The Maverick Meghan McCain: Like Father like Daughter

Meghan McCain, the somewhat colorful daughter of Senator John McCain, has a new book out, "Dirty, Sexy, Politics" that has, upon the cover, a picture of Ms. McCain herself quite fetching in tight blue jeans atop the head of a Republican elephant.

Since the abortive run for the presidency of her father, Meghan McCain has been carrying on the family tradition of poking in the collective eye of Republicans, whom she considers excessively right-wing and out-of-step with more moderate young people, such as herself. This quality seems to have endeared Meghan to the mainstream media - up to a point - as much as it has irritated conservatives.

Actually, there is not much daylight, if one can believe a story in The Daily Caller from a few months back, between Meghan McCain and most conservatives about whom she is expressing disdain.

"McCain stressed her beliefs in a strong national defense, a limited government that leaves people alone and said, 'the health-care bill has scared the sh-t out of me this week.' Spending, she said, was the common thread among Republicans of all stripes, and that's what keeps her a proud member of the Republican Party.

"'Start talking about Afghanistan and I'll show you just how Republican I am.'"

Megan seems to be more moderate on social issues, supporting same-sex marriage, for instance. But some of her disdain for other Republicans, especially female conservatives like Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham, seem to be more personal than political.

The Washington Post seems to be unable to figure out what to make of Ms. McCain in its review of "Dirty, Sexy, Politics." The review quotes with glee her barbs against Sarah Palin, whom Megan seems to blame for her father's campaign getting off the rails. But the Post also takes note of Ms. McCain's own weird behavior - at one point suggesting that Barack Obama was "sexy" - that got her banished, for all intents and purposes, from the campaign.

As with so many other people, Sarah Palin seems to live rent-free in Meghan McCain's head, fascinating and appalling her at the same time. In the same Daily Caller article, she expressed admiration for Palin as a politician who can "kick a-." This seems to be just a simple acknowledgment of Palin's growing power in American politics.

Still, one wonders if there is room on this planet for two McCains who like to bash on fellow Republicans, apparently out of the sheer joy of doing the bashing. In any event, Meghan McCain has a bright future in the mainstream media. There is nothing that the MSM loves more than a self-described conservative who lashes out at other conservatives with more zeal than the radical left.

Sources: Dirty, Sexy, Politics, Meghan McCain, Hyperion, 2010

Meghan McCain: Laura Ingraham 'can continue to kiss my a--!', Alec Jacobs, The Daily Caller, March 26th, 2010

Review of 'Dirty Sexy Politics,' by Meghan McCain, Steven Levingston. The Washington Post, September 1st, 2010