Does John McCain Really Not Get It?

By: W. Earle Simpson

In his acceptance speech on Thursday, August 29, 2008, the Democratic Nominee for President of the United States of America, Senator Barack Obama, said of his republican opponent, Senator John McCain, , “[Senator] John McCain just doesn’t get it!”
But what doesn’t John McCain get?
Over the last approximately 70 years, the American people have seen nine international conflicts involving American troops. Of the four conflicts between 1939 and 1975: World War II, the Korean War, the Bay of Pigs War and the Vietnam War, the Vietnam War was the longest and probably, consequently, the one that stirred the most domestic resentment.
The Vietnam War started in 1960 and lasted for 15 years, taking with it the lives of more than 35,000 American civilians, 58,000 American soldiers, and wounding another 300,000, according to Reese Williams, in his book, “Unwinding the Vietnam War: From War into Peace (Seattle: Real Comet Press, 1987)”. Some Americans, like McCain, were captured and taken as prisoners of war, and 32 years later, many are still missing in action.
The devastating effects of the difficult war placed undue pressure on the American people; they could not cope with its burden and so they refused to support it much further. Protests and large movements sprung up against the war, forcing the United States government to put an end to the war. But the people did not feel entirely satisfied with the government’s reprieve; to satiate their desire, they voted against the government.
That vote ended the cycle of choosing a president from the United States Congress. For all of the previous 44 years, the American people would look to the Congress for their president, but the congressmen-turn-presidents would lead them into what appeared to have been an endless period of war. The people had their fill, eructed and turned their attention to the gubernatorial leaders for future presidents.
In 1976 the American people turned from what was reasonably considered a warmongering congress and elected to the presidency, James Earle Carter, a little known Governor from the state of Georgia.
Over the following 32 years and eight presidential electoral cycles, the American people would elect five presidents, all but one gubernatorial. But along the way the governors apparently forgot and forfeited the reason the people turned and elected presidents from their pool: Governors would take the country back to war.
For a while the people clearly accepted the call to battle: Sept. 11, 2001 was a justifiable call, but the tour of duty is now perceivably too long. Many Americans are tired and torn by the war. In fact, according to a CNN poll, 60 per cent of Americans are currently against the war in Iraq.
Consequently, as they did to the congressmen in 1976, the American people turned from the gubernatorial pool, returned to the Congressmen, and from there elected their 2008 presidential nominees. But according to Obama, “[Senator] John McCain just doesn’t get it!”
McCain has turned the people’s choice upon its head. In choosing the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his presidential running mate, McCain appeared to have presented the people of America with a dilemma. This choice apparently resists what the people considered a satisfactory solution to their choice of a president.
But Obama chose Senator Joe Biden and said, “I get it!” McCain could have chosen Senator Joe Lieberman or any republican senator, but as Obama said, he just doesn’t get it. Getting the message of the people is an important tool to winning the peoples votes, and if McCain doesn’t get it, then on the morning of November 5, 2008 he will awake to reflect on the choice of the people vindicated in the presidency and vice presidency of none others than those of Obama and Biden.