Now don't you think it's ironic that McCain has been accusing Obama of being in the presidential race for personal gain when McCain himself is clearly not putting country first, as his campaign slogan claims? I used to be a huge fan of McCain because he didn't strictly follow the Republican party line in the Senate. During the primaries, I actually thought that McCain would be the best Republican candidate to become president if the Democratic candidate was fated to lose. However, in the past month or so, McCain has let himself get eaten up by the Republican political machine in the quest to win the presidency, and as a result, he has lost touch with the maverick in him that was so appealing to non-conservatives. Let this be a lesson to us in how McCain may be influenced by the Republican party or personal ambition if he gets the chance to lead our country.
If McCain put country first, then he would have chosen a more experienced running mate. Instead, he made the politically ingenious choice of Palin, who helps his ticket appeal more to women and Christians. In contrast, Obama chose a more experienced running mate who also happens to help him appeal to the blue collar, rural white population that supported Clinton. Clearly one of the goals in choosing a running mate is making the ticket more appealing to particular groups of voters who haven't yet been wooed. However, in choosing his running mate, Obama also made up for one of his weaknesses, a lack of experience relative to McCain. In choosing his running mate, McCain put our country at risk by choosing someone who clearly does not have the foundation to deal with international politics and major national crises, such as the current financial fiasco. I recently heard that in US history, nine VPs have stepped up to the presidency. Given McCain's age, Palin could very well become president--and she isn't ready for it.
If McCain put country first, then he would have realized that a bipartisan resolution to the current financial crisis would most likely be achieved without the candidates in the presidential election, the most partisan aspect of our government. I am extremely irked by McCain's decision to suspend his campaign and not attend the first presidential debate. Please don't fall for this illusion that he cares more about the country than about his own presidential campaign. First of all, his campaign hasn't been completely suspended with commercials still airing in some regions and campaign emails being sent out to the citizens in certain swing states. Thus, he is reaping the benefits of looking like he did something honorable without having to completely suffer the consequences. Secondly, McCain should not be injecting presidential politics into the solution for the current financial crisis. Neither he nor Obama are president yet, so they should not feel so self-important as to think that they are going to be the ones to stride into Washington and save the day. Whether or not McCain is trying to be the hero and demonstrate his ability to lead the country out of crisis, this story has become a distraction to the negotiations over the bailout plan. Moreover, it makes one wonder if this is a convenient excuse for him to duck the tough questions on the economy during the upcoming debate.
I plead with American voters to keep themselves informed by watching and reading the news from multiple media outlets. Don't fall for the lies, tricks, and lines coming from either campaign. Decide for yourself which candidate truly puts country first and which candidate will truly bring change we can believe in.
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