I knew that my observations on McCain's POW experience, as it relates to him as
a man, were going to garner attention. In fact, as a writer, I've come to
appreciate that any response--positive or negative-- is better than
apathy.
It means that someone was listening. But it doesn't always mean that he or she
heard you.
I honor words so much because I know the power they carry. But I also know that
they are insufficient sometimes in carrying the seed of a thought straight
through to fruition, with intention fully intact.
But, hey, what are you gonna do? Some folks like their cucumbers pickled, some
don't. That's life.
With that said, McCain is a man who is a sum of all of his parts, of all of his
life experiences. And by no means did I intend to imply that either his odd
behavioral tics or the potential adverse effects on him resulting from his POW
experience were the only things that made him unfit for the presidency.
Recently, McCain jumped on the
And Obama responded with a great line, while the the one about Annie Oakley was
good as well. He said essentially, in regards to McCain, that he wasn't going
to be lectured about being "out of touch" by someone who took an
extremely long time to recognize that this country was in a mortgage
crisis.
But McCain, a man who admits he knows little about economics, also has dubious
skill in choosing those to advise him about the subject.
Former Senator Phil Gramm is a Republican who happens to be John McCain's
general co-chairman. He also happens to be the one who spearheaded the repeal of a
banking regulation law in 1999 that negatively impacted the economy, possibly
even laying the groundwork for our economic troubles now. Phil Gramm also
played a part in the mortgage industry while he chaired Swiss Bank UBS during a
time when the industry lobbied government to go lax on laws that worked
towards preventing predatory lending.
These were bad calls by the former Senator. And since judgment is such a big
issue in this election, it has to be pointed out that it is a bad call that
Senator McCain allows this man to be within 10 feet of any economic policy
plans he has.
Wouldn't it be nice if one of the candidates rid his/her campaign of someone
who actually might have a negative influence on future policy and not for some
of these extraneous, more inconsequential reasons?
John McCain's economic plan also includes a continuation of the Bush tax cuts
and even further tax cuts for corporations. His economic plan and advisements
don't seem to be completely sound, and this is just on the surface. Once it's a
head-to-head match up between Obama and him during the general, I think
McCain's economics will be another angle that parallels Bush's administration
policies.
I don't think anyone wants to experience the upcoming president's
administration, whoever it may be, and have flashbacks of the Bush's
administration. That would be huge hit to the psyche, to the morale of this
country and to our already emptying pockets.
So, I stand by my previous piece regarding McCain and his indefensible,
sometimes erratic behavior. And I stand by the fact that his experience as a
POW may or may not have a hand in it.
His experience, amid a myriad of other
issues, should not--and for me-- will not be outside the realm of
consideration, as they all reveal a man to be who he is. However, I do agree
that a certain amount of respect should be alloted to the issue-- as I have done
and as I will continue to do.
