Guest Blog Post: An honest old man with qualifications vs. an inexperienced dishonest outsider promising change...
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Just Words (Three of them)
by Matt Tardif
Recently, an AP/ Yahoo! News poll revealed the top 10 answers people volunteered when asked to describe presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. Of the 10 answers for each, the top three responses for each respective candidate caught my attention in particular.
John McCain:
1. Old, 19 percent
2. Military service, 9 percent
3. Record, qualifications, 8 percent
Barack Obama:
1. Outsider, change, 20 percent
2. Lack of experience, 13 percent
3. Dishonest, 9 percent
Who should we vote for in the November Presidential Election: An honest old man with qualifications and a record to judge him by, or a dishonest Washington outsider that will bring change through his inexperience? I am not overly excited about John McCain, but in the final analysis this survey does in essence sum it all up in my view. I have not fallen for the romanticism that comes from Obama; conversely I have not been rallied to action by McCain.
My intent is not to specifically endorse one, or the other, only to offer comment and my own ‘Joey-12 pack’ analysis. I say Joey 12-pack, because nobody buys six anymore…we need to buy in bulk in this economy right? I don’t want to drive to the store daily in $4.25/gallon gas on top of that. Joe six-pack is totally 90’s! Ah—what the heck, just call me Bobby buy-a-case from now on. I am your stereotypical eco-friendly problem drinker that the Democrats can fix through nationalized healthcare hopefully. Do not worry folks I also recycle the cans and start bonfires in my yard with the cardboard that is left. How do you like my carbon footprint now Al Gore?
Initially I gravitated toward Mitt Romney in this election cycle. I wasn’t enamored with him while a Massachusetts Governor. I thought his hair was annoying, and in many ways I thought his abundant wealth left him distant from me in my daily struggles. However I was able to look beyond outward appearance, the feeling that I ‘knew’ a candidate that I had never met; and I began familiarizing myself with his proposed policies, vision for the office he would serve, as well as the basis for his candidacy. Holy humble Batman! Romney presented himself well, but his best speech unfortunately was his concession speech at CPAC in Washington, DC. It seems we always find out who we really like after they are gone, only to find out who we really don’t like after they take the oath of office? Ok—maybe not always the case, but for some this might ring true.
Romney has been mentioned as being on the ‘short list’ for Vice-President. It has been rumored that McCain may not like him personally, but he would be a good choice for the party. I say pick him! I have worked with plenty of people I didn’t like in my various occupations and places of employment. It never really interfered with my ability to do my own work. If at the age of both these individuals you don’t know how to get along with others, don’t have enough self-analysis to correct your own quirks and shortcomings, then perhaps maybe you shouldn’t be holding such important positions in world affairs.
This largely comes down to one’s ability to do the job and fulfill the requirements set forth, to meet your own high expectations of the elected office and make decisions that will improve the course of our entire Nation. Many large corporations have been successful through the talents and decisions of the CFO (Chief Financial Officer) and not the CEO. The CEO could be a flashy, well manicured individual who gives great speeches and is able to present themselves well (him/her), but the nerdy accountant type that is caved in his office is arguably the one who is doing the hard work and making many difficult business decisions. This is why I would love to see Romney involved in the daily operations of the executive branch. John McCain won’t be the flashy CEO type as the President, for me I see him as a statesman, ok, let’s call him a living replica of George Washington. I think many of us admire the wisdom of those mature forefathers. For me it isn’t which candidate can pack a stadium and look good. Surely this has to involve a bit more substance, right? Perhaps the military service of McCain really doesn’t matter, that is according to retired General Wesley Clark, but even being willing to take a bullet for this Country in its defense matters a whole lot more. It matters more when compared to serving as a freshman United States Senator from Illinois and having a degree from Harvard!
Should it matter if the two individuals don’t particularly ‘like’ one another? I don’t think this is as big of a consideration in the grand scheme. It comes down to qualifications. We have had some grossly unqualified people take these positions in the last thirty years. Smarter people than me write books about the office of President, about the occurrences inside Washington. Let us merge an ‘outsider’ from an incredibly successful career in business, with the ‘old qualified’ guy John McCain. Instead of voting for the inexperienced, dishonest, ‘change’ guy that will more than likely pick a VP candidate to offset his concept of the ‘New America’.
I almost forgot to mention McCain’s wife is the heir to a large beer fortune. Somehow maybe ‘Bobby buy-a-case’ can relate to her a bit better than Michelle Obama. Let’s just consider all our previous purchases of Red-White and Blue Budweiser cases a campaign donation. Should InBev win a take-over bid of Anheuser-Busch and Obama become President; our hard earned income will be supporting Socialism either way. Please John McCain--- let it be Romney. I can look past his hair now!
Matt Tardif, originally from Laconia, is a Political Observer from Dedham, Massachusetts
