A former Congressional staffer answers what has always been my most important question about Presidential hopefuls: could the aspirant hold on to a sense of proportion if we experience another 9/11 event?
Not encouraging testimony.... Hillary, like Obama, is a measured, cautious, deliberative and collegial person who does not dive into a swimming pool unless she is sure it is filled with water.
John McCain is considered by his colleagues to be the #1 hothead in Congress. Disagree with him and he rages at you. Piss him off and your life isn't worth living. He acts before he thinks. That is who he is.
The idea of John McCain making decisions in the wake of an attack on this country or even a threatened attack is terrifying.
But for the peace movement, having McCain as the Republican nominee may not be the worst thing that could happen. Carrying on the Iraq war to "victory" (what on earth would that be?) is his only real talking point. So either Democrat and all the party base will keep on bashing him about the war. It simply won't be good politics for either Democrat to run away from the issue. And that keeps the problem of ending the war front and center with a public that wants this adventure over.
Do we have to fear that some Democrats will be chicken-hearted about taking the war issue to McCain? Sure. But even morally bankrupt arguments from the premise that the war was "fought incompetently" keep the issue on the front burner. Here's a specimen from the Democratic National Committee:
Meanwhile, serious war opponents will keep up a drum beat branding McCain as the nutcase warmonger he is. We have to. And we have a lot of creativity and energy. Here's an early example of that kind of attack on McCain.
The peace movement can be heard in a Presidential election containing McCain. Keep shouting.
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