John McCain

First, I think the REAL John McCain is a decent person. Now I want you to know, I was not one who climbed aboard his bandwagon in 2000, but I still thought he was a decent person. When we came to the nominating process for a Republican candidate for president in 2008, I figured McCain had little chance. While there's no question that he's a Republican, he has had some very open disputes with others in his party, including with George W. Bush (after Bush was president). I guess I'd have to say that with the Republican label so damaged, it came down to John McCain or Mitt Romney, with Governor Huckaby a distant third. There were no other big names in the race who could have attracted the Republican base to their cause and preempted a possible McCain win. Romney gave it a shot, but let's face it, he was not really the heart and soul choice of many Republicans. Huckaby attracted some of the more populist Republicans (Hey, don't laugh! There are such Republicans, many of whom supported Pat Buchanan in the past).

Once McCain got the nomination, the problem became, "Now what?" Obviously he was NOT inspirational to many in the Republican base. If this were a more "normal" presidential election year, John McCain may well have been able to pull in many Democrats (and will undoubtedly get a fair number, as it is) and, certainly, many independents to offset some Republican malcontents who may well choose to sit out the election, or at least no get involved in helping McCain. This is obviously NOT a normal a year. The incumbent president is about as popular as malaria, the economy is teetering on the brink of what could become a catastrophe, and Democrats are resurgent, as their two main candidates, Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton, inspired many around the country to get involved in politics and register as Democrats.

McCain still was not totally down and out. He certainly appeals across party lines and the hard fought contest for the Democratic nomination left that party a bit divided, at least at first, and McCain and his campaign saw an opening to bring Democratic voters over to his side. When he picked unknown Governor Sarah Palin out of nowhere, it energized the Republican base for a few weeks, and even got many non Republicans to take a look at the McCain-Palin ticket, but then the glow began to fade as reality hit home....ECONOMIC MESS! This turned any gains for the ticket into sawdust. Palin had to show that she was capable to lead the nation, if something were to happen to John McCain. This showed the basic flaw in picking Palin, she was NOT ready. That was not her fault, but McCain's. For a campaign that was trying to make the opposition candiate's judgment an issue, this turned the tables.

With Obama the Democratic nominee, the campaign took a nasty turn, as nasty as I think I've EVER seen in my lifetime, with Republican spokespeople referring to Obama as a Muslim, as a pal of terrorists (obviously with the intent of implying that Obama is perhaps a terrorist, too, without actually coming out and saying such), as a socialist, and as anti-American. In the past, most nasty attacks have come from surrogates or, in more recent times, from organizations outside the two respective parties. This time, we had a vice presidential candidate stand on stage and say that the opposing party's nominee "pals around with terrorists." The "tone" from the McCain-Palin campaign took on an ominous sound. With the economy slipping, millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes, and many more already renting elsewhere, the Republican ticket decided to make a concerted effort to scare the absolute hell out of Americans regarding the Democratic nominee. It didn't work! Polls found McCain-Palin falling further behind, as middle-of-the-road Americans were appalled by the tactics of the Republican campaign. I'll go out on a limb, as the campaign still has a tad over a week to go, but it looks like the whole situation culminated in a definite rejection of such actions when Colin Powell, Republican, former Secretary of State and four-star general went on "Meet The Press" and endorsed Barack Obama for president. Not only did General Powell endorse Obama, but he said why he was endorsing him, including a scathing indictment of Republican tactics during the campaign. Folks, this man, General Powell, should have been president!!!

Prior to Powell's endorsement, Senator McCain finally took the bull by the horns. In a highly visible campaign rally, he corrected a woman who said that she didn't trust Obama "because he's a Muslim." McCain told the crowd that Obama is not a Muslim and that "he's a very decent guy, and you don't have to be afraid if he's elected president." That was the John McCain that the country loved in 2000. It took lots of guts to say what he did. To show how out of touch some in the Republican camp are, he was booed by some in the crowd for his remarks. I have a feeling that John McCain slept better that night, as this campaign had besmirched his reputation. A day or two later, it was a total joy to watch McCain and Obama at the "Al Smith Dinner," trading friendly barbs and put downs of each other, but also including some put downs of themselves. That's the McCain the country likes and admires.