Thoughts on John McCain

© Dr. Gary D. Lemmons, February 24, 2008

I have to admit that I am not a fan of John McCain.  Despite his “maverick” reputation, I believe him to be, at best, an independent thinking “corporatist” Republican.  While he is not a George Bush, he has yielded to a number of the Bushite attitudes with respect to tax breaks for the rich and in fooling the middle and working classes into thinking that his is on their side. 

He has come around to the proper perspective on defending the southern border of the United States.  Although he was a primary part of the Kennedy, McCain, Bush effort to grant amnesty and allow the 20 million or so illegal aliens who are already here to remain, he now says that he “gets it.”  The American people want the borders secured…first and this, unlike President Bush, who violated his oath of office by failing to defend the border, McCain promises to do.

McCain’s one overwhelming and constant redeeming value is that he understands, unlike the current occupant of the White House, that we are NOT at war with terrorism.  We are at war with Islamist fanatics who use terrorism as their primary tactic.  “Georgie” Bush was never smart enough to figure that out.  Perhaps it is due to the fact that, while Bush was “lost in Alabama”; John McCain served his country in combat and understands the reality of war.  He will defend this nation and he will not be misled by an incompetent like Donald Rumsfeld.

Although he is not my first choice, I may vote for him in the fall. I still have some issues with him.

Despite my lack of ease with McCain, I think the behavior of The New York Times this week in printing a front page article insinuating that he had an inappropriate relationship some eight years ago with Vicki Iseman, a Washington lobbyist, was absurd…not that such an event could not have happened; but, rather, to report such behavior as fact based upon the weak testimony of unnamed sources is the sort of journalism one would expect from a middle school newspaper gossip columnist!

Ironically, The New York Times endorsed McCain just before “Super Tuesday” as their choice for the Republican nomination.  Of course, The New York Times is a liberal newspaper and their endorsement of any Republican candidate is about as valuable as sweet rolls at a diabetic convention!

I suspect that the race will become uglier in the months ahead…not so much on account of the behavior of McCain and Obama or Clinton (depending upon who the Democratic nominee is) but, rather, on account of the hatred between the hardcore Democrats and Republicans who will pay any price for the power of the White House.

I wonder how Adams, Jefferson, and Madison would feel if they could view this spectacle?