Why Did John McCain Lose?

For the next few days, weeks, months . . . and in the case of this historic election . . . years, "experts" will pour over exit polls and demographics like maggots on days-old dung to explain why John McCain lost (and yes, I felt the need to use the word "maggot" today . . . and yes, I will focus on why McCain lost rather than Obama's win because of the type of uphill battle the republican had . . . and yes I will keep using ellipses . . . does this trouble you?).

You'll hear lots of explanations for the outcome. Like, oh, for example:

• People were angry at Dubya. True, but then you have yo ask yourself why couldn't McCain convince independents and centrist democrats of the very thing that had conservative republicans threatening to hit the poles instead of the polls . . . primarily the fact that McCain was far from being Bush?
  
• Sarah Palin was a bad choice. Listen, if Dan Quayle didn't cost Papa Bush his first election, then don't fool yourself into blaming Palin (unless you're a McCain advisor trying to commit career suicide by attacking a now powerful Republican voice). Examine the people who hate Palin or said that they wouldn't vote for McCain because of her . . . they were either going to vote for Obama anyway or they have the reasoning faculties of a rusted lawn chair. According to the exit polls referenced on CNN, among those who think a Vice President actually matters Palin probably pulled in an extra 3 or 4 points for Mac. But for most people the VP choice just doesn't mean much. No American President has ever won or lost an election based on their Veep.
  
• The mainstream media was in the tank for Obama. There is no doubt that it's true. For the sake of argument, let's skip the fact that, oh around 80% of them vote democratic and that Katie Couric keeps the cold shower running after an Obama interview. Instead let's look at undeniable facts . . . network expenditures. Brit Hume (who would never lie) produced numbers on the amount of money each network spent following the candidates and the number was around 3 to 1 in favor of Obama. In fact, even the "conservative" FoxNews spent more money following Obama than McCain. But does it really matter? Republicans have overcome the media in the past. The mainstream press hates Dubya and he was elected . . . twice.
  
• Americans wanted to vote for an African American. For some this is true. When I went into work on election day a white colleague of mine was smiling ear-to-ear and when I asked her how she was doing she said, "Fantastic! We're going to elect our first black president!" Interesting . . . she didn't say "a democrat in the White House" or "a liberal behind the country's wheel" or even "somebody who isn't named Bush." Her first inclination was to identify Obama by pigmentation. So yes, everyone knew he would carry the black vote, which tends to be largely monolithic anyway (excepting mavericks like Neo and 'Zo), and that he would draw in white-guilt sufferers, but seeing color they would have voted democratic anyway. So I doubt the color of his skin did anything beyond proving that America is not a racist country . . . or it never could have elected a black man with little experience and ties to William Ayers and several anti-Semitic friends and organizations.
  
• Ohio Sucks. The Buckeye state went blue and no Republican has ever won the presidency without Ohio. But this is a symptom rather than a cause.

Yes, you'll read all sorts of reason as to why the election went the way that it did, with each day finding a new "expert" searching for a different angle. Was it McCain's age? Did the GOP leave their conservative values? Was it ACORN enhanced voter fraud? How about the death of Obama's grandma? Biden's saucy hair plugs? A heavy Venusian body-snatching turnout? But don't be fooled. There is one reason and one reason alone why Obama won. And it is as simple as it is obvious.

Mammon

When Barack Obama decided to renege on his agreement to public funding he won the election.

Before securing the Democratic nomination, Obama told the world "If I am the Democratic nominee, I will aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election." Hillary Clinton and John McCain made the same commitment. The difference is that, John McCain kept his word (and something tells me that Hillary would have as well)

As the WSJ put it, by flip-flopping on public funding, Obama "probably dealt a death-blow to the cause of campaign-finance reform." You see, in keeping his promise, John McCain decided to adhere to the financing restrictions so he had spending limits and could not accept private donations after 1 September - the official start of the campaign. In breaking his promise Obama was swimming in cash, collecting about as much as Bush and Kerry combined in the last election . . . leading to blech-fest infomercials and campaign ads at levels that have never been seen before. Sure, McCain put out ads distancing himself from Bush, blaming Fannie & Freddie on the Democrats and explaining his own policies . . . but they were drown out by the deluge of Obama spots that only the gobs of money collected outside of public finance restrictions could have bankrolled.

So Barack Obama's financial pledge reversal had two effects:

1) Obama won the election.

2) Campaign Finance agreements between the parties are gone forever. I doubt any future candidate will accept the restrictions of Public Finance or trust the word of their opponent when it comes to money. . . so expect the 2012 election to see more Benjis than a scruffy K-9 film revival . . . and expect lots of future ellipses from The Khaki Elephant

VOTE COUNTRY FIRST

Happy Election Day

UPDATE: Wasn't so happy.

Spread The Zo (and Macho Sauce Productions)

If you treat the web like a geisha then you've probably seen Zo do his thing. But based on potential Alfonzo-proliferation I withheld from posting his stuff on The Khaki Elephant . . . until now.

It struck me this morning that everybody should be Zo'd.
Zo, here you go.



And wouldn't you love to see him mainstreaming!

Debate #3: Man, My Head Hurts

Since Stephen Green, the Vodkapundit, is a bit under the weather tonight and unable to drunkblog the debate, I thought that I might try my hand at it. I mean, politics and drinking while writing . . . who wouldn't want to be the Vodkapundit for a night?

It started with wine at dinner (stuffed salmon and a spinach salad) and then continued . . .

When to say when: a lesson that I sorely need to learn.

The keyboard is soooooooo far away. And . . .it's moving. In this light it kinda looks like a beetle. "Hello, Mr Z. So nice to see you so close to Mr. X." Ow, who left that Lego there? Kids . . . does partial birth abortion cover two-year-olds? www.pinkelephants/ -- no, http://www.khakielephant.com/ . . . screw this.

Now I'm tired. I'm sobering up. And my first (and probably only) attempt at debate drunkblogging has only proven that during a debate "drunk" is more appealing to me than "blogging." So, I'll leave it to the professionals. Get well soon, Mr. Green.

But before I go to bed to sleep it off, I'll at least take a few minutes to provide a buzzed reaction to the debate. And I'll do so without mentioning how many times I found myself shouting slurred rebuttals to both candidates (or how many times I wondered aloud if Bob Schieffer's faces was actually melting).

I was happy with McCain's start. He came out of the gate swinging and even dropped the line of the night, "I am not President Bush. If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." But Mac just doesn't seem to be a finisher. By night's end it seemed primarily a repeat of previous debates, with the possible exception of Joe the plumber becoming more popular than the Beatles.

I think McCain did well and if an undecided voter was paying attention he/she would have spotted the conflicts and logic-defying platitudes of Obama's policy plans, particularly when framed by his legislative record. But we all know the attention span of undecided voters (who, if they haven't decided for McCain/Palin by this point clearly haven't been paying attention). I frankly don't believe that this debate helped the GOP candidate very much -- though I hope the alcohol has clouded my senses and I'm wrong.

As with previous debates, there are so many things that I wish John McCain would have said. Sure, I do appreciate him using a variation of my initial response to Obama's "we need to use a scalpel to cut spending." (Keep reading, John!). I just wanted him to drop something like:

• "Let's get this straight. On every topic tonight you've heard Senator Obama mention that fixing that issue will require more spending but then he still claims that he is going to give a tax cut to 95% of Americans. Sounds like we're going to need Joe the plumber to get that load of crap through the pipes."
• "Nobody at any rally has said that you're a terrorist because your middle name is Hussein or because, like al Qaeda, you wanted us to surrender in Iraq. But even Joe the plumber is wondering why you were launching your political career in the living room of an unrepentant terrorist. You weren't 8 years old when you did that, Senator."
• "Senator, you said that you want to help the auto industry in Detroit. Well, those 'big corporations' that you want to tax include Ford, GM and Chrysler, who have already laid off thousands of employees. Joe the plumber, I hope your business does well and you can start hiring because if Senator Obama's tax plan is put into place there'll be a lot of unemployed auto workers looking for work."
• "Pinocchio's nose grew when he lied. Senator Obama, is that what happens to your ears. Joe the plumber, did they look this gi-nourmous in the rope line?"
• "Senator Obama, your position on abortion is extreme. Your record is not pro-choice, it is pro-abortion. You told Planned Parenthood that the first thing you'd do as president is sign the Freedom of Choice Act that would allow for unrestricted abortions. At this point, I'm just surprised that you haven't introduced legislation that would allow Joe the plumber to just snake the little rascals out of a uterus."

Sorry, but that's enough for now . . . and please forgive any lapses in context, grammar or spelling tonight. Water, aspirin and I'm going to bed. Good night, ya'll. And a special good night to Joe the plumber.

Debate #2: Not A Game Changer

I've always liked the town hall format when it comes to debates. For one thing, it somehow seems less formal watching the candidates strut around the stage palming their microphones like Don Ho at a national sales luau. But even more interesting are the questions posed by the audience. They are Americana and you just never know what they're going to ask. Will Chris whine about his lot in life and ask what the country will do to help him? Does Stephanie want to know if the candidates plan to bring down the cost of her chocolate addiction? And are either of these guys going to take away Alex's guns? You can always expect a couple of bizarre question that force the candidates to step outside practiced response and into the world of instinct and character . . . unless the questions are selected by Tom Brokaw.

There were reportedly millions of questions that were sent in for this debate. However, Brokaw decided to select questions that reflected the ground these candidates have been covering every single day for months: the economy, health care, Iraq, ZZZZzzzzzzzzzz.

I'm back.

The result: America had another opportunity to watch their stump speeches. Nothing new (except McCain's left turn concerning mortgage buy outs). Nothing groundbreaking.

To be honest, both candidates were pretty good; neither was great. And since Obama is currently leading in most polls, that fact plays in his favor. If he wants to win this thing, John McCain will need to spend the next few weeks hammering away at Obama's minuscule record and credibility while at the same time ensuring that his supporters do not listen to the media projections and head to the polls in November.

The only question that I found remotely interesting was the last. And on this one we owe a debt of gratitude to Al Gore for creating the internet, thus allowing Peggy of Amherst to deliver the best question of the debate. And if you didn't see the debate, trust me, that was a long time to wait for a single interesting question. (In fact, if I weren't writing this blog I probably would have switched the channel over to Nickelodeon where Dora and Boots were in quite a donnybrook with Swiper the fox).

So I'll close this post the same way the debate closed -- with Peggy's question and the full response of each candidate.

PEGGY: "What don't you know and how will you learn it?"

OBAMA: My wife, Michelle, is there and she could give you a much longer list than I do. And most of the time, I learn it by asking her.

But, look, the nature of the challenges that we're going to face are immense and one of the things that we know about the presidency is that it's never the challenges that
you expect. It's the challenges that you don't that end up consuming most of your time.

But here's what I do know. I know that I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the fact that this country gave me opportunity. I came from very modest means. I had a single mom and my grandparents raised me and it was because of the help of scholarships and my grandmother scrimping on things that she might have wanted to purchase and my mom, at one point, getting food stamps in order for us to put food on the table.

Despite all that, I was able to go to the best schools on earth and I was able to succeed in a way that I could not have succeeded anywhere else in this country. The same is true for Michelle and I'm sure the same is true for a lot of you. And the question in this election is: are we going to pass on that same American dream to the next generation? Over the last eight years, we've seen that dream diminish.

Wages and incomes have gone down. People have lost their health care or are going bankrupt because they get sick. We've got young people who have got the grades and the will and the drive to go to college, but they just don't have the money. And we can't expect that if we do the same things that we've been doing over the last eight years, that somehow we are going to have a different outcome.

We need fundamental change. That's what's at stake in this election. That's the reason I decided to run for president, and I'm hopeful that all of you are prepared to continue this extraordinary journey that we call America.

But we're going to have to have the courage and the sacrifice, the nerve to move in a new direction. Thank you.

BROKAW: Sen. McCain, you get the last word. Sen. Obama had the opening. You're last up.

MCCAIN: Well, thank you, Tom. And I think what I don't know is what all of us don't know, and that's what's going to happen both here at home and abroad.

The challenges that we face are unprecedented. Americans are hurting tonight in a way they have not in our generation.

There are challenges around the world that are new and different and there will be different -- we will be talking about countries sometime in the future that we hardly know where they are on the map, some Americans.

So what I don't know is what the unexpected will be. But I have spent my whole life serving this country. I grew up in a family where my father was gone most of the time because he was at sea and doing our country's business. My mother basically raised our family.

I know what it's like in dark times. I know what it's like to have to fight to keep one's hope going through difficult times. I know what it's like to rely on others for support and courage and love in tough times. I know what it's like to have your comrades reach out to you and your neighbors and your fellow citizens and pick you up and put you back in the fight. That's what America's all about.

I believe in this country. I believe in its future. I believe in its greatness. It's been my great honor to serve it for many, many years.

And I'm asking the American people to give me another opportunity and I'll rest on my record, but I'll also tell you, when times are tough, we need a steady hand at the tiller and the great honor of my life was to always put my country first.

Thank you, Tom.

What Caused Our Economic Crisis?

If you are concerned about the economy. If you a wondering why we are where we are. If you want facts instead of rhetoric . . . you must watch this video!

It is almost 10 minutes long, but that is a short investment when trying to cut through the lies from D.C.

This is a must watch

John McCain Wins First Debate

You can always tell one side has won a debate when their opponent's spin doctors start using phrases like, "we held our own." Unfortunately, while John McCain won the first presidential debate he did not deliver a decisive maneuver politically equivalent to the figure-four leg lock.

McCain owned foreign policy. While Barack Obama consistently strummed the two-chords of "we should have never gone into Iraq" and "we took our eye off Afghanistan," McCain boom-boomed back on his big bass drum with "the next President isn't going to decide on going to Iraq but how to win there" and "you can't win in Afghanistan if you lose in Iraq."

The Republican candidate also scored points concerning Obama's idiotic initial response to Russia's invasion of Georgia, when the Democrat implied that it was equally Georgia's fault. Yep, apparently those Georgian's were asking to get their buttskis kicked by having an oil corridor that Russia wanted within their internationally recognized border. And then McCain went a critical step further by warning the world about the Ukraine situation -- a point I'm glad he brought to the fore for all Americans and sincerely hope that it did not sail by the viewing audience (especially the Russians . . . we've got our eye on you, Vlad).

Predictably, Obama tried to recapture the chanting response he received in Berlin with his call to make America more beloved in the world. But the call sounded hollow when his threat to unilaterally strike militarily inside Pakistan surfaced. And Obama's call died to a whispered when McCain pointed out that a face-to-face meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without preconditions "is dangerous. It isn’t just naive, it’s dangerous." (Though I did find it kinda cute when Obama petulantly insisted that Kissenger agreed with him and not McCain.)

Barack Obama's best moments came early in the debate, when the discussion revolved around the economy and the impending bailout of those Wall Street mortgage brothels. It wasn't the substance of Obama's message (clear - defibrillator - clear) but the practiced sincerity with which he appeared to feel the pain of hurting Americans when he promised them better health, better education, better fuel, secure housing, and rich people's money all while vowing to cut their taxes. Hell, if I hadn't been paying attention before this debate I might have even believed him.

McCain made some strong points during this part of the debate as well, just not strong enough for my liking. I felt like that kid on the bench, "put me into the game coach. Put me in" as I watch him soft-peddle what is a much stronger economic plan than Obama's desired return to the Carter years. I just hope Mac was sandbagging, waiting for the "official" economic debate to say some of the things I want him to say like:

• "Yes, I will consider a spending freeze on every non-essential government agency. Senator Obama claims that these are desperate economic times but he believes that we can succeed by trimming away spending with a scalpel. Well, I say breakout the chainsaw and lets cut government down to size."


• "We do have the second largest corporate tax rate in the world and Senator Obama doesn't want to cut it, in fact, he wants to increase it! [looking at the camera] Now if your company has to choose between saving your job or moving some work elsewhere to become more profitable through lower taxes, which do you think they will choose? If Senator Obama becomes president you'd better brush up on your Chinese."


• "Both Senator Obama and I support a bailout, but our strategy . . . not tactic . . . our strategy is very different. My plan calls for debt reimbursement by the receivers while the plan his side called for wants the taxpayers to pay for it all. I guess I want to protect the people who pay my salary and he wants to protect the people who pay for his campaign."


• "Energy independence is a critical cog in making our economy strong. Senator Obama wants to develop alternative fuel sources in ten years but to get us there plans to drill where there is no oil and support nuclear energy resources only when they are unfeasible. Well, unless Senator Obama is also figuring leprechauns into his energy plan, you can't get there from here."

UPDATE: I thought I'd add part of a comment to this post that I received on RightMichigan from John Galt. I just love his line: "I don't know a single person who works for poor people."

I wanted Mac to say "I don't know a single person who works for poor people. I don't know a single person who works for someone on the 'bottom' like Obama calls his reform plan. Punishing the companies you work for, and punishing small business owners will make things worse. If you think your job is in jeopardy today, if you think times are tough - raise taxes on the people who employ Americans. You'll see just how insecure things will get."

John McCain's Post-Debate Ad (Fast and Furious)

Wow, those cats can create an ad fast! Here is the McCain campaign ad that was released moments after the debate. It's almost as if they already knew that Barack Obama isn't ready to lead.

John McCain's Integrity . . . Or Just A Political Gamble

It's the economy, stupid.

The sentiment was echoed yesterday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) when he said, “We need the Republican nominee for president to let us know where he stands on what we should do . . . . We all understand the seriousness of the financial crisis . . . We have a Republican proposal they've given us. And we now need some Republican votes to help us with this.”

But the echo died today and Reid had a different take when John McCain called his bluff and planned to suspend the Republican presidential campaign so he could return to Washington to help push a plan through the clubfoot congress (with apologies to any clubfoot readers). Apparently Reid no longer needs McCain, now saying that McCain's presence would "distract important talks about the future of our nation's economy."

Needless to say, Obama will not suspend the most aggressive campaign since Hitler lined up his boys for a visit to Austria and Poland.

Was McCain showing political integrity as a presidential candidate in planning a Washington trip to provide leadership and a potentially critical vote before the Congress leaves the hill on Friday for a season of book signings and beachfront tax evasion? Or was this just a political gamble pulled by a candidate who has lost ground on the economic issue?

The bottom line is that the economy is the issue on most American minds. The Congress has been about as ineffective as a congress could be. If McCain's presence, or even the threat of McCain's presence, can get the do-nothing congress to negotiate a palatable solution to this economic crisis then McCain made the right call. If nothing else, his move will keep at least some of the focus on Congress, which may even embarrass them into accomplishing something before they head out of town. And if Wall Street rebounds, McCain wins this round.

John McCain Sets The Record Straight

This is what you call a political bitch-slap.



H/T: Environmental Republican

John McCain Tried To Warn Us About Fannie And Freddie

The Goat over at . . . where else, The Barnyard, has a knife to the groin rip on the Democrats who stood in the way of John McCain's attempt to reform out of control mortgage companies.

Shhhh. If this gets out, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd will have some two-step explaining to do about the recent stock market dive after the Fannie & Freddie collapse. Arrrrrr.

McCain Foresaw Fannie Freddie Collapse In 2006

Obama' New Race Card . . . Hispanics

Forget subtlety. The Obama campaign is now running an ad in Spanish that directly accuses John McCain, the man conservatives have attacked for being "too soft" on Mexican immigration, as practicing racism through marginalizing Hispanics. What's next, an ad accusing the man who attacked Bush's policies concerning taxes, spending and campaign finance of being just like Bush? Oh, I guess they've already been there.


A translation of the ad provided by The Weekly Standard:

"They want us to forget the insults we've put up with, the intolerance," the television ad's announcer says in Spanish as a picture of Rush Limbaugh appears onscreen with quotes of him saying, "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified" and "Shut your mouth or get out."

"They made us feel marginalized in a country we love so much," the ad continues. "John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One that says lies just to get our vote and another, even worse, that continues the failed policies of George Bush that put special interests ahead of working families."

John McCormack writes: "ABC's Jake Tapper reports that those Limbaugh quotes have been horribly ripped out of context by Obama. Really, you have to read all of Tapper's post to see how utterly dishonest the Obama campaign is. "

Love This Image

And isn't it interesting that the DNC believes the "Country First" slogan is an attack? That should tell you everything that you need to know.

Report From The Rally McCain/Palin At Freedom Hill

I was part of the overflow crowd that packed the Freedom Hill amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan yesterday. Estimated attendance numbers vary (local liberal outlets reckon "hundreds" were there) but most place the count around 10,000. You can see the crowd for yourself with this panoramic view provide by The Detroit News.

Now I'm not one generally given to vacation pics or family photos, but I thought I'd share some of the images I shot there with Khaki Elephant readers. So, enjoy . . . or skip the pics and scan for my next Kwame Kilpatrick posting.

On the way into the amphitheatre I ran into the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist and felt God's call to stand among them (umm . . . I'm the one in the middle). They are a wonderful group of gals with a primary focus on education and spiritual edification. If you want to give to a worthy cause, check out their website: http://www.sistersofmary.org/.

The pregame consisted of whooping "John McCain, John McCain," hollerin' "Sarah, Sarah, Sarah" and chanting "USA! USA! USA!

I spent my pregame talking politics with my new friend here. He had some wonderful ideas concerning justice and equality, but we parted ways when talk turned to fashion.

Michigan Attorney General kicked off the speeches (and the "unofficial" start to his gubernatorial campaign) with a fine talk about being a marine, Jesus, John McCain, police officers, books he'd read . . . OK, I really wasn't paying attention. It was still an hour or so before John and Sarah would be on the property.

Michigan's police officers announced as the first Michigan union to support McCain. God bless their risk and sacrifice.

I wish I could remember her first name, but Ms. Brown of "Citizens 4 Mccain" gave what may have been the best speech of the night, including the candidates. It was a powerful message of sacrifice and success on her long road from Democrat to McCainiac Republican. A single mom who lost a son in the war and who's daughter is a missionary overseas, she portrayed the domestic courage this campaign embodies. If she ever runs for anything, I'll vote for her . . . assuming I remember her first name.

My congressman, Joe Knollenberg, the auto industry's best friend. I love this guy and his wonderful wife as well. And no, Sandie, I haven't mailed those letters yet.

Jim Warner spent some time with John McCain at the Hanoi Hilton and told some amazing stories about the Arizona Senator, including that he always insisted on praying for their torturers.

Sarah and John Finally arrived and took the stage.

What ever "it" is, Sarah Palin has got it. Both she and Mac echoed their convention speeches with a Michigan twist. Palin told of her son staying in Michigan his senior year to play hockey and "you took care of him." Now he will take care of us, fighting in Iraq. McCain also reached out to the state, saying he "needed Michigan" and our support. That brought the house down (though not literally or Mike Huckabee would see it as an act of God and claim the nomination).

Of course, the vultures were there waiting for a chance to pounce. Was it a coincidence that the "L" was tired in this shot so the rest spelled out "PAIN" behind the press?

It was amazing how many times a spontaneous chant of "USA! USA! USA!" broke out. That's just not something you hear at a Democrat's rally.

It was a fantastic event. Frankly, the only downside came when we tried to leave. But two hours later we could still smile thinking "this traffic is filled with voters."

Another Take On McCain's Speech

Rick over at Freadom Nation has a great take on John McCain's convention speech and even included the text of the Senator's stirring conclusion. Incredible and genuine gems from the heart like,

I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's. I loved it not just for the many comforts of life here. I loved it for its decency, for its faith in the wisdom, justice, and goodness of its people.

I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for. I was never the same again; I wasn't my own man anymore; I was my country's.

Check it out at Freadom Nation: The best candidate for America: John McCain

McCain Beats Obama In TV Ratings

Remember the media raving about how many people tuned in to watch Barack H. Obama's acceptance speech? In fact, I think there was even mention about what a hit it was among Venusians and Saturnians. I wonder why we haven't seen the same type of coverage concerning this bit of data?

Republican presidential candidate John McCain beat Democratic rival Barack Obama in the crucial battle to attract U.S. television viewers during their race to the White House, according to figures released on Friday.

Nielsen Media Research said a record 38.9 million TV viewers watched McCain accept the Republican nomination on Thursday, slightly more than the 38.3 million people who tuned in for Obama's speech last week.

McCain's tally was believed to be the biggest commercial TV audience every for a single night of a U.S. political convention, Nielsen said. The Republican convention in St. Paul also attracted more average viewers overall than the Democratic Party convention in Denver last week.

John McCain: Blessed by Misfortune

Pundits will spend some time examining his convention acceptance speech as well the should. It was remarkable in several ways. He focused on his maverick image, his non-partisan mentality and his willingness to fight corruption wherever it exists -- including in his own party. But I don't care about any of that tonight. You see, tonight John McCain gave his lengthiest description of his time as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. And he did so with grace and humility: admitting his woeful pride at the beginning and how he eventually became a broken man who needed others to regain health and dignity.

I'm sure millions of Obama supporters rolled their eyes at the story before giving one another a here-we-go-again wink. But for me . . . for me, I am awestruck every time I hear it.

John McCain was shot down, captured, then spent a couple of years with broken bones that would never fully heal, subjected to physical and emotional torture.

When his captors discovered who he was (or more importantly, who his father was) they offered to release him. McCain admitted that he thought about it. He wanted to leave hell and return to the people and country that he loved. But McCain knew the code. He refused release until all those who had been captured before him were released and was rewarded for that decision with four more years of daily torture.

Tonight John McCain said that he was blessed by this misfortune. He explained how it transformed his world view from self-love to duty. But when I think of the circumstances I wonder if I would have suffered this "blessing" when offered early release. Would you?

God Bless America. And God Bless John McCain.

YES!!! It's Sarah Palin

I've had many happy moments involving politics. There was the first vote that I cast in a presidential election back in 1984 (for Ronald Reagan, of course). There was the time 8 year's ago when I was standing in John McCain's Michigan HQ after working for him when the announcement came across FoxNews that he had upset George W. Bush and won the state's primary. And there is today.

As I've mentioned in previous posts and other other sites, Sarah Palin was the perfect pick for the Campaign. Even half-sober fellow vikings agree.

The Alaska Governor will electrify the base and help set in motion reforms that will light the party and the country on fire. Thanks for reading, Senator McCain. And thanks for listening.

Who Will Be John McCain's Choice For Vice President?

As with Obama's decision to pick Joe Biden as a running mate, it's hard to steer away from conventional wisdom when it comes to the choice John McCain will make in the next day or so. I fully expect Mac to pull safely from the short list of candidates that pundits swat back and forth like a slow-motion, snooze-inducing shuttlecock. Will it be Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Tom Ridge or Charlie Crist? Sure, it's fun to talk about more dramatic possibilities like Colon Powell, Rudi, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Joe Lieberman or Condoleezza Rice, but I expect McCain to combat B.H. Obama's hollow promise of undefined change with an old-fashioned recipe of two WASPs with stingers.

My prediction: Minnesota Governor, Tim Pawlenty.

Pawlenty is a safe choice who will certainly lock up Minnesota as a red state and probably bring Wisconsin in tow. OK, now that I've taken care of that, let's talk about the choice that I think McCain SHOULD make.

My preference: Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin

In my mind Palin is the perfect choice for a number of reasons.

• She is a woman who may force disenfranchised Hillary supporters to consider punching a chad intentionally for the GOP.
• She is a young, fresh face added to the mix. Talk to me about change!
• Her shocking addition to the ticket would focus the human interest/social barrier angle on the McCain campaign.
• She supports the 2nd amendment.
• She can pull in conservatives with her pro-life stance.
• Like McCain, she is an environmentalist.
• She has a history of fiscal conservatism.
• She is not linked to the "unpopular" Bush administration.
• While she lacks "experience," it is less an issue as V.P.
• She is easy on the eyes.
• And she gets her picture taken with dead bears.

Come on, John. Think outside of the box on this one. You have a chance to make real history! Add Sarah to the ticket and let's take it to the White House . . .

The Khaki Elephant Endorses John McCain

I'm tired of riding the fence! The Khaki Elephant is endorsing Senator John McCain for President of the United States of America.Oh, I know some of my fellow bloggers may think this is a reckless choice. Why, the guy so old that he was fighting for this country while Barack Obama was still peddling his tricycle around picturesque Hawaiian shores. But I have little doubt that this is a man who can and will lead our country back to prosperity while maintaining American integrity. What evidence do I have?

He is a fiscal conservative. Despite the bellyaching I've read across the blogs that McCain is a "liberal" or a "closet Democrat" the fact is that he is conservative where it counts. While the bellyachers praised our current President who had all the spending discipline of Lindsey Lohan at happy hour, McCain simply went to work fighting pork barrel politics as usual. And don't start this nonsense about his votes against tax breaks; those votes were focused on tax breaks that didn't include reduced government spending.

He supports the 2nd amendment. The man wants us to keep our guns.

He argued for the successful surge in Iraq before Bush. Remember how Republicans attacked McCain for his criticism of Rumsfeld's strategy in Iraq and the need for a more aggressive policy with the troops? Gee, looks like Mac was right.

He is an environmentalist. I don't agree with all of his environmental policies or beliefs, but John McCain's desire for a clean America mirrors that of another great Republican, Teddy Roosevelt. And when you think about it, conservation is conservative. (pretty catchy, eh?)

He is not a lousy splitter like Bob Barr. When he lost the nomination to Bush, Mac dropped out an attempted to heal the party.

He is a man of character. A friend tried to provide proof that the media actually supports McCain over Obama by claiming that there have been numerous attacks against Obama's character but only a few against McCain. I explained to him the reason. Only a fool would attack McCain's character. No matter how you go at him, we know how the attack will end: McCain elected to suffer years of torture in a POW camp rather than accept early release. End of story.

He really can reach across the aisle. When did this become a bad thing? When Dubya first ran for the Presidency part of his mantra was an ability to bridge party divides as he did in Texas and heal the antagonistic politics fostered during the Clinton years. Well, he failed and may have made things even more divisive. You may not agree with McCain/Feingold, McCain/Lieberman or McCain/Kennedy, but the man has shown that he can build bridges and get things done.

John McCain's experience with both domestic and foreign policy make him the only viable choice for me in this election. And if you're not sold, keep watching this blog for more evidence . . . and you might want to read some of my previous posts . . . hmm, perhaps I wasn't sitting on the fence after all.