Organizing for America | The whole Pakistan thing: McCains resume

McCains resume

By Laura Hubka ~From Iowa Where It Started and Will Continue~~~ - Aug 13th, 2008 at 6:08 pm EDT

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WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- In his frivolous Paris and Britney ad, Sen. John McCain
has asked the right question: Is Barack Obama ready to lead this country?

Since last January, Sen. Obama's fitness for the presidency has been the only
question that matters in American politics. The pollsters and pundits agree that if
Obama can show the voters that he's up to the job, he'll win. If not, he won't.

But that begs another question: Is McCain fit to lead America?

That question hasn't been asked, nor has it been answered.

The assumption seems to be that McCain's years of experience in the military and in
Congress of course give him the background and tools he'd need in the White House. As
Britney might say, "Duh! For sure he's qualified!!! He's Mac!!!"

But is that true? Does McCain have the right stuff?

A careful look at McCain's biography shows that he isn't prepared for the job. His
resume is much thinner than most people think.

Here are some reasons why McCain would be a mediocre president.

Lack of accomplishments

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Like the current occupant of the White House, McCain got his first career breaks
from the connections and money of his family, not from hard work.

The son and grandson of Navy admirals, he attended Annapolis where he did poorly.
Nevertheless, he was commissioned as a pilot, where he performed poorly, crashing
three planes before he failed to evade a North Vietnamese missile that destroyed his
plane. McCain spent more than five years in a prison camp.

After his release, McCain knew his weak military record meant he'd never make
admiral, so he turned his sights to a career in politics. With the help of his new
wife's wealth, his new father-in-law's business connections and some powerful friends
had made as a lobbyist for the Navy, he was elected in 1982 to a Congress in a
district that he didn't reside in until the day the seat opened up. A few years
later, he succeeded Barry Goldwater as a senator.

McCain hasn't accomplished much in the Senate. Even his own campaign doesn't trumpet
his successes, probably because the few victories he's had still rankle Republicans.

His campaign finance law failed to significantly reduce the role of money in
politics. He failed to get a big tobacco bill through the Senate. He's failed to
change the way Congress spends money; his bill to give the president a line-item veto
was declared unconstitutional, and the system of pork and earmarks continues
unabated. He failed to reform the immigration system.

Every senator who runs for president misses votes back in Washington, so it's no
surprise that McCain and all the others who ran in the primaries have missed a lot of
votes in the past year. But between the beginning of 2005 and mid-2007, no senator
missed more roll-call votes than McCain did, except Tim Johnson, who was recovering
from a near-fatal brain aneurysm.

Shallow

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McCain says he doesn't understand the economy. He's demonstrated that he doesn't
understand the workings of Social Security, or the political history of the Middle
East. He doesn't know who our enemies are. He says he wants to reduce global warming,
but then proposes ideas that would stimulate -- not reduce -- demand for fossil
fuels.

McCain has done one thing well -- self promotion. Instead of working on legislation
or boning up on the issues, he's been on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" more than
any other guest. He's been on the Sunday talk shows more than any other guest in the
past 10 years. He's hosted "Saturday Night Live" and even announced his candidacy in
2007 on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

McCain has not articulated any lofty goals. So far, his campaign theme has mostly
been "McCain: He's None of the Above."

In the primaries, he campaigned on "I'm not that robotic businessman, I'm not that
sanctimonious hick, I'm not that crazy libertarian, I'm not that washed-up actor, I'm
not that delusional 9/11 guy." In the general election, he's emphasized that he's not
that treasonous dreamer.

No leadership

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McCain has frequently taken on near-impossible missions that go against the grain of
his party. It's the basis of his reputation as a maverick. But McCain has never been
able to bring more than a handful of Republicans along with him on issues such as
campaign finance reform or immigration. Democrats on the Hill have accepted McCain's
help on some issues, but except for a few exceptions (John Kerry and Joe Lieberman),
they've never warmed to him.

To achieve anything as president, McCain would have to win over two hostile parties:
The Democrats and the Republicans.

Living in the Sixties

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McCain is still fighting the Vietnam War. But he's not fighting the real historic
war, which taught us the folly of injecting ourselves into a civil war that was none
of our business. We learned that, in a world where even peasants have guns,
explosives and radios, a determined and popular guerrilla force can defeat a modern
army equipped with the mightiest technology if that army has no vital national
interest to protect.

Instead, McCain is fighting an imaginary Vietnam War, where a sure victory could
have been achieved with just a little more bombing, just a little more
"pacification," just a little more will to win at home. This fantasy clouds McCain's
judgment on foreign policy.

Most of the other high-profile politicians who fought in Vietnam -- Colin Powell,
Chuck Hegel, John Kerry, and Jim Webb -- aren't stuck in the past, and they don't
view the Iraq War as a chance to get Vietnam right.

No principles

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After years of honing a reputation as a guy who'll say the truth regardless of the
political consequences, McCain has crashed the Straight Talk Express. On almost every
issue where he took a principled stand against the Republican line -- taxes,
immigration, oil drilling, the Religious Right -- he's changed his views.

We ought to like politicians who change their mind when the facts change; it shows
maturity, judgment and flexibility. But politicians who change their mind to suit the
prevailing winds show the opposite.

The bottom line

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Successful presidents come from two molds: visionaries, or mechanics. The
visionaries -- think Reagan or FDR -- see what others can't and say 'Why not?" to
inspire the country. The mechanics -- think LBJ or Eisenhower -- know the ins and
outs of government and are able to harness the power of millions of humans to
accomplish great things, or at least keep the wheels from coming off.

McCain fits neither style. He's neither a dreamer, nor a detail guy. His major
accomplishment, in Vietnam and in the Senate, has been merely to survive.

Just surviving doesn't make you're a hero, or a decent president. America needs to
do more than survive the next four years.

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Excellent piece | Report to Admin

By VA . Greatgran 'Grab A Mop' for President Obama Aug 15th 2008 at 3:03 pm EDT (Updated Aug 15th 2008 at 3:03 pm EDT)

Thanks Laura,this is an excellent summary on McCain.

Talk about an empty suit | Report to Admin

By Connie_W in Arizona Aug 15th 2008 at 4:11 pm EDT (Updated Aug 15th 2008 at 4:11 pm EDT)

Talk about an empty suit. His resume proves it. He's wasted his entire career doing nothing.

Great blog, Laura.

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