Posted on 06/21/2008 6:00:23 AM PDT by Kaslin
If you're looking for a first lady, you've got one in Cindy McCain. But John McCain would be well served by a more audible wife on the campaign trail.
Without the red carpet, New York Times front-page treatment given to Michelle Obama when she recently co-hosted "The View," and without buying into false grievances, Mrs. McCain demonstrates that she understands what's at stake during this election.
That's the signal she sent ABC's Kate Snow in an interview with "Good Morning America." Understated and direct, Mrs. McCain refuses to let the Obama campaign use pretty White House/Black Market dresses to obscure the differences between the two choices this November.
During the GMA interview, the wife of the Republican presidential nominee gave a healthy answer when asked why women should vote for her husband -- an answer devoid of the usual silly-girl gender politics that pretend that women are looking for something wholly different in the voting booth than men. Mrs. McCain said, "Supporting our troops the way he does, supporting our young men and women right now who are serving so gallantly is very pro-woman because every mother, every wife, sister, aunt feels the way I have felt." She continued, "The things that he does doesn't make him any more pro-woman, pro-man, pro-anti-anything. He is about America, making America strong."
Notably, though, the interview was spun much differently than its reality. "Cindy McCain Presses Obama on Patriotism," abcnews.com proclaimed. Mrs. McCain did no such thing, however. She respectfully presented her preferences and offered that there are differences between the two candidates. But the prospect of a catfight or a Republican questioning a Democrat's patriotism was just way too tempting to report -- even if it is fiction.
With two sons who have followed in the McCain military tradition -- one of them has served in Iraq -- Mrs. McCain has absolutely no interest in playing political patriot games. To the contrary, as a military mother and wife, she has a real opportunity and potential responsibility to increase our awareness and appreciation for those who serve. It's an opportunity and duty she's ready for. In an interview with her last month, McCain told me, "I'm not any different than any other mother, father, family member around the country with children in the service. I feel the same way, I know how they feel, and so in that respect I'm absolutely no different. Each day, I'm so deeply proud of their service and deeply honored that our children would do this, that they'd commit a part of their lives to serving their country. So I'm like everybody else. We're all in this together and we feel exactly the same way."
When Mrs. Obama made her infamous remarks at a Wisconsin rally earlier this year that, "For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of country, and not just because Barack has done well, but because I think people are hungry for change," McCain did, appropriately, respond. She said, "I'm proud of my country I don't know if you heard those words earlier. ... I'm very proud of my country." But those who are hoping for a catfight over patriotism may be disappointed.
What you will see, though, is clarification on the part of Mrs. McCain, and a continued softening of Mrs. Obama. Mrs. Obama started that with her appearance on "The View," where she talked about very little of substance (an approach the show invites by its very nature). But by her very nature, McCain focuses in on the war, and what we owe our soldiers, in her interviews: "I want a leader who will bring them home with dignity."
The "Good Morning America" interview was filmed in Vietnam, where her husband was once held and tortured as prisoner of war. This day, Mrs. McCain was there with Operation Smile, a medical mission that helps impoverished children with facial deformities. Smile is integral to what she loves most -- the children she meets when with the nonprofit. She says they remind her of her adoptive daughter, born in Bangladesh with a severe cleft palate. McCain brought Bridget home as a baby from one of Mother Teresa's orphanages in 1993.
None of the people campaigning on the road to the White House is perfect. Yet all of them are impressive and have stories to tell. How they tell those stories, what they choose to tell us, helps in the decision-making process. The wives aren't running for president, but their priorities are insights into the first family and what the candidate's off-time might look like. I know I'd like to hear Mrs. Obama talk about why the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was someone she thought appropriate to have her daughters listening to, why she was drawn to him, how he might have affected her husband's thinking and political maturity. In the case of her husband, there's a lot we don't know about the candidate, a novice to the spotlight compared to Sen. McCain. Mrs. Obama could help make the picture of her husband more complete.
"I do the things that are important to me," Mrs. McCain told Snow. When we hear her talk, that means our troops on the front lines and their families are heard. Keep talking, Mrs. McCain -- they're important to us, too. And you might just be important for America to see in the White House, as well.
Already put so you shut up.
Oh I am sure you will find thousands of links. But all from left wing sites and there is no proof that he actually said it.
Leni
If any of you knew the real McCain this behavior is absolutely not out of his character.
Also - How did McCain get Cindy's felony charges dropped? You know, the charges for stealing pain medications from Red Cross boxes.
I went to Google and did a search and every link came from left wing sites
If we had to choose between Michele and Cindy, we’d just have to again hold our nose and vote for her empty suit of a husband thingy.
To get back on topic: I agree with the premise of this article. Cindy McCain and her story (if only the MSM would speak of it) are an incredible boost to the campaign. She suffers from being almost too pretty for a woman her age, but what she has done for children with her free time and her financial resources is extraordinary.
There are more traditional people in our society like the McCain’s, who do not brag about themselves, tout things like their sons’ service, their daughter’s adoption, and other exceptional things they have done and continue to do. For a 21st Century presidential campaign, tho, that is almost a necessity.
It's no wonder you can't find decent people to run for high office these days. Every fart in the wind is reported and blown out of proportion, no matter when it occurred ("The man who was known as "McNasty" in high school..." fer cryin' out loud! Who wants to go through that level of scrutiny.
No one disputes that McCain is famous for his temper. Does that legitimize a story like this that began in and was circulated by and among left wing websites? Do you have no idea how that and Google work?
Since you claim to know “the real McCain,” how well do you know him? Do you golf together? Get together for a beer now and then? Or do you just read what you want to read about him?
Your source is a wackadoodle leftest site. Ho hum.
Apparently this thread will be hijacked by an idiot.
Are you really that wacked out? Red Cross boxes? It was her own charity that she started. I don’t like McCain but don’t be an idiot. If you don’t know what you are talking about try not to make a fool of yourself.
Red Cross boxes.. Geez
I think many threads are being hijacked by DU members pretending to be Freepers and spreading negative stories/rumors about McCain and try to get those here that are sitting on the fence to either not vote or vote 3rd party. And as a result putting Obama in the WH.
Even DU members have more class than this.
I work at an engineering company and I can assure you that many many men and women use this type of language and worse in their normal conversation.
Now I am not saying this is right nor am I saying I believe this story but lets get real here. John McCain spent a lot of his time in the military came from a military background and although he may have been considered part of officer ranks no doubt met with the everyday ordinary soldier and airman who we all know are the salt of the earth but so is their language.
If you are exposed to this sort of language day in day out unfortunately certain words creep into your vocabulary even I who abhor swearing on occasion when angry and tired have let the odd word slip out mainly because I hear it so often at work that it looses it shock value and something that you should not do.
So if and I say if he used this language it may well have been as at least one of these articles alludes at the end of a long and tiring day plus it states that Cindy was goading him albeit supposedly in a teasing way about him loosing his hair. If he said it she had obviously touched a raw nerve coupled with it the article also intimates she actually touch his head or ran her fingers through his hair. He may not have cared for her doing this in public seeing this sort behaviour as something that is private only done behind closed doors plus comments like that are not really useful to a political campaign unless you as the candidate are making a joke about it then maybe it would have been an appropriate comment or behaviour from Cindy.
Whilst not condoning his behaviour or choice of language as someone in a male dominated place of work with ordinary working men I can appreciate how their vernacular may have become John McCain's and slips out when he is tired and irritated. Unfortunately bad language often seems hip and makes you one of the crowd but also if used regularly enough becomes automatic to the point that you do not even know you are using it. I often hear men and women say f this and f that and not even being aware that some might take offence to this language. Another sorry statement of the society we live in.
Oh yeah, stealing pain meds from anything other than Red Cross boxes is just fine. But talking about what Cindy did is whacked out?
What do you call destroying the life of the person who reported her?
Sorry, Cindy is not a person of integrity.
"Who would you rather have in charge of the defense of the United States of America, a group of people who never served a day overseas in their life, or a guy who served his country honorably and has three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star on the battlefields of Vietnam?"
Howard Dean
Here is ANOTHER one of those D.U. Plants, AmericanInTokyo, who has just spent the last 9 years of his life on F.R. posting in detailed nearly every day with conservative observations on a variety of issues, who is actually liberal plant because he is very liable to go Conservative Third Party this year and thinks both Scarface AND his wife both SUCK.
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