Tired McCain a Foundering Gluehorse Without Weaver

There has been some speculation and gossip spurred by Dan Nowicki’s report in the Arizona Republic that John McCain is shaking up his campaign staff:

Sen. John McCain is shaking up his campaign leadership team as the Arizona Republican readies for an all-out ground fight in his closely watched GOP primary battle against former Rep. J.D. Hayworth.

Campaign manager Shiree Verdone is moving to a 2010 “Republican Victory” fundraising operation. Mike Hellon, a former Arizona Republican Party chairman who had a part-time role as deputy campaign manager, will join her there.

Neither Verdone nor Hellon was fired, said Brian Rogers, McCain’s campaign spokesman, who confirmed the staff changes Friday in a statement to The Arizona Republic.

Gossip magnet The Politico has picked up the deck chair rearranging too, as have the cable cluckers. Thing is, if you know McCain, there is no real “shake up” since the core of his election organization, which has been around him a long time, is almost completely intact and in charge. As Nowicki noted further down in his article:

McCain’s strategy and decision-making brain trust of longtime advisers Rick Davis, Charlie Black, Mark Salter, Carla Eudy and Mark Buse remains intact.

So, the term “shake up” is pretty much hyperbole; McCain’s posse is quite intact. In fact, you almost have to wonder whether this “shakeup” is about some kind of money cost laundering – shifting expenses somehow – since these staffers are just joining the RNC AZ staff.

The above being said, McCain has been publicly revealing the inner tired old gluehorse he really is an awful lot lately. McCain has always been the supreme narcissist whose only concern at any given time or situation is limited to what he thinks helps John McCain. His willingness to wildly say anything, no matter how inconsistent or absurd, has really been on full display lately, most notably with his craven about face on immigration and the “dang fence” (which even had fellow Arizona Republican John Shaddegg laughing).

So, what is missing for Old Gluehorse McCain? Why is McCain’s hypocritical narcissism more glaring than usual? No John Weaver that is why; and Weaver’s absence is why I said above that McCain’s team is “almost completely intact”. John Weaver was the smarts of the outfit who made the “McCain the Trusted Maverick” gloss up out of whole cloth and had the good sense to keep the real McCain on a short leash and away from the hypocritical stupidity he is naturally prone to. For a really excellent look at how Weaver made the McCain the press fell in love with, take a look at this Texas Monthly article (simple registration may be required, but it is quite good).

The Old Gluehorse should have been put out to pasture long ago; it is just more obvious now without John Weaver.

[graphic by Neil Alderney]

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13 replies
  1. bobschacht says:

    Well, if this year is supposed to be bad for incumbents, McCain is about as incumbent as you can get. And he began to show signs of senility in his presidential campaign, which certainly erased his image as a winner. And now this. It’s like a slow-motion train wreck.

    Bob in AZ

  2. qweryous says:

    Even the ca. 2007 and 2008 ‘maverick’ wasn’t all that impressive.

    The ‘real John” or whatever the current slogan is is a joke. And he’s the punchline and the brunt. Trying to convince the public at large that he wasn’t ever a maverick (like here in Newsweek-The Mccain Mutiny)

    “Maverick” is a mantle McCain no longer claims; in fact, he now denies he ever was one. “I never considered myself a maverick,” he told me. “I consider myself a person who serves the people of Arizona to the best of his abilities.” Yet here was Palin, urging her fans four times in 15 minutes to send McCain the Maverick back to Washington.”

    Of course there is that youtube to find some Maverick clips on…John McCain like John McCain: “I am NOT a Maverick!” LOL!!! – Rachel Maddow

    Second the request from the AZ Bob- more analysis like this please.

  3. thatvisionthing says:

    Weaver? I looked at the horse and thought– Dennis Weaver? Chester?

    Seeing as I love the horse and was mighty fond of faithful limping Chester, I guess I take umbrage. They never hurt anyone, they need love. Whereas John McCain is an ass. Whoops, asses are nice too. Well you know what I mean. I know what you mean.

  4. R.H. Green says:

    Speaking of hypocritical stupidity, I saw a campaign sign on a vacant lot in Tucson today advertising McCain 2010 and I swear, above his name were printed the words, Drill Baby Drill.

      • bmaz says:

        Did it look like it was put there by someone else, or like it was a part of the ad? Jeebus, McCain is tone deaf, but you would think his “brain trust” would not allow something this bad, so I am assuming it was an add on.

        • R.H. Green says:

          In case you’re still looking at comments for this article: the McCain sign in Tucson looks like a printed campaign sign. I stared at it while waiting for the light, not believing my eyes. It must have been there for a month, but you’d think his people would realize. The sign is not in a high-tone neighborhood, and maybe the local Repug operatives don’t go there much, but they must have signs like this all over the state. He-he.

  5. earlofhuntingdon says:

    I’d like to think that McCain’s rampant narcissism was a principal reason why he didn’t make flag rank in the Navy, despite having illustrious admirals for a father and grandfather. Putting the guy in charge of other people’s lives, resources and honor would not be a responsible command decision.

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