PHOENIX - “He’s a maverick.” “He’s the consummate maverick.” “We’re a team of mavericks.” - You’ve all heard it time and again in recent weeks as Republican John McCain and fresh-faced running mate Gov. Sarah Palin slap on the maverick label to differentiate themselves from the GOP herd corralled inside the beltway in Washington.
But the New York Times reported on Sunday that the real Mavericks - a storied south Texas family with a long tradition in progressive politics - are not too happy about what they say is the misappropriation of their family name.
“I’m just enraged that McCain calls himself a maverick,” the Times reported Terrellita Maverick, 82, saying. The San Antonio resident is the scion of a family which has been outspoken about liberal causes for generations, and has otherwise bucked conventions.
The family’s name crept into the language for Samuel Augustus Maverick, a rancher who became known for not branding his cattle in the 1800s. Any unbranded cows found out on the range were simply known as “Maverick’s.”
Ranching aside, the Times reported that members of the Maverick family also have a long history championing often unpopular civil libertarian causes — from the rights of indentured servants in long ago New England to defending the cause of “draft resisters, atheists and others scorned by society” more recently in Texas.
Aside from an unbranded calf, the word maverick has come to mean a lone dissenter who takes an independent stand from his or her associates - a label handy for McCain, who has tried to distance his campaign from eight years of rule by the increasingly unpopular President George W. Bush. Nevertheless, the veteran Republican Arizona senator’s appropriation of the word still grates on the original Mavericks.
He “is in no way a maverick, in uppercase or lowercase,” the Times reported Terrellitta, 82, as saying.
“It’s just incredible - the nerve! - to suggest that he’s not part of that Republican herd. Every time we hear it, all my children and I and all my family shrink a little and say, ‘Oh, my God, he said it again.’ ”
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage
Photo credit: REUTERS/Brian Snyder (McCain greets people in Sedona, Arizona)
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Before the Mavericks were from Texas, they were from South Carolina, to be precise. The original Maverick plantation stands outside of Pendleton SC. I wonder if John McCain even really understands the meaning of the word, or has enough intellectual curiousity to look it up?
- Posted by LizHow the tides change. How easily both sides fall into their same tired camps. WAKE UP EVERYONE! The hatred spat out about the candidates is really ridiculous.
I find that one can regain their ‘center’ if they stop and realize that if the Republicans had chosen someone like Bobby Jindal for Pres. and the Democrats had chosen say, Biden at the top of the ticket, then all of the arguments about experience would be completely reversed. You’d see both sides arguing the exact opposite of what they are right now. Neither side really believes half of the things they say to win.
WAKE UP.
When Bush ran against Gore the experience v change argument was a complete reversal.
When Kerry ran against Bush, democrats cheered and praised the fact that they had a candidate with military experience. His first words to his convention that year were “reporting for duty (salute).”
WAKE UP.
Stop coming onto forums and simply spouting whatever talking points are circulating the media that day.
You are all sheep…
- Posted by jsgMaverick,
The river boat gamble? The card shark? The huckster? The con artist? The guy who was always one step away from the law? That is the Maverick I remember from the TV show and the movie.
This Maverick though he was pulling a rabbit out of his hat with Palin, that turned out to be a sknuk
- Posted by geekIt’s really disheartening when I see these very imflammatory comments. I know these guys can be anonymous, so they’re willing to spew anything, as long as their real name isn’t associated with them, but let’s look at some of these comments. Let’s look at a few, along with my comments:
1. “Reuters— you’re kidding right? This is news?”, by C. Strauss.
- Posted by Mitch Term, this is Reuters’ blog page, NOT the news page.
2. “I believe he (Obama) is a muslim…”, by “Linda”.
Not that there’s any indication that Obama is a muslim, but you make it sound like all muslims are bad. It’s a shame that so many conformists in our society attack anything that they personally are not, and assume it’s bad, and other people accept without argument.
3. “Does anybody else get a kick out of watching conservatives engage in mental gymnastics in order to justify McCain?”
You make it sound like every conservative likes McCain. Also, if the intent is to have conservatives vote for Obama, comments like this isn’t going to sway anyone.
who really cares, why is this being reported
- Posted by Joseph OlivieriAnytime somebody ends an internet posting with “fixed that for you”. And all they did was take the other person’s material and inserted a word here and or deleted a word there, it leads me to believe that person is a moron. Why don’t they try and express themselves you a somewhat original thought process. They might as well said, “I know you are but what am I.” Or, “I’m rubber and you’re glue.” I’m glad to see more people having access to computers and the internet, but I’m also deflated by the number of morons that have popped up.
- Posted by Your FatherTwyla from Texas -
- Posted by Elaine from RIWell said !
I do not think you can call someone a “Maverick”, especially, when been a prisoner of war. Basically, a “Maverick” is smart enough to get caught.
- Posted by abedWhy should I care what a family with a last name of MAVERICK thinks?
- Posted by Nick sIs really news worthy, or just a space filler?
- Posted by Retired[...] * Maverick family rejects John McCain [...]
- Posted by 10/7 The Linkdown » Oliver WillisOh yeah, McCain is going to change things and do away with pork. That’s why he and Obama and Biden all voted yes on a bailout bill that had $110 BILLION more added to it for nothing but pork. Give me a break. The choice boils down to a liar and a thief or a thief and a liar. I LIKE IKE!!!
- Posted by JMMMondays are indeed “slow news days” as indicated by this lame post about the Maverick family. No insult intended to them personally, nor their political persuasion.
Obama as President will likely be as dangerous and tragic as Clinton ignoring clear threats (London Daily News, 1998) made towards America by Osama bin hidin (in Pakistan.) Was is diplomatic to ignore the failed bombing attempt of the WTC in 1993? Or, that diplomacy was the answer to the bombing of the USS Cole?
The answer is NOT! NOBAMA for President!
McCain, like him or not, has bigger nuts than most of us. This is a matter of record and indisputable.
The financial markets will correct themselves.
Al Queda will not.
- Posted by Katie OI wonder how James Garner feels about it.
- Posted by John CI heard Ms. Terrellita Maverick on the radio. Someone asked if McCain was a Maverick. She said “He’s no Maverick. He’s branded!” A big old ‘GOP’ on his flanks.
- Posted by Kyle PWow. Someone from Texas not wanting to support John McCain? This is Incredible!!! Talk about real mavericks.
- Posted by BradThank you Mr. Maverick!
- Posted by Ben SmithThanks for setting Linda and others like her straight. Hopefully, she’ll do some deep thinking and see that Mr. Obama would make a much better leader that Mr. McCain. I guess people want to see what they want to see, especially xenophobic types. Anyone different makes them afraid. To me, Mr. Obama’s demeanor is a breath of fresh air. No, he isn’t perfect, but I think he has the wisdom and talent to lead our nation out of the mess it is in, thanks to 8 years of President Bush. I have confidence that he will pick an outstanding team to help help lead. Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin would mean disaster for us.
- Posted by Twyla from Texaslol, Obama.
Does anybody else get a kick out of watching liberals engage in mental gymnastics in order to justify Obama? They make some epic comments. I swear I could defend him better than they can just because they have lost track of how to notice glaring hypocricy.
(fixed that for you penkilk)
- Posted by Cognitive DissonanceWhat I wonder is how something like this became a news story in the first place. I can understand that the “Maverick” family is outraged by his and others use of the word. What I don’t understand how that is in any way news worthy. Is this really what journalism is now? C’monnnnnnnnn
- Posted by Jacob