Who Is John McCain

I was a sophomore in college in 1980. My mother was able pay for college in large part through government grants, known as BEOG now known as Pell Grants. I had a work study job to pay for books and food as well. This was also the beginning of the Reagan years. You remember, smaller goverment, less regulation. A free market economy. Tax cuts for the wealthy. The birth of trickle down economics. My grant was cut by more than half.

Reagan was all about de deregulation. That the markets would grow if we left them alone. John McCain idealized Ronald Reagan and proudly claims he's a Reagan Republican. On many occasions has said he's a de regulator. Now with a infestion of lobbiest, connected to both Wall Street and the mortgage industry in his campaign, he's a populist looking out for the little guy. Now he is suspending his campaign and flying back to Washington just in time to get in the way and take credit for whatever is decided. Says that its no time to be debatin' when the country is in trouble my friends. Presidential debates have gone on through everything from the bombings in New York during the '60's to the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. Country first right John?

The real John McCain is being revealed to even the most clueless of the American electorate. He has been reactionary and volatile since this economic bombshell was dropped. His first reaction was to say that the fundamentals of our economy were sound. Then when it was apparent that not only were the fundamentals not sound but that we were about to collapse his first response was to fire the Securities and Exchange chairman. Then when informed that the president can't fire the SEC chairman he changed course. Then he was against the government bail out of the insurance giant AIG. Then when informed of the consequences of letting AIG fail, he was for the bail out. He then called for a blue ribbon panel, (yet to find out what make a panel blue ribbon), to figure out how we got into this mess.

In the past few weeks the McCain campaign has systematically eliminated reporters that he deems bias. You know the one's that question his judgment with legitimate questions. His very popular vice presidential running mate has held 1 1/2 interviews, (the one with the Fox network was not an interview as much as a feel good session), in almost 4 weeks. They didn't even allow a single reporter to ask a question on Sarah's "Great Adventure" to the United Nations for photo ops with foreign leaders. You do know that she only got a passport last year.

This man is a genuine American hero and a train wreck as presidential candidate. He lacks the temperament and thoughtfulness to be president. It has been said about President Bush that the problem with him is he is too single minded. Its his way or the highway. He's the "Decider". In more ways than one we knew where he stood. You may not agree with but I know who Bush is. Who is John McCain.

Which Will You Choose

What does it mean when a presidential candidate would rather make up stories about their opponent than talk about the issues. I had the opportunity to cover for the Danish people the Democratic and Republican conventions. One was about unity and what we can do to address the serious problems we face. The other was wrapped in the flag. Lots of references to country and open disdain for Europe and remarkably little mention in word or in signs of the party they represent. I'll let you figure out which was which. Barack Obama had muted criticism for John McCain but he also talked about his vision and plan for the country. He talked about policy instead of just acceptance speech rhetoric. His speech fell on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's March On Washington speech. Some in the black community were upset that he did not make a bigger deal out of the magical coincidence. But the night was about him and not Dr. King. I think Dr. King would agree. John McCain's speech was about country and service. His time spent in a Vietnamese prison camp. While a heroic story it did not speak to the millions of Americans losing their homes, our lack of affordable health care. Just a simplistic answer to a complex problem, "drill baby drill". In a "tribute" to the victims of 9/11 the Republicans showed not the way people pull together and helped each other. They didn't honor the dead by showing a plane crashing into one of the towers and what appeared to be a person leaping to their death or the towers crashing to the ground. They used it to scare the public. "If you don't vote for us this will happen again". That is what I took from this "tribute" to 9/11. So we have a choices. What do we want this election to be about. The issues or smear. Pandering or substance. Will we accept a presidential election, in this crucial time, that is about race or the future for you and your children. Which will you choose?

Who are you really hurting...

Tonight in Denver Hillary Clinton gave one of the greatest speeches in support of Barack Obama that has been heard. She also refurbished her somewhat tarnished reputations as a sore loser. It was a moving speech filled with political zinger for the McCain campaign like, "no way, no how, no McCain". She challenged her supporters to answer the question, were they in this political fight for her or for what she stands for. Meanwhile, in a beautiful park in Denver on a picture perfect summer evening, a group of her supporters and passers by watched her speech on a big screen TV that was set up in an open air theater. They were for the most part unmoved. When I interviewed them they were literally hostel towards Barack Obama. Many of them said they would vote for John McCain. Their love of Hillary Clinton boarded on obsession. For them the love they feel for Hillary was not transferable. Not by a speech, not by persuasion. Hillary Clinton had become a cause bigger than herself. She was a symbol of their lives. Of their success and failures. Their anger and resentment over how they perceived she was treated during the primaries was real and unrelenting. They look at Barack Obama as less experienced and arrogant. Everyone wants to make history. If Barack had lost in the primaries do you think the reaction among his supporters would have been any different? But to vote for McCain out of spite? To cut you nose off despite your face? When there will be more than one retirement on the Supreme Court within the next 4 years. When the economy for the middle class and the less fortunate is decenter grating. When unequal pay for women is still a common occurrence. Your going to cast your vote for a man that doesn't know how many houses he has. Worst yet, in the year that we celebrate the 88th anniversary of the women's right to vote, some are considering sitting out the election. Who are you really hurting?.

What Do You Really Want?

There was a time when congress worked together. They had to to pass things like the civil rights bill or even lowering the speed limit on federal highways to 55 mph If you were a Democrat you most likely have to compromise with a Republican to get what you wanted passed. And vise-verse. Politicians gained fame by getting bills passed. Getting things done.

Today's politician believes admitting that your opponent has a better or good idea is political poison. So in the end nothing gets done even when the issues are as universal as energy independence. Compromise is the sign of the weak. Working in a bi-partisan way is to compromise on your principles. Even if credible arguments are made against your idea you can't change or evolve on an issue.

So it was no surprise that when Obama compromised on off shore drilling, in announcing his energy policy, he was attacked. Barack said if that is what had to be added to get a comprehensive energy policy focused on, alternative energy done, then so be it. (Sidebar)-Does anyone wonder why the oil companies don't drill on the tens of thousands of acres that they already hold leases on? Why do they have to drill in Santa's rain deer coral? Bastards!!)

Barack Obama has said from the beginning of his campaign that the reason that things are not getting done in Washington is because the atmosphere is so hostel. You have to disagree and be disagreeable. No compromising. My way or the highway, "I'm shaving this dog's ass you just hold its tail"... Got the last one from my father, he was pretty funny.


The Republicans in general and John McCain in particular, made fun of Barack's energy plan. Calling him a flip flopper. Mocked him by giving out free tire pressure gauges to the traveling press. They were referring to an Obama answer to a woman's question at a town hall meeting who ask what ordinary Americans can do to make a difference in lowering our dependence on foreign oil. He replied that Americans can do simple things like making sure their tires are properly inflated. The Department of Energy(that's the Bush administration), estimates that keeping tires properly inflated can help improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent. It's one step the agency recommends to reduce fuel costs, along with removing items from the trunk, replacing clogged air filters and getting regular tuneups. By the way, the estimated savings in gas consumption if we all followed these simple steps, would be around 800,000 barrels of oil.

Off shore oil drilling, according to every expert, will take at least 7 years before they produce any oil. Then that oil produced will go on the world market not in straight into American gas tanks. Yet polls say that some 75% of Americans are for off shore drilling. So John McCain switched his position on off shore oil drilling and its the center piece of his energy plan. He wants a pump in every yard, every city, every hamlet, every valley and mountain.

Obama found himself making a political mistake by not jumping on the gas propaganda bus so he has included the ludicrous idea of getting gas from the strategic oil supply. For the most part he has been contestant on this issue. That we have to think long term in regards to energy independence. Telling people that there is really not many short term answers other than checking your tire pressure, keeping your car tuned and driving less.

If you believe that more off shore drilling is the silver bullet ending our foreign oil dependency. If you believe that building more nuclear power plants without finding out how to get rid of the toxic waste they produce. If you believe that the oil companies will be hurt and have to raise prices by sharing some of their record profits with the country that help make them rich, maybe you want a politician that tells you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.

The Right Stuff..

I was watching a program on CNN hosted by that squinting Anderson Cooper, (I know, maybe he can't help it), called "Extreme Challenges". It was an interesting discussion about the..well, extreme challenges the next president will face when he takes office. The two experts former presidential advisor David Gurgin and Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek and CNN and a bunch of good books ie; "Post World America". They discussed everything from nukes in Iran to job creation as obstacles in the way next presidents success. All the tough choices he will have to make.

Among the things that the new president must do is get the American public to understand that not only is the United States in crisis economically but in order to turn it around is going to require sacrifice. Paying $4 and up for gas. More money for food and other basics. If everyone is to receive world class health care than the services offered will have to be rationed. No you can't get 6 MRI's maybe you can only get 2 or 3 a year.

Obviously politicians can't and most won't talk about sacrifice to a Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club society that we have become. Barack Obama has hinted at the notion of sacrifice but has not expanded too much. The Americans that brought us out of the depression and fought in WWII in shared sacrifice of a national causes are retired or dead. For a politician to ask their constituents to give something up in today's America is political suicide.

With 2 wars, the financial pressure of the deficit and the rise of the rest of the world economically and the nuke inevitably in Iran means that the next president will have to be able to get the world involved with global warming and shoring up the credit markets along with making sure the war on terror does not turn out like the American war on drugs.

So the next president will have to have the "right stuff". The ability to bring much need credibility and leadership back to the US. Because, believe it or not the world wants the United States to lead on issues like global warming. The cowboy, unilateral American diplomacy of the Bush administration has meant that the world is not looking for an American leader that knows how to win wars, as John McCain has so infamously said. But a president that has the ability to listen compromise and act as a partner in the world community.

I have pointed out in past blogs that I believe that Barack Obama, given his background and upbringing, is more connected and in tuned with the world community than any other candidate in this campaign. It takes more than being a black candidate to bring out 200,000 Germans waving American flags. Given the recent closeness in the polls here in the States it proves that maybe the Europeans are ahead of the US in more than alternative energy commuter trains and smaller servings sizes.

Mind Your Place...

For the longest time Barack Obama's problem was he was perceived  too soft politically.  Could he stand up to the heat the Clinton's "kitchen sink" strategy during the primaries.   Just weeks ago John McCain was challenging him to go meet with the troops and generals in Mesopotamia "you can't miss it its right on the border with border with Pakistan".  He was accused of not having the experience to deal matters on the world stage, like meeting with the president of Checkoslovacia.-Isn't it funny how McCain can get away with inaccurate statements like that?  Really the country of Checkoslovacia has not existed for nearly 15 years!! And this is the guy with the experience.

Anyway, Obama goes to Iraq but Afghanistan meets with the troops and much heralded General Petraeus, a general that by all accounts has done a remarkable job given the circumstances.  Barack Obama being the neophyte in the category of military leadership showed leadership by sympathizing with the generals position but saying that his strategy 

was different.  It was not just the McCain campaign saying, "who does this Obama guy think he is, questioning the judgement of Gen. Petraeus.  Cries of he's arrogant started to pop up in the main stream press.  

From saying that going to war in Iraq was a mistake to we have drop the ball on prosecuting the "true" war on terror by neglecting the front in Afghanistan , to saying that it is time to end this war in Iraq, Barack Obama has laid waste to the notion that experience equals good judgement.

Obama met with the same leaders that John McCain had met with shortly after he secured the Republican primaries.  You might not remember because you were more interested in the Democratic primary.  John McCain gave speeches in Columbia and Canada among others during that period.  Obama was criticized for taking a premature victory lap.  Overlooking the fact that his candidacy in itself is a testament to hope, not only in this country but around the world.  

Believe me, if John McCain had the charisma to attract over a 200,000 people to one of his speeches he would not turn it down.  Nor do I think that he would be perceived as arrogant.  

The more I hear Barack Obama referred to arrogant and pompous, I hear as a black man, "uppity".  The fact that he can handle himself with confidence and strength and does not shrink from the responsibility of the office that he seeks, I think that some parts of the American family feels threaten.  They warn Obama indirectly to mind his place.  Who are you to question the judgement of generals or shake the hands of heads of state.

It is the reason why given all the advantages of youth, party affiliation , the issues and a fantastic world wind tour, that  Barack Obama shows little separation in the polls.  That's why even with an electorate that put George W. Bush into office twice, think that Obama is the more risky choice.  Now I'm am not filled with racial paranoia just a healthy scepticism  of America's ability to turn the page in this country.

Goldie Locks

When you don't have anything to run on, not the economy, not the environment, not taxes you can always count on the Republicans to turn to scaring the American people. "The next president will be tested" says former Democratic loser turned independent Senator Joe Lieberman. John McCain is now saying to anyone that will listen, that Barack Obama can't be trusted because he changed his mind on campaign financing in the national election. We have documented extensively McCain's 3 pages of flip flops. He is not the John McCain of the 2000 campaign.


From what I have observed and read of Sen. Obama's positions from his speech on race to his fathers day speech on fatherhood and the black community have been common sense or centrist positions. He has called for personal responsibility and understanding of the other persons views. As possibly the first black president in United States history, he has no other choice than to play the middle. He can't be too far left or too far right. Like the children's story of "Goldie Locks", his positions have to be just right. Jessie Jackson's campaign in 1984 registered a large number of new voters and he won a couple of states in the primaries but his leftest views on many issues gave him no shot at the democratic nomination.

Barack Obama's upbringing in a multi cultural society also contributes to his centrist positions. Growing up black, white and Indonesian gives him a unique vision to see things from a lot of different perspectives. He is a politician running on the platform of change and compromise to get things done in Washington. His politics run to the center because that is where the majority of people in America are. Its hard to compromise with a zealot on either side of the isle.

If you want to be president of all the people by representing half of the people.