Why do liberals call John McCain a flip-flopper and a coward?

Question

Didn't he support the war from the beginning? Didn't he suggest an increase in troops months ago and doesn't he support surge today, unlike the democrats that said we didn't have enough troops to win the war months ago, but are now against an increase in troops?

Answer 1

It is not their fault. Using facts to support their statements is their weakness. You always have to take everything a Liberal says with a grain of salt.

Answer 2

Has nothing to do with Iraq. McCain decried Jerry Falwell and the influence of the religious right in 2000 and even after - yet he is now tripping all over himself to say that, no, he never said any such thing. More ominously, he made a great principled stand concerning the sanctity of habeas corpus (along with Lindsey Graham and John Warner) during last fall's legislative debate over treatment of detainees - and then he (and the others) flipped and gave Bush everything he wanted. Finally, he championed campaign finance reform, getting landmark legislation passed - and now is opting out of the system to take private money that he decries as corrupting the process.

Personally, I think on this last point, he's just being realistic - but it does smack of hypocrisy.

Oh, I do have to second the point made that McCain praised Rumsfeld to the heavens while Rummy was SecDef and then pilloried him as soon as he hit the campaign trail as the "worst Secretary of Defense in the history of the nation." Way to pander, McCain!

Now, to your issue with the Democrats opposing the escalation while they bemoaned the lack of troops at the beginning, the Democratic position is entirely correct in that the additional troops were needed and WOULD HAVE MATTERED when we invaded. The insurgency never would have gained steam if we had stabilized the country properly and used the resulting calm to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure and institutions. Now it's like starting all over again, and it's too late because there IS an insurgency now where there wasn't one in 2003.

Answer 3

I would never call McCain a coward, the man deserves to be honored for his service and I would be the first to shake his hand. That said, he is a flip-flopper. He has repudiated the fundamentalist Christians and now he is courting them. He said that 21,500 troops were not enough and now he is supporting that move. He has changed his mind on a number of subjects and he certainly should not back Bush after what Bush's people did to him in South Carolina. I liked McCain a few years ago but now I find him as an opportunist and he has lost my respect.

Answer 4

Because he will start out with a liberal view on something and then go have a nice chat with Bush or someone and come back the exact opposite. I like him he's a nice man but he just seems to be to loyal to his party. Instead of doing what he thinks is right. For instance he used to yell and scream about the oversea's prisons. But then all of a sudden after having a chat with bush shut up. He still makes side comments about how he would abolish them though.

I dont like the word liberal it's used as an insult these days and I dont get why. Oh we treat Gays and Islamics like human beings how dare us. And then people will say yea but they just wanna throw money everywhere. But anyone that has been watching the republican party would say it was the conservatives doing that. I am a conservative because I believe in the goverment are four fathers made. And not the christian theocracy that it has now become. But I am called a liberal I'm confused.

Answer 5

What are you talking about? I never heard anyone call him a coward, I think that's an absurd thing to say. Flip flopper? I don't like political buzzwords like that because it's designed to replace argument and substance with code speak; it's an insulting and infantalizing way to treat rational thinking adults. But I will say I used to like McCain. Now I'm not so certain. After the Rumsfeld reversal I honestly don't know what to think of him.

Answer 6

I used to respect McCain until he pulled the "BIG" fliparue when he ran against Bush then supported him for President. Bush and his cronies dumped McCain and his family into the garbage dump and McCain didn't have the balls to bring them to task. I'm no Liberal and I am a Vietnam Veteran but I'd never vote for McCain. His crawling on his knees to the Religious Right, his views of the Iraq war, his views of Rumsfeld , all are ample proof that McCain's word is not credable

Answer 7

Because the views he espoused since he came to office were pretty liberal for the party, he didn't go along with everything and he wasn't in bed with the religious right. Now hes done a 180 on many of the issues he once championed in an effort to woo the Fallwell crowd. There are more issues than the war you know, and Mc Cain has jumped all over the place. I don't think hes a coward, I think hes a panderer.

Answer 8

McCain also has recently stated that the war in Iraq has been greatly mismanaged, and Donald Rumsfeld would be remembered as one of the worst Secretary of Defense in the History of the USA.

He is changing his political ideology to coincide with the general attitude of the American people, to curry favor and gain popularity. Yes he is a flip-flopper and worse than a coward he is a manipulator and an oppertunist.

Answer 9

Because they see him as a threat. People who know John McCain and have observed his record know that he is an independent thinker who doesn't always tow the party line and makes decisions based on principle. They realize that he is currently the most serious Republican candidate for President in 2008 and they also realize that he stands a very good chance of getting into the Oval Office, so they're doing what liberals always do to Republicans -- bash and attempt to discredit by using certain "buzz words" like flip-flopper and coward without giving any solid facts to support their assertions. They figure their best chance to put a Democrat into office is to make McCain and all other serious Republican candidates look bad.

Answer 10

Because he has flip flopped many times IO would not call him a coward At least he fulfilled his military obligations Which is more than I can say for Mr. Bush Do remember how McCain used to kiss Rumsfield's behind? Now he runs him down He now says whatever he thinks will win him votes

Answer 11

Sorry, McCain will never be elected president. he is a flip-flopper because his stance seems to change with the opinions of the american people. He thanks Rumsfield and says how great he was when he resigns then comes out and calls him the worst seceratry of defense ever it can't go both ways. He would be better off calling this administration the worst ever, except for Condi Rice shes the only one that has a set in this administration and the only one that seems to be able to get anything done.