Schooling the Young'un

During tonight's Presidential Debate, John McCain repeatedly noted that Senator Obama did not understand various issues. In most of these cases, Senator McCain did an admirable job of explaining the difference in Senator Obama's understanding of the situation and his own. In one, however, it seemed that he was being a bit peevish, perhaps even nitpicky.

In response to McCain's criticism of Obama's failure to support the surge, or even to acknowledge its success, Obama replied, "They have done a brilliant job, and General Petraeus has done a brilliant job. But understand, that was a tactic designed to contain the damage of the previous four years of mismanagement of this war."

Senator McCain jumped on this, beginning his next remarks with, "I'm afraid Senator Obama doesn't understand the difference between a tactic and a strategy."

I must confess, neither did I. Tactic, strategy, they're essentially the same thing, right? Wrong.

According to dictionary.com, when applied to things military, the words have very different meanings indeed:

In military usage, a distinction is made between strategy
and tactics.
Strategy is the utilization, during both peace and war, of
all of a nation's forces, through large-scale, long-range
planning and development, to ensure security or victory.
Tactics deals with the use and deployment of troops in
actual combat.

Is this just a trivial detail? Not when it comes to commanding the respect of the military you are elected to lead. A commander-in-chief who doesn't appreciate the difference between a stratgy and a tactic is little different from the woman who takes her car to the shop and tells them that a doohickey fell off her motor. They get no respect.

A man incapable of gaining the respect of the military has no business presenting himself as a candidate for the position of Commander-In-Chief.

Why Palin's Experience Is Enough

When John McCain announced his selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate, there was an immediate, palpable reaction from the nation. Journalists and politicos of all stripes were thrown completely off balance by the unprecedented nature of the pick, particularly given that it was made by a Republican, rather than a progressive Democrat. The general populace suddenly took notice of a political process that had faded to background noise due in large part to the sheer unending nature of campaign politics in recent years. In the ensuing days, media and voter alike have struggled to define how the addition of Governor Palin alters the race for the White House. Perhaps the biggest question of all concerns her experience.

It is legitimate to question whether a relative newcomer to national politics is adequate to the office she seeks. Indeed, it would be irresponsible to do otherwise. But assessing her readiness to serve as Vice President, and, potentially, President and Commander-In-Chief requires a baseline, a definition of what we deem to be the requirements for the position. It would be unreasonable to demand a complete understanding of all aspects of the job - no single human being can claim to be expert in all the responsibilities of the office, from military strategy to economics, foreign relations to education. If such a person did exist, it likely would not be in the best interest of the country to hand him the reins of power; such an authority would be unlikely to yield to the judgment and insight of others, relying instead of their own expertise. A dangerous consolidation of authority would likely result. An expert in a single area of responsibility is a great deal more likely - there are countless examples of military or economic experts, top notch diplomats and educators. But which of these skills would best serve the people? The role of Commander-In-Chief is critical, but is a great military mind likely to have the disposition required for diplomacy? Would a policy wonk with an incredible understanding of economics have the sheer guts required to act boldly in the face of international threats?

Knowledge of specific subject matter is less important to a leader than analytical skills, honesty, compassion and courage of conviction. The President can surround himself (or herself) with a wide variety of experts in every area, capable of rendering ideas and suggestions to suit any situation. The true gift is the ability to sort through the varying proposals to find the combination that best serves the interests of the American people and the world. A desire for personal power is detrimental to the process, as is an overarching need for approval or adoration. The balance between confidence and hubris is delicate. We seek someone with the wisdom to separate the wheat from the chaff and the strength to stand up to the naysayers. Someone humble enough to put aside personal gain for the greater good, and with the emotional makeup to endure the inevitable hostility of the media.

So how can we determine, from a distance and with little time, whether this description fits Sarah Palin? How can we tell what kind of leader she would be? Her public life story speaks volumes.

She grew up in America's last frontier, the last place in this country where wood-burning stoves were not decorator accents, but utilitarian devices, essential to survival. A land where hunting was more a requirement than a hobby, where life was hard but good. We can see the strength of our early pioneers in her, of the spirit of survival against hard odds. How many of us would be as well equipped, if suddenly dropped in an Arctic wilderness, to carve out a living from the land? We have grown soft in the midst of all of our luxuries and conveniences and forgotten the rudimentary skills which were the reality of Sarah Palin's childhood. That, alone, speaks volumes about her character. She embraced and loved this life. Hunting trips at 3 a.m. were followed by school and voluntary participation in sports, with a competitive drive that helped take her school to the state championship. Even as a young girl, she was known as Sarah Barracuda. Even in a land where all around her shared her hardships, she stood out as exceptional.


After high school, she entered and won the Miss Wasilla Pageant, with the stated goal of earning a scholarship to pay for college. Finishing second in the Miss Alaska Pageant, she secured not only her scholarship, but also the Miss Congeniality award, a testimonial to her attitude toward others, and something her running mate has repeatedly stated is not among his credits in the U.S. Senate. As she matured, she maintained her drive and determination, whether in commercial fishing or the PTA. She has a record of seeking involvement in causes, first to try to improve her own children's education, then her small town, as first a city councilwoman and then mayor. At each step she earned the respect of her peers through her honesty and dedication, relying on her own performance to take her to the next level. There is no indication that she sought power for power's sake, rather that she sought justice and betterment for those she served. She sought the confidence and support of the people she represented, not the favor of others in political positions, and was rewarded with 74% of the vote in her reelection bid.

After her loss in her bid for lieutenant governor, she chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, ultimately resigning the post in protest of ethics violations by members of her own party. She refused to accept the corrupt politics of her state, when succumbing and playing along would have been the far easier, and likely much more lucrative, path. Her race for governor was undertaken in the same spirit and with the same passion to clean up government in her state, again for the benefit of the people she governed. She has logged a record of accomplishments far too long to detail here in her short term of service and is wildly popular with Alaskans.

She has fought hard for her constituents, against corrupt politicians and big oil, and has brought her state to a much better place than it was just two years ago. She has walked the walk, cutting her own salary and benefits, selling a state jet and eliminating the governor's chef. She has cut both taxes and spending while prioritizing projects to bring the most good to the most people.

Through it all, she has maintained a home and been a loving and dedicated wife and mother. With a son now in Iraq, and a daughter about to marry, she and her husband, Todd, have passed their strength and character on to their children. Their devotion to family values is obvious.

While Governor Palin has not been a highly visible national or international politician, her entire life is testament to her readiness for the White House. She has exhibited intelligence and solid decision making abilities and the inner toughness of a leader throughout her life. Her dedication to open and honest leadership is rare in this era, as is her very real ability to understand the problems of the electorate - problems she understands because she lives them every day. She aspires not to amass great personal power or wealth, but to do everything she can to put our government of, by and for the people back on the side of the people. Her popularity has been won through gutsy campaigns for honesty at the risk of incurring enmity from her political peers. Like the pit bull with which she identifies, she has a strength beyond her small stature.

America could do much worse than put this woman a heartbeat away from the presidency. Throughout her life she has shown that she understands the intent of the founders of this great nation and will take great personal risks to uphold their vision. Sarah Palin is a woman of character, something all too rare in politics today.

A Day Well Spent

My daughter and I played hooky today. Actually, I prefer to think of it as investing a day in our future.

Yesterday, I got an email from the Kansas GOP, announcing a "Road to Victory Rally" with John McCain and Sarah Palin in nearby Lee's Summit, Missouri. No tickets, first come, first served, at a fairly small auditorium. The rally was to begin at 10:30, doors opened at 8:30. Having just heard about a rally in Detroit with astronomical turnout, I knew that we'd have to be there considerably earlier than 8:30 to make it in the door.

My daughter was enthusiastic, even after I told her she'd have to get up at 5 a.m. She could cover the rally for her school newspaper, for which she serves as Features Editor. That clinched the deal - not only would I be feeding my daughter's burgeoning love of politics and idealistic desire to keep our country strong, I would be facilitating quite a scoop for the West High School Epic! Camera, notepad and press credentials in hand, we set out, still rubbing the sleep out of our eyes.

We arrived before dawn, and had perhaps one hundred people in front of us in line. Within minutes, there were hundreds more behind us. It was a cold, rainy, blustery morning, and we shivered in spite of our excitement as we chatted with the other brave conservative souls around us in line. It's always a delight to take my daughter anywhere - she is intelligent, well-spoken, friendly and attractive, all characteristics which make her a target for her elders, who take it upon themselves to make sure this excellent young lady is properly educated. Numerous people struck up conversations with her, and she impressed them all with the depth and breadth of her knowledge of the state of politics in our nation today.

We were finally allowed into the building shortly after the promised 8:30 time, filtering in slowly, each of us passing through the required security procedures. We made our way up to the stage, staking our claim to a small bit of floor behind about five rows of people. It was a standing room only crowd that took nearly the full two hours until the rally began to fill the auditorium. The more people that came in, the more cramped and hot the space became. The chatter centered on Sarah Palin, obviously the big draw for the crowd.

A few minutes before the rally was to begin, an elderly man standing a few feet to my left fainted. The hours of standing and lack of breathing room were simply too much for him and he dropped to the floor. All of us around him struggled to make ourselves heard above the general roar of the crowd, calling for help. Paramedics made their way through the crowd in a few moments, and began checking his vital signs. They told him they should take him to the hospital to make sure he was ok, to which he stubbornly responded, "I'm not going anywhere! I haven't seen Sarah yet!" Within minutes, he was on his feet and being escorted to a chair nearer the stage, to the delight of all around him.

Finally the rally began. There were the requisite down ticket speakers, a Hillary supporter for McCain who was warmly welcomed by the crowd, and an emcee who coached us in the finer arts of coordinated shouting. The excitement was palpable when the last speaker finally left the stage and we knew the main attraction was about to begin.

At last, more than five hours after our arrival, there they were! The man and woman that we all believe will be our next President and Vice President! The sore feet and aching knees were forgotten as we gave voice to our endorsement of Senator McCain's selection of running mate. Several minutes of chaos followed, then, at last, the object of our collective adoration stepped up to the podium and began to speak.



The speech was not particularly new or different, but it didn't matter. We were equally as charmed and delighted with the words she spoke as we had been when first we heard them uttered as we sat glued to our televisions during the RNC. Her expressions were more relaxed, her mannerisms more natural, her presence utterly captivated the thousands who had gathered to show their devotion to this amazing woman.

I felt a bit sorry for Senator McCain in the face of the crowd's obvious preference for his chosen second in command. He has to know that his recent uptick in the polls is more because of her than because of his excellent character and obvious patriotism. But he seemed to be as captivated as the rest of us by this exceptional woman.

To our credit, we roared "John McCain! John McCain!" almost as loudly and supportively as we had bellowed "Sarah! Sarah! Sarah!" minutes before. And, to his, he spoke strongly, and came across much better in person than he ever has on television. We all knew that the man standing before us would give his very life to protect the nation he loved, and that knowledge was enough to quiet the doubts we all still feel about his reliability in supporting those issues that are nearest and dearest to our hearts.

All in all, it was a day well spent.

2008: The Year of the Lose-Lose Election

As November nears, it becomes increasingly obvious that whoever wins the American Presidential election this year, Americans themselves will lose.

Should Barack Obama find his bid for the highest office in the land successful, he will be supported by a majority Democratic Congress. The size of the majority is still open for debate, but it seems extremely unlikely in today's political climate that there will be fewer seats controlled by liberals in January than there are now. Should the advances of the left be large, it could well become nearly impossible to prevent them from uniting with their new leader to fully implement their platform. Given Obama's vaguely stated agenda, we can only guess at the proposals and programs he will advance, but certain known facts serve to educate our guess.

Illinois' junior Senator has a circle of friends more suited to a gangster movie than the White House. There is William Ayers, a radical, homegrown terrorist who sought to destroy his own country and, to this day, regrets only that he was not more successful in his efforts. Or the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whose blatant racism and hatred of everything America stands for are somehow characterized as celebrating the love of Jesus Christ. Syrian-born Antoin Rezko is more reminiscent of The Godfather than a respected business and community leader. And these are only the stars of the Obama show - the other strong political influences in Senator Obama's cast of characters include Saul Alinsky, a radical left-wing revolutionary, Frank Marshall Davis, labor activist and member of the Communist Party, and many others of a similar ilk. These are not the ideological mentors most of us would choose for ourselves or our children - what possible reason could there be to choose them for our President?

The few glimpses of the Obama Doctrine that we have been able to deduce promise higher taxes in the name of fairer distribution of resources - from each according to his ability, to each according to his need. It didn't work when Marx proposed it - a system which removes all incentive to produce never will. He has hinted that he would unilaterally seek to disarm our Nation as a gesture of goodwill to a world which, if we believe what he and his wife tell us, harbors us no good will in return. He has promised to sit down face-to-face with the leaders of nations that are actively seeking our destruction, apparently believing that his rhetorical gifts alone will overcome maniacal religious beliefs and tyrannical pursuit of power. Can't we all just get along?

The list of reasons why it is absolutely unacceptable for this man to be elected to the most powerful office on the planet is long, and has nothing to do with the circumstances of his birth or the color of his skin - as Dr. Martin Luther King might have said, it is the content of his character which renders him untenable.

Surely the American electorate will realize this? The outlook is bleak. Americans, as a people, have become so complacent and uninformed it is nearly criminal. His supporters, more often than not, can give only one reason for their blind worship: change. He promises change. They are investing in him their own responsibilities - he has promised them that he will change the things they don't like. Which things they don't like? All of them, of course. How will he do this? He brings hope and has new ideas. What has he ever done to show that his ideas will change anything in your life for the better? The silence is long...finally, a muttered platitude: Well, he gives such great speeches! Great speeches. Pretty words. Giving the followers a blank canvas on which to paint their most beautiful dreams. Invoking good will in the masses - the same technique he plans to use on those rogue leaders. There's just one problem: the rogue leaders are paying attention and know that there is no substance behind the rhetoric...the ultimate paper tiger, with flowers in his hair. It will be the downfall of this and many other countries should this vacuous man emerge victorious.

However, even if he loses, our country still cannot win. Few are excited about John McCain as a President, but those of us who are paying attention know that there is absolutely no comparison in how he would govern. We would likely spend four years fighting bitterly against policies that are anathema to many of our strongest beliefs. We will win some of those fights, and lose others, some of which may be costly. But, in our hearts, we know that Senator McCain will always fight for the sovereignty of our Nation and would give his own life to protect her citizens. While we cannot exactly regard this as a complete win, neither can we call it a total loss. We can be confident that we would not have socialized medicine or massive taxes for the producers with generous gifts for the indolent, and our military would remain strong and able to furnish us the protection which is, after all, the first responsibility of our government.

So why is this still a loss?

For the last eight years, our citizenry has been deeply divided politically, in no small part due to the bitterly contested 2000 election. While every measure has shown, in retrospect, that the election was correctly settled, millions of our citizens, nearly all left-leaning, still regard it as an illegitimate election. They remain deeply wounded by this perceived injustice, and every controversial decision made by the Bush administration has, in their view, been wrong to the point of pure evil. This hatred and sense of injustice has grown in these people, feeding their almost living, breathing, desire for...change.

So desperate have they become that they have lost whatever critical thinking skills they may have once possessed. There is no amount of hard evidence that can penetrate the aura of the chosen one who will lead them out of their misery. They will follow him blindly, without regard for the reality that he will bring to their lives, because it is life's blood to them - finally, after all these years of personal suffering, there is hope! He is Prince Charming, the Messiah, even Santa Claus, come to fulfill their long oppressed dreams.

Were he to win, their illusions would quickly be dashed. The reality of his failing policies would snowball within a few months after his inauguration, making it impossible for them to continue to believe and leaving them hollow and disappointed as they watched their country decline.

But should he lose...

If he is beaten, they will never know the bullet they dodged. They will never realize how narrowly the free country that allows their dissidence escaped a course that would leave us with much less liberty, immeasurably less strength and greatly diminished dignity and pride.

All they will see is the imagined prejudice of those who voted against their Savior. The facts which the thinking can see without having them come to pass will never be in the grasp of these desperate souls. The pain they have carried for eight years will intensify to a peak heretofore unknown. They will resent the blindness of their fellow citizens and mourn the loss of the utopia they envisioned with all the passion of a bereaved lover. The split in our political soul, as a Nation, will be more deeply reft than ever before. The racial divide will be intensified to a level not seen in our lifetimes, if ever, for there will be no convincing the bereaved that their loss was not due to pigmentation.

This is a terrible year for our great America, perhaps the worst in her illustrious history. It is difficult at this moment to see how we can ever overcome the rift that will result on November 4th, regardless of the outcome of the vote.