海角大神

Meghan McCain roils GOP waters with Christine O'Donnell 'nutjob' slam

One wonders what original 'maverick' John McCain is saying after hearing what his outspoken daughter Meghan McCain said about Christine O'Donnell. Then there's her row with Sarah Palin.

Kids! You gotta love 鈥榚m.

One wonders if that鈥檚 what John McCain is saying today after hearing the latest from his outspoken daughter.

On ABC鈥檚 鈥淭his Week鈥� Sunday, Meghan McCain was asked about GOP Senate candidate and tea party favorite Christine O鈥橠onnell in Delaware.

"Well, I speak as a 26-year-old woman and my problem is that, no matter what, Christine O'Donnell is making a mockery of running for public office," McCain told anchor 海角大神e Amanpour. "She has no real history, no real success in any kind of business."

鈥淲hat that sends to my generation is: one day you can just wake and run for Senate, no matter how [much of] a lack of experience you have,鈥� Ms. McCain said. 鈥淎nd it scares me for a lot of reasons."

Then came the zinger: "I just know, in my group of friends, it turns people off because she's seen as a nutjob.鈥�

McCain also said that the tea party movement is 鈥渓osing young voters at a rapid rate.鈥�

Well, maybe. Tea party gatherings do seem to be mainly middle-aged (and older) people. But only the morning after Election Day will tell for sure how young people vote 鈥� if they vote at all.

But back to Ms. McCain (who鈥檚 a lot more fun to write about than boring polls, chin-stroking political analysts, and campaign stump speeches ).

What she said about O鈥橠onnell is not that much different than Karl Rove鈥檚 pronouncement (before the GOP jerked him back into line) or what Delaware GOP chairman Tom Ross was saying when O鈥橠onnell was challenging moderate Republican US Rep. Mike Castle for the nomination.

But this long after O鈥橠onnell鈥檚 GOP primary win and barely two weeks before the general election is different. McCain鈥檚 comments come as O鈥橠onnell lags behind Democrat Chris Coons by wide poll margins and voters still get constant reminders of her offbeat comments and 鈥� how to put this delicately 鈥� her 鈥渋nteresting鈥� background. (Take our Christine O'Donnell quiz here.)

As Senator McCain is (or at least used to be before he had to run for reelection), Meghan McCain is a maverick, and she鈥檚 certainly as outspoken as her father.

For one thing, she seems constantly to be wrangling with Republican celebrity Sarah Palin, John McCain鈥檚 vice presidential running mate in 2008.

In her recent Daily Beast column titled 鈥淢y Palin Problem,鈥� McCain writes that 鈥淪arah Palin made it known to me, via an email to a third party, that she was not pleased with me or what I wrote in my book.鈥�

She was referring to 鈥淒irty, Sexy Politics,鈥� her memoir of the 2008 presidential campaign.

鈥淚t seems that the only thing that gets any kind of major media attention when it comes to women in politics is either Sarah Palin or her numerous impersonators,鈥� she wrote in her column. 鈥淢ust we, as Republican women, clone ourselves in every way as Sarahbot鈥檚 to have a serious chance of running for office? And if so, what kind of dangerous message is this sending young women?鈥�

Ooo. Republican cub nips Mama Grizzly!

Meghan McCain鈥檚 firebrand remarks since 2008 may be part of a calculated scheme to advance her brand. Or she may really speak for a lot of young Republicans not all that happy with their party鈥檚 tea party trend (or the domination by social conservatives before that). Probably both.

She certainly veers from the party line on things like same-sex marriage, immigration, global warming, and abortion.

Maybe she should ask for the keys to the 鈥淪traight Talk Express,鈥� her dad鈥檚 campaign bus back when he first ran for president in 2000. But she has the tattoo, so she seems more like the motorcycle type.