Endorsing a candidate for President is serious stuff. That is why I am choosing the best of both worlds.
I will vote for McBama.
You may think this pick is silly and insulting. It is, certainly, not realistic.
Both men have strong points. Both have weaknesses. Neither presents the entire package even though their loyalists will tell you that they do.
By now, many folks would say McCain has no strengths. Even his former Prisoner-of-War (POW) status has worn thin with many, believing that his adherents have only this to proclaim as an indicator of his moral, mental, and physical strength.
Today, the tenor of the media is such that McCain politically is already about three feet underground. And with Obama’s campaign war chest, which he built after reneging on his promise to accept public financing once he knew he could easily out-fundraise his opponent, there are few sounds emanating from McCain’s corner of the boxing ring.
Why McBama?
McBama will learn from past transgressions, admit them, and take positive actions to prevent future sins. Case in point: McCain and the Keating 5 scandal. Rather than being a negative, this episode demonstrated McCain’s ability to admit guilt, express true remorse, learn from it, and fight diligently (for many years) to enact campaign finance reform, which ameliorates the very forces that could fuel future Keating-like scandals. Why McCain’s campaign failed to highlight this is beyond me, but I have already confessed in earlier columns that there is much in this world which I simply do not understand.
McBama will courageously fight against both parties in Congress, if needed, to achieve what he believes in. McCain further exhibited that trait with controversial immigration and environmental initiatives. Obama’s resume possesses no such “Profiles in Courage” entries given his many “Present” votes in the Illinois legislature and his opting to run for President almost immediately after entering the U.S. Senate. I suspect he and supporters thought they were setting the 2012 foundation and were as surprised as anyone that he got so much traction this year. Talk about a runaway freight train.
So, McBama, with the Irish part of the ancestry stirred into the mix, demonstrates a willingness to admit mistakes, the effort needed to correct them, and the courage to work for laws and programs that he feels best suits the country rather than a Party.
McBama will inspire us. Obama clearly does that. He gives great speeches and paints a picture of community peace and togetherness which is very appealing. He offers hope and a belief that we can move beyond our current place of conflict – at home and abroad – and achieve something much better for our children. Such is an important attribute of leaders: ability to describe a vision and influence others to move towards it.
McBama will focus on the problems and not the personalities of people. Obama’s mixed-race and multi-national background suggest an ability to perform successfully on the international stage. Obama presents a chance to showcase an America that understands and cares about other countries’ concerns. For those who fear Obama would lean too much towards a worldview, McCain would never lose sight of U.S. interests. Thus, McBama would be the best candidate.
McBama projects and attracts confidence. There is a competence and temperament in Obama that provides many with a sense of security. There is steel in McCain. Obama’s ability to appear Presidential is astounding, his intellectual background is impressive, and his posturing is professional and polished. His campaign’s effectiveness is a wonder to behold. Obama appeals to voters’ hearts by describing a better future. McCain speaks to their heads by recognizing, and being willing and able to respond to, enemies who seek nothing less than a repeat of a September 11th-like devastation. McCain reassures them that he will deal roughly with such scoundrels. McBama appeals deeply to both our heads and our hearts and assures us that we can overcome whatever challenge we face.
McBama is young and old, idealistic and practical, hopeful and cynical, and inexperienced and seasoned.
McBama has it all. Will we elect him next Tuesday or some flawed alternative?
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 690 words.
© October 31, 2008
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