Book by Cliff Schecter - The Real McCain

Summary

A hard-hitting profile exploring the gap between the McCain myth and reality.

Cliff Schecter's hard-hitting profile explores the gap between the public record of Senator John McCain and his media image. Drawing on a range of sources and adding his unique perspective and humor, Schecter guides the reader though McCain's long history of expedient flip-flops�especially on his signature issues of national security and campaign finance reform.

Far from a straight-talking maverick, McCain emerges as a temperamental political chameleon who will do or say virtually anything to become president of the United States. On issue after issue�including the invasion and occupation of Iraq, torture, abortion, and gay rights�The Real McCain reveals a politician who started as a Goldwater Republican, experienced a brief period of sanity after his loss to George W. Bush in 2000, and began pandering to the very groups he challenged after deciding to run again in 2008.

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Clifford Schecter and Paul Waldman on John McCain

Progressive Book Club asked Paul Waldman and Cliff Schecter to discuss John McCain's campaign and his relationship with the media. Check back throughout the week for updates.

Clifford Schecter is the author of The Real McCain:
Why Conservatives Don't Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn't. Waldman is co-author, with David Brock, of Free Ride: John McCain and the Media.

From: Cliff Schecter
To: Paul Waldman
Date: Wednesday, June 18

Great point Paul. Perhaps this is why the media seems to finally be catching on--at least somewhat--to the fact that McCain is much closer to Bush than he has been trying to pretend. I tackled it in a post this morning...

The Media Is Catching On To The Bush-McCain Similarities

Read this piece by Elisabeth Bumiller, overall a very good article on how McCain and Bush drink from the same tainted well:

WASHINGTON � The Democrats like to say that electing Senator John McCain would usher in the third term of George W. Bush, and they do not mean it as a compliment. The Republicans counter that calling the senator "McBush" is political spin and that Mr. McCain is his own man.

A look at Mr. McCain's 25-year record in the House and Senate, his 2008 campaign positions and his major speeches over the last three months indicates that on big-ticket issues � the economy, support for continuing the Iraq war, health care � his stances are indeed similar to Mr. Bush's brand of conservatism. Mr. McCain' ... continue reading >

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Editorial Reviews

Review: The Real McCain (Huffington Post)

Appearing on Fox News this past Sunday, Sen. John McCain attempted to turn his infamously combustible temper from an electoral liability into political strength.

"If I lose my capacity for anger, then I shouldn't be president of the United States," the Senator explained to host Chris Wallace. "When I see the waste and corruption in Washington, I get angry."

But how much of McCain's legendary anger streak does the public actually know? Judging from snippets of Cliff Schecter's new book "The Real McCain" - an advance copy of which was obtained by The Huffington Post -- the answer may be surprisingly little. ... (Read the full review.)

Member Reviews

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drdwheelerreed	Posted on Jul 18, 2008 10:27 AM
To be read by Liberals, Independents, & Conservatives Written by a former McCain supporter this book is full of data, which attempts to make the case for why conservatives and independents shouldn't trust McCain. Essentially Schecter argues that we've witnessed three different McCain's over the years: McCain 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. He suspects that if McCain wins we will see McCain 4.0. Essentially, Schecter opines that McCain isn't really a conservative and that he freely switches his positions from time to time in order to appease neo-cons and the Religious Right. One of the most interesting sections of the book is where former PA senator Rick Santorum describes how he knows for a fact that John McCain isn't all that religious nor is he really pro-life.The personal details about McCain's temper are also startling. I, for one, didn't know how many fist fights McCain has gotten into with other congressional colleagues, nor did I know his disdain for women and his use of a particular "c" word to describe his wife. Good, quick read...
Barbara19850	Posted on Jul 10, 2008 8:03 PM
The Real McCain This is a quick read. I was initially put off by the author's tone. I felt that it undermined his credibility. However, I found The Real McCain an interesting read. I was stunned by the examples of McCain's temper. The comparison of McCain's current and former positions on issues was very helpful. I had never planned to vote for McCain but I now have a greater understanding as his campaign unfolds.
plee	Posted on Jun 17, 2008 4:00 AM
Excellent book! Obama in 08
matthew	Posted on Jun 15, 2008 11:28 PM
Effective tool for bringing McCain's media image back to Earth The focus here isn't on the MSM outlets that allow McCain to be a "maverick," but instead on who the man really is. We leave laughing, grumbling, and, more than anything else, determined to stop this guy from continuing (or worsening) the sorry state of our country today. He is not only a continuation of Bush policy, but also a man willing to toss his integrity at a moment's notice to gain power. That the media do nothing to cover this (real) side of McCain is a separate question, one this book does not really delve into. An excellent compliment is the Media Matters book. Together, the books tell us everything we need to know to work against this guy in the general election.
susanconnolly	Posted on Jun 15, 2008 11:16 AM
Now I can argue with my Dad When my Dad at dinner last night said he's gonna vote for McCain, I was all prepped to burst his bubble. This book and David Brock's FREE RIDE have given me all the ammo I need to fight the misguided notion that McCain should be President!
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Biography

Cliff Schecter is a veteran campaign strategist and political commentator. Schecter writes a monthly column distributed by Knight Ridder and was a guest columnist for United Press International from 2002-2004. His work has been featured in a variety of publications including The Miami Herald, The American Prospect, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Fordham Urban Law Journal, The Sacramento Bee and Salon.com. He writes a weekly satirical column each Friday called �Cliff's Corner,� summarizing the week's most ridiculous events for AMERICAblog.

Author Interview

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Interview with Cliff Schecter (Buzzflash)

Q. Okay, Cliff, you wrote The Real McCain: Why Conservatives Don�t Trust Him and Why Independents Shouldn�t. First of all, you got some national publicity because of the New York Daily News article going back to an incident in 1992. We don�t want to use the word that McCain allegedly used to call his wife Cindy, but, I mean, let�s deal with the fact that you bring up a topic which is considered one of his vulnerabilities, although the mainstream media doesn�t cover it a whole lot, which is his temper.

A. Yes.

Q. What exactly is the case? You know, he claims they are isolated incidents. Is that true?

A. No, nothing can be farther from the truth than that, which is often the case with McCain. What you see is not what you get, and this is just another case of that. Because his temper � I can go through numerous cases that are both publicly known and recounted to me for my book, both by on-the-record sources, off-the-record sources � a variety of them. He is what most people consider dangerous and frightening. Some people say it may be an after-effect of Vietnam. I�m not a psychologist and I can�t say whether that contributed. But this is a guy that was known for his temper in high school; his nickname was McNasty. It�s been a long-term thing with him that he enjoys degrading people. He has a very violent temper towards people when they disagree with him. ... (Read the full interview.)

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Video

John McCain: The Media's "Maverick"

The media sure likes to call John McCain a maverick. Media Matters has documented scores of examples (and there are MANY more). Visit www.mediamatters.org for more information.

John McCain: The Media's "Maverick"	Free Ride: John McCain and the Media

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The Real McCain

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