Sideline Observations—Senator McCain and VP Picks

Sideline Observations—Senator McCain and VP Picks

I used to be a big fan of John McCain. I was touched by the courage he showed in his POW experience and, in the past, bought his “maverick” and “straight-shooter” monikers. When my son deployed to Iraq a few years back one of the items I placed in his first pkg from home was McCain’s autobiography. I’ve learned a lot over the past year and, while I will always honor his service and, in particular his courageous decision to remain with his peers when offered the opportunity to exit captivity, I now find very little else to admire or respect about this politician. I had known about the “Keating Five” story, but hadn’t been exposed to the tale of how he betrayed and ultimately abandoned his crippled wife. And, I might add, it took some digging to find that story. Curious how the media who allegedly are so favorably biased toward Senator Obama despite looping the Rev Wright and bitter American stories for weeks on end have made scant mention of the these items in McCain’s autobiography. McCain’s stated intent to run an honorable, issues-oriented campaign was quickly abandoned and, from my perspective, he has done exactly what he falsely accuses Senator Obama of—reversing his positions at whim and saying and doing anything his campaign staff advises him will help him get elected. The latest and most cynical example is his pick for his running mate. He assured us that his selection would reflect his best judgment of the most qualified individual available to be just one heartbeat away from the role of Commander-in-Chief and leader of the free world and this is the best he could do. There’s no honor in the choice he made, no notion of “country first” it was a calculated political move that is an insult to his fellow countrymen. A parsing of Gov Palin’s credentials is pointless—she’s as much a victim of McCain and his campaign’s cynicism as the voters are.

On the other hand, I can’t be more pleased with the choice of Senator Biden as Barack’s running mate. Senator Obama passed the test of his first executive decision with flying colors by choosing the very best individual available for his running mate. Senator Biden is truly an experienced statesman and a straight-shooter who has walked the talk when it come to the values of family and work and putting his country first. His personal story is inspiring and his enthusiasm for the opportunity to move this country forward at the side of Senator Obama is clear. I am delighted to see a politician of his stature have a lifetime of service to his country be rewarded in this way and I am confident that he and Senator Obama give us the greatest opportunity for maintaining our security and dealing with the serious challenges we face on so many fronts. Contrast that team with a cynical, saber-rattling, out-of-touch pol who can’t even get the geography and the players right backed up by a social conservative princess who is ill-equipped to operate on the national and world stage and I think the choice for the voters should be clear.