Summer CE Week #2: “Is McCain qualified for the job?”
Is McCain qualified for the job?
If elected president, Sen. John McCain promises to stage a news conference every week, a singular horror that, of itself, should be enough to doom his chances.
This McCain threat shows no mercy for his staff, which trails this creaky circus doing what the man with the shovel does for the elephant. “Being human and tripping over your tongue occasionally doesn’t mean a thing,” said one top official for the GOP nominee. By contrast, McCain dismissed his opponent’s verbal appeal last week as Sen. Barack Obama blitzed the Middle East and Europe, smooth-talking 200,000 in Berlin.
At least twice, under coaching from Sen. Joe Lieberman, McCain confused the Sunnis of Iraq with the Shias. Darfur he misplaced in Somalia. And in speaking about “Czechoslovakia,” he reunited the Czech Republic and Slovakia, separated since 1993.
Sometimes, the slip is a matter of geography as when, on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” the Arizona senator spoke of an Iraq-Pakistan border that does not exist, at least not yet.
Some blame such McCain errors on the turning of his leaves. He will be 72 next month. But, as with the current commander in chief, the blight appears to have set in early on. It practically took an affirmative action appointment to eek this wacky rebel into the U.S. Naval Academy. His legacy posting came courtesy of his admiral grandfather and on-track-to-become-admiral dad. The blood of the third generation, however, apparently ran thin as little John, a carousingly weak student, finished fifth from the very bottom of his 1958 academy class of 599 graduates.
Nothing in McCain’s career demonstrates that his bulb has brightened. His vaunted reputation as a maverick and contrarian could just as well be attributed to a short-circuiting of his command of facts and standard operating procedures.
What about his qualifications for commander in chief?
As President George W. Bush has proved, any scion of a wealthy, white family can be taught to fly a jet fighter by a patient, long-suffering military flight instructor. As for getting one’s plane shot out of the sky, as McCain did over North Vietnam, we need seek no analysis beyond that of Gen. Wesley Clark’s.
The general’s point was not that McCain isn’t a war hero, the counterattack that put Clark on the defensive. It was rather that McCain’s heroics have not prepared him, ipso facto, to be commander in chief, as the GOP candidate claims. Incidentally, Clark ranked No. 1 in his 1966 class of 579 cadets at West Point. Other knowledgeable war veterans, and I humbly include myself, know that cocky flyboy pilots like McCain, indeed, tend not to have the right stuff to be named commanders.
Furthermore, some actual commanders, Gen. William C. Westmoreland for example – as well as some commanders in chief, such as George W. Bush – do not have the winning stuff that makes leaders successful. In the former case, Westmoreland, who got the U.S. snookered on the battlefield in Vietnam, scored in the middle of his 1936 West Point class of 276.
As for the verbal and scholastic prowess of the current commander in chief, perhaps the less said, in these tumultuous times, the better. It suffices that the closer we look at the makeup of McCain, the more we find traces of Bush. Both have been given to waywardness, one born to money, the other marrying into it.
The salient point about this duo that troubles those of us who care deeply about the country is that McCain doggedly insists upon staying the Bush course. Also, it’s a sure bet that McCain would continue to offer David Letterman material for his “Great Moments in Presidential History,” a nightly spoof of Bush’s inarticulate rambles. Can we afford any longer to ponder our sitting president each night and laugh – just to keep from crying?
I felt like this article conveyed some very valid concerns Americans should be having about John McCain. He displays himself as this experienced war hero who thinks that just because he can handle fighting in Vietnam, he can also handle running an entire country. The one thing that often bothers me about presidential campaign is the candidates often make empty promises, or promises that they intend to keep, but are completely unrealistic. McCain telling America he will hold a news conference every week seems slightly unrealistic to me.
Media writers seem to be mocking the fact that John McCain makes silly little mistakes about geography and how he is constantly saying things that his advisers have to set straight for the American people. For some it may be funny, but it actually is a legitimate concern. If these slips are because of his age, then how could we ever elect him to be president? Little mistakes like saying the wrong thing may not only cost him his career, but the country could pay as well.
The author made a good point in saying that just because McCain served in Vietnam, that doesn’t necessarily say he has the qualifications to be Commander and Chief. In fact I’m not certain that there will ever be a person who is completely qualified for the job.
Another point is, “It suffices that the closer we look at the makeup of McCain, the more we find traces of Bush.” It seems clear to me that the American people are ready for change because Bush has appeared to have done a less than satisfactory job, yet McCain is so similar to him.
There is no even median in this presidential race. It is either Barack Obama who will get us out of Iraq in 16 months or John McCain who will keep soldiers there indefinitely because victory is necessary; there is nothing in between. Maybe everyone in America should vote for the Non-Partisan Candidate.
I think that the author is showing concerns about John McCain, because he thinks that being a Vietnam Veteran makes him qualified to run the country. But if his service in Vietnam implies how he will do as president, the country is doomed to failure. I truly feel sorry that he was shot down and held as a prisoner, but I don’t think this makes him qualified, because if he wasn’t capable of fighting in that war, why is he capable of being Commander-in-chief? This seems to be his big campaign focus, because he thinks that service in the military means he is qualified to serve a whole country. Also, McCain can’t make promises that he will hold news conferences every week, because the public doesn’t care what is happening in the government, unless it somehow affects them or someone they care about. It seems like he is trying to be like FDR who gave Fireside Chats during his presidency. He will never be an FDR.
But another concern is how McCain can’t seem to remember countries or other important information. It seems very funny that he thinks Czechoslovakia is still a country or that Darfur is in Somalia. But this could be a concern, because it could show how his memory isn’t good anymore and how he has trouble making informed decisions. This could be a problem, because it could show his mental and physical health are slowly getting worse. Do we want a president who struggles with names and making decisions?
Another point is that McCain is like Bush, because he believes we should stay in Iraq and many Americans want out of Iraq and want someone who is different than Bush. If he is just like Bush, he might not win the election.
Be very concerned about McCain and his memory. As the author pointed out, he will be turning 72, which seems very old for a president. Do we want someone who can’t remember countries and has to have someone correct everything he says? Is he a qualified commander-in-chief? I don’t think so.
I found this article to be very interesting, and it had made me really think about a few of negative characteristics that John McCain might have. He seems to be the type to make promises in order to succeed, we all know that promises can be broken, and probably will in this situation. If elected, McCain had promised to hold a weekly news conference. With all the things that our government is occupied with, I am sure that news conferences would be on the bottom of the concern list. McCain, being a Republican, is staying on Bush’s coarse. The way things are going; we might never get out of Iraq nor be liked by foreign leaders. Bush had demonstrated his arrogant attitude toward the foreign leaders, and if McCain is elected into office, this country might never be liked by the world again. Another thing that I find really amusing is McCain’s accidental confusions and verbal slips. This definitely shows the man’s age. Thus, how could this country remain young and beautiful with a president who is not only forgetful but also (simply) old? I think we need a president who will offer this country a second chance in the world affairs, and hope. A president who wouldn’t forget that Czech Republic and Slovakia have split in ‘93 and perhaps know that one’s participation in the Vietnam war would not help the country fight against terrorism. I realize that that statement was a little over the top, but you get the point.
I agree that McCain’s verbal slips, among other things, seem like legitimate concerns to consider in the upcoming elections. As stated in the article, “In addition to the verbal slips, even in his so-called areas of expertise, McCain rolls out his thoughts with a disquieting inexactitude.” This is a problem. Because he is a Vietnam veteran, McCain claims that his “area of expertise” is in foreign policy. You shouldn’t say you’re an expert at something until you’re actually an expert. When McCain gets confused on relatively large foreign policy issues, such as Iraq and Darfur, that’s when you know he’s no expert. As stated in the article, “…in speaking about ‘Czechoslovakia,’ he reunited the Czech Republic and Slovakia, separated since 1993.” When your major platform against Obama is foreign policy experience, you should probably know that Czechoslovakia hasn’t been a country for 15 years. A couple mistakes are acceptable, but when McCain starts making mistakes left and right, then it becomes a concern. At a time where America is on thin ice with many countries across the globe, mistakes such as these will make the ice even thinner.
I know that during a campaign loaded with speeches, mistakes are inevitable. McCain, however, has made a few too many.
It seems to me that this article is pointing out that McCain is not a competent leader for a country that is at war. Now some may say that the President does not need to be well versed in the ways of war. This is simply untrue, first and foremost the president is the leader of the armed forces. This is every branch of it, the Navy, Army, and the Air force. McCain has combat experience, he was a pilot, but what is needed is not combat experience, but leadership experience. The leader of the Armed Forces must be have the experience of leading men in combat. Without that experience it is difficult for a leader to make life and death decisions on key targets and installations without knowing how his men will react when they are on the field of battle. This must come with an encompassing knowledge of the world at large. While we are all guilty of the occasional slip of the tongue, the President will be called on every single one of them, and they will be blown massively out of proportion. Unless McCain can either control his speech or the ones who write them start paying attention this will become a wound that a president cannot stand to obtain. On a final note, the average life expectancy is what? 73 for males? McCain is turning 72 soon, and we all know that the President of the United States of America is a very stressful job, those voting for this president, must consider very hard who he is taking as his running-mate. For they very well may see that person as president before too long.
I actually found myself laughing by the end of this article. While the author points out some very concerning facts about McCain’s age and the like, I think it’s hilarious how the author uses his subjects’ respective military academy graduation standing as a mark for their success and ability to do anything in life. Honestly, this has broken the boundaries of bad journalism. One of my favorite quotes is, “What do they call the person who graduates last in medical school? Doctor.” In no way does this justify slacking off, but in a sense the quote is completely accurate. This journalist would get his butt kicked, slapped around, and laughed at in any military academy. They are not a joke. EVERYONE comes out of an academy ready to lead, more than probably anyone else in the country. The author states some guy graduated first at his military academy; McCain finished well towards the bottom. Guess what? They both have the same degree. They both can put the same mark on their resumes. Einstein dropped out of high school – that’s below last place graduating. And if you’re going to tell me he isn’t smart or isn’t capable in his field, I will pretty much laugh at you and tell you to pick up his relativity theories book as a casual read.
Also, I just finished reading McCain’s own book for our second summer reading. The journalist in this article implies that Vietnam is all McCain ever talks about when asked about his qualifications. But wait… did the author forget McCain’s reelection rates? 100%. Or that in 2004 McCain won his Senate reelection with 77% of the vote? No. I honestly think this journalist just couldn’t think that hard. That requires intelligent thought.
I personally feel that the president of the United States needs to be connected with the people of the United States, and if a weekly press conference would do such a thing that would be good. Maybe all the pressure being put on McCain makes him nervous when he speaks, which I admit is a flaw that needs to be worked on, but as he gets used to speaking about important issues I believe that he will say the wrong thing less and less, and no matter what someone is always going to disagree with him. In order to be President I do agree that knowing the world’s geography is pretty important because if you say something wrong it could upset leaders of other countries. The facts of what McCain’s war history seems to still blanket him almost everywhere. I think that it is important to look at everything McCain has done more recently and not concentrate so much on his war history, even though that is a big part of his life. Reporters and such keep on saying how many things are like Bush, what I want to know is what makes him better than Bush, because I believe he is, and Bush has some good things about him to and people are not tending to look at anything that he has done for the good of the country but only looking at the mistakes he has made. Just like any other president who has served during war Bush has been greatly criticized now and will probably be seen as a better person when he dies. McCain needs to get out from behind Bush’s theories and come up with his own, and I believe he has the potential to make a good president.
Wow, the end of this article made me laugh, being a David Letterman fan. But the author makes a perfect point about John McCain. George W. Bush does tend to provide Letterman with many funny moments, and McCain, being as old as he is, and (as stated in other articles) does show similarities to George W. Bush. This is an issue with being the president of The United States; McCain does need to be able to make a good, solid speech. I read Rachel Damiano’s “roast” on Barack Obama when it comes to why people think he should be the next president (I apologize if I spelled her name wrong) and Rachel made a point of saying that people like Obama because he is an excellent speaker. She clearly didn’t think that that is enough to be worthy of the president of the United States. I believe that she is right, but being a good speaker definitely helps. If someone is elected president, they want their country to respect them and not be distracted when the president is trying to send a message to the country. I do actually believe that McCain is too old, and I did not know that he finished so poorly in school. So far, I support Barack Obama.
This is a response to Cole Zeigler’s comment. You definitely seemed to be fairly informed about McCain, and admittedly, probably more so than me. However, the author does have his points, and while the end of your comment was biting, it doesn’t make them less relevant. Sure, we’re all human, but mis-speakings of McCain seem more than the occasional slip. The man who is going to be our representative on the global stage is referring to countries that have been dissolved for years as if they’re still around, and switching factions in Iraq around as well. I think that hurts potential relations. Also, your favorite quote has wit to it, but look at it this way. When you want to undergo spinal surgery, which is preferable? The 5th from the bottom of the class, or the top of the mark graduate? You want the best man for the job. The author does have his point about McCain’s war record not necessarily preparing for the job, but you’re right when you say it’s bad journalism, he should have presented more information, and more accurately
You can’t deny the fact that McCain and Bush have one very interesting thing in common. Neither of them have strong speaking ability. I mean you have to admit, calling Czechoslovakia a country 15 years after the split of Slovakia and the Czech republic is a pretty bad mistake. He did also speak of that Iraqi Palestinian boarder which no one else on the planet knows about. I mean seriously the might as well start making a“McCainisms” calendar to compete with “Bushisms.” It is frankly embarrassing to me as an American. How can this man claim to be a foreign policy expert when he doesn’t know the difference between a Sunni and a Shia? Senator Joe Lieberman is the man who sweeps up his messes; he might as well announce his candidacy. Yes McCain deserves to be commended for his military service, but how does that make him a better candidate? He was a POW during periods of torture, that sort of stress ads whole years to your life. McCain is just too old for the job. He is the Senator of Arizona, but he has a bit of trouble staying awake during senate sessions, but I suppose its not that big of a deal its only his job. Obama 08’
I agree with Cole. Just because he was towards the bottom of his class at a military academy doesn’t make him incapable of leading. The author of this article also failed to realize that because McCaun is so old, he has done alot of things since he graduated from military academy. Those things would have most likely given him some kind of expirience.
I would also agree with the part that Cole said about this article being funny. I’m pretty sure that Cole meant that the author’s lack of intelligence was funny, but I would add that the author was also trying to make jokes about McCains age, which is fine, but all of the author’s jokes wasted the reader’s time. They are entertaining, but they don’t ever bring up any susbstantial points on McCains policies or political history.
Good job Cole.
Why thank you Sean!
In response to Kyle Hermens:
The misnomers and faulty speech McCain has used is, honestly, quite embarrassing. I agree with you on that subject – McCain’s misnomers and faulty speech are not a good characteristic for a President. I think that these are just a little bit strewn out of proportion though. When Hillary Clinton “misspoke” about the Bosnia sniper incident (look it up if you want to see someone call a blatant, intentional lie an honest mistake… it’s pretty comical), people seemed… to somehow forgive her. Sure, I would say that probably lost her the nomination for good, but even in a blatant lie, her followers didn’t seem to care. They kept on saying Go Hillary! Woo Hoo! McCain’s mistakes I think are just that, mistakes, and shouldn’t be looked into much more than that. Although I do agree it is definitely something he need’s to work on.
Also, the graduation ranking is somewhat unrealistic in competitive post-secondary education programs. Particularly in a school as grueling as medical school or a service academy, every single graduate is deemed capable to do the job the school taught them. It’s not like high school – go to school for four years, coast, get C’s and D’s, and just graduate. These two examples I gave are HARD. Many, many people capable people fail out of service academies and med school simply because they can’t do it; those that can graduate. I hope I’m making sense here. My bottom line is that anyone and everyone that works hard enough to graduate a rigorous school like those two I listed is completely capable to accomplish their jobs. And so is McCain.
To comment on Haley Nelson
I would much rather have John McCain in office simply because he has fought in Vietnam which you seem to have no respect for. Fighting in war, and surviving as a prisoner of war is a great accomplishment. I am reading the book, “Faith of my Fathers” and I know that John McCain is a good man and capable of leading our country. What McCain talks about in his book is how the government under Lyndon Johnson did far too little to win the war in Vietnam. McCain could use this experience to further our progress in Iraq. And about his “silly mistakes” that is why he has advisor’s; because he lacks in speech means nothing his ability to lead.
I found this article interesting for a variety of reasons. First, I want to point out that the author makes no concessions what so ever. Payne is constantly talking about all the faults McCain has. It is obvious that the author does not believe McCain will be a competent leader of our nation. I agree with him there. His experience as a military leader will be helpful but not helpful enough to make him a competent leader.
The article also talks about McCain’s verbal and scholastic mistakes. This sounds very much like Bush and I found myself thinking about that even before Payne introduced the comparison in the article. It is unsettling that traces of Bush can be found in McCain. This could mean that McCain will follow in Bush’s steps and we will have gotten nowhere as a nation. This is a scary thought.
Will McCain be a competent leader? That is the underlying question of the whole article and Payne does a good job of presenting evidence that says McCain won’t be. It makes me wonder what we would discover if McCain gets elected. Will Payne be right or will McCain prove him wrong? We will have to see.
In Response to James
At the moment I would not prefer to have either candidate in office simply because neither seems to have an adequate plan to fix the problems America is having. As for John McCain, I have a lot of respect for the man, especially since he fought in Vietnam. Fighting for our country is one of the noblest acts a man can do, it is completely selfless. However, just because be fought in the war that doesn’t necessarily mean he is qualified to be president. And as for the comment, “he lacks in speech means nothing his ability to lead.” I’m not sure I completely believe in John McCain’s ability to lead the country yet, but I do agree with you in saying that what a person says isn’t everything; it’s his actions that matter.
I felt like the author was being mean to McCain here. Mentioning how McCain finished fifth from the bottom of his class and pointing out all the verbal mistakes he makes. I will admit though that those mistakes are pretty dumb. Like talking about Czechoslovakia when it has been separated since 1993 and a non-existing Iraq-Pakistan border. It could be that he’s getting too old; the author mentions that he’s turning 72 next month. In my opinion, I don’t think age really matters that much unless it affects the way you think and the way you run the country. Hopefully if McCain becomes president he won’t make all the dumb mistakes Bush made. But he can’t be all that dumb; he’s good enough to be president isn’t he?
Well, I don’t see how fighting in Vietnam qualifies him to be president, but I think when he talks about his experiences in Vietnam he’s trying to express how well he knows war. After all, McCain wants to continue the war and if you support McCain you also support the war in Iraq. His experience in war shows that he knows how to fight in one and end it the way wars were meant to be ended.
When it comes to our candidates they both have some flaws but the fact that this reporter is saying that a simple slip of the tongue and the fact that he is almost 72 should not be a factor in making a decision whether he can lead or not. He is just as capable as Obama is. I feel that we don’t give McCain enough credit for fighting in the Vietnam War or the fact that he was a prisoner of war. I don’t think that graduating at the bottom of your class makes you any less incapable than the person at the top. We could even return to some of the previous articles that have been posted and see that Obama is a bit of a hypocrite in what he says. But when it comes to this flaw with Obama will we honestly take it into account when it comes time to vote? I think as a country we are all making the smallest flaws of McCain look huge because the majority of the country is still hooked on Obama’s slogan of “change.” I believe in to some extent it was unprofessional to have said that “cocky flyboy pilots like McCain, indeed, tend not to have the right stuff to be named commanders. Pilots in some fashion or another are required to take the leadership role in order to remain safe in air. McCain is more than qualified to lead this country.
I personally feel that the president of the United States needs to be connected with the people of the United States, and if a weekly press conference would do such a thing that would be good. Maybe all the pressure being put on McCain makes him nervous when he speaks, which I admit is a flaw that needs to be worked on, but as he gets used to speaking about important issues I believe that he will say the wrong thing less and less, and no matter what someone is always going to disagree with him. In order to be President I do agree that knowing the world’s geography is pretty important because if you say something wrong it could upset leaders of other countries. The facts of what McCain’s war history seems to still blanket him almost everywhere. I think that it is important to look at everything McCain has done more recently and not concentrate so much on his war history, even though that is a big part of his life. Reporters and such keep on saying how many things are like Bush, what I want to know is what makes him better than Bush, because I believe he is, and Bush has some good things about him to and people are not tending to look at anything that he has done for the good of the country but only looking at the mistakes he has made. Just like any other president who has served during war Bush has been greatly criticized now and will probably be seen as a better person when he dies. McCain needs to get out from behind Bush’s theories and come up with his own, and I believe he has the potential to make a good president.
I don’t know how that got posted…that’s Amanda’s comment. Sorry don’t know how that happened.
This is actually what I was going to say…
I agree with Amanda in the fact that McCain should not just hide behind Bush’s theories, he should devise his own so he can stand out on those and hopefully be accepted. He would be better liked if he were to remain distant from that of placing himself near Bush and his presidency. Not many liked Bush so for him to hide under the actions of Bush would only give Obama a greater chance at winning. I do have to say though that I think it is important for McCain to share his story from war to make himself more of a hero, which in turn gives the American people reason to really appreciate what he has done for the country. The American people need to look at everything about each candidate before actually going to the voting polls; it’s for the future of this country.
In response to Amanda Eagle
Everyone has potential to be a great president. What sets them apart are their actions. Bush is being criticized during this not just because of his war policies (although those are being criticized too) but because of the scandals his administration has had. People are criticizing those scandals, such as Scooter Libby and Alberto Gonzalez, as well as the war. McCain’s war record is truly impressive, and he deserves to be called a war hero, but that does not mean he can run a country. People see Bush in him because he has stated he will follow Bush. If he comes up with his own ideas, it would make him better then Bush, yes, but that is not hard to do. Bush is already widely considered to be the worst president in United States history because of what he has done. Not concentrating on McCain’s war record, I agree, is necessary to do, but it would also show people that McCain has not developed his own ideas just yet.
This article definitely raises some legitimate concerns. Although McCain’s tendency to “trip over his tongue” may not necessarily suggest a lack of intelligence so much as a lack of talent for impromptu speaking, it could cause the American people to doubt his competence. Whether it is simply nerves, repeated human slip-ups, lack of intelligence, old age, or something else entirely, such frequent blunders do make him appear less competent and sharp. Given the fact that so much of politics, especially around the time of elections, is so closely related to the public’s perception of our politicians, this could be a major obstacle for McCain to overcome. It is also scary to imagine a president who seems to lack essential skills in the area of rhetoric and communication dealing and negotiating with foreign, or even national, leaders. Also, the fact that McCain plans to follow so closely in Bush’s footsteps could cause concern. Just look at Bush’s approval ratings. How many Americans would be in a hurry to put such a similar leader into office? That said, I do feel that Payne was very hard on McCain. It obviously takes a decent amount of intelligence and a lot of drive to make it as far as he has made it in the political world.