McCain and Presidential Judgment
Presidential Candidate McCain used to have quite a powerful argument against his challenger candidate Obama.
McCain pointed out that he had a lot more experience, and opined that this greater experience therefore clearly indicated that his judgment as President would be better.
Perhaps due to this matter, when it came time for his first Presidential decision, choosing his running mate, candidate Obama did not make a hasty choice. Obama and his campaign staff went through what has been described as one of the most thorough vetting processes ever. They asked for a mountain of documents. They took their time.
And then, when they were done, the Obama campaign came up with Senator Biden, a man who had run for President a couple of times, and who was found to be Presidential… a guy who complemented Obama’s perceived weaknesses…. a choice people seem to have found to be sound.
Then came McCain’s turn. If anything, McCain could have argued that the choice of Biden simply highlighted the original matter about lack of experience, since Obama went out of his way to find such an experienced, inside-the-beltway person.
But instead of highlighting the matter, McCain negated it by choosing someone with even less experience in Governor Palin - someone who has been governor of an almost unpopulated state for less than two years.
Okay that is a point - but perhaps you can still argue that the Obama deficit is worse, since he is actually the Presidential candidate.
But.
Then.
All of these revelations have come out about Palin. First Troopergate. Then the fact that her daughter is currently pregnant. About five months pregnant. And this had not been previously revealed.
And now, you have to ask, what kind of vetting did McCain do?
According to reports, now much of a vetting. No one can find a Republican in the state of Alaska who was queried concerning Palin by the McCain campaign.
And it’s not like there are that many people to talk to. Maybe there are 11 people.
So this is no longer a Palin thing. It is a McCain matter. This choice of a Vice Presidential Candidate, when you are 72, and have had cancer 4 times, and have to really really be careful that your choice could function as President… and when you are trying to make the point that you know how to make decisions whereas your opponent does not… this choice matters. It matters a lot. So how could McCain make the choice without even the most basic vetting?
That is the matter.
So it seems McCain no longer has his best argument against Obama, that he is better at making Presidential-level decisions than his challenger.
He is worse. A lot worse.
Really not so good.
