In an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast, Rowena Willis says her twin sister is resigned about McCain's fate.
A grueling and bitter campaign has taken its toll on family morale, John McCain's aunt, Rowena Willis, told The Daily Beast today in an exclusive interview.
According to the 96 year-old Willis, her twin sister, Roberta McCain, the candidate's mother, has become resigned to her son's electoral fate.
"She really doesn't care," Willis said of her 96-year old twin sister, who has campaigned for her son and recorded TV ads with him. “‘Let these bastards get in,’ she says, ‘I don't give a damn anymore. If these people want to buy votes and get their people in office, let them suffer for it in the way of high taxes.’”
"I'm hoping he wins, for the country's sake,” McCain’s aunt said. “I figure it will kill him, but he's going to die one day anyway, so he might as well do it there."
Willis has done her part for her nephew's campaign, donating the maximum $2,300 to the candidate in June. Today she joined two nieces at 6:30 a.m. to go vote at a precinct on Larchmont Blvd. in Los Angeles, California, where she said turnout was unusually high.
"I waited an hour at least," she said. "I've lived here 65 years and I've never seen lines like this."
She said she had little patience for voters who complained about long lines at early voting stations that were open throughout the week in various states.
"I sat in line more than an hour today and I'm nearly 100. We should have one day of voting and if these people are too weak to vote, too bad," she said.
In an interview earlier this month with The Daily Beast, Willis told me that McCain was losing. McCain's mother told supporters at the time to "pray for a miracle," and Willis said she was still praying for a victory for her beloved nephew, whom she described as "honest" and incorruptible.
"I'm hoping he wins, for the country's sake. I figure it will kill him, but he's going to die one day anyway, so he might as well do it there," she said, "But that man is honest—he has all the money in the world, he could do whatever he wants, even without his wife's money, which he does not have; they keep it separate. He has a good pension from the Navy and my father was very rich."
Sarah Palin also won high praise from Willis: "I think she's marvelous. I don't care how inexperienced she is or anything else—she's been through a lot. She did vote against her party and she has cancelled a lot of those pork barrel requests in Alaska."
As a mother of five, Willis said she was most concerned about how the election would impact the younger generations in her family.
"They will be broke with the Democrats in, with the number of people they will have to pay who have never paid a dollar of income tax in their life," she said. "Our children will suffer."
John P. Avlon is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics. He writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast and is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Previously, he served as Chief Speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun.
Max Blumenthal is a senior writer for The Daily Beast and writing fellow at The Nation Institute, whose book, Republican Gomorrah (Basic/Nation Books), is forthcoming in Spring 2009. Contact him at maxblumenthal3000@yahoo.com.
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
Kevin Buckley was a reporter and Saigon bureau chief for Newsweek between 1968 and 1972. He is the author of Panama—The Whole Story (Simon & Schuster, 1991). He is a contributing editor of Playboy and an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Michael O'Hanlon specializes in national security policy at the Brookings Institution. He is senior author of the Iraq Index. As a defense budget analyst, he advised members of Congress on military spending.
Abby Ellin regularly writes the "Vows" column for the New York Times, and previously wrote the "Preludes" column for that newspaper about young people and money. Her work has appeared in a range of publications, including Time, Marie Claire, More, Self and Glamour. She is the author of Teenage Waistland, but her greatest claim to fame is naming “Karamel Sutra” ice cream for Ben and Jerry's.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
Benjamin Sarlin is a reporter for The Daily Beast. He previously covered New York City politics for The New York Sun and has worked for talkingpointsmemo.com.
What is the point of this article? This is something that needs to change in American politics; no one should be talking to McCain's aunt about anything. (Or Obama's, to be clear) I'm sorry, but is this news in any way? She defends her nephew and calls his opponent a bastard? Shocking!!
You can see that McCain's sour and sorry attitude towards opponents and those who disagree with his worldview isn't an isolated thing-it's a systemic disease infecting his entire family.
I pray John McCain and his rightfully upsetting brood is denied the keys to the White House.
You can compare it to statements made by Obama's family-all they talk about is how they're pulling for him... not one word about John McCain.
I don't understand the anger expressed from the McCains. It has hurt John's campaign. I do believe Obama wishes to include moderate Republicans ( I once thought John McCain was moderate) and I do hope McCain - if he should not win - returns to congress in the spirit of "reaching across the isle". United we stand - divided we fall and the last eight years have been an example of the divided we fall.
What? The family that b***hes together, stays together?
I don't think any of them will be any happier two years from now, when Janet Napoltiano defeats their 'honest' John in one more embarrassing example of the McCains having a much higher opinion of themselves than anyone else.
Especially those who know them.
Bye, John. You should have looked for the exits when Keating met his match in you.
Ungracious, unchristian, & irrelevant!
I don't understand a woman nearly 100 yrs old would call Obama a bastard. She should know better. It has been McCain/Palin that has made this election very personal. I haven't heard Obama do that. Obama ran a fair general election. McCain like Clinton must think that they are entitled to the top job. Obama beat them all with grace and fair play. McCain meet President Obama.
Talk about association and yet this as well as everything else will not be reported. Incredible!
Who cares what these two (2) old, bitter racist women have to say? Their generation has come and past, their days are numbered and the country they long for is gone and shall it return! Those days that speak of are in the past. It's clear when McCain and his idiot brother get their attitude problem from-Mom...I can't wait to the result come in tonight and these bitter and racist people have to face reality that they opinions and policies do not matter to the majority of Americans! The only people who listen to these clowns are those who are uneducated and uninformed....These people have no class whatsoever and do not love America! They love what America has given them, but not the idea of America, where everyone has the chance to succeed...
Isn't she quaint?
What a cranky old bitch.
"What is the point of this article?"
The point is to interview a 96 year old woman. Then take her words and print them to embarass McCain and make him look bad. Disgraceful. The media will never be able to regain respect after this election.
The point of the article is to illustrate the La-La land that the McCain's live in. What exactly has Palin "been through"? A campaign that was much shorter than any of the other candidates? Being called on her B.S.? Clearly, she's had the easiest life of any of the four.
zazzer asks "What is the point of this article?" The day that I lose my curiosity in what makes people tick, what makes different people respond differently to the same forces, is the day that I will change my username to zazzer."
"'Let these bastards get in,' she says, 'I don't give a damn anymore. If these people want to buy votes and get their people in office, let them suffer for it in the way of high taxes.'"
Spoke like a MARINE !
I think the old biddy crone's just hungry, if not suffering from dementia, and thinking that Joe and Barack're b�tards, i.e., 1/2 loaves of French bread. Lucky for them that there's no olive oil 'n balsamic nearby, or they'd be toast. Figureatively, of course.
McCain should repudiate his elderly aunt for saying such disgraceful things about Obama! LOL
Lovely Family!!!!
I pray for the sake of this country that Obama wins today!
Wow. What a couple of nasty old ladies. Explains a lot.
I love it, "But that man is honest-he has all the money in the world, he could do whatever he wants, even without his wife's money, which he does not have; they keep it separate. He has a good pension from the Navy and my father was very rich."
Yes, I understand. Money equates to honesty. Those without money will always try to steal from those that do have it. Those damn dirty poor, and the lies that they spew....
The real question is this, I believe, does anyone else thinkm that Cindy McCain looks like an alien?
I guess we see where McCain gets his charm from ;)
McCain is so similar to Bush - right down to being born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father got him into the Naval Academy and he's never had to worry about money. Of course he favors the rich just as George W did - he is RICH.
I hope Obama wins and proves to the Republicans that dirty campaigning doesn't always work. Obama has held his head high through all of this. He's a better person than I am (and that's what I want in a President.)
Palin and McCain lack intellectual curiosity and tact that is necessary to run this country.
I take nothing for granted. I'll be biting my nails until the results are in.
If Diebold still owns the voting machines - get ready for some wacky results like we had in 2004 when there were more votes for Republicans in some counties in Ohio than there were registered voters.
I love how people worry about ACORN. Diebold fixes it all in the end anyway - they just erase the votes they don't like.
Let's hope Obama's lead is too strong for them to fix this time.
I'd really love to have a President who was actually elected this time. It's been a long time.
Crack pot old hags,,, The Apple sure didn't fall far from these idiots tree. Go Obama tax their old a**es into oblivion. I would love to see it happen.
What a vile, vile woman. No wonder McCain himself is a nasty animal. Obviously, she's dumb as a stump herself, if she really thinks that being a democrat automaticallly means higher taxes. Her own stupid nephew in 2000 said he believed that the wealthy should pay more because they can. (Hardball, 2000).
She is a spicy old girl. You can see attitude runs in that McCain Family.
"I sat in line more than an hour today and I'm nearly 100. We should have one day of voting and if these people are too weak to vote, too bad," she said.
Well, good to see that she's utterly devoid of human understanding or feeling then. I almost liked her for a second there.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.