2008 My Morning With the Washington Veterans for McCain
posted by on July 22 at 15:50 PM
“John McCain is a great man.”
The speaker’s name was Bill Metzger, a retired captain dressed in a dowdy blue suit, his voice carrying over the crowd sternly. He knew John McCain was a great man because he had been a POW alongside him in Hanoi. He knew because, even as they both suffered daily from untreated injuries, John McCain had given up his chance for early release.
“John McCain has been tested. John McCain passed the test. I know, I was there.”
Up to this moment, as roughly fifty people gathered this morning in the Remembrance Garden outside of Benaroya Hall, for the kick-off rally of Washington Veterans for John McCain, Metzger had the crowd in the palm of his hand. It was the kind of ‘band of brothers’ rhapsodizing that drives grown men to tears.
And then he went off message.
John McCain running against Barack Obama was like “Ronald Reagan running against Fidel Castro.”
Oh well.
This event was held on the first day of ugly weather in recent memory and emceed by another member of the steering committee for Washington Veterans for McCain, former Navy captain Doug Roulstone. Roulstone was picked in 2006 to run against Congressman Rick Larsen and had been joined on the campaign trail by Dick Cheney. It went about as well for him as you’d expect.
Now Roulstone was declaring that this was “the first skirmish in a war! Become part of this McCain army!”
It brought cheers from a crowd that was a mixed bag of older veterans and younger servicemen. Shout-outs to McChord Airforce Base and Fort Lewis were big applause lines. Roulstone informed me that he intended to use that reservoir of veterans to flip Washington to McCain. “There are 640,000 veterans… There’s this huge demographic of military people potentially supporting McCain. We’re out here to build up that coalition.”
All of this (aside from the less-than-obvious parallels between Senator Obama and Fidel Castro) stayed close to the patriotic script, obviously passed down from McCain headquarters.
The real prize, for me, was an interview I got with a former Clinton supporter whose only problem with Barack Obama is “his lack of a clue.”
Her name is Brandy Fraser—“No ‘i’ and no ‘z’!”—and she had been waving a sign reading “Democrats for McCain” enthusiastically throughout the entire event. She smiled broadly, her eyebrows drawn on thickly.
“A lot of Hillary supporters cannot, in good conscience, support Obama,” Fraser told me, a small crowd of McCain supporters circling us. She was a “lifelong Democrat,” though admitted that she’d occasionally cross over to vote for a Republican. “I’m a candidate voter.”
The journey of Brandy Fraser started in the caucus in her native Monroe, where she had made the decision that she would never support Barack Obama for the presidency. She wouldn’t go into specifics, but his policies were, across the board, a turn-off for her. His books frightened her, hearing them read in his own voice frightened her more.
“I grew up in the Vietnam-era,” she explained. Wait, what?
Distinctly aware of the people listening in on our conversation, I asked her if she was pro-choice, and if she was aware that John McCain had said he would appoint judges that would overturn Roe v. Wade.
“I do have an issue with that. And I am willing to take that risk, for the benefit of the country on all the other issues… My choice is to look at the bigger picture.”
That bigger picture now encompasses voting for Dino Rossi as well, as Fraser said she wouldn’t vote for Gregoire, “If she was the only one running.”
The Democrats apparently have quite a hill to climb if they want Brandy Fraser’s vote back.
Rat fucker.
She better find some way to prove she has ever voted for a Democrat. Otherwise, rat fucker.
At first I wanted to call Brandy a stupid cunt. Then I thought better of it and instead wanted to reach out to her in some way, start a dialogue. Then I looked at her statements again and realized that there's nothing to talk about there. She's basically saying "I don't actually have a reason why I'm not voting for Obama, I'm just not, so there!" And now I'm back to thinking she's a stupid old cunt.
It's pretty obvious why she "can't" vote for Obama, but was in love with Hillary:
Another white woman afraid of all black men.
Brenda Fraser is a charming slip of the keyboard...Brenda FRAZIER was one hot babe back in the day. Wiki her hotness if you so choose.
As for calling Brandy Fraser a c*nt, well, that's just OTT. As is calling her a rat fucker. Why not just call her wrong?
Or are you loins calling out for Bellevue, kesh???
The whole time I was reading this, it sort of felt like I was tipping back in my chair, like just a little too far, and I got that feeling like I was going to tip over and that feeling just stayed there until I finished the post. And now it won't go away.
@Notorious JTC,
Thanks for the catch. "Charming slip of the keyboard" indeed.
Sorry JTC, how about the lame 'dead-ender' then? But really, there needs to be something stronger than just "wrong". Out-to-lunch? Can 'curmudgeon' be used when describing a woman? It's close but still not there. What's the word for "I'm wrong, I know I'm wrong and therefore can't defend my opinions, and I'm gonna demand you shape up to win me over but I won't tell you how to do it!"?
@4,
My point is that she's a Republican. I don't buy for a second that she has ever voted for a Democrat.
I'm always curious about these 'lifelong Democrats' who suddenly cannot vote for Obama. How often has she 'occasionally crossed over' to vote for a Republican? Did anyone think to ask who she voted for in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004?
So she loved Hillary, but can't stand any of Obama's policies. Across the board. But she doesn't like McCain's pro-life views, which means she agrees with Obama on that?
...wait, what?
I wonder what could be .. coloring .. her view.
Democrats for McCain? Makes me think of Jews for Jesus.
...or Holocaust Survivors for Buchanan back in 2000....
@7, lame dead-ender is pretty good!!! Or crotchety sea-hag.
@8, yeah, I'm inclined to agree with you. But you didn't answer my question -- are you developing a hormonal gas bubble that needs some BA therapy?
i for one am proud of metzger. he's updated the well-worn Republican analogy a good 40 years, from the old chestnut "Winston Churchill vs. Neville Chamberlain" to "Reagan vs. Castro."
JTC @13, Isn't 'crotchety sea-hag' the same as 'cunt'?
@13,
No.
@15, absolutely not. In the former you are not rudely and risibly denigrating a woman's anatomy and equating it with something nasty and vile.
@16, damn.
@15,
No, it's not the same. It's about a thousand times better. This week I'll be doing my damnedest to work that one into a conversation.
Thanks for the detail about the eyebrows.
In a quick search, I could find no contributions by a B. Fraser from WA State to any political campaign. Her web site (which is "coming soon") is registered by a Scott Fraser, whose business is "Indian Highlander Ranch (www.indian-highlander). I could find no contributions by S. Fraser in Washington State for any Presidential or local candidate, democrat or republican.
Anyone here live in Monroe, where this business is located, and can enlighten us as to whether or not Brandy has any history with the democratic party there?
What's up with the funky popups on these photos, and why don't the other Slog articles do that?
You know, I tend to think a lot of those "Hillary 4Ever B. Hussein Never!" were truly Reagan Democrats. People who might have been registered as a "D" but hadn't voted for a Dem since Carter or earlier.....for whatever strange reason Hillary appealled to them in the primary.
Oh, Brandy. STFU. Please.
1.) Brandy is a racist.
2.) Most veterans are not stupid. They're not even very cohesive as a group, outside of the VFW or Legion hall. (Actually, truth be told, most of them are there for the booze)
Thus, they won't all vote for McCain.
Just endless, endless support for BO in all forms of media. Gag. I can say this and I usually vote Dem! I prolly still will vote for BO but shit.
We won't support ball-less NO-Bama and will re-defeat him in November!!!
@17,
Trying to play matchmaker, Jube?
@27, not at all. You know you want him. He knows he wants you.
The match is made -- I'm just trying to push you both toward the futon (that's hippy for "bed).
I don't know what makes him think that all veterans vote for any particular candidate.
I'm a veteran (living in WA). I have at least three close friends who are also veterans. I can assure you that none of us will be voting for McCain.
And sorry, comparing Obama to Castro just makes Metzger sound like a raving lunatic. Not helping his cause a whole lot with that kind of speech.
"Wait, what?"
If this connection escapes you, maybe you haven't been listening to Obama.
Brand Obama embraces the rightwing apprehension of the 60's movements -- including the antiwar movement.
Like it or not, there are life-long year-round full-time progressive Democratic activists who unequivocally reject Obama.
The rest of you are not paying attention.
"Like it or not, there are life-long year-round full-time progressive Democratic activists who unequivocally reject Obama."
we call those people "fucking idiots."
@31 we call Obamatons "brainless dumb fuks"
Personally I can't wait for the debates. If I were Obama I would have a debate every week until the election. McCain doesn't have a policy to stand on and he can't think on his feet when someone asks an unexpected question.
Any "Hillary supporter" that is voting McCain clearly doesn't know what McCain stands for and doesn't know his history.
Of course they know his history. They just don't care because what are principles when faced with that tantalizing prospect of indulging a fit of pique?
Fnarf@21: The pictures here have had cool popups for a while, if that's what you mean. See:
http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/657/wbcchurchsignwi2.jpg
I think that only works on the permalink page, not the comments popup, tho...
You people are the biggest racists I've ever encountered. If someone doesn't vote for Obama, they are a white woman afraid of black men. So I guess the same can be said for all blacks voting for Obama: they're racist against White McCain; has nothing to do with his policies (or lack thereof)!
This has nothing to do with Obama's color; I'm not there yet on voting for him. He hasn't said one thing on HOW he plans to do all this stuff; or given an alternative to our energy crisis, mid-east crisis, etc. He just criticizes other's plans. Maybe rightfully so (think "gas tax holiday"), but still, what is Barack's plan????
Presently, Hillary will be my write-in candidate, so that the vote doesn't tally for McCain; but it also will not tally for Obama. . . yet.
bing @ 31 -- You can call people who disagree with you "fucking idiots", "Republicans", "racists", and all manner of things ... but that does not make it so.
Here's another outbreak of fucking idiocy. Feel free to join the discussion if you think you can come up to speed on the subject matter.
I don't believe that Brandy was ever a Democrat, but so what if she is? People like this are willfully ignorant and can't be reasoned with. Let her vote for McCain, and when her granddaughters ask her if she voted for Obama back when history was made she can explain why she was such a stupid koont.
@37
Your ability to repeat Republican Talking Points is noted. However, if you are truly interested in learning exactly how Obama plans to do things, I suggest that you visit his web site where all that information is posted in dramatically boring detail.
Unless, of course, you'd rather crap some more talking points out of your mouth. I'm betting on the latter.
@40:
Thanks so much. I was hoping to find out why he has supported wiretapping, gun promotion in the Urban neighborhood, unlimited campaign spending, and pushing Christian values on everyone at the expense of the secular taxpayer all these years (it has been years that he has espoused these values, hasn't it?). Once I go to his website to read all that he has to "say" (once again, with no history on "doing", except for organizing pick up basketball games to keep thugs from killing each other in Chicago, which should really help with the Middle-East conflict)I'm afraid that I'll find out that he's espousing REPUBLICAN ideals, won't I?? Given that he has such integrity, I'm sure that the details that are listed on his website (which should supercede his short congressional record, of course) as to why he supports those policies are laid out in "dramatically boring detail" and will help me to justify why I cannot vote for this Image. You can certainly vote for this Republican; its your right. I'll vote Democratic, thank you, and stick with my choice of Hillary! See you at the Poles (unless you're under 30, that is. . . .)!
@41 it's nice to know there are other democrats who can see through Odrama's slickness. Come November let's see how many Hillary supporters make a difference.
So that's what ECB looks like in real life. Got it, thanks.
I happened upon that rally as I was heading to the elitist Seattle Art Museum.
Something funny that happened after the rally- all (3) the Vets4McCain signs that were being held up by actual veterans were picked up by the bowtied Tucker Carlson wannabe young republican who had done the actual writing of the signs. Note- he did not raise his hand in response to whether he had served.
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