If, as I suggested earlier, the Republicans may have been too clever by a half tonight, so too was NBC. Always ready to help the Democrats, the network had John McCain lined up to take on Zell Miller. As soon as Miller finished, and while Lynne Cheney was speaking, Tom Brokaw asked McCain a series of questions designed to have him refute Miller. McCain said that he disagreed with Miller's attacks on the patriotism of the Democrats (Miller had stated he was questioning their judgment, not their patriotism), that he would not be concerned if John Kerry becomes commander-in-chief, and indeed that Kerry was qualified for that position. On the other hand, McCain said that he thought Bush deserved to be re-elected and that questions about what Kerry said after he returned from Vietnam and about his votes on defense and security issues are legitimate.

So where does this leave us? NBC has trotted out a good (Republican) cop to take on the bad (Democratic) cop. But on the only question that really matters, whether Bush or Kerry should be elected president this year, the good cop agrees with the bad cop.

HINDROCKET adds: This is exactly why I don't trust McCain. As I said yesterday, I don't trust him, not as a soldier or as a man, but as a Republican. I believe it was in John Barth's wonderful book The Sot-Weed Factor where Henry Burlingame points out that you can trust anyone, but the question is, with what? Burlingame uses the example of a ship's captain, whom you may trust with your life, but not with your wife. Likewise, I might trust McCain with my life, but not with my party.

DEACON responds: I don't trust McCain to put our party ahead of his principles either. In fact, I trust him not to.

Posted by Paul at 11:10 PM  |    |  

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/mt/mt-diespammers.cgi/7692

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Good cop, bad cop:

» Day 3 Final Thoughts from Captain's Quarters
I don't have a lot to add to what I've already written, but I do have a few thoughts about the tandem of firebrand Zell Miller and the more stoic surgery of Dick Cheney. I've read some who think that... [Read More]

Tracked on September 2, 2004 12:01 AM

» And Speaking Of Being On Crack... from Ubique Patriam Reminisci
Chris Matthews, blowhard extraordinare, took on Zell Miller last night. He quickly found out that it's easier to beat up on women than it is to beat up on a fiesty old scrapper from Georgia. Here's the video, and it's delicious. You can almost se... [Read More]

Tracked on September 2, 2004 04:32 AM

» Day 3 Final Thoughts from Captain's Quarters
I don't have a lot to add to what I've already written, but I do have a few thoughts about the tandem of firebrand Zell Miller and the more stoic surgery of Dick Cheney. I've read some who think that... [Read More]

Tracked on September 2, 2004 08:05 AM

» Kerry: Let's Focus On The Issues....No Wait! from Josh Ferguson
With the Swiftboat Vets coming hard at John Kerry and his campaign, the thing you hear from Kerry and his supporters the most is that we should focus on the issues. Well, last night at the Republican National Convention, Zell Miller decided to focus ... [Read More]

Tracked on September 2, 2004 02:28 PM

» Cheney or McCain from Secure Liberty
Over the last several months, rumors circulated that Bush would drop Cheney and cozy up to McCain, or perhaps Guiliani. Nonsense. As Hindrocket points out over at Powerline McCain can't be trusted. Is he Jim Jeffords? Hmmm...he's better than that, ... [Read More]

Tracked on September 2, 2004 03:19 PM