A Cause About the Size of My Self-Interest

John McCain's website's gotten a nifty makeover, giving no indication that he's a Republican and aimed at convincing people that he's the real environmentalist candidate in this race even though I don't believe you could find a single actual environmentalist or environmental group to bac that claim up. But it also has a navigation sidebar on the right-hand side reproduced over here on the left. As is common with John McCain, the idea of supporting a cause greater than self-interest is invoked. But in this case, it's an invocation to give money to John McCain.

The cause, in short, is greater than your self -- it's the greater glory of John McCain. That, my friends, is the kind of change you can really believe in.

Comments

looks like they hijacked a couple of Linspire icons. i wonder if the Linspire team is aware...

Posted by Cody | June 26, 2008 12:35 PM

Given that B. Hussein Obama has promised to surrender to Al Qeada in Iraq if elected, getting McCain elected is the difference between freedom and death for millions of Iraqis. Ideally, we would have two candidates who were responsible on foreign policy and would have the luxury of picking on domestic issues; as it stands, however, B. Hussein Obama is dangerously underqualified and we would be better off picking a president from the phone book than electing him. Throw in McCain dedicating most of his adult life to public service, and this election is an easy one.

Posted by American Hawk | June 26, 2008 12:44 PM

OMG! I played the pork that game is completely not a rip-off of Space Invaders! I felt like I was fighting pork right along Senator McCain!

Posted by Matt Brown | June 26, 2008 12:47 PM

OMG! I played the pork game is completely not a rip-off of Space Invaders! I felt like I was fighting pork right along Senator McCain!

Posted by Matt Brown | June 26, 2008 12:47 PM

Looking under the "cause greater than self" tag, they have links to suggested organizations, as well as a tool to collect people's stories.

This is going to be, like HOURS of filler at the convention--I'll bet anything we see an endless parade of people volunteering and talking about how Republican values are all about self-sacrifice and generosity. Which is basically volunteering in your spare time.

This is literally their entire campaign--a million points of light, on crack. John McCain is salt of the earth guy who has dedicated his life to the service of others (just like all those volunteers!! There are no Obama supporters who volunteer!), and Obama is a power-hungry limousine liberal elitist arrogant cocksucker.

Posted by anon | June 26, 2008 12:49 PM

i wonder if American Hawk is one of those netizens that can now request money from the McCain campaign for proof of spreading "McCain's message". i sure hope so, because i would love nothing more than for McCain's campaign to be shown giving money to people who suggest Obama has promised to surrender to Al Qeada.

Posted by Cody | June 26, 2008 12:52 PM

um, isn't the "cause greater than self" link actually tied to giving testimonials about charitable work? the top button is to contribute, but if you click Get Started you go here:

http://johnmccain.com/ActionCenter/CauseGreaterThan/cause.aspx

it looks pretty smart to me, image-wise.

Posted by yaz | June 26, 2008 1:12 PM

And I forgot to add uppity.

That Barack Obama and his baby mama are running for office because they are uppity. And not real Americans who run because they believe in things like patriotism! And putting their country first like POWs do!

They are as selfish as the Clintons, only in a more black-and-uppity kind of way! Would you like to see my thousand points of light? Because I am not selfish.

Let's not talk about issues or what we will actually DO in office. Let's talk about who is running for office because they are servers who serve in service, and who is arrogant and uppity.

Clearly, Obama has known for some time that this is coming. When he won in NC and the primary ended, he said: "I respect John McCain's service to his country, even if he does not respect mine." Booya!

Posted by anon | June 26, 2008 1:14 PM

Yes, AH, domestic issues are luxuries. Healthcare, affordable housing, retirement security, crime, breathable air, poverty: these are but so much tinsel on our super awesome bunker busters. As long as there are teh Mooslimz out there, we can't think about that stuff.

Foreign policy : food and water :: domestic policy : a house in the Hamptons

Or something like that.

As it happens, of course, for most people who think rationally, Obama's foreign policy vision is his biggest advantage over McCain.

Posted by jhupp | June 26, 2008 1:16 PM

That Pork Invaders game kicks ass. I wonder if they went with a 1970s game because it marks the extent of McCain's computer knowledge.

Posted by NHCt | June 26, 2008 1:20 PM

And you can earn points for parroting his talking points on blogs! From his site:

Select from the numerous web, blog and news sites listed here, go there, and make your opinions supporting John McCain known. Once you’ve commented on a post, video or news story, report the details of your comment by clicking the button below. After your comments are verified, you will be awarded points through the McCain Online Action Center. (bold mine)

Hey, American Hawk, how many McCain points have you acquired? How many do you need to earn a pair of his used boxers you so greatly desire?

Posted by LFC | June 26, 2008 1:24 PM

I don't think it's supposed to be a game, I think it's McCain's actual plan for eliminating pork.

Posted by ibid | June 26, 2008 1:24 PM

As is common with John McCain, the idea of supporting a cause greater than self-interest is invoked. But in this case, it's an invocation to give money to John McCain.

HUH???

Is Matthew incompetent to actually click on the link. When one clicks on the "Cause Greater Than Self" link, there is no "invocation to give money to John McCain" - there are invocations to give money to The Red Cross and some other charities, or to tell the campaign about your volunteer work.

It has nothing whatsoever to do with giving money to John McCain.

Is Matthew incompetent to click to see what the link was for? Or too lazy to do so? Or just a liar? (Since Matthew is a blogger for the Obama campaign, I would normally choose liar, given that Obama is a liar, but maybe Matthew really is this incompetent.)

Posted by Al | June 26, 2008 1:45 PM

yaz is right, the "Support a cause that is greater than your own self interest" line is a subheading for the link to a page about charitable organizations. Each of the other items on that list has a different text appear below if you click on it. So that line is definitely not referring to the "Contribute" button or any of the other items on the list. I think McCain's "I'm running for President for the greater good" shtick is complete BS, but this is definitely not making any suggestion that giving money to McCain is some sort of greater cause. I don't think criticizing his campaign for honestly asking people to get involved with charitable organizations is in order.

Posted by ibid | June 26, 2008 1:47 PM

Recognizing those who serve a cause greater than self is an interesting theme (and in concept I like it more than the Dems' greenier than thou convention); in practice, though, the candidate who is getting people up and off the couch and involved for the first time is not the Republican. It's like they're looking at that page of talking points and saying "Okay, change. Change is good. Also the environment, get that in there--green backgrouds. (Also true for the OR Rep Sen running on Obama's coattails--lots of green.) And an appeal to the idea of sacrifice, but honoring and rewarding those who do it, rather than asking people to do it themselves....that needs a button."

Speaking of which I must go see the McCain points for blog comments, which takes not quite getting the internet to new levels.....

Posted by Deborah | June 26, 2008 1:48 PM

Thank you to LFC, and I ask Matt to determine just what valuable prizes you can win through accumulating verified-talking-point-blog comments!

Posted by Deborah | June 26, 2008 2:04 PM

Above commenters are right -- the cause greater than self is not in fact making McCain president.

Posted by neil | June 26, 2008 2:08 PM

Learn how to write a grammatically correct sentence before calling others incompetent.

Posted by EU | June 26, 2008 2:15 PM

That Pork Invaders game kicks ass. I wonder if they went with a 1970s game because it marks the extent of McCain's computer knowledge.

I'm pretty sure they're very in touch with the technological goings-on and are doing that to capitalize on the super-excellent recently released Space Invaders Extreme.

Posted by jbryan | June 26, 2008 2:29 PM

I blasted 22730 million in pork! Which is pretty impressive, since that's 132% of the total amount of pork in the 2008 federal budget, according to the Pig Book put out by Citizens Against Government Waste.

Posted by Dan | June 26, 2008 2:40 PM

This message I guess goes with McCain's new ad campaign. Evidently, McCain is in favor of the environment, keeping America safe & strong, God, mother and apple pie. And if you like these things, you should vote for McCain too [or else].

I wonder if there is a possible counter-ad that can highlight that "for all of McCain's experience and his love of apple pie, he sure doesn't seem to have any idea of how to make apple pie". McCain's ad was laughably light on substance.

Posted by DAS | June 26, 2008 2:54 PM

I was disappointed to see the direct links to the golf gear disappeared...

Posted by N M | June 26, 2008 2:57 PM

Even if the greater cause had been McCain, I couldn't blame them. The real question is why anyone would try to get McCain elected in the first place. Once they've crossed that threshold, they clearly need a lot of lipstick for that pig, and the greater cause blather may be the best they can do.

Posted by peter | June 26, 2008 2:59 PM

Speaking of which I must go see the McCain points for blog comments, which takes not quite getting the internet to new levels.....

I suspect we'll see a new resurgence of parody trolls in a bit.

Posted by Persia | June 26, 2008 3:05 PM

Can we turn the term "McCainSpace" into an innuendo? Examples:

"He got an infection, and it was really painful because it was in his McCainSpace."

"So you saw her naked?"
"Well, everything except her McCainSpace."

Etc.

Posted by Brendan Mackie | June 26, 2008 4:53 PM

I told you before: McCain is running ENTIRELY on being a "war hero".

That's what ALL this "service" crap is about.

If Obama can't find a way to deal with that, McCain is going to be President no matter how stupid his policies are.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | June 26, 2008 5:07 PM

You know who is a war hero? These men and women at home unable to work because they gave their minds and bodies in service of their country, or the children with no parents, because they were sacrificed by the government, not this man whose made a career out of his image.

Posted by brenna | June 26, 2008 6:15 PM