Tuesday, August 05, 2008
McCain has the right stuff
From the RoundTable blog
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Ern Reynolds
Reynolds is publisher of the Web site ModerateGOP.com and a resident of Roanoke.
We were treated to such an amusing argument by Long Island, New York, columnist Les Payne in the July 30 Roanoke Times commentary "Is John McCain qualified?"
Payne thinks not. He suggests that McCain's finishing fifth from the bottom in his Naval Academy class is damning.
By that sort of reasoning for West Pointers, we would have seen very high-standing, demerit-free Robert E. Lee triumphing over low-standing Ulysses S. Grant in the American Civil War.
Payne appears to be a veteran himself. But he does not wish to understand how such a low academic finisher like McCain could have qualified for flight training. The fact that McCain did so in the most competitive category -- jets -- goes unremarked.
Payne's pleasure at inventing a "patient, long-suffering military flight instructor" was his funniest, most delirious creation of all. Those guys and gals are as unforgiving as executioners, and impervious to charm.
In naval aviation selection and training, there is no allowance available for "pull" or "command influence." Having admirals for his father and grandfather would simply put him under closer scrutiny, not less.
Ditto for being an Academy graduate. Washouts are frequent, common and without shame. McCain did not wash out.
Most teachers can tell you there are several more kinds of intelligence than the sort that brings high academic honors. Apparently McCain demonstrated that his talents were quite usable and applicable outside the groves of academe.
The few who rank as real leaders originate wisdom, rather than looking it up in books. If mere academic achievement was the best predictor of successful leadership, then Barack Obama should win hands down. The only blot on his otherwise spotless resume is losing one contest for the U.S. House of Representatives.
In fact, Obama's resume reads like he never made a mistake in his brief life. By contrast, McCain's biography is replete with failed attempts and verbal miscues of one kind or another.
Yet that tarnished fact shows McCain's strengths of mind and character. He makes a compelling case for having learned from his mistakes and earning some humility, while Obama would have us believe he has had no such opportunity to learn such aggravating life lessons.
If we truly want to vote for "change we can believe in," then we should avoid anybody who has not tried and failed enough times to learn better. In the Illinois Senate, Obama was so afraid to fail that he voted present 129 times in eight years. Obama's constituents got the same result 129 times as if he had been absent.
McCain would have never behaved so uncourageously. As voters, we should be very wary of a candidate like Obama, who is both risk averse and pathetically anxious to please.
Ultimately, each voter casts one ballot for his or her ideal self. Would your ideal self have never made a mistake that could produce resilience, tolerance and wisdom? I suggest that it is McCain, not Obama, who is much the more inspiring candidate.
