Dear Senator McCain
Dear Senator McCain,
My friend, I've got to be honest with you: you lost me. I've been fan of yours since your 2000 speech when you declared that no candidate should be defined by extremists, be they religious, political, or ideological. The "straight talk" made you seem authentic, and your back story is worthy admiration. You were someone to whom I could relate.
What happened?
Its easy for someone like me to image that the evangelical right-wing conservative-dominated Republican political machine got hold of you and steered you inexorably and inevitably away from yourself. But I'm sure the truth is both less conspiratorial and more tragic.
I can only say what it looked like.
First, Sarah Palin? Really? I mean, sure, her record speaks of a talented, ambitious, energetic politician who is not afraid to shake things up. But I am simply not persuaded that she could step in if something were to happen to you. I mean, she staffed her administration in Alaska with high school buddies -- an unmistakable sign that personal loyalty and familiarity means more to her than competence. Where is the evidence than she can recruit, organize, and deploy the best and the brighest? I'm sorry, Senator, but I just can't imagine that you truly believe she was the best choice for America. No, what seems far more likely is that you accepted her in a cynical attempt to appeal to a bloc of voters who may not otherwise vote for you. If getting you into office requires that kind of sacrifice of principle, I guess I would rather have you stay in the Senate.
And that leads directly to strike two: what happened to "straight talk"? You haven't seemed nearly as authentic in the months leading up to the election as you did in the decades before. Its actually difficult for me to watch you speak now, mostly because it seems like you don't even believe much of what you say these days. You seem to be selling a story, instead of speaking from your heart. When you say "I don't care about a washed up terrorist... but we need to know the full extent..." Huh? That's not straight talk, that's gossip, and its beneath you.
And that brings me to strike three: the sum of what I've seen from you in the past few months paints a picture of someone who is scrambling to peice together an identity calculated to appeal to enough different groups voters to cobble together a victory. But the difference between that fagile and fragmented identity and who I thought you were is unsettling.
And so I won't be voting for you. If the pressure of a campaign can move you so far from away yourself, what would the pressure of holding office do to you? All I can say is, I don't like what I've seen so far.
My friend, I've got to be honest with you: you lost me. I've been fan of yours since your 2000 speech when you declared that no candidate should be defined by extremists, be they religious, political, or ideological. The "straight talk" made you seem authentic, and your back story is worthy admiration. You were someone to whom I could relate.
What happened?
Its easy for someone like me to image that the evangelical right-wing conservative-dominated Republican political machine got hold of you and steered you inexorably and inevitably away from yourself. But I'm sure the truth is both less conspiratorial and more tragic.
I can only say what it looked like.
First, Sarah Palin? Really? I mean, sure, her record speaks of a talented, ambitious, energetic politician who is not afraid to shake things up. But I am simply not persuaded that she could step in if something were to happen to you. I mean, she staffed her administration in Alaska with high school buddies -- an unmistakable sign that personal loyalty and familiarity means more to her than competence. Where is the evidence than she can recruit, organize, and deploy the best and the brighest? I'm sorry, Senator, but I just can't imagine that you truly believe she was the best choice for America. No, what seems far more likely is that you accepted her in a cynical attempt to appeal to a bloc of voters who may not otherwise vote for you. If getting you into office requires that kind of sacrifice of principle, I guess I would rather have you stay in the Senate.
And that leads directly to strike two: what happened to "straight talk"? You haven't seemed nearly as authentic in the months leading up to the election as you did in the decades before. Its actually difficult for me to watch you speak now, mostly because it seems like you don't even believe much of what you say these days. You seem to be selling a story, instead of speaking from your heart. When you say "I don't care about a washed up terrorist... but we need to know the full extent..." Huh? That's not straight talk, that's gossip, and its beneath you.
And that brings me to strike three: the sum of what I've seen from you in the past few months paints a picture of someone who is scrambling to peice together an identity calculated to appeal to enough different groups voters to cobble together a victory. But the difference between that fagile and fragmented identity and who I thought you were is unsettling.
And so I won't be voting for you. If the pressure of a campaign can move you so far from away yourself, what would the pressure of holding office do to you? All I can say is, I don't like what I've seen so far.
posted by Charles Ames at 8:08 PM
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