Daily Archives: September 25, 2008

McCain looking for his 9-11 moment? Some cheap, armchair psychologizing…

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Watching McCain posturing as the saviour of the US economy this evening I was reminded of this post by David Weinberger.

McCain’s suspending of his campaign is so very odd that I find myself looking for psychological, and not just political, explanations. So, try on this armchair psychoanalysis, keeping in mind that I’m just making this stuff up:

First, assume that McCain is desperate. When Fox puts you at 39%, desperation becomes reality-based thinking. Second — and this is the unpleasant part — imagine that McCain has had the thought that many of us had had: A terrorist attack in October would shake up the entire electoral chessboard, and might well favor the Republicans. (Yeah, yeah, I don’t think it should it, either.)

Now, no one wants a terrorist attack (except, um, the terrorists), including John McCain, of course. But we’re talking psychology here. So, could it be that McCain is reacting to the financial meltdown as if it were a large-scale terrorist attack because deep within him, he’s waiting for the crisis that saves him, the crisis that lets the aging warrior put on his flight suit one more time?

After all, the subtext of his “putting country first” trope isn’t patriotism but heroism. Heroes need crises. McCain’s brand of heroism consists of sacrifice: He gave up 5 years of his life in North Vietnam, and now he’s willing to give up campaigning.

McCain’s political problem is that in this case, his self-sacrifice seems unnecessary and can be taken as panic or cowardice. It seems like sacrifice for sacrifice’s sake. He thus runs the risk of voters turning away from the hero-without-a-cause to the leader who has one.

That Bush speech in full

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Good evening, my fellow Armenians. This is an extraordinary period for America’s economics.

Over the past few weeks, many Americans have felt anxiety about their finances and their SUVs. I understand their worry and their frustration.

We’ve seen triple-digit swings in the stuck market. Major financial institutions have teetered on the ledge of collapse, and some have failed. As discertainty has grown, many banks have restructed lending, debit markets have frozen solid, and families and businesses have found it harder to get money from the ATM.

We’re in the midst of a serious financial crisis, folks, and the federal government is responding with decisive reactionariness.

We boosted confidence in money marketing mutualities and acted to prevent major investors from intentionally driving down sticks for their own personal gain.

Most importantly, my administration is working with those assholes in Congress to address the root and branch behind much of the destability in our marketplaces.

Financial assets related to home mortgagees have lost value during the house declination, and the banks holding these assets have destricted credit. As a result, our entire ecology is in danger.

So I proposition that the federal government deduce the risk posed by these troubled assholes and supply urgently needed moolah so banks and other financial institutions can avoid collapse and resume screwing the public in the time-honoured way.

This rescue effort is not aimed at perverting any individual company or industry. It is aimed at preservating America’s overall economics.

It will help American consumers and businesses get debit to meet their daily needs and create jobs for the good ol’ boys. And it will help send a semaphore to markets around the world that America’s financial system is back on truck.

Gawd help America. Thank you and good night.