“John McCain” – Republican for Hypocrite

Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain

The republican party seems to bestow upon its candidates the incredible ability to turn their stunning weaknesses into perceived strengths, and to thrust them upon their opponents. At this point anyone with even a passing interest in this year’s election is familiar with the talking points about the republican nominee and his running mate: He is presented as the national security candidate, the moral values candidate, the fiscally conservative candidate, the America first candidate, the “pull yourself up by the bootstraps” candidate, the straight-talking candidate, the “character” candidate, the low taxes candidate, the “service to one’s country” candidate, the maverick candidate, and an all around media whipping boy, among many other things. All of these characterizations are laughable, as I’ll outline in a series of upcoming posts.

National Security

John McCain graduated from the Annapolis Naval Academy in 1958 in the bottom 1% of his class. He was subsequently commissioned as an ensign in the Navy, and quickly became a pilot (a position awarded only to the very top tier of the applicant pool). The first 9 years of his military service was defined by 3 plane crashes caused by pilot error, and his pre-POW military experience was perhaps best summed up by Senator McCain himself during his acceptance speech at this week’s Republican National Convention: “I liked to bend a few rules, and pick a few fights for the fun of it. But I did it for my own pleasure, my own pride. I didn’t think there was a cause more important than me.”

In 1967 John McCain was shot down, and began a five and a half year stay as a prisoner of war. He was undoubtedly subjected to horrific conditions and deplorable treatment, and this rousing story (and the McCain camps insistence on interjecting it into every conversation, regardless of topic or relevance) forms the basis of his entire campaign for the presidency. After his release and rehabilitation, he attended the National War College in Washington and was given command of a Florida training squadron (and thusly heavily insulated from any form of combat or interaction with international forces). After only one year at this post, McCain began service as the Navy liaison to the U.S. Senate – an appointment that lasted only until his new marriage to the deep-pocketed, politically connected beer heiress Cindy Lou Hensley set his sights on public office. Before they had been married for a year John McCain retired from the Navy (admittedly out of frustration at not achieving the rank of admiral) to run for congress.

When I look at Senator McCain’s military record, I see no experience that would exceptionally qualify him to lead our armed forces. Before he was a POW, he (at his own admission) was concerned only with personal pride and his own self interest. After his capture and release, he was insulated from foreign affairs, and begin a course of duty that prepared him for a run at public office. If anything, I see a man whose service was defined by a strikingly narrow focus, and a favor bestowed upon the son and grandson of men who earned the title of hero through their actions and leadership, not through circumstance (as opposed to Senator McCain whose heroism is defined by imprisonment).

Furthermore, it’s very telling that the self branded national security candidate is the guy who wants to spend all of our money and deploy all of our resources in a country that poses no direct threat to American national security. McCain has also made such stunning guffaws as referring to the Iraq/Pakistan border (yes, it’s called Iran), and calling Al Quaeda a shia organization multiple times(they’re sunnis). These are understandable mistakes, but they are unacceptable coming from someone who makes himself out to be a foremost expert. McCain also insists on repeatedly voting against benefits for our veterans, and shows a stubborn insistence on characterizing our World as incredibly dangerous, at a time when human beings are safer as a whole (Americans included) then we ever have been in the entirety of recorded history. John McCain is representing himself as the foreign policy and national security expert because his greatest asset is his tale of imprisonment, and because the Republicans again will have to resort to shameless fear-mongering to win the election. I’m absolutely terrified of a leader whose idea of national security is furthered involvement in a series of expensive, deadly, un-winnable wars against intangible ideas, and occupations of sovereign nations.

Over the next few days I’ll be posting a series of articles addressing the other misleading self representations of the McCain Palin ticket.