On the front page of today's New York Times there was a huge article about Senator McCain's campaign and how they have downplayed the fact that McCain's youngest son, Jimmy McCain, is a Lance Corporal who enlisted at just 17 into the Marine Corps. I recommend that everyone read the article because it is really interesting to see this side of McCain - the concerned father of a soldier. It certainly made an impact on me since McCain is currently the only candidate advocating that we stay in Iraq to attempt to finish what we started; his opinions and feelings on the subject are not only rooted from his own experiences in Vietnam, but also because he was able to visit his son in Iraq and see for himself the strides that were being made. Granted, he visited in a period of relative calm, but speaking to the soldiers firsthand has made him firm in his belief that we need to stay overseas much longer than his opponents are predicting.
The Times notes that both the McCain family and campaign did not want this article to run. Indeed, the campaign has not wanted to exploit Jimmy McCain, the McCains' strongest tie to the war, and so has purposefully attempted to keep his service somewhat of a non-issue. I find this to be highly admirable, and while it irks me that the Times ran the article against McCain's wishes, I also am now shaking in my Democratic boots. I've tended to disregard the sentiment that McCain had any chance of winning the Presidency, simple because the Democrats have such strong candidates this election. Furthermore, the entire American populace has become jaded with Republicans running our nation. On the other hand, this article juxtaposes the catfights that are occurring in the Democratic camps with the calm and confidence that is now circling the Republican nomination and I have to admit, with all of the controversy and immaturity that is expected to erupt during the DNC, I can now see McCain emerging as the top candidate.
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/todayspaper/index.html
1 comment:
Thanks for this post. As a Democrat it's probably better to have these realizations now, rather than in August. It's healthy to respect one's opponent and necessary to keep the whole campaign on its toes.
I would be surprised if McCain did not talk about his son, or his war experience, during this campaign. He's built a career on it. My guess is that he didn't want the story because there is the chance that a favorite son would have to be pulled out of service--Prince Harry style--if his celebrity could somehow endanger others. Guys like McCain don't just serve, they worship the ideals of military culture, and being forced to leave would be devastating.
The warrior persona is not the rhetorical weapon it was eight years ago. McCain/Bush got the country into a mess that most people now recognize as troublesome, if not deeply problematic, and running on a promise to continue fighting is a big gamble.
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