Can’t you tell that I’ve got the day off?
Let’s be honest – I have like John McCain at a personal level – he sealed the deal when he let the ‘Grok "ride the bus". He is certainly the only true American hero running in the Presidential race for his service to his country. Yet, loyal readers of the ‘Grok know I have reservations vis-a-vis conservatism. Yet, in comparison to Obama and Hillary, I will pull the lever for him without reservation.
That said, he gave a speech that gave this conservative’s heart a rest (at least for now):
As Jim Manzi noted over at NRO:
He wisely insisted that the relevant question vis-à-vis Iraq is not “What would you have done in 2002?”, but is instead “What should we do in 2009?”
The Democrat response is to run against the past (e.g., note – Bush isn’t running. Note again – McCain is, no matter what you are trying to portray, not Bush). Doesn’t matter what the picture on the ground is (and now the Iraqi Parliament IS starting to hit the mark on the benchmarks we wanted) – they have no wisdom of war or how to wage it outside of the political realm. They concentrate only on that and ignore the others.
McCain is looking forward as he accepts the Republican nomination (unofficial, but he has the delegate count. Doesn’t hurt that Gov. Huckabee has given up as well). Bold emphasis is mine.
[snip of the almost mandatory thank you to former competitors, friends, family and wife]
Now, we begin the most important part of our campaign: to make a respectful, determined and convincing case to the American people that our campaign and my election as president, given the alternatives presented by our friends in the other party, are in the best interests of the country we love. I have never believed I was destined be president. I don’t believe anyone is predestined to lead America. But I do believe we are born with responsibilities to the country that has protected our God-given rights, and the opportunities they afford us.
As opposed to the Democrats, who time after time after time, seem to believe that is the government who grants rights and has the right to modify them as it feels necessary.
I did not grow up with the expectation that my country owed me more than the rights owed every American. On the contrary, I owe my country every opportunity I have ever had. I owe her the meaning that service to America has given my life, and the sense that I am part of something greater than myself, part of a kinship of ideals that have always represented the last, best hope of mankind.
And not the careening path of socialism that both Obama and Hillary wish to bring us.
I understand the responsibilities I incur with this nomination, and I give you my word, I will not evade or slight a single one. Our campaign must be, and will be more than another tired debate of false promises, empty sound bites, or useless arguments from the past that address not a single American’s concerns for their family’s security. Presidential candidates are judged on their records, their character and the whole of their life experiences. But we are also expected to concentrate our efforts on the challenges that will confront America on our watch and explain how we intend to address them.
America is at war in two countries, and involved in a long and difficult fight with violent extremists who despise us, our values and modernity itself.
Hear, Hear!
To the Dems, this is simply a law enforcement action, as seen (if Hillary wins the Dem nod) by the action (non-action?) of the presumptive REAL Vice President -> Bill.
Which makes me think – WHO in their right mind would want to be the Democratic Vice President, given that Bill would be in the White House. Being VP can be obscure enough – the fool that might take the position might only rate a footnote in history’s annals.
It is of little use to Americans for their candidates to avoid the many complex challenges of these struggles by re-litigating decisions of the past. I will defend the decision to destroy Saddam Hussein’s regime as I criticized the failed tactics that were employed for too long to establish the conditions that will allow us to leave that country with our country’s interests secure and our honor intact. But Americans know that the next president doesn’t get to remake that decision. We are in Iraq and our most vital security interests are clearly involved there. The next president must explain how he or she intends to bring that war to the swiftest possible conclusion without exacerbating a sectarian conflict that could quickly descend into genocide; destabilizing the entire Middle East; enabling our adversaries in the region to extend their influence and undermine our security there; and emboldening terrorists to attack us elsewhere with weapons we dare not allow them to possess.
The next president must encourage the greater participation and cooperation of our allies in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The Dems seem to believe that the war is only in Afganistan (or in Obama’s case, willing to invade an ally in Pakistan). Nonsense – Jihad is world wide and is not just military in nature but includes the political, the cultural, and in the sphere of "lawfare". Yet, not a single word from them in this.
The next president must lead an effort to restructure our military, our intelligence, our diplomacy and all relevant branches of government to combat Islamic extremism, encourage the vast majority of moderates to win the battle for the soul of Islam, and meet the many other rising challenges in this changing world.
I will leave it to my opponent to argue that we should abrogate trade treaties, and pretend the global economy will go away and Americans can secure our future by trading and investing only among ourselves. We will campaign in favor of seizing the opportunities presented by the growth of free markets throughout the world, helping displaced workers acquire new and lasting employment and educating our children to prepare them for the new economic realities by giving parents choices about their children’s education they do not have now.
They have accused President Bush for years of conducting "cowboy diplomacy" – such hypocrites! When they decide that they can unilateraly tell the heads of our trading partners that they WILL change NAFTA, isn’t that a true measure of their hubris?
Isn’t that a measure of how much they are in the tank for the unions?
I will leave it to my opponent to claim that they can keep companies and jobs from going overseas by making it harder for them to do business here at home. We will campaign to strengthen job growth in America by helping businesses become more competitive with lower taxes and less regulation.
Sure, let’s tax the devil out of the energy companies because you don’t know the difference between profit and marginal profit (or depend on the teachers’ unions to not teach the difference). Tax them to death, regulate them to death, and do you really think they’ll stay put in America?
Not a freakin’ chance. And kiss the tax money goodbye.
I will leave it to my opponent to propose returning to the failed, big government mandates of the sixties and seventies to address problems such as the lack of health care insurance for some Americans. I will campaign to make health care more accessible to more Americans with reforms that will bring down costs in the health care industry down without ruining the quality of the world’s best medical care.
And I will campaign to reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil with an energy policy that encourages American industry and technology to make our country safer, cleaner and more prosperous by leading the world in the use, development and discovery of alternative sources of energy.
These are some of the challenges that confront us. There are others just as urgent, and during this campaign I’ll travel across the country in cities and rural areas, in communities of all ethnic backgrounds and income levels, offering my ideas and listening to the concerns and advice of Americans. Americans aren’t interested in an election where they are just talked to and not listened to; an election that offers platitudes instead of principles and insults instead of ideas; an election that results — no matter who wins — in four years of unkept promises and a government that is just a battleground for the next election. Their patience is at an end for politicians who value ambition over principle, and for partisanship that is less a contest of ideas than an uncivil brawl over the spoils of power.
Nothing is inevitable in America. We are the captains of our fate. We’re not a country that prefers nostalgia to optimism; a country that would rather go back than forward. We’re the world’s leader, and leaders don’t pine for the past and dread the future.
Or continue to scare monger the present voters by looking backwards, ignoring the most and concentrating on the ills of the wee few.
We make the future better than the past. We don’t hide from history. We make history. That, my friends, is the essence of hope in America, hope built on courage, and faith in the values and principles that have made us great. I intend to make my stand on those principles and chart a course for our future greatness, and trust in the judgment of the people I have served all my life. So stand up with me, my friends, stand up and fight for America — for her strength, her ideals, and her future. The contest begins tonight. It will have its ups and downs. But we will fight every minute of every day to make certain we have a government that is as capable, wise, brave and decent as the great people we serve. That is our responsibility and I will not let you down.
Thank you.
