In terms of children of Presidential hopefuls, I’m quite confident that no child has played as significant of a role in their fathers campaign for the White House than Meghan McCain.
I’ve been to her blog McCainBlogette.com, a few times now and I think the way she’s been able to show a different, more youthful side to her father and his campaign has been nothing short of impressive. What’s even more impressive about Meghan McCain, more so than her blog, is the fact that it doesn’t seem like she is going to pretend to be someone she isn’t just because her father is running for President.
Working on a variety of campaigns and more recently living and working in DC, one thing I’ve come to realize is that authenticity isn’t an expectation inside the Beltway or in politics, in fact I don’t even think it’s an assumption anymore. I think politics has become more of a “who knows who,” “who knows what,” and “who knows how” type of world. However, I will argue that knowing “who’s doing who” has seemed to carry some people I know quite far in this city.
Being someone who likes to see people for who they really are, it’s refreshing to see people, especially those tied to front-runners maintaining their authenticity. I guess in the world of politics, being authentic can very well be considered a maverick lifestyle.
With that being said, I was quite pleased to see that Meghan McCain agreed to do an interview with one of my favorite magazines, GQ (yes, I’m sure you’re surprised it isn’t the National Review or something). In this months GQ, which is also their Annual Love, Sex & Madness Issue (just an FYI), Meghan gives a more unfiltered view of who she is.
While I’m not going to go into the whole article, there are just a few interesting things I thought I’d pull from it.
In discussing her cultural tastes:
Meghan’s cultural tastes are pretty straight down the middle for a recent college grad. She went crazy for Superbad, Knocked Up, and The Big Lebowski (“I fucking love that movie”). On TV she’s currently riveted by MTV’s A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. “It’s a bisexual-dating show!” she cries. “It’s hilarious!”
When she ticks off a list of celebrities she’s into, she offers a surprising pick: the burlesque stripper Dita Von Teese. “I know she’s not someone you would expect the daughter of a Republican candidate to like, but I love her,” she says. “I love the way she dresses. If I could look like that all day, I would…in her day clothes, I mean.
“And, yes, I know she’s a fetish star, but”—she lowers her head for this—“I think that’s rock ’n’ roll.”
One thing that I’ve noticed from working on campaigns is that when it comes to talking about what television shows the politicians like, for Republicans it seems that the answer has always been something safe like 24, Prison Break, etc. Of the campaigns that I’ve worked on where the children spoke at events, or were ever interviewed, I can guarantee that something like A Shot of Love would never have come up. However, it’s pretty safe to assume that they all watch similar shows.
I think this is just one of the ways that Meghan McCain is able to show that she doesn’t care what people think about her and I think that is something that she got from her dad. In looking at the polls, I think it’s that attitude (vs. “politics as usual”) that will show him as a strong leader and lead to him getting elected.
As for Dita Von Teese, I don’t think that there is any straight guy reading this article who doesn’t think she is one of the best natural beauties around, who like the McCain’s, doesn’t care what people think about her (Dita’a past marriage to Marilyn Manson confirms that).
On Mitt Romney:
By the time we arrive at Garduño’s, the discussion has moved on to the Romney brothers’ dad, Mitt. It’s two days after he suspended his run, and we’re trying to puzzle out why voters never really got around to liking the guy.
“Mitt didn’t keep it real,” Meghan says, munching on a nacho chip.
My quick two cents on Garduño’s: Please note there are much better places in Scottsdale than Garduño’s Margarita Factory. Don’t assume that just because Meghan McCain goes there that the food is spectacular, it really isn’t. Though, the drinks are cheap.
As for her thoughts on Mitt Romney, I would have to agree with her. Mitt Romney is/was a great candidate for President, however if I were his consultant advising him for his next run in a few years, the biggest piece of advice that I could give him is “keep it real.” I think Mitt did a great job of this in the beginning, however it seems that he got caught up in trying to always give the best, most diplomatic answer, he made himself look like a political hack, even though that really wasn’t who he was, or how he saw his candidacy. Politics as usual isn’t going to work in this election.
On dating:
“You want to hear a hilarious story?” she asks. “I guess you can print this if you want, but it’s not my finest moment. Once, this guy at Columbia was talking to his friends. He was like, ‘Meghan McCain this’ and ‘Meghan McCain that,’ going on, saying that he’d slept with me and that it was great. I just happened to be walking by at the time. I was like, ‘Hi, I’m Meghan McCain. I didn’t realize that we’d met.’ He turned ghost white, so I showed him my ID, and I was like, ‘I’m glad you were sharing our passionate love story.’ ”
Meghan confesses that her real love life hasn’t been especially active lately. She’s gone on only one official date since her dad’s campaign began, but she bowed out early with a “headache.” Then there was also the rumor that she’d been seen with—horrors—a Ron Paul supporter.
“That has been blown out of proportion in every way!” she exclaims. “What happened is that I dropped my coffee and he helped me with it and was like, ‘Do you want to go to Baja Fresh?’… Not that I would be against dating a Ron Paul supporter, but he turned out to be very strange. He collected Barbie dolls. I called my girlfriends after and was like, ‘That’s weird, right?’ ”
I’m not sure thats weird when discussing Ron Paul supporters. I think that there are many who would agree that he definitely has a unique group of backing him. The Barbie collection doesn’t surprise me at all. In fact, I’d imagine that for some of those guys, between flooding message boards and impromptu rallies, Barbie dolls are probably the closest thing to a girlfriend that many of them have (ok, I’m only half serious on that one).
As for the guy at Columbia, all I can say is that its probably just going to get worse. In fact, there are two bloggers in particular that I know who are convinced that their blogging activities are going to score them a date with Meghan. I didn’t think that they were serious at first, but eventually I was convinced that they truly think that their basement blogging is going to win her heart. Some guys might use words to win a girl over, some might try jewelery and I guess in todays tech world, others will try to win them over with Digg’s and Technorati rankings… I know some women say size matters, but I’m pretty sure they weren’t referring to the size of ones blogroll…
Guys, take note:
“I like bad boys for the most part,” Meghan adds. “In the past, I have liked tattooed guys who wear Converse. But I’d be open to anyone as long as you have a sense of humor. I have also dated totally normal guys who look like you, I guess—D.C.-looking guys.”
D.C.-looking guys?
“Journalist, yuppie, metrosexual guys. How’s that? You’re metro.”
“I’m an acquired taste,” Meghan says matter-of-factly. “I’m a daughter of a Republican senator. I started dating this guy, and he wouldn’t date me anymore because he found out who my dad was. He says, ‘I don’t agree with his politics.’ Isn’t that terrible? That’s why you’re dumping me? We only went on two dates, but still. Not everybody wants to go out with somebody so high-profile. If they do, they’re investment bankers. Seriously. Ugh! If you’re an investment banker, don’t hit on me. You can quote me. I’m not interested.”
I have a feeling that might have ruined the next few months for a couple of people that I know. Sorry guys.
On Politics:
Besides, it’s not like Meghan has ever toed the Republican Party line. It’s well- known that four years ago, when her father decided it’d be in his best interest to back George W. Bush’s reelection, she voted for John Kerry. “My dad actually outed me,” she says.
“I’m an Independent. Socially liberal, economically conservative. I believe in a lot of Republican ideals, with the war being the number one thing I completely agree with my dad on.”
I’d argue that a good portion of Republicans in this age group (18-30) can see things through the same political point of view as Meghan McCain. Many will probably challenge me on this, but I think that amongst young Republicans, in terms of social issues (especially homosexuality), that they are more moderate than some of the “old guard” would like. But its one of those things that Party is going to have to work with, otherwise some of these young people will leave the party all together and become independents. Some could, and have argued that this phenomenon could very well lead to a surge in the growth of the Libertarian Party.
It’s one of many great political/social dilemmas the GOP is going to have to face in the coming years, which is why focusing on the economy above all else has to be the top priority for boosting support of the party’s candidates. I cant even think of the last time that I heard any of the three remaining candidates discuss social issues, it seems that they are only sticking to the economy and Iraq, aka, “playing it safe.”
There is a lot more to the interview and I urge everyone to read it here.
