Politics - U.S. election, 2008 - John McCain

I supported McCain. McCain understands the war and foreign policy. Obama doesn't (and all his instincts are wrong).

John McCain

I had problems with McCain, such as the McCain-Feingold Act restricting political speech, his closeness to John Kerry, and his unfounded hostility to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. He also voted to ban flag burning.

But McCain has a good record on the War on Islamism. He understands totalitarianism (having been its tortured captive for half a decade). He understands Islamism. He understands the need for victory in Iraq. He supported (indeed called for) the unpopular 2007 troops surge that may, it seems, be bringing about a stunning victory. Between McCain and the naive leftist Obama, for me there is no contest.

John McCain, age 29, 1965.
From here. See full size.

John McCain (and official site)
McCain's foreign policy advisers include lots of great names, like Max Boot, Niall Ferguson, Robert Kagan, Bill Kristol, Ralph Peters and R. James Woolsey. Lots of smart people I read regularly, and cite throughout this site.
Compare with Obama's foreign policy advisers, hardly any of whom are cited or even mentioned on my site.
U.S. military voters back McCain (survey, Oct 2008). Survey of active-duty, National Guard and reserve subscribers and former subscribers to Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times and Air Force Times. 68 percent McCain, 23 percent Obama.

McCain's torture by the communist Vietnamese war criminals.

Even Bush is naive about the world compared to McCain.
Bush absurdly said about Putin: "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul".
McCain understands better: "when I looked at Putin's eyes I saw 3 letters: a 'K', a 'G' and a 'B'".
More here:

Although McCain isn't perfect.
Here in 2009 he pals about with a terrorist.
In this Aug 2009 visit, part of the long-running American detente with Libya, he discussed the delivery of American military equipment to Gadhafi.
See Wikileaks cable on this sleazy meeting: "Senator McCain assured" [Gaddafi's son] "that the United States wanted to provide Libya with the equipment it needs for its security."
Joe Lieberman was also present: "Senator Lieberman ... expressed appreciation that Libya had kept its promises to give up its WMD program and renounce terrorism. Lieberman called Libya an important ally in the war on terrorism".
Deeply unimpressive.

John McCain pals around with a terrorist (Gaddafi) in 2009.

Obama is far-left. McCain is centrist.

Obama is a divisive, anti-war, orthodox, far-left candidate. He has no bipartisan history. He has no history of working with Republicans. He is ranked the no.1 most left-wing senator in the Senate.

McCain is not far to either side. He has a long history of working with Democrats. He is a centrist. He is the only centrist in this race.

Democrats expressing admiration for McCain.
From the McCain campaign.
They amusingly use a Hillary Clinton clip from when she was running against Obama: "I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
More ads based on this quote here and here.

Biden criticises Obama and praises McCain.
From the McCain campaign.
See more video of Democrats criticising Obama.

McCain wants victory in the war. Obama doesn't care about victory.

The one thing McCain gets right is the war.

NBC Today Show, June 11, 2008. And search.
McCain sums up the choice on Iraq:

McCain wants victory, an end to casualties, and then it doesn't matter if troops stay on as in Germany and Korea. He wants the troops home after winning, and he argues that we are winning.
Obama, on the other hand, just wants the troops home. He doesn't care if that means America loses the war. He doesn't care if that makes a waste of all their sacrifice. He doesn't care if that means Iraq descends into genocidal hell and becomes a radical Al Qaeda state. He doesn't care if that means the jihad is emboldened all around the world, and millions flock to join a winning cause. He just wants the troops home.

Joe Lieberman, July 2008, eloquently points out that if we had listened to Obama, the Iraq War would now be lost, Iran and Al Qaeda would be victorious, a genocide of Iraqi Muslims would now be starting, the US would be in retreat, and the jihadis in Afghanistan and Pakistan would be resurgent and triumphant, believing the tide of history was with them.
He says you can't withdraw from Iraq in defeat and then expect to win Afghanistan. The opposite is more likely to happen.

Sarah Palin

"Where is the audacity of hope when it comes to backing the success of our troops all the way to victory in Iraq? What we heard last night was the timidity of despair."
- John McCain, Feb 2008, on Obama's plans for Iraq.

"I am also dismayed that he never talks about winning the war - only of ending it. But if we don't win the war, our enemies will. A triumph for the terrorists would be a disaster for us. That is something I will not allow to happen as president."
- John McCain, 21 July 2008, on Obama's plan for "ending" the war in Iraq. Also here.