The "real" McCain?

My thoughts on McCain....I remain puzzled by the pundits constantly referring to the "real" John McCain....the McCain they knew in 2000. McCain did take an independent stance in 2000. He lambasted the conservative religious right, he supported campaign finance reform much to the disdain of his party. He gave every person with a press pass access to the BUS...he joked and laughed. The press loved him. Republicans despised him. (if you are a Rep remember what you said in 2001)
The Bush campaign used horrific campaign tactics to wipe him out in the South Carolina primary in 2000. One would think that he would have disavowed the Republican Party. Was the 2000 McCain the REAL McCain? He went on to embrace the religious right. Visiting their bastions and meeting with their leaders. He embraced George Bush and all of the misguided policies that ensued. He became a cheerleader for Bush/Cheney. I could not understand why he abandoned his independent position and what I thought was the waive of the future (a third party that would be independent of the Reps and Dems). I was astonished that someone could change so quickly. Perhaps the McCain that the press keeps pining for never existed. The McCain we have is the McCain that has always been...an opportunistic politician that will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. When he put Sarah Palin on the ticket any respect that I had for him evaporated. Being 72 years old and having had four bouts with melanoma you would think he would have given great care to the choice of the person who could well become the President of MY United States. But no, instead he treated it as a political trick...a gotcha. His campaign has pandered to the worst in our society. He is not the person people thought he was in 2000, never has been and never will be. (Emily, I agree with you about SNL, it was very sad and not funny.)

Sorry about the Bulldogs for all you UGA fans. Alabama will be #1!!!! Pat thinks UNC and UGA could play in the Peach Bowl.