Cynicism

Via Talking Points Memo: how I love the magic of live microphones. Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy though they were talking off-the-record. The two diehard Republicans are not happy that John McCain passed up Kay Hutchinson. Noonan declared the election over and Palin's selection as political bullshit about narratives.



Peggy Noonan: Yeah.

Mike Murphy: You know, because I come out of the blue swing state governor world: Engler, Whitman, Tommy Thompson, Mitt Romney, Jeb Bush. I mean, these guys -- this is how you win a Texas race, just run it up. And it's not gonna work. And --

PN: It's over.

MM: Still McCain can give a version of the Lieberman speech to do himself some good.

CT: I also think the Palin pick is insulting to Kay Bailey Hutchinson, too.

PN: Saw Kay this morning.

CT: Yeah, she's never looked comfortable about this --

MM: They're all bummed out.

CT: Yeah, I mean is she really the most qualified woman they could have turned to?

PN: The most qualified? No! I think they went for this -- excuse me-- political bullshit about narratives --

CT: Yeah they went to a narrative.

MM: I totally agree.

PN: Every time the Republicans do that, because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it.

MM: You know what's really the worst thing about it? The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical.

CT: This is cynical, and as you called it, gimmicky.

MM: Yeah.

I few points. Murphy declaring that McCain has no cynicism is hysterical. In 2007, McCain told Wolf Blitzer, "General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed Humvee." General Petraeus doesn't take a shit without a security detail. The Maverick told talk radio host Bill Bennett, "There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods today." Below is a picture of McCain's 2007 visit to Baghdad. Notice the bulletproof vest and armed escort.



Heavy security was set up for McCain's photo op.

The delegation arrived at the market, which is called Shorja, on Sunday with more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees — the equivalent of an entire company — and attack helicopters circled overhead, a senior American military official in Baghdad said. The soldiers redirected traffic from the area and restricted access to the Americans, witnesses said, and sharpshooters were posted on the roofs. The congressmen wore bulletproof vests throughout their hourlong visit.

“They paralyzed the market when they came,” Mr. Faiyad said during an interview in his shop on Monday. “This was only for the media.”

He added, “This will not change anything.”

The next day insurgent snipers returned.

"Who said there was security?" asked carpet salesman Abu Ammar, 55, who said he sold McCain a $60 Turkish rug.

"I told him there were snipers who were really harming us," he said, sitting behind his large office desk. "I told him the plan had improved security but Shorja still wasn't fully safe."

"The American people are not getting the picture of all that is happening here," McCain told the media. "Things are better ... but I am not saying mission accomplished.

Cynicism is how McCain got to where he is.

Personally, I think Murphy is sore that his candidate Mitt Romney didn't win.