The title itself makes you want to skip this one, but– hold on a sec. This is actually about your financial future, how your government spends your tax dollars to educate children, whether your brother dies in the nuclear attack on the city where he lives and whether the Supreme Court becomes a tool of oppression for anyone who might be a moral conservative.
In this article, Noemie Emery makes the point that Iraq news is so good now that both McCain and Obama have a problem. For McCain, who staked his career on the success of the surge in 2007, it is that Iraq is doing so well his foreign policy experience might not even be needed to deal with it anymore. BHO can handle it himself, inexperienced state senator that he is. For BHO, however, the problem is a little more pronounced. He declared the surge dead on arrival, worthless, a waste of time. As recently as last month, he piled on by telling ABC News’s Terry Moran that he would vote against (the obviously successful) surge again, given the chance. Therefore, in McCain’s case, he fails because the policy he courageously supported has over-succeeded, and he is no longer necessary. With BHO, we have his (self) vaunted, superior and wise judgment splayed on the ground like a cat off a 14th floor balcony.
The president must make gut-wrenching, difficult judgment calls all the time. For our next one, here’s a possible list:
- Israel, convinced that Iran has a prototype suitcase nuke, is about to attack. This may collapse our economy and unleash terror squads with a similar weapon on US cities. What to do?
- Russia, using some flimsy excuse, has just invaded Georgia, and Europe’s oil supplies are in danger. Their armies are unprepared and unwilling to push back, and NATO’s reason for existence is on the line. Next step?
- Democrats in Congress are mounting a huge effort to nationalize healthcare and require every American citizen to cancel their current health insurance and trust the govt. Is this a good thing?
- The 2nd Supreme Court justice has announced her resignation (the first died on the bench), and the next choice will tip the court one way or the other for a generation. Who will be nominated?
- Democrats have announced the largest tax hike on “the rich” (the ones who invest and create jobs) in 100 years. This will solve the budget deficit and “be fair” to the poor. The poor think this is a great idea… what about the president?
McCain is not my favorite politician, and he is not a conservative. I have told his campaign this repeatedly as I send back his literature with zero money. However, over-achieving in leadership is a problem I can handle. I keep thinking about his broken arms– remind me- why can’t he raise his arms above his head anymore?– something about courage under fire, I think. And I realize he may not get a periodic spreadsheet so he can memorize all the real estate transactions his wealthy wife has done recently, leaving him guessing about how many homes he owns today. However, he doesn’t appear to have convicted felons loaning him money to buy houses, nor has he spent 20 years listening every week to a man who still wants God to damn America.
Leadership is, largely, about judgment. I may not agree with McCain’s decisions, but I think I understand the convictions on which he bases them. My fondest hope is that our next president over-achieves in making tough, wise decisions which help make my country a place where I want my grandchildren to live.
How about you?