specific remarks about specific individuals and generalize into something no one really said.

    I would not characterize Ms. McCain as a center to left leaning woman not did I say she was bright or articulate. Of course, you knew that. You attempted to spin my words.

    I said a specific ultra conservative woman was a harpy. It was an opinion. You are free to agree or disagree. I stand by my statement about Bachmann. Notice I did not say that about all conservative women, despite your attempts to spin spin spin.

    No, you didn’t get the rules right because you are spinning so fast you are probably dizzy.

  40. Slow, you are following Meghan on twitter? Damn. That is dedication. I like Scott Brown ok. I adored Governor William Weld. He was a fav of mine back in the 90’s. He was sort of a hunk also. Then there was Mitt Romney before he became Mr. Make-over. I liked him before that happened.

    The people of Massachusetts sure know how to elect good looking, extremely wealthy men.

  41. Juturna

    I seem to recall Hilary Clinton being pretty bashed about. As was Jane Shaheen, Nancy Regan AND Melissa Peacor! Face it pretty much regardless of their politics women in power are bashed. The Ann Coulter’s and Maureen Dowds lead the way. Just last night a female agent on 24 had sex with the bad guy…… That ticked me off. Never saw Jack have to do that.
    Regarding Sarah Palin, I was aghast at what I heard her say and that she propelled her 17 year old child into the global limelight. That was not spun. Family first. Mother first. P-e-r-i-o-d.

  42. Emma

    @Juturna That’s really the whole point, isn’t it? Women can’t win–in favor, out of favor–doesn’t care enough about her kids–is too involved with her family to be effective, or has no business having a public life if she has small children—dresses poorly–spends to much on clothes. There’s no good way for women in public life to be, is there?

    Moon, why do you personalize every discussion as if I’m just speaking to you? I drew quotes in #37 from other posters as well. I didn’t realize you just wanted a hallelujah chorus on this thread.

  43. Why Emma, when I see several remarks that I made having a starring role in your wrap up, I feel it is time to jump in and fight the good fight. And you would expect no less of me. Those other people who made remarks with starring roles are also free to hop in and defend their turf.

    You can skip the hallelujah chorus if you will just quote accurately. Remarks made about one person all of a sudden become every-woman.

  44. Juturna

    Women can’t win. And that point was made clearly on 24. Maybe watching 24 on heels of Big Love made me a tad jaded. On Big Love it’s the point. On 24 they are anti-torture but it’s okay to convey that women must use their bodies to achieve.

    Ugh.

  45. Diversity Gal

    Emma, I did go back and watch that video. I admit, that was no good. What was with the weird laughter from the crowd, though?

    I will say this about the comparison between candidates which you originally drew (when you brought up her prior-to-election greater governing experience)…overall/generally I think that Barack Obama continues to show himself capable of handling political discussion coherently and competently in a variety of situations. I don’t think Sarah Palin has shown anywhere near the same level of competency. What are your thoughts? If we are to compare her to another woman, how do you think she rates next to Hillary Clinton in her political speaking/discussion ability? Or perhaps next to a recent Republican Senator like Liddy Dole?

    And I submit the question to you again…do you honestly think McCain, his campaign, and other Republican higher-ups would have approached/embraced Sarah Palin if the “perfect storm” I mentioned wasn’t occurring?

  46. Juturna

    Emma – I still can’t agree with Palin’s choice. Never will. Don’t care what she knows or doesn’t know. To me, her decision to go ahead one I won’t forget. But that is just my humble opinion. And I’m all for women in power. But it should always be second to family. I would have the same opinion if it was a man.

  47. Men will never be held accountable for family routine the same way a woman is.

    I think Elizabeth Dole and Hillary Clinton could eat Palin up and spit out the bones without too much effort. Geraldine Ferraro, Christie Todd Whitman, Kay Bailey Hutchison, the same.

    Palin is a good cheerleader for like-minded people. She is great for the good of the cause. That’s where she needs to be. She doesn’t have the overall skills to be the quarterback. Reminder, there are boy cheerleaders also.

    I am not so sure there will be a female president any time soon. Look at how many people won’t go to female doctors and how many don’t want a female minister. How on earth does anyone think we are going to slip a female president past the old guard? The old guard has lots of females in it also.

  48. Emma

    @Diversity Gal and @Juturna If you go back to comment #5, you’ll see where I state that I am no Palin supporter. I don’t think she is at all qualified, and I held my nose to vote that ticket. I just hate it when people (and most especially other women) cut women down in sexist terms or build fences around them that they would never build around men.

  49. Diversity Gal

    Point taken, Emma:)

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