The Maverick Returns

Well now. I was wondering in the recent general election where John “Maverick” McCain had gone off to. Known to break ranks with his fellow Republicans over issues of conscience like opposition to torturing prisoners, McCain well-deserved the moniker “Maverick” (with apologies to Tom Cruise).

During the fall campaign, it seemed that John McCain made a violent swing to the right, as evidenced by his bombast that became the rallying cry of the rightwing of his party. A necessary thing to differentiate himself from Barack Obama whose center left positions remained nearly unchanged from the very beginning.

But now, the Maverick is back.

In a recent town hall meeting, McCain fielded questions from his rightwing audience, teabaggers who flock to any and all such meetings bringing their passions with.

And he got booed.

That’s right. The party that McCain once led 9 months ago has left him behind. Or maybe, as I have come to suspect, they have moved in opposite directions with the party base accelerating to the right and McCain slowly making his way back to center-right.

Don’t believe me?

Politico has a video on their site that proves the point.

Not only was McCain booed, he was roundly booed, several times, when all he sought to do was explain to the audience that Barack Obama “respects the Constitution,” and [McCain] “believe[s] that there is a fundamental difference in philosophy and the role of government.” [Audience boos]. And later: “I am convinced that the President is absolutely sincere in his beliefs. " [Audience boos] "Wait! Wait a minute…”

The proof is in the pudding.

We Democrats may be having trouble all living under our big tent, but this encounter by McCain is dead solid proof that the Republican Party has pulled up its tent stakes and moved a few more kilometers to the right than where they were 9 months ago.

And that’s still good news.