For those of you are confused, with John McCain and Sarah Palin calling themselves mavericks every chance they get, even when it isn’t appropriate to the topic at hand…this is a Maverick:
As in Brett Maverick, a charming gambler played by various actors in films and television, but probably most famously, entertainingly and roguishly by James Garner (pictured above) for the Maverick TV series.
In the big-screen remake, Mel Gibson (below) did a decent job in the title role:
These two are not mavericks.
(Incidentally, if they weren’t running a campaign with thinly veiled racism, trying to pit America against each other along class lines, telling outright lies about themselves and their opponents, and generally stooping to dirty tactics all the way around, maybe I wouldn’t harp on them so much.)
In case you need more help on this issue, let’s bring Mr. Webster into the mix:
mav·er·ick | Pronunciation: ˈmav-rik, ˈma-və- | Function: noun | Etymology: Samuel A. Maverick 1870 American pioneer who did not brand his calves | Date: 1867 | 1: an unbranded range animal ; especially : a motherless calf | 2: an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party
You see, John McCain is apparently still trying to earn the respect of his grandfather and father, both accomplished admirals in the Navy. Maverick-y? Think not.
He ditched his first wife—while she was ailing, no less—for the current one, a beer distribution heiress, which allows him to have numerous homes and an obscene number of cars. All so he could be with the “in” crowd and have all that comfort and wealth. What a maverick there!
He sided with George W. Bush a hellaciously large amount of the time, even though Dubya was dead-wrong on most of his major policies over the past eight years. Way to go against the grain, McCain!
As for Palin, damn, she benefited from using the old boy’s network in her state and pretending to root out corruption, and she is using 50s and 60s style feminine flirting tactics to give boners to male voters (who fail to see the hypocrisy of standing up for family values and lusting after the VP candidate) so that there won’t be enough blood in their brains to see the McCain Palin ticket is empty of ideas.
Yeah, those are some real mavericks there…
You know, I want to apologize to Sarah Palin, because I overlooked one thing she had a hand in that was truly a maverick move.
The decision to make women pay for the rape kits that would (1) help prove they were sexually assaulted and (2) provide evidence that could convict the rapist.
THAT was maverick! That was thinking outside the box.
Of course, it was incredibly EVIL, too, but I have to admit it was a maverick move.