McCain needs to cool it on Bush-bashing during debates with Obama: You can't out-Democrat a Democrat

by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director

 

Now before some blogger reads five sentences out of my column and decides I'm a Democrat in Republican disguise, let me say this.  I would walk across hot coals rather than cast a vote for Barack Obama this November.  I'm not saying how many coals, but I hope this gets my message across.  Though he wasn't my first choice, I think John McCain should be the next president of the United States and anything else would be a disaster for our country.

 

However, McCain needs to stop reminding the Republican conservative base why they had problems with the senior Senator from Arizona before he won the GOP's presidential primary.

 

Here is the story.  The Obama campaign wants to draw comparisons between McCain and President George W. Bush as often as possible.  In fact, if David Axelrod, Obama's Campaign Manager, could talk Bush and McCain into it, Axelrod would have doctors perform an operation that would physically link the two Republicans together at the hip--sort of like a separation of conjoined twins, but in reverse.  McCain's advisers have taken the bait--hook, line and sinker.  Therefore, at every opportunity possible, McCain tries to separate himself from Bush policy.  The only problem is, McCain has gone too far with some of his criticisms, again, reminding some of us why we didn't vote for him in the primary.

 

First of all, McCain needs to congratulate the President when it is deserved, even though Bush's approval ratings hover around 30%.  Much of the reasons those numbers are that low is because of the liberal media who will only acknowledge Bush's failures and never give credit where credit is due.  A case in point was the coverage of the two recent Hurricanes that ravaged Texas and the Gulf Coast.  The reaction by the federal government to the emergency was outstanding, but Bush received no credit for a job well done, in contrast to the blame he received for the failures surrounding Katrina.

 

Also, the subject of 9/11 came up in the first presidential debate.  The first thing out of John McCain's mouth should have been a thumbs up to Bush for keeping America safe since that terrible day.  Shortly after that day of infamy, most experts laid odds a major attack would take place on American soil before the next eight years would pass.  The attacks that were planned were foiled and it is most likely with Obama in the presidential race terrorists would not target the United States--at least before the election because, frankly, Islamic extremists would rather see Obama in the White House.  They believe the junior Senator from Illinois would be more passive in the war on terrorism. 

 

Indeed, many believe, as in the past, the first thing Obama would do, if elected, would be to target the military for cuts, like Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter--his Democratic presidential predecessors.   Here's a fact that can't be denied:  If terrorists took action against the U.S. before the election, it would help McCain and hurt Obama.  That's simply the way it is.   

 

Therefore, Bush kept us safe, Sen. McCain and, since you are the "straight talk" guy, you should tell the truth.

 

In addition, we don't need to hear anything else about Americans torturing people.  We know you are against water-boarding.  We know you were tortured while in the hands of the North Vietnamese.  But, in all honesty, the water-boarding of some Islamic terrorists prevented some major attacks on our country.  And I'm not buying the theory that we need to be better than the other guy because the other guy is cutting the heads off of our captured soldiers and our Iraqi allies.  And one more thing.  If there were a nuclear device sitting in the Port of Los Angeles and we had someone in custody who knew where it was and how to stop it, all your theory about no torture would fly out the window--like the sheets of paper fluttered to the ground after two airliners were flown into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers.

 

Finally, you missed some big opportunities during the debate.  Some might pass it off to a senior moment or two, but in the discussion of the Russia/Georgia crisis, you said nothing about Obama calling for a resolution from the United Nations Security Council.  It was a huge lost opportunity because Obama didn't have the common sense to understand the Russians have a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council and would immediately have vetoed such a resolution.  I know, it's easy to be critical from the sidelines.  Monday morning quarterbacking is a favorite pastime of people not making decisions during the heat of battle.  However, there are no-brainers and Obama's Russian/Georgian faux pas was one of them.  And since we're in the middle of a financial crisis, it would have been nice if Obama's plan to raise taxes on the so-called wealthy would have been discussed just a bit more.

 

Getting back to the point, the criticism of President Bush does nothing more for Republicans than remind them of why they don't like you, while at the same time you are painting the Republican Congress in the worst light possible.

 

Sen. McCain, the dominant press will not be in your corner until you lose the election or leave the White House on the last day of your presidency.  Please understand, if you don't improve your game plan we will end up with a President Obama--which is something our country cannot afford.

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Comments

[Charlie]

I agree, he needs to really do some straight talk. Example, why can't anyone mention that Carter and Clinton, with help from their party, creating many of the problems now calling for the $700 Billion bailout, by insisting that money be made easier to obtain by people with no credit rating? When I was in command in the army, if I had prisoners that had information that could save my troops lives, I would have done what was necessary to extract same.