Never Mind Palin -- McCain's Latest Stunt Proves *He* is Not Ready for the Presidency

This afternoon John McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign to return to Washington to "deal with the economic crisis", and asked Obama to do the same. He also asked Obama to delay their first debate, scheduled for this Friday.

In my opinion, this is purely a political stunt. For starters, if he really wanted this to be bipartisan, he would have negotiated with Obama in private rather than spring this in the press. Especially since Obama called him this morning trying to arrange a joint statement. If McCain wanted to really show he put the country ahead of politics, he had a golden opportunity.

What he really wanted, in my view, was three things. First, he wanted to upset Obama's apple cart, knowing full well that Obama had little planned for the next three days other than preparing for the debate. Second, he wanted to appear "presidential" and force Obama to look like he was following the leader. And third, he wanted to divert attention away from his imploding campaign, including his caught-red-handed campaign manager.

But let's say I'm wrong and this isn't a cynical move at all; let's suppose that McCain really wants to do this because he thinks it is necessary. What does that really mean? In effect, it tells us that McCain can't deal with his campaign and with his responsibility as a senator at the same time. Even though others run his campaign, and he's not required to do much as a senator in this issue anyway.

The presidency is a difficult, demanding job that often requires the juggling of many different issues. Even, sometimes, juggling multiple crises. If McCain can't deal with his campaign and voting in the senate in the same week, how's he going to handle the presidency?

What if we had a market crisis like this and, at the same time, China decided to start lobbing missiles at Taiwan? Would President McCain drop an email to Chinese leaders asking them to postpone their war, because the president was "busy" and couldn't handle both issues at once?

Bottom line: John McCain has essentially told the world that being president is above his pay grade.

Sorry senator, but this is the 21st century and we need a president who can walk and chew gum at the same time. Frankly, I almost think it would be less embarrassing for McCain if this is a political move.

Another Republican Rejects Palin

People are waking up. This time, it's David Brooks:

Sarah Palin has many virtues. If you wanted someone to destroy a corrupt establishment, she’d be your woman. But the constructive act of governance is another matter. She has not been engaged in national issues, does not have a repertoire of historic patterns and, like President Bush, she seems to compensate for her lack of experience with brashness and excessive decisiveness.

The idea that “the people” will take on and destroy “the establishment” is a utopian fantasy that corrupted the left before it corrupted the right. Surely the response to the current crisis of authority is not to throw away standards of experience and prudence, but to select leaders who have those qualities but not the smug condescension that has so marked the reaction to the Palin nomination in the first place.

Pretty good, though I can't agree with the "destroy corrupt establishment" poppycock, since she's proven herself to be a liar who abuses power herself.

Palin Repeats Discredited Myth About 9/11 Being Linked to Iraq

The cluelessness continues:

Gov. Sarah Palin linked the war in Iraq with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, telling an Iraq-bound brigade of soldiers that included her son that they would "defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the death of thousands of Americans."

The idea that the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda plan the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a view once promoted by Bush administration officials, has since been rejected even by the president himself.

Please tell me this is all a bad dream? Will I wake up soon? Please?

"Let's Abolish All Job Interviews and Give Out Jobs at Random"

No democracy or Constitutional republic can survive when its citizens stop taking seriously their responsibility to learn about candidates and choose them wisely. No More Mister Nice Blog provides more evidence that, as Walt Kelly said, "we have met the enemy and he is us":

WHILE WE'RE AT IT, LET'S ABOLISH ALL JOB INTERVIEWS AND GIVE OUT JOBS AT RANDOM

Apparently the GOP has worked the refs so hard and so successfully that CNN's polling unit is actually asking this about Sarah Palin:

Is it fair to raise questions about her experience?

Think about that for a moment. Sit down and ponder it. We are now seriously entertaining the notion that, in a democracy, it is unfair to ask whether a candidate for elected office is qualified to hold that office. Not whether the candidate's personal life is praiseworthy -- whether the candidate is qualified to hold the job.

And we're so gulled by the GOP that half the country actually thinks it's unfair:

"A majority of women say yes, but it's close; men are slightly less likely to see those questions as fair game," said CNN polling director Keating Holland.

Wake up, America, before it's too late.

She Won't Admit It, But She Knows

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sarah Palin's "foreign policy experience".

Palin: Average Isn't Good Enough

Sam Harris appears to agree with the thesis of my essay, "smart guilt":

Americans have an unhealthy desire to see average people promoted to positions of great authority. No one wants an average neurosurgeon or even an average carpenter, but when it comes time to vest a man or woman with more power and responsibility than any person has held in human history, Americans say they want a regular guy, someone just like themselves. President Bush kept his edge on the "Who would you like to have a beer with?" poll question in 2004, and won reelection.

This is one of the many points at which narcissism becomes indistinguishable from masochism. Let me put it plainly: If you want someone just like you to be president of the United States, or even vice president, you deserve whatever dysfunctional society you get. You deserve to be poor, to see the environment despoiled, to watch your children receive a fourth-rate education and to suffer as this country wages -- and loses -- both necessary and unnecessary wars.

McCain has so little respect for the presidency of the United States that he is willing to put the girl next door (soon, too, to be a grandma) into office beside him. He has so little respect for the average American voter that he thinks this reckless and cynical ploy will work.

It's up to us to ensure that it doesn't.