As far as the Congresisonal experience (which is more than sufficient), in addition to McCain, Sen. Biden. However, neither was ever a consideration on my list as both of them are staunch supporters of Kosovo Albanian Mohammedan thugs.
My point was that being a POW doesn't qualify one to be president, and McCain has been milking that ad nauseum. Likewise, gender and race are not "qualifiers."
What matters is what an individual says. Experience helps but it's what they propose that should be the main criterium.
Unfortunately, too many people reduce their choice to race, religion or gender, or even looks.
You're right, but how he handled that experience reveals the character within. In the end, there is no way to know what situation a President is going to be confronted with and the only thing you can rely on is his character. Clinton and the mishandling of Kosovo and Bosnia are great illustrations of what happens with someone with no character. Bush and his response to 9-11 is what happens when you have someone with character.
For me, when I learned that McCain turned down release from Hanoi because there were others who had been captured before him I knew I would vote for him.
Nothing qualifies one to be president. It is a one-of-a-kind job.
Therefore, we can say that there are jobs one has, positions one holds, experiences one undergoes, that give unique opportunity to learn skills, test character, etc.
In that case, being a POW is one of those remarkable experiences from which one can learn skills and test character. Also, IIRC, the ranking person in a POW setting is by law the commander. I'm guessing that part of the reason McCain was beaten so brutally while a POW was that from time to time he, a LtCdr when downed, was the ranking individual.
Do you think learning to forgive those who were personally brutal to you would be a excellent experience for a president to have had?
Actually, I am very glad they went over McCain's experience in the POW camp. I had never heard the story told or shown before. If I, a retired soldier, had not seen, then surely many others had also not seen.