Jesus' General has the graphic that tells all:
Substantiation: compare McCain's statement that Roe v. Wade should be repealed yesterday with McCain's pro-Roe v. Wade remarks in 1999 when he was trying to run left of the field:
“But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”
A man with no principles, or merely very changeable ones?
Updates: (1) Changed his view on Ethanol subsidies too (a big issue in Iowa…), but at least here he has a plausible excuse — higher gas prices. (2) And maybe the pander / lie was in 1999, given his consistent voting record against reproductive freedom?
Let’s be serious: The only reason Democrats ever thought McCain had principles was that at one time he found it useful to pander to Democrats; It got him good press because most people in the press are Democrats, and trying to win the nomination on the basis of crossover votes when the Democratic nomination wasn’t contested looked like a feasible strategy.
None of this really applies anymore, so he’s back to pandering to his own party’s base. And is precisely as unprincipled as ever, even if you’re only now noticing.