It is amazing to watch him look put off and somewhat shocked that his constituents reject a rational, compassionate path to citizenship. When as you said...he, as well as Fox, Rush, Malkin, Hannity, Savage and the rest...have subtlety and overtly pounded the anger and fear of the cosmos into these rubes heads about not just illegal immigrants, but even legal ones.
It was an election game/acting to him. Of course, he can't say that to his constituents who are too dumb to figure it out for themselves. He can turn the partisan and bipartisan off and on. He's not Santorum, West, or Rand Paul. He's an old man, often out of touch, yelling from his front porch...but he's not bat shit crazy like the TP thinking people in that room with him, or in congress.
For him, he just turned off the partisan, because he sees the bigger picture. He and the other actors in his party FINALLY figured out running the "straight white campaign" will relegate them to 3rd party status. But the problem is, hes not appealing to the moderates in his party that perhaps bought into Rush and Foxs' crap for a time. Those people can probably be deprogrammed...but you can't deprogram the fuck'in lunacy they invited to their folds. Those fuckers he entertained didn't need to be sold, they were already whack-a-nut, fearful, nationalist, bigots...who got friggin super charged with all the incendiary shit. He's not going to change their minds, or give them something rational to ponder...because that would actually involve them having the ability to amp down and entertain other rationals.
you're right.. it's a game and if Mitt was in office McCain et al would be swinging the other way trying to stem the tide they created..
well, they would be
trying. what they don't realize, what they didn't realize during the election.. they've created a bubble that only the hard-core lunatic partisans can live in. the moderates and independents can't stand the lack of oxygen in the bubble so they bolted, leaving on the 'Bachman-class' inside.. The bubble-makers are just out for petty-vindictiveness. Hell the fact that they don't support their own bills if Obama/Reid supports them should be proof of that, but for some reason I can't explain the 'bubble-breathers' can't seem to figure this out.. they think the 'bubble-maker' is just really standing up to the president because they have values when no, they're just being dick-head cry babies that the black man won twice and if Mitt had won, they'd jump all over themselves voting for the exact same things they are filibustering Obama on..
every now and then tho.. something comes along that's rational and actually good for the country and the 'Bubble-maker' wants to vote for it.. or they realize they're in bed with extremists like Ted "I'm the new McCarthy" Cruz and it scares them into seeing clearly for a minute..either way, like you said, it's all been a game to them in the 1st place so they just switch hats and go out onto the 'middle-ground'..
and holy shit.. they find out the hell-scape they have created is super-retard-Frankenstein.. and any swaying away from the bubble they've created is met with violence and anger.. and
any slight deviation to the left, even one as so unpronounced as "we can't deport them all so we'll fine them,tax them and force them to speak English" is met with "What are you? a Communist Socialist?"
someone made an observation on all of McCain's wishy-washy-ness on a plethora of issues since Obama was elected and even back from when he ran against Bush and Bush made him the father of that illegitimate black child..and they noted that McCain's never really been a "Maverick".. he seen as one because he was GOP and he'd call out GWB for awhile there after the illegitimate-child thing.. What McCain really is is a vindictive old coot who can't let a grudge go.. whose anger issues control how vindictive and curmudgeonly he is.. and for the most part, he's Charlie Crist without the tan because he's not 'bucking any system' he's simply going where ever the angry winds blow him..
either way, it's going to be hilarious to watch 1/2 the party try and get out of the bubble they've created alive and intact.. while watching new bubble makers like Cruz destroy even more of the Republican brand. It isnt going to be pretty, or especially easy for Democrats.. but they next generation of children who are watching these circa 1950's and before ideologues are being turned off in droves from anything having to do with (R) and conservatism..