In a sense, this upcoming presidential election is going to be a portrait of the American demographic. For the first time ever, we have a serious female contender, a black man with Islamic ancestry, a Mormon, a Southern Baptist minister, an American Patriot, a slick-talking New York mayor, a southerner raised in Middle America and an actor all running for their party’s respective presidential nomination. These candidates all bring their unique perspectives to the table, but the candidate that most embodies America is John McCain.
An American war hero coming from a bloodline of patriots, the Arizona senator honorably served his nation as a naval pilot during the Vietnam War. His plane was shot down during a bombing raid and he suffered serious injuries during the crash. The wounds went untreated while he was held as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese POW camp.
While in the camp McCain refused to be released until those captured before him were freed as well. This resulted in a five and a half year stint in prison until the Paris Peace Accords finally freed him in 1973.
Vietnam service doesn’t necessarily qualify one to be president, (see John Kerry) but it definitely represents one’s willingness to sacrifice for his country. McCain also demonstrates an understanding of what warfare means for the average soldier. What qualifies McCain to be President is his streak of independence and lack of reliance on the special interests that fund most campaigns. McCain has proven that he can work with Democrats and independents for bipartisan solutions to problems that have gridlocked Washington.
Although McCain did not support Bush’s tax cuts in 2001, he did it for good reason: it didn’t come with a reduction in spending. In hindsight, that looks like a pretty good reason now that we’re suffering from a $9 trillion debt.
McCain’s foreign policy experience is immense, as shown by his time spent serving in the military and his long service in the United States Senate. He supports the military and has a personal connection with a son in the Marine Corp and another son currently enrolled at the Naval Academy.
McCain’s campaign has risen from the ashes of near collapse and resurrected itself as a serious contender on the national stage after capturing New Hampshire and finishing in second in Mitt Romney’s “home” state of Michigan. With momentum at his back, McCain now faces one of the toughest contests yet in South Carolina — the state that doomed his campaign in 2000.
We need an American like John McCain as our next president because he’s an independent American thinker who has an excellent grasp on today’s dynamic world.
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