Senator John McCain Announces His Run for President.
Senator McCain certainly has noteworthy credentials as an American hero and is due respect for his service to his country. Five years of his life spent against his will surviving in the Hanoi Hilton is proof enough of his toughness.
However, with all due respect it seems that at 70 years old (born August 29, 1936) McCain, like many politicians in Washington, is living in another age. A pre Iraq war age when America had the means to project almost unlimited military power around the globe.
Bush and the neo cons have managed to stretch the further extension of American military power to the limit. With the military bogged down in extended wars in Iraq and Afghanistan even a modest “surge” of 21,000 additional troops in Iraq is causing an undue strain on our military.
Note that units are now being deployed to Iraq without receiving their full compliment of desert combat training or equipment refurbishing and supply. McCain doesn’t seem to realize how depleted our military resources have become.
This shows an alarming lack of both knowledge and judgement. We are already trying to cope with one reckless President who has these traits in spades. We certainly don’t need another with the same mental characteristics of arrogance and ignorance.
Most certainly McCain is vastly out of touch with the wishes of the American public. His desire to commit additional troops to Iraq was absolutely correct during the invasion and the initial phase as occupiers. Our lack of troops to secure weapons depots, government buildings, and to provide security has cost us dearly.
However, the possibility of having an orderly occupation is now long gone. 21,500 additional troops committed to the dusty streets of Baghdad will in the end make no difference in defeating the insurgency. It’s far too little far too late.
His continued support of a troop “surge” will cost him dearly in the 2008 presidential race. Announcing that he will run on a late night entertainment show was probably appropriate. In the end I expect that McCain’s efforts to become President will provide more entertainment than substance.
McCain is seen as a maverick and is not well liked by many even within his own Republican Party. His position on Iraq will not be a popular one with the voting public except for the die hard no matter what see no evil Bush supporters. One real risk to his campaign is that conditions in Iraq, even with the troop surge, will likely deteriorate even further during his campaign.
His judgement on this important issue will almost certainly come into question. I doubt that McCain’s candidacy will receive a very high level of support.
