Obama should pick John McCain for Secretary of Defense

John McCain for Secretary of Defense

Before I argue for McCain to be given an important spot in Obama’s administration, I’ll let others argue for me.

Many of the foremost activists in the women’s movement ardently believe that John McCain should be Barack Obama’s running mate — and wounds that are just beginning to heal may be torn back open should the President-Elect select someone else, as it seems very likely he will.
- DAVID PAUL KUHN 8/3/08

“It would be a bold move,” he said. “I don’t think people would expect it… It’s be a bold move: Barack Obama, leadership, take this country to a new place, first African American, John McCain…. History!… I’m telling you!… All across the country!”
- Mark Silva July 28, 2008

“MAHER: At this point I think they need John McCain.

KING: Really?

MAHER: Yes. Look, I may change my mind tomorrow. I’ve been thinking this way a long time, but I swear to God. Not just because it’s bold and they need to show bold, but you know what? I think they need the Republican ruthlessness onboard. I really do.”
8/19/08

“If John McCain is not the nominee, I know that he cares very much about making change, and he will absolutely support Senator Obama enthusiastically,” said Rendell. “But I believe with all my heart that he is the most experienced and most ready to be Secretary of Defense.”
- Governor Ed Rendell May 14, 2008

“Aside from the salutary impact on intra-party divisions, the unity ticket would benefit from John McCain’s specific political strengths. No, I’m not talking about her impressive primary performance among Catholics, non-college-educated voters, and the “white working class” generally, since we don’t really know how much of that success is transferable to a general election. But no one can rationally deny that John McCain has a strong, demonstrated, personal appeal to at least two major categories of voters who will be targeted by the Administration: Republicans and Independents.”
- Ed Kilgore Sept. 16, 2007

“So I can only offer my argument, based on some facts and subjective impressions, as to why I believe it would be in Sen. Obama’s personal and political interest to select John McCainas his Secretary of Defense. Not just to enhance his chances of Unity — but, more importantly, to help him be a more effective president.”
- Lanny Davis, Huffington Post. Posted August 19, 2008.

Don’t remember those quotes? Well, I’ll confess, I edited those quotes a bit, they were actually talking about Obama selecting Hillary to be his VP pick. I apologize if you think it was a low blow, but I wanted to gerrymander those quotes a bit to make a point.

After the primary everyone wanted Obama to heal the party because it’d been a tough fight. He didn’t. His polls dropped steadily after he picked Biden and he only took a commanding lead after the economy crashed. I’d like him to avoid that mistake the second time over.

Did the party have a tough fight? Yes. Was it tougher than the general election? Not even close.

Did Hillary have supporters? Way fewer than John McCain’s.

Did the party need to pull together? Not as bad as the country does.

Did his pick help party unity? No.

Would selecting McCain help national unity. Yes.

Is John McCain qualified? Absolutely.

 

Can McCain work for a president of the other party? He did well under Clinton.

McCain isn’t just the Republican candidate. He is one of the most moderate republicans in their caucus. He is one of the most willing to cross isles and get work done. He is a patriot and he is loyal to a fault. His loyalty to Bush was one of the reasons he lost. He’s a tough attack dog, he’s military man and he’s a bi-partisan legislator. John McCain can get this done.

Loyalty:
The major concern of putting his opponent in such a place of power would be one of loyalty, control, and unity of purpose. Basically, John McCain isn’t a Democrat. His political future isn’t dependant on Obama doing good. The fear isn’t that John McCain will be a bad person and intentionally screw Obama up, but that he’ll have a real and tough disagreement with Barack on something, Obama will overrule him, and he’ll go to the press and make Obama look bad. I mean, you give John McCain the job and you also give him the knife and position to stab Obama where it hurts. Worse, you already know the two don’t always agree on National Defense matters. That’s the problem.

But here’s what we know. John lost his primary nomination battle to George Bush, who won by attacking his family. If John McCain could work with Bush, we know he could work with Barack. When he was trying to win the nomination of his party in 2008, there was straw poll. John McCain actually campaigned for George Bush, as a sign that the Republicans and America was fully behind their president in a time of war. This is a guy that really was willing to throw away his campaign to fight for the President in a time of war, and who nearly did throw away his campaign to support a military action he thought would win the war. This guy has loyalty bred into his bones. They will have arguments, even Bush had problems with John McCain. If they have a bad disagreement, John McCain might quit, but he would never aim to torpedo the President’s Administration. But never doubt the man’s loyalty and commitment to the Office of the President. He would fight to push Obama’s initiatives in that office as hard as he’d fight for a Republicans.

Attack Dog:
From time to time, John McCain has been a Hawk and a Dove. The man really isn’t the War Monger people made him out to be. But he is as much a fighter as anyone could hope. If Barack Obama puts John McCain in as Secretary of Defense, he will get a man the military loves. He’s mean man when you get on his bad side, just look at that snarl. Put him as head of our Defense Department. We use to call it the War Department. The man is a tough guy, and he knows how to win wars. John McCain will be the best possible advisor in terms of war and conflict. He’ll put a face on our defense department that tells terrorists and rogue nations alike, “Sit down and quit bothering me, or I will put you down and you will quit it”

Stand Obama at a Podium with Biden to his right and McCain to his left. No one, here or abroad, will question America’s commitment to Defense. And that alone, that message of power and National Unity against our enemies, is important in and of itself. We’re America. That’s John McCain. Look at him snarl again. That can be our Defense Department. Don’t test us.

Unity:

Independents like both Obama and McCain, but they split mostly evenly. Most of them who picked McCain did so for national security reasons. Put McCain in, and the Obama Administration has broad appeal to two-thirds of the nation. Moderate Republicans will be excited that one of them is in charge of one of the most important parts of America, again, the reason they didn’t trust Obama.

John McCain had a very bumpy road leading up to his campaign. One such bump was his Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. He did that bill with Uber-Liberal Ted Kennedy. Rush Limbaugh roasted him alive for it.

How about the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002? Him and Senator Feingold did that one, earned him all kinds of hate mail from the Right.

The Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 put him against most of the Right and the President.

This is a guy who is more liberal than about a dozen democrats.

If Barack Obama can achieve his “post-partisan” promise with this guy, if he can not make this work, can Obama achieve national Unity with anyone? If Barack Obama is unable to bury the hatchet with John McCain, can he expect the GOP to bury the hatchet? How can he ask anyone to move forward if he isn’t willing to make some concessions to the other side.

Put John McCain in the seat of Secretary of Defense. Give America the best guy for the job, and give us National Unity.

~ by centristextremist on November 14, 2008.