FRAMESHOP:FRAMESHOP: MCCAIN AND MR. MACACA GET COZY

After Mitt Romney made headlines dropping out the race, John McCain picked up an endorsement from Mr. Macaca himself, former Virginia Senator, George Allen.  Introducing McCain at the CPAC conference in Washington, yesterday, Allen said:

"His experience coupled with his strong belief in core conservative principles makes him uniquely prepared to serve as our next commander in chief...I am confident that he is the only candidate who can combat the threat of radical Islamic extremism, ensure our country's economic prosperity, stop wasteful Washington spending, and uphold our traditional values." (The Washington Post)

Apparently, McCain is not bothered by Allen's past flirtations with Neo-Confederate groups like the Council of Conservative Citizens, Allen's history of embracing racist symbols, or Allen's general image as an aspiring bigot.

None of it bothers McCain at all who proudly displays Allen on his website.

The fact is, McCain's embrace of Allen is nothing new.  Allen's bigotry did not bother McCain even in the midst of the firestorm that was the 2006 Virginia senate race.  At that time, just days after Allen used the racist epithet 'macaca' to demean a non-white campaign staffer of his opponent, McCain was more than happy to swoop in a stump for Allen.  McCain even made light of the affair.

Yesterday, Allen returned the favor by giving McCain his bona fides by way of a glowing introduction at the CPAC conference.  Originally for Thompson,  Allen used the CPAC intro of McCain to officially throw his disgraced image behind the Republican front runner.

Ahead in the polls, but behind with the conservative base, McCain must be hoping that some of Allen's racist tarnish will give him campaign credibility with that part of the Republican base that has declared they would even vote for Hillary Clinton before stepping up for the Arizona Senator.

In the end, there is only one reason why a candidate for president seeks and accepts an endorsement:  because he feels he stands to gain from it.

Given that reality, McCain must believe his standing with the conservative base is so low that an endorsement from the most famous bigot in recent memory could only bring a net gain.

© 2008 Jeffrey Feldman, Frameshop