From Old-School Values
AudioIf he makes it to the White House, John McCain, who will turn 72 on August 29, will be the oldest person in U.S. history elected to a first term. Polls show him to be out of step with his fellow Americans over the war in Iraq. And he's running against a charismatic, feel-good Democrat in what has become a difficult political environment for Republicans.
Yet Senator McCain forges ahead aggressively, which he was trained to do since birth, either not knowing or not caring that the old-school values he embodies make him seem to the iPod/Facebook generation like a throwback to the age of black-and-white movies.
John Sidney McCain III is the son and grandson of Naval Academy graduates who served in the Second World War and who both became admirals. McCain's father, called Jack, commanded the Pacific Fleet in 1967 when John was shot down over Vietnam. Privately, Jack McCain's eyes welled with tears when he talked of his son, and he chomped down on his cigar when he feared words would fail him. Publicly, he and his wife did their duty. It is a measure of the family stoicism that the night Jack and Roberta McCain learned that their son was either dead or a captive in North Vietnam -- they weren't sure which -- they donned evening clothes to fulfill an engagement at an ambassador's residence in London.
John McCain himself, in his five and a half years in captivity, would refuse early release from the "Hanoi Hilton" (the North Vietnamese wanted to use him as a propaganda ploy), lead the American POWs in church services, and rediscover in that unlikely place a profound passion for his country. As he wrote in his autobiography, Faith of My Fathers, "it wasn't until I lost America for a time that I realized how much I loved her."
In 1981, eight years after returning to the United States, McCain left the Navy to carve out a career in politics, based in his second wife's home state of Arizona. It was not a place he'd lived before, but McCain ran successfully for an open House seat in 1982, ascending four years later to the Senate seat previously held by conservative icon Barry Goldwater.
McCain fashioned himself, as many novice Republicans did in those days, as a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution. He had a better claim than most. Ronald Reagan admired McCain and befriended him, and it's not too much to say that Nancy Reagan adored him for his gallantry and self-effacing manner. But the political leader whom McCain talks about without prompting -- and most resembles temperamentally -- is another Republican president: Theodore Roosevelt, noted warrior, pioneering environmentalist, Republican rebel, big game hunter … and founder of the breakaway Bull Moose Party.
The bull is a fitting totem for McCain; the analogy often comes up when his name is invoked. Three years ago, at a breakfast with various diplomats, McCain was argumentative in responding to a German bureaucrat who had claimed Iran had suspended its nuclear program. One European witness later described McCain to he New Yorker as a "charging bull" who "likes to fight."
This has been McCain's style most of his life. In his 25 years as a congressman and senator, he has been just as willing to pick fights with Republicans (on everything from tax policy to campaign finance reform) as with Democrats (often on issues of national security). Although often lauded as a maverick for his nonconformity, his pugnacious behavior in Munich brought to mind Winston Churchill's description of John Foster Dulles, another headstrong American official, as "a bull who carries his china shop around with him."
That has been McCain's endearing quality as well as his occasional liability. It served him particularly well in the 2000 Republican presidential primaries, when he connected with idealistic young voters. The question this time around is whether it's still the right approach.
Today our nation is weary of a war that appears to be gaining us little except casualties and expense -- a war McCain has supported from the outset -- and is fearful about an economy that features spiking fuel prices along with significant dips in the employment rate, the stock market, and housing prices. Those kinds of worries, and the feelings of malaise and dread they engender, usually portend change in Washington. Many voters, especially those under 30, want a different political party and a fresh face in the White House. McCain's rejoinder, although he won't phrase it quite so starkly, is that it will take a seasoned veteran to get us out of the mess we're in.
A year ago, when Reader's Digest interviewed John McCain, he acknowledged, after the tape recorder had been turned off, that the stalled Iraq war could doom his candidacy. He added, in his stoic fashion, that he'd rather lose an election than a war. It's not clear either will happen: McCain supported the troop surge, even when that was a politically unpopular course to take, and it appears that the surge has helped stabilize security in Iraq. But if the surge is working, it is doing so to further a goal that seems increasingly elusive to Americans.
McCain is aware of this attitude too. But, as he made clear in his interview with Reader's Digest editors at his campaign headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, if nothing else, he plans to go down fighting.
McCain's Life in Service
Q: On October 26, 1967, you were shot down over Hanoi, wounded, held captive, not released until March 14, 1973. Did you ever imagine that you might be president of the United States?A: Never. Never. Never. I never contemplated it. I just wanted to get back to flying status and continue being a Navy pilot. That was my ambition.
Q: You're the son and grandson of admirals. What would they think of your choice of a second career?
A: [Laughs] I think they would be astonished, because when my father and grandfather were in their formative period, military officers were very apolitical, particularly naval officers. To tell you the truth, I'm not even sure what -- I would guess my father was a Republican …
Q: A lot of Barack Obama supporters think you are not just old-fashioned but old. What would you say to them?
A: Americans are interested in judgment and experience and knowledge. I don't think that Senator Obama has shown good judgment, whether it be about the war in Iraq or a number of other issues. I know they say those things, and they're certainly free to say it, but I look at President Eisenhower and I look at Harry Truman and I look at other experienced leaders of our country, including Ronald Reagan, and I don't think we have done too badly with them. And I have seen what has happened to inexperienced leaders who have come to the presidency, and some of them, even Jack Kennedy, have had pretty rotten beginnings.
Q: Do you think Senator Obama is too inexperienced?
A: I don't think he has shown the right judgments. The war in Iraq -- he was against the surge. He still refuses to acknowledge that the surge is succeeding and we are winning. That shows bad judgment, in my view. He went to Ohio and said that he would unilaterally renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Now he says he's for free trade. After a while, Americans are going to be a little cynical about how trustworthy he is. Oh, and by the way, he promised and committed to taking public financing. I mean, it's in writing. He said it time after time. [Editor's note: On June 19, Obama announced he would not take public financing for his campaign.]
Q: One of our readers asks, "Why would you want to be president and inherit all the problems we have right now?"
A: Because I have spent my life in service to the country. I think there's nothing nobler than to serve a cause greater than your self-interest, and I think I am qualified with the experience and knowledge and background to make the judgments that are necessary. I am very humbled by the nomination for the party.
Q: There are many problems to choose from, but if you had to pick just one to focus on initially, what would that big priority be?
A: It is obvious that a president's first priority is to take whatever steps necessary to ensure the security of our nation, but hand in hand with that has to be a restoration of trust and confidence in government. Recent polls in the last weeks show that the approval rating of Congress is at historic lows. In one poll I saw, 84 percent of the American people think the country is on the wrong track. We have got to give them hope, optimism, and a plan to restore trust and confidence. That means eliminating [recent] spending practices and a commitment to fixing Social Security and Medicare. Trust and confidence have got to be restored.
Q: A reader question on another topic: A mother of a 21-year-old son wants to know where you stand on the military draft.
A: I am opposed to a draft. I think it is unfair to the lowest-income Americans. I think the nature of the 21st-century military requires extensive training, which doesn't lend itself to short-term service. Finally, our all-volunteer force is the most efficient and most professional and best equipped. The problem is that they are too small. We need to expand the size of the military, not go for the draft.
Q: Do you still favor some sort of national service for all young people?
A: I am not in favor of compulsory national service, but I have supported strongly every kind of incentive for them to do so, [including] educational benefits, enhanced abilities to receive certain benefits, and support programs that will encourage national service.
McCain's Solutions for America
Q: Do you think the Republican Party has strayed too far from its conservationist roots and should be more involved in environmental protection issues?A: Yes. I feel that strongly. We're the party of Theodore Roosevelt. Especially on the issue of climate change, a segment of our party has failed to recognize the effect of greenhouse gases on our planet. I think we can be economically viable and at the same time be true conservationists.
Q: Would you bring in Democrats or people who are considered liberal on this issue to help you create an environmental policy, and could you also talk to us a little bit about other people you might bring into a McCain administration?
A: People who have, one, been successful. John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco; Fred Smith, the chairman and CEO of FedEx; Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay; Carly Fiorina, formerly of Hewlett-Packard. I would ask them to come and serve for a dollar a year and give back to their country, and I am sure they would respond. I also would include Democrats in my cabinet in key positions.
Q: Sixty percent of people in this country think the Iraq invasion was a mistake. Are you on the wrong side of an issue that the American people feel strongly about?
A: I hope not. We are succeeding in Iraq, and Americans want us out, but they want us out with honor and victory, not in defeat. So when I dig into those polling numbers, of course they want us out, but when we show them a path to success, as we are succeeding and winning, then I think their patience is extended -- although they are certainly exhausted by four years of mishandling.
Q: It sounds sometimes as if the Democrats are running against George W. McCain. How would a McCain administration differ from the Bush administration?
A: First of all, I oppose the spending spree that we are on and the largest expansion in size of government since the Great Society with no plan to pay for it. On the issue of climate change, we obviously have a very different outlook. On the war in Iraq, the way it was mishandled for nearly four years. I have said that as president I would declare that we will never mistreat another prisoner, torture another prisoner who is in American custody ever again. I will close Guantanamo Bay. Obviously, I would work more closely with our allies on a broad variety of issues. I would also try to address the genocide in Darfur in a more effective fashion. Those are just a few of the areas where we would have a presidency that has significant differences from the present administration.
Q: In your first 100 days in office, what steps would you take on immigration?
A: I have been trying to work on the immigration issue. We failed. On a bipartisan basis, we failed. We failed because Americans didn't believe that we must secure the borders. I remind you, in 1986 we gave amnesty to a couple of million people and said we should secure the borders, and we didn't. So I will explain again to the American people that this is a federal responsibility. We have to act. We have to secure the borders. We have to have a temporary-worker program that works, and address the issue of the 12 million people here illegally in a humane and compassionate fashion.
Q: Hillary Clinton swamped Barack Obama among Hispanic voters. Now that she's out of the equation, Senator Obama is making steady gains with this population. What are you going to do to appeal to Latinos?
A: I come from a Western state with a significant Hispanic population. I received 70 percent of the Hispanic vote in my last reelection. I understand their issues and their concerns and their ambitions and their dreams. I don't like to categorize any group of Americans, but [Latinos are] pro-life, pro small business and lower taxes, and patriotic, and a larger segment serve in the military than are represented by their population -- the list goes on and on. I think I can do well with the Hispanic voting population.
Q: Let's talk about another demographic group: You did well with 18- to 29-year-olds in 2000, but our poll showed Obama leading you by 22 points with Millennials in 2008. Can you reconnect with young voters?
A: I admire Senator Obama's ability to galvanize so many Americans both young and in other age groups, but first of all, I listen to my children -- four of my seven are between the ages of 16 and 23 -- and I continue to address [their] issues, such as education and the economy. I recognize the importance of the Internet in communicating with young Americans as well. We have upgraded our website, and we've tried to be more active in blogging and all the means of communication that young Americans rely on to form their opinions and decide their vote.
Q: Do you use e-mail yourself?
A: No.
Q: Speaking of family life, after the 2000 campaign, there were a lot of concerns that your wife had and there were rumors that maybe she wasn't so excited about the idea of this campaign. How's that going?
A: We had a family meeting, and she and our children had concerns. We tried to talk about them. At the end of the day, it all came down to, Wouldn't it be good for America if I am president? It basically came down to that question, and once their minds were made up, they were enthusiastic, and I'm glad of that.
Q: What is the best thing about Barack Obama's candidacy?
A: He's an inspiration. I think that is very clear.
Q: Anything we forgot to ask you?
A: This campaign is about reform, prosperity, and peace, but it is also about putting our country first. I have a record of that; Senator Obama does not. He has the most extreme record in the U.S. Senate, but the point is Americans want us to work together. They are tired of us fighting with one another. They believe the challenges are too great for us to deteriorate into the old bickering and gridlock that characterize this government today. So I promise people in my party, people in the other party, and everybody who will listen, that I will always put my country first.
i diddnt believe his speech after his lost against obama.if you take a look at the debate when him and our president to be Mr obama. mccain was trying to destroy him, and obama just pushed it to the side, and used brain power( which counts) mcains attitude prove what kind od person mccain is. and thats a looooser! beat it mccain....
Please keep Obama as Senator Here in Illinois;How could you guarantee that Obama would be a good president ? Thanks Please Keep Senator Obama here for the state of Illinois. Thanks How could you guarantee that Obama would be a good president ? Thanks Dear People, when you think that you could not achieve some tasks or multiple tasks, please do Not think that nobody else could achieve since people are different , there are way smarter people out there and Sarah Palin are among them.
After the 02 invasion, Weapons of Mass destruction HAVW been found- many al-Samoud missiles modified to exceed the 90 mile limit, al-Hussein missiles with a range of nearly 400 miles. Mustard gas and Sarin gas were found, and both were used on US troops.
Hussein made his weapons declaration shortly before Operation Iraqi Freedom began. He didn't allow UN inspectors. He failed to account for 450 aerial bombs with mustard gas, 550 projectiles, and a total of around 80 tons of mustard gas that was "MISSING". As per Iraq's agreement, this was enough to warrant his removal, and all out war.
We did nothing to take Saddam Husein out of power when he gassed his own people, or when he invaded Kuwait. But the UN put him to an agreement: No nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons for Saddam. No missiles with a range of over 90 miles. He stays in power ONLY if he allows UN inspections of all these things. In 98 he resisted inspections. He fired at US planes. Clinton bombed Saddam, then left him in power. In 02, Saddam stopped allowing inspections. Now what?
I disagree completely with the last writer. In the last 100 years there have been so many foreign policy decisions that have been more important.
How could you so casually allow this man to boast about his good judgment while at the same time he cynically disrespected Senator Obama's judgment? You should have reminded him that in the single most important foreign policy decision of the United States in the past century he was wrong. He was one of the staunchest supporters of the invasion of Iraq. Barack Obama opposed the war from the beginning and predicted with incredible precision the eventual outcome. Soft interview.
The more you hear or read about John McCain, the more you realize he is in the right place at the right time to help the American people. He is an inspiration to us all. Country first: John McCain for President 2008. God Bless America!