Opinion
McCain choices show no leader
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Also by Gerald Cox:
- AIG sparks Congress' ignorance (March 22, 2009)
- Same old strategies won't save republicanism (March 2, 2009)
- Black leaders won't let America's racist heritage go (February 23, 2009)
- ASM constitution will not succeed without students (February 19, 2009)
- Early missteps mar new administration (February 16, 2009)
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Perhaps it was when he picked Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Perhaps it was when he insisted that the fundamentals of our economy are strong. Perhaps it was when he refused to mention the middle class in either the first debate or in his acceptance speech.
Perhaps it was when he suspended his campaign to go to Washington, and did absolutely nothing for the American people. But over the past month or so, if you’re anything like me, you’re beginning to realize the biggest problem with Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain is that he just doesn’t have the judgment necessary to be your president.
Democrats have been wringing their hands ever since Palin was chosen as McCain’s running mate. She was the Republican Obama. A key difference, however, between Palin and Obama is that the more one hears from Obama, the more one respects his understanding of the issues. One wishes to hear more.
The more one hears from Palin, the less one wants to hear from Gov. Palin.
In choosing Palin, Sen. McCain revealed he lacks the judgment to choose the most important person in his administration.
Palin has a shocking and embarrassing dearth of knowledge. Honestly, her growing repertoire of YouTube videos is beginning to make President Bush look like a genius. I get the same feeling watching her interviews as I get when I watch a figure skater fall: discomfort and embarrassment at their misfortune.
Yes. I watch figure skating.
A few snippets of her recent interview with Katie Couric will have you feeling terribly worried that the world may someday judge your country by her words and actions. There’s a lot of things even a president doesn’t know — he or she has advisers for those sorts of things — but when you look at best like a high school student who didn’t read a single book or attend a single class all semester when trying to explain your own argument for your own foreign policy experience, there’s a fundamental problem with your ability to act effectively as an international leader.
McCain, with his 26 years of experience in Congress, doesn’t have that issue. He has an understanding and control of the issues that befit a leader of his stature. He has the number of cars and homes befitting his pedigree. The problem with McCain isn’t a jaw-dropping lack of knowledge and understanding. It’s a fundamental lack of the judgment necessary to lead our nation in the 21st century.
Were he to win, McCain will have handcuffed Americans with a vice president who simply cannot be taken seriously by members of her own party, much less world leaders. She would be a vice president who could in no way advance McCain’s agenda with an unwilling Congress. He has chosen someone who cannot offer any sort of counsel beyond the intricacies of the welfare-like nature of the Alaskan economy.
Even McCain’s choice of words makes a reasonable observer question his decision-making abilities. Of note is McCain’s puzzling reluctance to address the broad swath of the American public known as the “middle class.” McCain seems to have gone out of his way to avoid those words that describe over 80 percent of the people he’s attempting to lead in either of his high-profile opportunities to address the nation. During a debate that consisted of about 40 minutes of discussion on the economy and his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, he did not mention the words “middle class” a single time.
Just two weeks ago, as Lehman Brothers was failing, and Wall Street was inching toward the abyss, John McCain insisted that the fundamentals of our economy were still strong. Only a week later, he proclaimed the economic crisis to be the “greatest crisis we’ve faced, clearly, since the end of World War II.” Whoa, there, whatever happened to those strong fundamentals?
A week after that, in dramatic, erratic, McCainiac fashion, he suspended his campaign, crossed the mighty Potomac, arrived in D.C., and had absolutely no positive impact in working out one of the most important pieces of legislation of the next few decades.
Meanwhile, rumor has it McCain is going to jump a motorcycle over 25 buses on Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!
Imagine if McCain were the CEO of a prestigious Wall Street firm. With such financial acumen and superb hiring decisions, he’d either fit right in, or be run out of town with a few million dollars.
It is a pity that throughout the course of his campaign a man so experienced, and at moments, so willing to sacrifice for his country, has so aptly exemplified how strangely and poorly he’d lead. Look on the bright side: he may have the judgment of a pay-per-view fight promoter, but at the very least he’d keep the world entertained.
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Biden is also a gaffe machine. He ran for president 20 years ago but had to abandon his campaign when it was discovered that he had plagiarized speeches from a British politician, substituting in key details to make the story his own.
Biden infamously mused about Obama: “I mean, you got the first mainstream African American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”
To be sure, this is still a pretty cringe-inducing way for white people to talk about African-Americans. Recall the famous Chris Rock routine in which he complains about how people describe Colin Powell as “articulate,” as if it were a surprise that a secretary of State can speak well.
And, of course, Biden attempted to endear himself to an Indian-American supporter by telling him that in Delaware, “you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” Not only was this an offensive line, it didn’t even make any sense: The observation, familiar to anybody who watched a comedian on cable television 15 years ago, is that Indian Americans are the only ones who work in convenience stores, not that they’re the only ones who shop there. The man can’t even keep his condescending cliches straight.
Biden performs like a lab experiment designed to create the world’s worst vice-presidential candidate. Biden’s ultimate gaffe came near the end of his speech, when he called Obama, “Barack Amer—.” It wasn’t clear whether he intentionally wanted to call his running mate, Barack America, or if he forgot his last name. Had he called him “Barack America”, Biden could have had a new campaign slogan on his hands. The crowd seemed to pick up on the mistake, quickly chanting “Obama, Obama.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKTjlAd-GXM
So enjoy parroting the Saturday Nite Live skits. Palin is a Superstar! compared to the Obiden clunker campaign.
I thought Sarah Palin was the presidential nominee? Jeeze, I’m going to reconsider voting for the GOP now. McCain is kind of old, confused, and erratic.
Yeah, Gerald, we get your point: vote for Obama because he’s YOUR candidate.
I remember another vice president who was seen as aloof, America came out fine. His name was Dan Quayle
Beautifully written! Thank you!
Dear Gerald- I grew up in your neck of the woods (NW suburbs of chicago) and i remember how closed-minded (in general) people were there. Now, living in the educated, liberal utopia of Portland Oregon for the past 15 years, i tend to forget how backwards so much of the country can still be… and how spoon fed people can be from the media, especially from the hate mongers like Hannity and the likes.. its depressing. i think this is a wonderful article— keep shifting paradigms and opening people’s minds!!!!
and on a side note- as we all know this is a very heated election. Sadly, Some people are so entrenched in white, male supremist attitudes that even the thought of a black man as president evokes a deep fear. I call it progress. Maybe “growing pains” for some closed-minded individuals but Definitely Evolution of our culture. I am PROUD to support this BRILLIANT man as MY President!!!! And there are millions of people from all races, sexes, classes and cultures that are behind me on this one. Obama is clearly our leader.
Obama/Biden 08