I wonder how many Republicans either secretly or openly have remorse over

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

their party machinery railroading McCain out of the 2000 primaries so they could install this sorry prodigal son of the exalted Royal Republican Family.

I am curious whether some of the recent former Republicans like xgoper felt like there was anything wrong with what happened to McCain, with his "media lynching" and the Coronation of the Shrub at that time. Any outrage, or at least vague uneasiness?

I know there's a lot of people who both like and hate McCain here at DU, but there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he would have been a far better president than shrub.

Even if somehow shrubco was to retain office (and at this point I think by CROOK is more likely than by hook), I would hope that the ground is salted for a Jebco run.

But then again, "no one ever went broke underestimating the American public."

[wryter2000]

1. I know republicans

I know republicans who loathe *. I don't know that they think much about what * did to McCain, though.

[yorgatron]

2. i don't "hate" McCain so much as

i've lost all respect for him toadying after thye royal screw job he got...

[ibegurpard]

4. yup

Any respect I had for him has been negated by his continuing support of these bastards.

[MoonRiver]

10. McCain should have switched to Dem or Indy.

If he lost then he'd have been well advised to just write off the whole screwed up process. Had he done those things he'd have my eternal respect. Now, he's a semi-moderate Repub who's lost all pride, kissing *'s arse to get reelected.

[hughee99]

11. If McCain had switched

to Indy, he would lose most of his political power and be at the mercy of Repukes or Dems for committe seats (like Jim Jeffords). If he had become a Dem, then instead of being happy when he votes with us, we'd be pissed when he votes with the repukes. He would probably be looked at much like Zell is seen today, a DINO. He seems to be a man who doesn't really fit into either party. While we love to talk about how we wish he had beat * in the primary, we'd be pretty pissed of about some of the things "President" McCain would have done.

[MoonRiver]

14. I doubt I'd be anywhere near as pissed.

How many dead bodies does * have on his karma checklist now? Last count was tens of thousands. No way, imo, would McCain have gotten US into Iraq.

[boobooday]

3. What they did to McCain was an outrage

But it hardly got any press attention at all. Do most of them even know the extent of it?

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[trof]

5. Here's one who does:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1655952

I don't think Charlie's the only one.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

6. You refer to the few Rebus who even knew McCain had a chance

I don't think most would actually recognize McCain as a serious contender.
Bush first tried to "take him out" in South Carolina, but he bounced back in Michigan. After that, Bush's money did the work for him.
I'm not sure there was another reason other than that the 'Bush' name had more weight with voters.

[Bandit]

7. I think in the long run Bush* may be the best thing to happen to the Dems

Bush* is showing the world just how far out of touch the Republicans really are and it may end up giving the Democrats an opportunity to really turn our country around and have it get back to really being a caring compassionate nation that it once had the reputation of being. Every cloud has a silver lining and Bush* may be our silver lining here. Any intelligent person can not possibly believe what is going on in the world is right and it has gotten far worse under complete Republican Control I suspect opportunity is knocking and we will have one shot to create an environment that is less hatred and more compassion for the world to truly see us as how I envision us to be. I pray that we don't fail in our task.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

8. Honestly, even if we won in a landslide and took both houses for the

next 20 years, I don't know that it would have been worth these last 4. I really, really feel that way.

[Mojambo]

12. I've thought this for some time

If McCain wins the nomination in 2000 you could have been looking at Reagan Revolution part 2 (only this time with the House and Senate on board.)

There certainly would have been "McCain Democrats" (as if there aren't now anyway) just like the Reagan Democrats...

[BillZBubb]

9. Very, very few.

Remorse requires a conscience and retrospection--two qualities deeply lacking in your average Repug.

And, if you haven't heard, Bush* is doing everything right, but the librul media and the Bush* haters just aren't telling us!

[oasis]

13. If John McCain had been elected president in 2000, then no 9/11 in 2001.