Reply #9: Unmasking Darth McCain (see how little has changed in 8 years)

[chat_noir]

Hard to see, the dark side is. — Yoda


The media’s done a fine job of showing McCain, reformer and war hero.

But there’s another side to him they don’t touch — a darker, more suspect side. And I think while we’re on the subject of Star Wars analogies, there is one character who McCain could claim some similarity: Senator Palpatine.

For those of you who didn’t see The Phantom Menace and who are oblivious to the Star Wars saga, Palpatine is the ambitious senator who maneuvers his way into becoming Chancellor of the Galactic Republic by promising to tackle corruption. But unbeknownst to most people, Palpatine has a hidden, dark side to his personality. He stealthily begins increasing his power and becomes a dictator, destroying the Republic altogether. Eventually, Palpatine becomes the shriveled up, cloaked emperor we see in Return of the Jedi.

Now I’m not saying Sen. McCain is evil like the fictional Sen. Palpatine, but they do share some common traits. For instance, McCain often exhibits a mean streak which the media have downplayed because, darn it, they like the guy.

Because he’s very accessible and candid with journalists, he often gets away with saying outrageous statements no one else could escape.


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