McCain's Recent Policy Misteps/Mistatements

[Pangloss]

McCain has had a number of policy mis-steps lately. Actually kind of a staggering number of them. It's almost as if he decided it was time to start taking policy positions, but hadn't quite gotten around to talking to an advisor about it. Yesterday Joseph Lieberman had to step up to McCain while he was still at the microphone and correct him after he claimed that Iran (shiites!) was helping Al Qaeda (sunnis!), which of course is their blood enemy!

 

It's more than a little embarassing, and if so much attention wasn't being focused on the Democratic "civil war" at the moment I think it would be getting a lot more attention.

[iNow]

What about McCain's gaff in Jordan this week? Not only is he running as the voice of experience, not only is the central tenet of his campaign his foreign policy knowledge and expertise, not only does it show that he is myopic as pertains to Al-Quada and that he can miss specifics, it also shows that he really is parallel in many ways with the current Bush/Cheney mindset which is so fundamentally disagreed with in the US and internationally. Further, it calls into question the state of his mind, and issues with aging.

 

Not sure what I'm talking about? Check here:

 

 

 

Let's be clear, I have a very profound respect for John McCain, his service to the US, and his abilities both as a man and as a leader, but had Obama made this same mis-step, it would have been a game ender for him. How's that for PC?

[Pangloss]

I moved this into a new thread and out of the joke thread so we can look at it in the more serious light that it deserves. I also commented on this here -- I think I'll just copy that post over to this thread to help get things started.

 

(Edit: Okay, that's bizarre -- I meant iNow's post to be on top and my copied post from the other thread to appear below this one (see how it carries the subject line?). I wonder why my copied, older post came out on top? Maybe based on date?)

[iNow]

iNow's post to be on top and my copied post from the other thread to appear below this one (see how it carries the subject line?). I wonder why my copied, older post came out on top? Maybe based on date?)

No worries. Your intentions were clear and I'm not concerned. I can tell what you intended... It is most certainly because your post had an earlier date...

 

 

It's more than a little embarassing, and if so much attention wasn't being focused on the Democratic "civil war" at the moment I think it would be getting a lot more attention.

 

Agreed. It's a bit strange, actually, that we've heard so little. Stupid conservative bias in the media!

 

 

It is distressing, and I think it might show that McCain is becoming fatiqued by the whole process... even though he hasn't been "battling" with other candidates for quite a number of weeks now.

[Pangloss]

I suspect so. I wonder if our perceptions here are colored by the even worse appearance of Fred Thompson during the primary season, i.e. he has generally looked better than Thompson so he hasn't seemed as old in comparison.

[john5746]

This last incident with McCain has bothered me enough to lean towards Obama. I am starting to think McCain, when stressed, cannot retain details. I think he may be too old to take the stress this job will demand.

 

I will keep watching and see.

[ParanoiA]

I think he would make a great advisor, but not the leader, at this point.

[Pangloss]

Kinda makes you wonder what might have happened had he accepted John Kerry's offer and the combined pair had won in 2004. Kerry would be running for re-election this year, and that would mean McCain running as a kind of Jeffersonian (ala election of 1800) heir apparent in 2012 -- at age 75!

 

(Quick, somebody call Harry Turtledove!)

[CDarwin]

Obama/McCain; how's that for a dream ticket?

 

I think he would make a great advisor, but not the leader, at this point.

 

He would make a good Secretary of State or of Defense. I can actually see that maybe potentially at least being offered by Obama. Maybe. I don't think he would accept, though.

 

Perhaps this is a perverse sort of way of looking at it, but McCain has been a really good senator. I'd almost be reluctant to take him out of the Senate and put him in a presidency where he might not be as effective.