I have been trying to understand why McCain would choose to apologize for not supporting MLK day on the anniversary of his death, rather than on the holiday itself, why he'd choose to do it in the rain, why he'd do it in a culturally sensitive location, with a hostile mostly black crowd, and why he'd do such a bad job of explaining his error. People booed him. And the more I think about it, the more I think that was his goal.
The day that MLK was killed is not just an anniversary of death, it also calls to memory the riots of that year-- riots that resulted in decades of backlash against the black community, disinvestment in inner-cities. The riots accelerated white flight. And, if you want to give white people a chance to feel justified in their negative feeling towards black people bringing up the riots is a good way to do it. I think McCain choose to give his apology in the way that he did, with hopes of provoking some kind of negative reaction-- He got some "booos" but not much else. I think he was hoping for more-- some kind of incident that would show how "horribly ungrateful" and untrustworthy black people "really are."
As it stands he accomplished some of his goal. Reading about it in a paper I was able to think "this apology is politically motivated, too late, and rather tepid... but it is the right thing to do" So, I can say: OK McCain. Thanks for finally coming around and seeing why this holidays is important. I think, for most people, that's how it would play-- in this light, the "boos" seem-- unfair and mean. McCain becomes the poor white man persecuted by political correctness-- no matter how hard he tries he just can't get it right! "What will it take to make these people happy?" I think there are a group of people in the US will sympathize with this:
Furthermore, his campaign theme seems to be martyrdom. You need only look at his videos with their emphasis on sacrifice and suffering to see this. Now, he's complaining that he's been called a "warmonger." He has a point-- a warmonger sells, and profits from war, although this may be what he ends up doing, technically speaking, in his bid to become president-- I don't honestly believe it is his intention. I just see him as someone who really believes that his solutions can work-- and someone who is wrong about that solution working. So, when people call him a warmonger it's like they are ganging up on him again. "And why is it that is OK to insult the old white guy, but if you say anything about the black man or the woman it's a big deal?" I think this is the kind of indignation that is very real for some people. So, even if it seem a little silly, because it is real indignation we ought to try to find common ground without trashing the emotions of others.
Trashing people only makes McCain look better... more persecuted. And, I think he wants this to happen. It's part of the game plan. McCain would like to turn back the clock on this campaign. He'd like to make it in to the old battle between "Dirty Hippies" and "Dudly Do-Right" --if he can provoke the kind of anti-war cries that tend to alarm the general public from the far left it will further his quest to become the white male conservative martyr-- under siege from the forces of diversity, rainbows and political correctness.
He wants to make this battle about the patriot, vs. the unpatriotic... the realist vs. the inexperienced... the sensible vs. the rabble.
But, that's not the whole story, that's just how it will look through the eyes of those who feel persecuted by political correctness.