Those of you who follow Republican politics will be aware that John McCain is the presumptive front-runner in the quest for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. McCain has such a commanding lead in the delegate count that it is only a matter of days until he is declared the Republican nominee. While McCain is trying to wrap up the nomination, there is a gnat buzzing around him named Mike Huckabee. Huckabee has no chance to be the nominee of the Republican Party but he seems to enjoy the spotlight and, all things being equal, Huckabee is an entertaining speaker.
McCain’s biography is well-known to all people on both sides of the political fence. During the war involving the Vietnamese, his airplane was shot down and he was taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese. He spent five and a half years in the custody of the North Vietnamese at the infamous Hanoi Hilton Hotel, which was actually not a hotel but a mean and cruel prison.
Following his release, McCain became active politically in Republican circles and eventually wound up as one of the two senators from Arizona. In the year 2000, McCain had the temerity to challenge George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination. At the outset, McCain was accused by the Bush supporters of having lost his ability to think rationally, brought about by his long imprisonment by the North Vietnamese. That of course was a lie. McCain won the New Hampshire primary, soundly trouncing George W. Bush. When the contest reached South Carolina, Karl Rove, Bush’s confidante, played the race card. He accused John McCain of fathering a black child out of wedlock. The fact of the matter is that McCain and his wife adopted a daughter from Bangladesh. Bangladeshis are often dark. But the race-baiting accusation in South Carolina was enough to turn the contest into a favorable outcome for George W. Bush. In recent weeks there are some Republicans who have accused McCain of having sold out to his North Vietnamese captors, presumably seeking better treatment at the cost of his fellow American prisoners. There is not one iota of evidence to this effect.
It would seem to me as an independent observer that John McCain has suffered quite enough. He has been shot down, which is trauma enough by itself. He has suffered long imprisonment by the North Vietnamese and in his political career, he has been bludgeoned by lies sponsored by members of his own party. But McCain trudges on.
Now, as this essay is being composed, McCain appears to be in a commanding position for the Republican nomination. There is one quality about McCain that is instructive to liberal democrats such as myself. For the eighty years that I have been following politics, a high percentage of the Republican advocates have practiced outright hatred. They hated Franklin Roosevelt. They transferred that hatred to Harry S. Truman. As time went on they hated Jimmy Carter and finally they not only hated Bill Clinton but, by the process of osmosis, they have now begun to hate his wife as well.
Say what you will about John McCain, but to the best of my knowledge, John McCain has never been a hater. He has done some silly stuff such as seeking the endorsement of Jerry Falwell a year or so ago, but those things come with the territory when a person runs for the presidency. Aside from not being a hater, McCain seems able to laugh at himself. When he was asked about an event that took place during the Vietnamese war, McCain replied that he did not attend that event because he was “tied up.” The man laughs at himself and I applaud him for that quality. But mostly I applaud him for not being a hater.
Now we come to the endorsement problem. This morning John McCain took time off from campaigning in Wisconsin to travel to Houston, Texas to receive the endorsement of George H.W. Bush. In my estimation, endorsements are much like bumper stickers and lawn signs. I have never known a voter to say that he is going to vote for a candidate because he has such a nice bumper sticker. The same logic goes as well to lawn signs. But this morning John McCain got the endorsement of George W. Bush’s father and then turned around and flew back to his campaign in Wisconsin.
Now here is where the fairness to John McCain must appeal to every independent observer. It seems to me that receiving the endorsements of the Bush family is a lot like seeking the endorsements of Typhoid Mary. I suspect that, sooner or later, his eminence, George W. Bush, will bestow his blessings on poor old John McCain. That, my friend, is nothing less than cruelty to animals. Once George W. Bush has blessed John McCain, may we expect the endorsement of the black sheep of the Bush family, Neil, who followed his brother’s example? For years, Neil has flirted with the limits of the law in an attempt to become wealthy. Before life is done, good old Neil may need a criminal lawyer.
But once the Bush family has endorsed McCain, can you imagine his not being endorsed by the likes of Harriet Miers and/or the estimable Alberto Gonzales? Then, without encouragement from McCain, he may be endorsed by the likes of Scooter Libby. And then there is one endorsement that everyone is seeking, that being from the the former FEMA director, Mike Brown. You will recall that wonderful line, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job!” John McCain will soon be 72 years of age. Campaigning for the presidency is hard work. But should McCain also be asked to carry on the legacy of the Bush family while he dodges all of these potholes? I have never contributed a dime to John McCain’s treasury but it seems to me that fair play is at stake here. At this juncture, McCain should pray that he not receive the endorsements of Jack Abramoff or of Barbara Bush, Karl Rove and Roger Clemens. Fair play is fair play and McCain should not enter this contest with a one-hundred-pound anvil anchored to his shoulder.
A final thought. Typhoid Mary was really an Irish immigrant named Mary Mallon. Mary was a cook in domestic residences and started the typhoid epidemic in 1907. If you care to look on the internet, you may find her history of some interest.
E. E. CARR
February 25, 2008
Essay 295
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Kevin’s commentary: I did find her history of some interest! I felt sorry for her at first, because she was locked up for so long, but on further reading she seemed kinda terrible for refusing to cooperate with people who were trying to protect public health. Pride is a nasty thing. Typhoid is nastier.
Spending any amount of time in the public eye is also pretty rough, from all appearances. For presidential candidates this phenomenon is further exacerbated.