Righty Rhetoric Would Warp Straight Talk

'Lousy politician' will fail if McCain strays from his true nature
By Jonas Oransky,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 12, 2008 3:15 PM CST

John McCain enters a period of "maximum peril" as he closes in on the Republican nomination, writes the Washington Post's Richard Cohen. "McCain's true virtue is that he is a lousy politician," Cohen contends, and if he keeps tracking to the right to appease conservatives, he’ll “vitiate the main plank in his platform: his persona.”

Not only has McCain "staked his life on his principles," but he’s a terrible liar. "When he adopts positions that are not his own, they infect him, sapping him of what might be called integrity energy." Cohen has seen this before and warns the candidate against becoming conventional: “It’s a trap.” (More John McCain stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X