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Streetcar Line
McCain's Best Argument
This is an intellectual exercise, not an endorsement.
If it were an endorsement that also met the "full honesty" standards of good journalism, it would need to be nuanced enough to explain why I would be voting for John McCain even though I dislike the man. After all, I have written that McCain is a bully, that he responded terribly at first to the credit crisis, that he did poorly in several debates, and that the political wisdom of his choice of Sarah Palin was highly dubious. And lots of other criticisms.
To be fully honest, it would go to some lengths to explain that the best reason to vote for John McCain is probably that it would keep Barack Obama from being president -- because Obama is a radical with very few real achievements, incredibly thin experience, and no record of having been tested in a crisis. Starting from when he was 12 years old and was mentored by an openly Communist poet, continuing through his days at Columbia (the same time terrorist William Ayers was there), his long and extensive associations with Ayers and with PLO apologist whatshisame Khalidi and with hate-spewing clergymen Jeremiah Wright and Michael Pfleger and with the corrupt organization ACORN and apparently with thuggish Marxist Kenyan leader Raila Odinga and with convicted political fixer/felon Tony Rezko, Obama has deliberately and repeatedly associated with people who express contempt for America or for the mainstream of American thought. And Obama's outrageous opposition to the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act shows him not just to be "pro-choice," but to be the most radically and indeed brutally pro-abortion presidential nominee in history. And don't even think about his view on how judges should be more concerned with "empathy" and with helping the "outcast" than with actually applying the words of the laws or the Constitution….
No, this isn't an endorsement. Instead, it is an exercise in putting together the most convincing and comprehensive sales pitch for John McCain that I possibly could do, without bothering with the drawbacks -- but also with the one proviso that every single word of it be true.
In that spirit, here is why John McCain should be the next president of the United States:
There is something special about this country. The United States is exceptional. We are blessed by the good Lord, and in turn we have done more, far more, than any other people to spread freedom across the globe, and prosperity across the globe, and human rights across this great good Earth. We are a particularly good people -- and John McCain understands all this and believes it with every fiber of his being, down to his very marrow, in a way that is deeply spiritual in nature. There is nothing fake about McCain's belief in American Exceptionalism. His belief in this is as genuine, and as deeply felt, as is a son's love for his father. He will defend this country, fight for this country, with every last breath in his body.
And McCain has a record of making the right calls, again and again, when it comes to securing the American national interest around the world. He was right to back Ronald Reagan to the hilt in the greatest foreign challenge of the past 60 years, namely the victorious effort to win the Cold War despite the strenuous and at times vicious opposition of the American Left. But he was right to oppose Reagan when Reagan, with all good intentions, decided to station Marines in Lebanon. McCain broke with his entire party, and warned that the Marines would be sitting ducks, and voted against the deployment. Tragically, McCain was right: More than 200 Americans died in Lebanon in a suicide truck bombing about a month after McCain's warning.
McCain was right to support -- and Joe Biden was wrong to oppose -- the first Gulf War against Saddam Hussein in 1991. McCain was right to support intervention in Kosovo later that decade: It worked. He was right to support a stronger military and greater numbers of personnel when Bill Clinton was cutting it. He was right to fight against wasteful weapons systems, and against corruption in military contracting. He was right to fight a specific boondoggle involving an Air Force tanker; he brought corruption to light (the perpetrators both in the Air Force and at the contractor went to jail) and saved the public $6 billion.
McCain was right to say that Saddam Hussein could be overthrown fairly quickly, with little loss of American life. He was right to say that Hussein was a terrible threat. But he was right, very early on, well before anybody else in the Senate, to say that it would take more troops and a different strategy to secure the peace after we had won the war. He broke with President Bush to say so, way back in 2003, and he was right.
John McCain has suffered for his country in a way only a tiny slice of the population ever has. The story is well known -- not just that he suffered in Vietcong captivity, but that he turned down early release in a profound expression of solidarity with his fellow prisoners. Yet McCain had the grace, when the time was right, to hold out an olive branch to the Vietnamese a couple of decades later when they showed a movement toward greater economic freedom.
John McCain is committed to reaching beyond party labels. Whether always right or wrong to do so, he really cares about doing what he thinks is right no matter whose political ox is gored. Barack Obama may talk a bipartisan game, but he never has actually played on that field. The reality, meanwhile, is that sometimes it helps conservative ends to work with people from the other party. Ronald Reagan knew this. Ronald Reagan knew how to bring Democratic congressmen his way -- for tax cuts and for defense improvements and for spending discipline. McCain, because of his long record of bipartisanship, can do likewise -- especially when it comes to spending. McCain has promised to veto any bill, any bill at all, that contains purely local-interest earmarks -- and with a veto, he can make it stick, even against a Democratic Congress. Eventually, once he makes it stick a few times, he can start bringing Democratic "Blue Dogs" his way on spending. Just watch it happen: Yes, it will.
This bears repeating: No candidate for president since Barry Goldwater has been as committed to spending discipline across the board as John McCain is. His entire record for 25 years gives evidence of that reality. Reagan came close to the Goldwater/McCain level of commitment, but McCain has kept up that fight, a lonely fight, for a quarter century. For limited-government conservatives -- actually, that's a redundancy -- this McCainite stubbornness should be cause for far deeper appreciation than it has received.
McCain also has the right instincts on the key issue of the judiciary. It may not be at the top of his list of importance, but he does, unambiguously, favor the appointment of judges who carefully construe the actual text of the Constitution and laws and are willing to be bound by those texts no matter what their own policy preferences. McCain's judicial nominees would be far more likely, by light years, than would be Obama's nominees, to maintain the Constitution's balance between national and state governments, and its restrictions on Congress's powers. His judges would be less likely to make decisions based on their preferred policy results -- but, because the Constitution is written as it is, a close adherence to the text would result in less hostility to religion, less hostility to honest police action, less hostility to private property, and less hostility to local community standards than would the radically liberal judges of the sort Obama favors.
Also, John McCain is an individualist. He believes in private action. He believes that individuals can live their lives responsibly without government acting as nanny and overseer and ultimate decision-maker on virtually every aspect of daily life. McCain trusts people with their own hard-earned money. McCain has never voted for a tax hike. McCain has supported almost every important tax-cut proposal for 25 years. Even on the two cuts he opposed, he stringently has supported keeping the lower level once it was set: It is a point of honor to him that American taxpayers should be able to count on lower tax rates once they are established and once they have begun to make plans based on those rates. McCain particularly understands that investors -- pensioners, 401(k) holders, homeowners -- are the engine of the economy, and that American investors right now are at a huge disadvantage to the entire rest of the developed world because our investment taxes are higher. McCain will cut investment taxes, and that's a very good thing for everybody.
Finally, there can be no doubt, none whatsoever, that John McCain will brook no corruption in his administration. Woe be to the appointee who would risk sullying McCain's vaunted honor by crooked deals and self-serving actions. It is likely that no administration in history will be so concerned with maintaining high ethical standards as a McCain administration would. And it will be blessed relief to have an administration where not even a hint of scandal will be even whispered by honest observers.
So there you have it: John McCain as a patriot firmly rooted in the American traditions of free enterprise, limited government, strong defense, personal accountability, and a decent respect for the cultural standards of the broad middle of the American public. Those are the constituent elements of American exceptionalism -- and to his great credit, John McCain is an American exceptionalist, and an exceptional American.
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Stan Nichols| 10.30.08 @ 9:17AM
Most of the reasons that Quin Hillyer lists for why John McCain should be president are the reasons that I am a conservative. Now I feel much better about my absentee vote for McCain. Thanks for the great article, Quin.
Robert Haney| 10.30.08 @ 10:13AM
I couldn't agree more with this article. It explains a lot of what I've seen of John McCain both in this election and before. He's a man that believes deeply in his country, and the bright future that WE can make for it. And the kind of man described above in this article is EXACTLY the kind of man I want as my president.
dl| 10.30.08 @ 11:05AM
I'll go along as far as stopping Obama and won't enumerate the reasons why John hasn't made the "right call" time and time again.....
300 million people and we have to choose between these two?
Newagegop| 10.30.08 @ 11:24AM
I'm voting for Palin, not McCain.
fesofee| 10.30.08 @ 11:37AM
I too am voting for Palin. McCain is a genuinely decent man but I look at him as the lesser of two evils. Palin is the future.
MzJosephine| 10.30.08 @ 11:43AM
Thank you for this very honest characterization of John McCain. I hope that he wins the presidency of the greatest nation on earth; he's a true patriot and an honorable man, something his opponent is very clearly not.
Jerry Hurtubise| 10.30.08 @ 11:45AM
The argument as layed out by Quin leaves me to wonder why any voter who functions anywhere near our political center would consider the radical leftist alternative to McCain.
McCain is clearly the politician that centrists always claim they would support if he existed.
The conservative argument for McCain is also compelling and irrefutable, both from national defense and a fiscal discipline viewpoints.
I am left wondering why this non-endorsement endorsement comes so late, and how on earth the McCain has not spent the entire campaign talking about the Supreme Court. For most conservatives that I know, the Supreme Court issue is either number one or two in importance.
Rob| 10.30.08 @ 11:53AM
Get used to this phrase, a new one on the lexicon after next Tuesday:
McCain Democrats.
Blue Dog Democrats will defeat Obama.
Mark Garnett| 10.30.08 @ 12:18PM
McCain 271 Obama 268
McCain wins PA, OH, FL, NC, IO, AR, NC and very slightly edges Obama...
If the undecided go, as they currently show in AP, IBD and BG poll, go heavy McCain, Omaba is toast.
Andy| 10.30.08 @ 12:19PM
It's like writing a novel without using the letter "e". Another endorsement/argument for McCain without mentioning Palin. Well done!
DL13| 10.30.08 @ 12:28PM
Obama is trying to buy the election with questionable donation practices. He is trying to steal the election with the aid of Acorn and corrupt Democrats on a state and local level. He is trying to fog his way in by being vague on what he will do will "politicalspeak." He has lied repeatedly during the campaign, first against Hillary, and now, against McCain and Palin. He has used sexist attacks against Hillary and Sarah. There are just too many questionable things associated with Mr. Obama.....
Roux| 10.30.08 @ 12:48PM
If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidates and no measures you want to vote for . . but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. In case of doubt, vote against. By this rule you will rarely go wrong. - Robert Heinlein
Least of These| 10.30.08 @ 1:36PM
I just got back from early-voting for a McCain presidency. Thanks for so eloquently explaining why.
ctaylor| 10.30.08 @ 1:46PM
Great article. You leave me with a sense of pride in our united American exceptionalism. I agree John McCain is the right man for the job right now. Thanks for sharing this with us.
mdooley| 10.30.08 @ 1:50PM
Very well-stated. I have hope that America will recognize that McCain is the candidate MOST likely to try to do the right thing, based on the available information, and regardless of party philosphy.
I think that's more than we've come to expect from our candidates, and definitely worth our votes.
joated| 10.30.08 @ 1:51PM
Excellent article. Thank you for putting into words what I have labored to say to friends and readers for weeks.
OHSEANIEBOY| 10.30.08 @ 2:19PM
I'm a registered democrat from MA and voted for McCain with an absentee ballot. In MA we are living proof of what an Obama presidency will do to this country: bloated ineffectual government that destroys the nexus of reward for hard work. MA is the only legislature I know of that voted to give the widow of a deceased legislator money because her husband didn't elect to contribute to his second (yes, second!) government pension and they felt bad for her--where do you draw the line? Talk about the ultimate audacity of treating tax payor money as if it were your own! Governor Patrick will be in the Obama cabinet, Senator Kerry is stumping to be the next Secretary of State, and Barney Frank will be bloviating all over Capital Hill--good luck America. All Governor Patrick has been good at is riding Jesse Jackson's coat tails by getting fat corporate jobs as a requirement of discrimination class action settlements (how about that job at Coca Cola?). My grandfather is the son of an Italian immigrant in MA, who with other boys his age, were literally hitched to pull lawn mowers because the horses would dig up the lawns with their hooves. He was discriminated against and worked his tail off to make a better life for his wife and family. I'm the first generation of my family to graduate from college and the first to graduate from law school. This is not my Democratic Party (where are you Senator Mitchell?) or that of my parents'. This entire campaign has sickened me to the core. The only arrow left in my quiver is to vote for smaller government the rest of my life.
THE KING| 10.30.08 @ 2:39PM
A very good job Quin!
Theesa| 10.30.08 @ 4:43PM
Thank you for this breath of fresh air. John McCain deserves all of this honor written in this article. IF anyone reading this article is really looking for change than vote for JOhn McCain.
He has my vote and he doubled his credence when he signed Palin onto his ticket. This just showed how he stands on his convictions. Even now when he speaks of Governor Palin he is so proud to call her a Maverick. She is also a Maverick and between the two of them they will shake DC to it's knees. Watch out Pelosi, Reid and Frank the sherrif's back in town as of 1/20/09
MMP| 10.30.08 @ 4:48PM
I agree. While neither canidate has all the answers, and not for one second do I feel McCain has all the answers, but one thing I am cetain McCain will do, is he won't dig a deeper hole in this economic crisis before it gets better. However, the great fear I have with Obama as our next President starts with his lack of experience and empty promises...this isn't a highschool Class Presidential election...you can't just say what you think the people want to hear, YOU actually have to know how to do it!
I appreciate this article, while you didn't deny some of McCain's short fallings he is clearly the lesser of two evils. I do hope that people will realize that the key to this economic crisis isn't a democratic president that take our hard earned money...its allowing Americans to be responsible for themselves! But I guess we will figure out the intelligence of the American poplulation come Tuesday...what a scary thought!
Robert| 10.30.08 @ 6:03PM
I feel like I am living in a surreal movie. This nation - this EXCEPTIONAL NATION - is about to commit collective suicide.
Where is the Delphic Oracle who will shout down from Olympus, "STOP, AMERICA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING. ARE YOU SO STUPID THAT YOU WOULD THROW OUT YOUR DESTINY ON THE EMPTY PROMISE OF CHANGE? WAKE UP NOW! YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO UNDO WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO DO!"
Someone please shout it to the heavens! Is anyone listening? Does anyone still care?
Kate| 10.30.08 @ 6:18PM
Get use to these words, President Obama. You will be saying them for 8 years and counting; like Bloomberg, he may seek to have the Constitution amended so he can have a third, fourth, and fifth term. Obama/ Biden 2008!!!!!!!
Blayne| 10.30.08 @ 7:58PM
Quin, time for you to read the article on John McCain recently published in Rolling Stone. You've lost your marbles.
Tom| 10.30.08 @ 7:59PM
How is this article eloquent and well-spoken? It doesn't explain anything--it's all opinion with not one fact to back up anything it is. Is that all you Republicans have left?
AntiPalin| 10.30.08 @ 11:36PM
Wow Republicans, do any of you have a brain cell? Its people like Palin and their thinking that caused the Holocaust! What are you thinking?
OCPatriot| 10.31.08 @ 12:26AM
Quin, have you read the article in Rolling Stone? If you have, you couldn't have written the piece you wrote with integrity; if you haven't, you need to. It does connect the dots of all the things we know about McCain and it explains why he acts the way he does today. I know you'll probably have to hold your nose while you read it, but it is important to look at facts you may not like or feel comfortable with, if you want to continue to write pieces that make sense in the real world. Some of the unpleasant facts are true and they can easily invalidate what you write, make it weaker and less persuasive. One thing, a fact that cannot be argued, is that McCain has run a terrible campaign. The criticism of him as a very bad chief executive of his campaign is valid. He has veered from message to message; he has invalidated the carefully-constructed imgae that he honed for years; he has shown that he is a gambler who chose an inexperienced person to be his V.P. when his argument was that his opponent was not experienced enough to be President. He uses a charlatan like "Joe the Plumber" as an example, when the man isn't a licensed plumber, couldn't buy his employer's firm, has a lien against him, and would because of his income have been better off under Obama's tax plan. Yet McCain persists in mentioning him. McCain once had people's respect; you can bad mouth Buckley and Powell but they have had peoples' respect, and for them to have endorsed Obama is a terrible stain on McCain's candidacy; ditto goes for the CEO of Google and Warren Buffett. Sure you can denigrate all of them, but each of these people achieved a high status in our U.S.A. and are worthy of being listened to. Powell did McCain a service by laying out all the reasons he wouldn't endorse McCain, but is McCain able to listen? All of this must make you sad, perhaps angry, but it won't make any difference if you keep pretending that none of it is happening. The way to win is to be absolutely, harshly realistic, not by keeping your head in the clouds and denying what happens.
Dave J| 10.31.08 @ 12:27AM
Thanks for a superb summation. One more highly suspicious, overlooked and under-reported point about Obama: He voluntarily changed his Illinois bar status to "Inactive." Why would a young lawyer seeking high elective office decide to leave the practice of law? Does this have anything to do with a possible ethics investigation the Illinois bar would launch due to the revelations of the Rezko corruption trial which might implicate Obama? Did Obama expect to be disbarred, and chose to give up his law license to avoid such a fiasco? The press has truly failed us.
Rhys| 10.31.08 @ 8:08AM
It took a while, but the Obama PR campaign made it to this article (successive strings by Kate, Blayne, Tom, AntiPalin, and OCPatriot.) The suggestion that people read the Rolling Stone article actually made me laugh out loud. Journalistic *sic*Integrity. Thanks for the terrific post Quin. Even if we are not entirely comfortable with many of McCain's policy stances, at least we know we are voting for a proven patriot, and an American hero.
D L| 10.31.08 @ 9:15AM
A few years ago I had the honor of attending the dedication of a facility where both Sen. McCain and Sen. Clinton spoke. McCain gave the better speech eloquently addressing the difficluties this country was facing. It was clear he was an honorable man. But the trouble I have now is that he has sold his soul to the extremists of the Republican party. He began slinging mud first and early when he said he wouldn't. He continues today with his shady questions and innuendo. He then absolutely cowered to the extremist wing when he bypassed two excellent choices for Vice President and selected someone who is completely unqualified to hold this level of office. His past honor is engulfed by extremists on the right simply for the purpose of winning the Presidency. I cannot accept these dishonorable actions.
Catherine| 11.1.08 @ 1:36AM
The Obamatons kill me!
Rolling Stone magazine????
Bob| 11.1.08 @ 10:41AM
Again, Quin, you miss the point. An election is SITUATIONAL! The person who wins usually addresses the important issues of that time. The economy is the number one issue followed by the war in Iraq. People are down -- they need hope. They need a leader who has a gift for communication. They need someone who won't be aligned, in any way, with Bush. We can make the same character assassinations against McCain that can be made against Obama. However, the well run Obama campaign has not made them because they are not relevant in this election. Most people support choice, so any anti-abortion argument is not well placed.
Let's face it, McCain does not understand economics, he just parrots the talking points. He was wrong on going into Iraq and the electorate does not want the chance of another war. Furthermore, he does not inspire people. His judgment is weak as the Palin pick showed. He may be making hard right conservatives happy, but he has turned off many in the Republican Party who question his ability to manage anything. Let's face it, he is a military pilot who likes to gamble and drop bombs.
McCain used to be honorable. I supported him in 2000. But he is a shell of his former self at this juncture.
ruth| 11.1.08 @ 11:37PM
AntiPalin, actually it's the beliefs of atheists like you that caused the holocaust. But you are a liberal, why let facts get in the way of your argument?
Patty| 11.2.08 @ 9:00AM
People seem so worried that John McCain has chosen an inexperienced Vice Presidential canidate but don't seem to notice that Obama (the one running for president) has less experience than Palin. The world is upside down and backwards!!!
Elmer Crippin| 11.2.08 @ 11:33AM
Palin like Carter, Clinton, Ragan, FDR, Wilson where all goveners of a state befor they became president.In other they where all excecutives.Palin was mayor of a town 11 years befor Obama was state senitor of illinois.Obama also dosn't understand economics his pollacies would only make the ressesion worse.His papper trail in the Senate as long as that of Biden has shown that they have twice voted for taxing people making 42000 dollars a year.His ecconomic pollicies would make us like Michigan 6 vs 8% and bussinesses leaving to go to other states but in this case tother countries
E.C.| 11.2.08 @ 12:25PM
Obama belonged to acorn an organasation that put pressure on banks to make bad lones to some people backed by a law passed by Clinton they won they had know choice, they had to do it . In other words he was part of the problem not part of the solution . McKane tried to regulate Fanimay and Freddymac in 06' but the democrates won on the slogan that Bush and the Repum. where trying to stop hard working Americans from buing a house and as you can see ellection have consequnces
Bob| 11.2.08 @ 1:25PM
Ruth, I am not an atheist, far from it. But I believe in freedom of religion and therefore it should no be part of a political party platform or litmus test. Besides, I am Jewish and have had many of my relatives killed in the holocaust. Your invective about that event is truly sad. I feel sorry for you.
Patty, you shouldn't drink the KoolAid about Palin. She has a good resume, but you always do several interviews before you hire anyone. She has failed with every non-Fox interview and has not had even one press conference. She doesn't understand the Constitution especially with her comments regarding first amendment rights and the definition of vice presidential responsibilities. Obama, on the other hand, has been through a plethora of debates, press conferences, interviews (even on Fox), and we have had a chance to validate him. Reagan once said "trust but verify". I agree with Reagan concerning Palin.
Elmer, did you know that McCain also voted for same non-binding resolution that included tax increases on people making 42K? You didn't, did you. Did you know that the mayor of Wasilla had no responsibility for the police, fire, or any other social services? Don't drink too much of that KoolAid.
E.C., Obama did not "belong" to Acorn. He was one of many lawyers who defended them (including the federal government).
The lack of objectivity I see on both the hard right and hard left is truly "anti-intellectual". Obama has serious flaws to be sure -- we all have serious flaws. But being objective means that we look at both sides, weigh the pros and cons, and make prudent decisions. This is why moderate Republicans are voting for Obama -- not because they believe his is the perfect candidate.
As a Vietnam veteran who is very proud of his service, I am appalled at McCain's lack of support for veterans. He has the worst voting record for veterans of anyone in the Senate. That, and the choice of Palin, sealed the deal for me. Furthermore, McCain is an interventionist in foreign policy which is against most of the Republican principles I grew up with.
Noel E. PARMENTEL Jr| 11.5.08 @ 2:57PM
re: >McCains Best Argument < by Quin Hillyer
¶Bravissimo to AmSPEC for >McCains Best Argument< . Since I vastly preferred the McCain 2000 Model, I take issue with several of the authors points.(Also, I believe Senator Obama to be a Clintonesque pragmatist likely to put paid to Mme Pelosi s DummyCrats As We Know Them.) All the same: in his remarkable essay,Quin Hillyer has penned the most eloquent screed to come my way since opening day of the 2008 Silly Season: one eerily reminiscent of a certain late great publicaton proud to call Bloomingt
Noel E. PARMENTEL Jr| 11.5.08 @ 3:52PM
to >AmSPEC >Comment< Editor:
Somebody cut my punchline. It should read: >>proud to call Bloomington=Indiana
(rather than Washington AC/DC) home.
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