John McCain seems like an admirable person in many ways, but he’s never been someone I’d particularly want to see in the Oval Office. Here’s a good op-ed on why. For some reason, McCain’s actual views frequently get obscured in all the media fawning over his straight-talkin’ maverick persona. There is also the any-stick-to-beat-Bush-with phenomenon: whenever McCain departs from the White House he’s almost invariably referred to as a “moderate,” which in media-speak is invariably a term of praise. But on GWOT and general national security issues McCain is, if anything, to the “right” of Bush.
"Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed" – Blaise Pascal
3 responses to “The problem with John McCain”
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Interesting profile. I tried to figure out the reason why the father was a drunk and second wife popped pills comment is relevant to his point — I mean apart from the obvious sleazy smear — and couldn’t figure out. I guess I’ll have to go stick with the obvious reason.
And again I tried to figure out how supporting an Arizona state amendment on gay marriage is even related to, let alone actually contradictory to, the principle “that the feds shouldn’t tell you how to run a business or whom you can sleep with” and again failed to come up with a reason. Is Arizona the feds? Is there some law in Arizona I don’t know about saying people who aren’t married can’t sleep together?
Color me unimpressed.
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Fair enough on the second point.
On the first, I think Welch is trying to establish a certain “12-step mindset” as an interpretive key to McCain’s political philosophy. As elsewhere, I don’t much see the value of that kind of psychologizing an opponent’s argument. So, yeah, I agree that was pretty pointless.
My take away point, though, was that McCain can fairly be described as a proponent of “national greatness through government (and especially military) exertion,” which is just about the opposite of what I consider to be sound political philosophy.
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OK, now I’ve made my point, I do acknowledge that the overall philosophy that McCain has is pretty much the same as what Welch says it is, and that it is a lot less popular than McCain is. As for me, I’m less opposed to it than you are, especially as I think by 2009 we will be out of Iraq one way or another, so a little “national greatness” pep talk might be what we need then (after a good stiff drink).
A Thinking Reed 
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