The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

With the alleged economic meltdown just over the next hill, a concise picture has come into view. It is good, bad, and ugly. This week’s action by John McCain in running back to Washington to address how to solve the problem illustrates the differences between Presidential candidates. Whether you are on the left, right, or in the center will determine if you find it excellent, dreadful or repulsive.

The Good: Whether a stunt or not, McCain’s act is likely to be seen by the coveted undecided independent vote as putting America ahead of politics. Strike a win for McCain! Now, the criticism of McCain for lacking economic skills is likely to depart some of these independent voters. However, it needs to be said that McCain will be viewed this way because of his war hero status, his dedication to his country and a 26 year career in the Congress. Obama can hardly counter the claim. It won’t change any Democrat minds, but that is not what the McCain camp is seeking. The brilliant move leaves Obama as an outsider looking in on a process that McCain has hijacked. Senator Obama already thinks himself more of a President than a Senator. Until either one of these guys is elected, the title in front of their name is still “Senator.” Obama has forgotten that and it could be a crucial mistake. In any event putting the country first is just what the American people has been seeking for decades. McCain is demonstrating it!

The Bad: McCain charging in on a white horse to save the day fits him, and is acting with responsibility as his Arizona constituents have entrusted him. Obama however, claimed the economic crisis is the greatest since the 1930’s Great Depression yet, he shot himself in the foot by responding “call me if you need me, and I’ll come back to Washington.” This sent a very wrong message. McCain asked Obama to delay the debate, put politics aside and fly back to D.C. to help solve the crisis. That is something most Americans have long sought in their leaders. Obama stuck gave a finger and shoved it in our eye, by refusing. Imagery can be everything in politics. Obama would have stayed in Mississippi to debate, had P{resident Bush (prompted by McCain) not asked him to a high level meeting. Obama looks more interested in his campaign than the county’s well being.

Obama responded poorly by making the distinction that debating another candidate is more important than debating real, economic altering, legislation (which is what both of these men are charged to do as Senators). Obama has voted “present” again with his response to McCain’s gambit. The whole series of events gives McCain the upper hand, and backs up his claim that he’d risk losing an election if America comes out the better. He is visibly demonstrating that he puts America first. In doing so he also is taking the economic issue from Obama. The Illinois Senator, struggling to counter attack, claims that the election decision trumps a crisis that he himself has dubbed dire. Loss Obama.

Whether any of this has any affect on tonight’s Presidential debate or not, remains to be seen. McCain can go one of two ways. If legislation is passed McCain can ride in to tout the victory. That is not likely because the Congress which is controlled by Democrats won’t pass the bill without Republican’s on board. They don’t want the blame if it fails. That is why McCain and the Republican’s have the upper hand. They can craft whatever bill they want and because of Democrat cowardice will have to accept something, likely a McCain driven bill. McCain will take that gamble that all of this will work to his favor. The other option is to delay the debate. McCain wins in that scenario too because he will be seen as diligently working to solve the crisis while Obama is left debating himself. Obama will be seen as fiddling while D.C. burns. McCain will not.

The Ugly: American’s are being shown that they have someone willing to fight for them, by McCain’s fight to cast off a taxpayer bail-out with a craftier bill that will protect them. McCain is leading that charge. Unfortunately, it takes such high-handed political maneuvering to drive the point home to a dense populous. Administrative oversight might have been dubious in the whole process that brought us to the current economic crisis, but the American people have been asleep at the fiscal switch for way too long. In any event it is going to be a rough ride to recovery. McCain seeks to ease the ugliness of this, and all other partisan bickering. When a House and Senate, both controlled by one party, refuses to act in the face of crisis, can there be any doubt that politics is still hard at work corrupting our government?

Obama looks more elitist than ever, and believes himself already above his own senatorial station in politics. The man seems to think it is all academic and that he is a shoe in to the Oval Office. The bigger consideration of the whole process is that one of these two is going to be the President and will have to deal with the aftermath. That is when the true ugliness will ramp up.

The Wellstone Millstone
and
The Sheer Genius of John McCain

Now that the lights have faded and the political convention fanfare is over, these events have crystallized some things. First of all, Senator Obama’s speech from Mount Olympus was moving to some, but the sheer pageantry exposed him and the Democrats once again for what they really are all about; themselves. The high flying Hollywood crowd approved. Why shouldn’t they; the whole spectacle could have been held at Caesars Palace in Vegas! Unfortunately, the Democrats and the Senator still don’t realize the lesson from Paul Wellstone’s memorial. A very popular Minnesota Senator, he was rightly being honored with a memorial by the Democrats in 2002, right before a midterm election, The massive event however, turned into a “show” for liberal agenda elites and the far left wagged the dog. The backfire aided in keeping Republicans in the Congressional majority.

Senator Obama also, revealed that even as a minority he was willing to gamble on losing it all because he was not man enough to lift Hilary Clinton onto his ticket. That combination would have made the pair a near sure thing in November. The equivocating Obama was unable to go for the jugular though, and whimped out by picking a safe choice in Joe Biden. Biden brings some attributes Obama needs, but not the zing that would help him close the deal like of a woman running mate.

John McCain, sensing Obama’s error not only brought the Republican ticket to the verge of history by naming a woman VP, but he chose a relative unknown. As it turns out Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is a natural. She is so because she comes from small town America, not from among the elite like Obama, Biden, and even McCain himself. The intangible that America has grown weary of is the guilded class. Sarah Palin is a no nonsense, strait talking, reform Governor from a fairly large state. She carries energy and economic credentials.

The Obama campaign has been flummoxed since Palin’s selection. They can’t figure out how to attack her without a rebound that will hurt Obama. The Democrat candidate is already suspected of being a bit sexist because of the Hilary snub. His lack of serious consideration for the poor woman has boomeranged against him. Mrs. Clinton after all received 18 million votes in the Democratic primaries. Now if Obama’s camp attacks Palin they will be seen ever increasingly as a sexist chauvinistic men's club that is standing on top of the glass ceiling that Palin is attempting to break. If Obama is to live by his own mantra “you can’t attack me because I’m black”then he can’t readily do similarly to Palin without also being seen as a hypocrite.

John McCain might not have seen all of the ramifications of choosing Palin, but then again it is likely that he did. He has always been underestimated in his life. He overcame long odds in a Vietnam prison camp, and then on the political stage. Fourteen months ago the darling of the media from Campaign 2000 was alone, carrying his own luggage through airline turnstiles. He had been abandoned by everyone. The media had moved on to crown Obama the new wizard deluxe. Everyone in the media thought McCain’s race for the White House was finished. McCain knew otherwise; just as he knew the surge in Iraq was America’s best option for success. He was correct on both counts, and Senator Obama’s inabilities to be forthright and admit it in the face of overwhelming evidence illuminates that the Illinois Senator is nothing new despite his appearance to the contrary. He is like the Wellstone memorial attendees chanting “rah rah for my party” rather than solemn in dignity for his countrymen. For this reason today Senator McCain leads in political polls by as much as 10 points in a year when Democrats should breeze to the White House. The Wellstone display like the self-aggrandizing Democratic convention is a millstone weighing down Obama. It threatens to drown him. American’s flock to a winner and Palin is on the rise with wings. They don’t care for arrogance and Obama is becoming its poster-child.

For some, both Presidential tickets may be backward, but as of today McCain’s genius has shined again. The people are ready for a women reformer. Palin and McCain have deeds and accomplishments to back up their words. Obama's glitz, showmanship, and silver tongue without significant accomplishments are a millstone around his neck.