Charles Hurt’s New York Post column, applying the label “suicide voters” to describe those who have vowed to vote for Hillary Clinton over John McCain, seems to be getting some blog buzz. Over time, I suspect that label will be slapped on people who may not vote for a Democrat, but will refuse to vote for McCain.
It strikes me that this is not a tactic designed to make friends or influence people, as I doubt either category will appreciate being likened to terrorists. Moreover, it is a misnomer as to the non-voter.
Furthermore, people like our esteemed host will reverse the analogy:
I think a vote for McCain IS suicide  just of the kind that’s longer and more drawn out. Like slow poisoning. Or maybe being drawn and quartered by stoned, giant tortoises.
So perhaps a more cuddly, Seussian label is in order, such as “Green Eggs & Mav” voters.
However, if people persist with the more grisly metaphor, folks less committed to refusenik status than Jeff might be approached by McCain supporters with the following argument: “Okay, I get that you see the choice as a choice between different methods of suicide. You don’t want to play the role of Dr. Kevorkian. I get that — not even Dr. Kevorkian wants to be Dr. Kevorkian these days. Try thinking of yourself as Dr. Benjamin Franklin Pierce or Dr. John Francis X. McIntyre — confronted with the suicidal Capt. Walter Koskiusko “Painless Pole” Waldowski, DDS, they went through the motions to stop him from really killing himself.”ÂÂ
The flaw in that analogy is that the refusenik has no control over the risk of a McCain presidency, in which case the McCain supporter is left to argue that pills are a slow form of suicide that may still be averted by a last-minute intervention. In this analogy, it’s better to give someone bent on suicide the pills wile keeping the stomach pump in the trunk of your car and the cellphone set to 911, as opposed to letting someone put a gun to their head.
I repeat: to McCain’s people, this is a feature, not a bug.
I just can’t chew and swallow the whole idea that those of us you didn’t support McCain, and don’t want to vote for him in November will be responsible for Obama/Hillary.
Yea. It’s MY fault.
I do not like the maverick man. I do not like him, Sam (Brownback) I am.
I’ve been lurking and absorbing lately. I find myself in a quandry, seeing both sides of this question and unable to make up my mind.
I shall now devolve back into willfull ignorance.
huh?
BJ – listening to Radiohead (really loud) is helping me. Later, when I’m ready to get mad (again) about it, I’ll turn on some Tool.
Carin:
My balm is acoustic guitar intrumentals or Led Zepplin or Stevie Ray Vaughn depending upon specific mood. When I’m ready to be pissed, Tool works. Or maybe Metallica.
If I just want to contemplate the absurdity of it all? Zappa!
Great choice of music, BJT, except I’ve never heard any Tool and only a smidge of Metallica. I listen to Acoustic Alchemy and the Rippingtons all the time. Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour as well.
FWIW, I spent Super Fat Tuesday blissfully with the TV off and listening to Saint-Saens’ First and Second Piano Concertos. Awesome stuff. Awesome.
it’s Manon Lescaut here today. with Dame Kiri and Carreras. they’re about to botch the jail break. then it’s off to the desert of Louisianna to die. (don’t ask me. Puccini wasn’t up on his geograhy? I haven’t researched it yet)
I just realized something. The Food Network in HD is nearly pornographic. If I’ve got be be conflicted, I’d prefer that it be over what’s for dinner. And I’d prefer that the resolution be Giada DeLaurentis.
If I can’t have Fred!…
When I read post like this and especially many of the comments that followed, I don’t feel like discussing this anymore. The so-called moderates are completely off their rockers.
I understand that Ann C et al poked ’em with a sharp stick. That probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. The howls of surprise have turned to anger. And now it sounds like it’s reached the “fuck off and die” stage.
I’m not angry. I won’t be staying home, I’ll vote. There’s a number of good and even conservative local politicians to vote for. Whether it’s a third party or left blank: I just won’t be voting for McCain, Hillary, or Obama.
That said, I think McCain is actually going to do OK. There are a lot of centrists who like him (his image) and his message. A lot. He will steal Democrats afraid of either Obama or Hillary! (a different group in each case, mind you).
PS Almost anything by Cachao except for the collections put together by Egrem (aka Cuba) to pick up a little foreign currency.
It would be cool if one of these “why they hate McCain” pieces actually dealt more seriously with why some of don’t want to see him elected. That said, Pod has a bit of it correct: “Republican” is not an ideology, and so McCain doesn’t need to be an ideological purist, and Republican voters shouldn’t demand of their nominees ideological purity.
All true. But the problem with McCain is that he is far more progressive than he is truly “conservative,” making him a better choice for Democrats than Republicans.
He treats the state almost as if it is a religion. See, eg., the French Revolution; Fascist Italy, the Nazis. American progressivism is a branch from this tree. And McCain is perched on that branch just like the rest of the monkeys — even if he eats more “conservative”-looking bananas.
Or something.
But that would require them to start from the assumption that we’re intelligent, rational fellow human beings.
I mean, come on, Jeff!
Did you notice the Dow dropped 65 points on news of John McCain winning last night? The markets have obviously spoken, and they aren’t happen about a possible John McCain Presidency.
But that would require them to start from the assumption that we’re intelligent, rational fellow human beings.
We are?
… ah, yes, merely an assumption. A working hypothesis, as it were. Not actually real. Completely agree.
There is a huge problem with your analogy Karl. It presumes that the country, and especially its mouth (NYTimes et al) has sworn to the Hippocratic oath. To put it bluntly, the NYTimes (et al) would willingly give the slow suicide by asphyxiation patient more more noxious gas.
McCain, to be honest, would give us better judges, but that is all. Those better judges likely would fall within the O’Conner/Kennedy template rather than Ginsberg. Certainly a mitigating prescription for the impending socialist onslaught. But I suspect McCain’s offerings would likely administer CO (carbon monoxide) – kills quite benignly, somewhat slowly, and rather effectively.
Hummmm, McCain… smells like nothing.
I don’t know if I’d say that.
Sure doesn’t smell like teen spirit, though.
Hummmm, McCain… smells like nothing. Smells like… cough… cough… hack… croak…
Feet up, cross in the eye croak. Should have added that. My mistake.
Heh.
Should America wait for a miracle to prevent this situation? A divine intervention perhaps?