McCain is One Angry Warrior
19 August 2008 9:15 am by Taylor Marsh
BY TAYLOR MARSH
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In John McCain’s speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars yesterday, not only
did he once again talk of “success and victory” in Iraq, like some
blood drunk resurrected Churchillian warmonger, but he pulled out all the stops
to paint the Democrat as nothing less than traitorous. Unfortunately, Americans
seem to like rattling
sabers when it comes to rhetoric, by 2 to 1, infact. But the angry man theme is so
last century and as we’ve seen does nothing to solve our problems. But having
bitten into Obama, McCain is like a rabid pitbull who won’t let go. That signature scary McCain smile sliding across his face leaving a maniacal impression impossible to shake.
… .. Thanks to the courage and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen,
and Marines and to brave Iraqi fighters the surge has succeeded. And yet Senator
Obama still cannot quite bring himself to admit his own failure in judgment.
Nor has he been willing to heed the guidance of General Petraeus,
or to listen to our troops on the ground when they say — as they have said
to me on my trips to Iraq: “Let us win, just let us win.” Instead,
Senator Obama commits the greater error of insisting that even in hindsight,
he would oppose the surge. Even in retrospect, he would choose the path of
retreat and failure for America over the path of success and victory.
In short, both candidates in this election pledge to end this war and bring
our troops home. The great difference is that I intend to win it first.Behind all of these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition
to be president. What’s less apparent is the judgment to be commander in chief.
And in matters of national security, good judgment will be at a premium in
the term of the next president — as we were all reminded ten days ago by
events in the nation of Georgia.
If there is one constant in this race so far it is the hunger of the old war
horse to win this final battle. Over the weekend we saw him respond to the preacher
in rapid fire staccato phrases that resembled an AK47. It’s all about the battle.
Winning, fighting, defeating, following people to the gates of hell. This would
be frightening if there weren’t so much scorched earth involved to keep the U.S. busy running
for cover, with the threat of our economy collapsing as McCain dreams of further battles.
It’s good to remember that Churchill might have been seen as a great war leader, but after he was finished he’d left his beloved country in ruin, with no empire left to lead.
The Obama campaign responded:
“All his bluster, distortions and negative attacks notwithstanding,
it is hard to understand how Senator McCain can at once proclaim his support
for the sovereign government of Iraq, and then stubbornly defy their expressed
support for a timeline to remove our combat brigades from their country,”
said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. “The difference in this race
is that John McCain is intent on spending $10 billion a month on an open-ended
war, while Barack Obama thinks we should bring this war to a responsible end
and invest in our pressing needs here at home.”
Measured responses to an angry warrior spitting treason talk does not cut it.
“All his bluster, distortions
and negative attacks notwithstanding”? Excuse me, but they’re the
point. You cannot let stand statements like “he would choose
the path of retreat and failure for America over the path of success and victory.”
The fact is that either of those acts would be considered dereliction
of duty by a commander in chief, which is what McCain is saying outright would
happen under an Obama presidency. McCain has skipped right over the usual “appeaser”
insults to home straight in on the insinuation of incompetent leader, with the implication being
Obama would betray his country outright.
The Obama campaign attacked the swiftboating of Jerome Corsi very hard. They
needed to attack John McCain immediately for this offensive round of political
defamation. Instead they let him off the hook by shrugging it off. The Obama
campaign is going to have to be able to pivot and hit back when multiple attacks occur simultaneously
with a solid message that reinforces the general theme against a McCain presidency.
By the way, anyone know what that is yet? McCain’s hit on “celebrity,”
with a scattershot of treason. Where’ the response in kind? Anyone thinking a Bush third will do it underestimates the faux “maverick” image the traditional press has helped McCain build up.
Today, Obama
began through his own speech at the VFW, but we’ve got to find a theme and
keep hitting on it, because the American people won’t
be led to this conclusion by themselves. Obama’s got to draw a stark picture
of what John McCain’s presidency would look like. This is not a time to be led by an angry old man.
Yesterday, Senator McCain came before you. He is a man who has served this
nation honorably, and he correctly stated that one of the chief criteria for
the American people in this election is going to be who can exercise the best
judgment as Commander in Chief. But instead of just offering policy answers,
he turned to a typical laundry list of political attacks. He said that I have
changed my position on Iraq when I have not. He said that I am for a path
of “retreat and failure.” And he declared, “Behind all of
these claims and positions by Senator Obama lies the ambition to be president”
– suggesting, as he has so many times, that I put personal ambition
before my country.That is John McCain’s prerogative. He can run that kind of campaign,
and – frankly – that’s how political campaigns have been
run in recent years. But I believe the American people are better than that.
I believe that this defining moment demands something more of us.If we think that we can secure our country by just talking tough without
acting tough and smart, then we will misunderstand this moment and miss its
opportunities. If we think that we can use the same partisan playbook where
we just challenge our opponent’s patriotism to win an election, then
the American people will lose. The times are too serious for this kind of
politics. The calamity left behind by the last eight years is too great. So
let me begin by offering my judgment about what we’ve done, where we
are, and where we need to go. … read
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