McCain: Irresponsible

Most of the media, including large parts of the progressive one, is dealing with McCain's irresponsible choice of a running mate with kid gloves. The choice is called "surprising," "edgy," "maverick," and at worst, a "gamble." Actually, it reveals a dangerous streak of profoundly irresponsible conduct, a character flaw of the new leader of the GOP. The choice of the VP candidate is widely considered the first real test of the leadership capability of those who are aspiring to become President. Obama passed this test with flying colors. Even those who much preferred that he choose someone else agree that Biden is a perfectly reasonable choice. But what about Sarah Palin?

One term bandied about is that the choice reveals McCain's "maverick" character. However, being a "maverick" is a charming personality trait. It describes someone who is willing to break with tired conventions, is not held back by mindless conformity, willing to try something off the trodden past. However, by choosing a running mate who is not qualified to take the reigns if the red phone rings in the VP office -- as it did for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1963 and Harry Truman in 1945 -- McCain acted irresponsibly. You would not call jumping out of an airplane without a parachute a "maverick" act, but would correctly see it as one that raises serious questions about one's judgment.

Others chuckled and called the selection of Palin, after a very brief meeting with her, a "gamble," reminding us that John McCain likes to play craps. Some suggested that it is a hi-risk hi-gain move; a choice that seems almost courageous, showing a willingness to choose a course that has long odds but will bring a great reward. However, one does not gamble with the future of a nation. One does not turn over the bridge of a ship to someone whose very limited experience is sailing toy boats in a bath tub.

Many have pointed out that McCain's judgment is clouded in regard to specific policy issues, including his support of the invasion of Iraq, his bellicose attitude toward Russia, and his blindness to matters economic. The issue here runs deeper. At issue are not policies that can be modified, but acts that are cast in stone. McCain's selection of an utterly inexperienced running mate -- after making experience the litmus test for leadership -- is his first act as the presidential candidate of the GOP. And one cannot but hope, one of his last ones as well.

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Micro blogging: If Gustav had hit a week earlier, the evangelical Republicans would have said that it shows the wrath of God, perturbed about the Democrats. The fact that it hit this week reveals that...?

Can you imagine what the Republicans would have said if Michele had a 17-year-old daughter that was pregnant? And the Obamas are not running around claiming that they are champions of abstinence only sex education!

Amitai Etzioni is a University Professor at the George Washington University and the author of Security First (Yale 2007). For more, see www.securityfirstbook.com. To contact him, write [e-mail].

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin

Comments

[08politicaljunkie]

more of the same

[moodpost]

The selection process shows incredibly poor decision making skills.

I notice a lot of worried sounding comments and posts, giving credit to the possibility that such a bold (stupid) move might actually work given the state of the electorate (confused.­. poor track record),

I have to hope.

I remember the convention speech. The thing that I came away with (finally) is that on all the important stuff, Senator Obama will defend himself very well. He will defend the position, perhaps attack the position, that he has superior judgment to John McCain. He will not have to attack Mrs. Palin at all. He will make the case that John McCain made a snap decision for his Vice President without even fully vetting her. He may do more than that, but he will do that, and that's all that really matters.

I feel very strongly that I deserve better decision making processes from my next president.

McCain can't make decisions like this and represent me. I won't stand for it. Not this time!

Thank you John McCain for making me care who wins this election even more than I did last week, which was already more than I've ever cared before.

[Cranbot]

Steve Doocy (perfectly named) of Fox News said that anyone who has raised 5 kids is qualified to be Vice President. Hell, my brother and his wife have 8, 14 years old down to 2, no multiples. Why wasn't she vetted? Let's pull up a some of the welfare mothers that the right wing is always decrying and see how many children they have. If it is 5 or more, bingo, VP candidate in the house!

[margardner]

Great VP pick, thanks John for firing up our base!!

Obama/Biden 08'/12'

[Moloch]

He said his daughter given the same mistake "should not be punished with a child." What does that mean? It clearly means the child must go away. It is obvious to anyone but the dense that he means it should be aborted. Aborted means killing the fetus. You cannot get all mealy-mouthed with his statement and make it mean something else. He has yet to say differently and has yet to vote differently.

[JimboSlice]

It means that if his daughter chooses an abortion he would not force her to keep the child. It means it would be his daughters choice since it is his daughters body.

[Unbowed]

While I tend to agree that Palin is a foolish and even dangerous choice for VP, I think there is a better way to make the experience argument. Trying to argue that Palin is inexperienced and unqualified for the position, though true, is a bit like trying to take down a tree by slashing at the leaves, it takes us directly back to the experience debate surrounding Obama, which I don't think is helpful.
The heart of the problem in McCain's choice in VP candidate is that it should negate any claim he's previously made about the importance of experience, not because Palin is inexperienced, she is, but because he chose her regardless of that inexperience. If John McCain were really as concerned about experience as he has claimed then his choice would have (or at least should have) reflected that. There are plenty of Republican governors, both male and female, with a great deal more experience than Palin that he could have chosen, but he chose her, clearly experience isn't the be all end all he wanted to make it out to be.
On a separate note, I want to apologize on behalf of Minnesotans for Michele Bachmann, we know, she's a bit of a crazy person.

[StandUpAmerica08]

Sarah Palin, Another Gimmick brought to you by the McCain Campaign.

[neo1]

Does anyone see how Brokaw is getting all in Chuck's face, with his arm on the back of his chair and how Chuck is leaning back as far as he can to get out of his closing in on him?

Did anybody see that?

[dokbob]

COUNTRY FIRST?

In Senator McCain's Friday speech introducing Ms Palin to the American people, he said she'd help him "stand up to those who...put their interests before your needs."  But McCain's interest in being elected is clearly being put before America's need for qualified leadership in case of an unfortunate emergency that would make it impossible for him to serve as President.

If I had met someone only once before I wouldn't want them to drive my car let alone assume control of our country.  

I'm afraid Senator McCain has been pushed by desperation into a totally irresponsible and dangerous political stunt that shows an alarming disregard for the American people and could impact the security of our country.

We need a President whose judgement we can trust to make deliberate decisions to protect the American people, not someone who will panic and make choices that are insufficiently thought through.

[arthur2008]

It is more than irresponsible. It is contemptuous of the American people and the American nation. Senator McCain obviously believes that the standard set over the last eight years is the appropriate one. I'll leave it to others to call him a hero.

[Bitsko]

What a second. McCain is still alive?

[clsmithj]

Funny how the Republicans have to dodge ties to Bush, but wants 4 more years, they can't have it both ways.

[demfriend]

In the effort to show himself as a "Maverick" who makes his own decisions this choice of Palin should rest on his shoulders firmly. The choice of her to shake things up and to draw in the Hillary supporters who wanted her is in effect saying "Hey I gotta woman here so vote for me". This said and now with all of the nasties spilling out of the bag that is rotting away to expose them how did he make the choice? Did he want Joe Liberman so badly that if he couldn't have him he would take the one who would deflate Obama's numbers? Was he just so desperate that he had not a single thought that a woman could have done anything he didn't know about? Did he not think ahead or did he think he could cover up anything about her like he has with some things about himself? She is not qualified and with the experience and qualified being the main questions how does McCain believe to get through this? Is this good enough for him to knock Obama off the front pages with all of the Palin crap? He must have decided to go back to the old VP mold where they did little not realizing that mold is broken now.

[KiwisCanFly]

Quite right Amitai Etzsioni

but there is a stratagem involved in McCain’s VP pick too. It is very much Rovian and works like wheels within wheels.

Here it is:

Phase 1 Announce the surprise choice of Sarah Palin. Right after the DNC afterglow. MSM is agog with Palin’s VP nomination and Palin revelations.

Phase 2 Fiorina and others on defense, sexism gone rife, Sarah a victim of bias, unfair media.

McCain’s team studied the division after the Primaries between Obama and Clinton supporters. Their aim to inject the same derision but to their advantage.

Phase 3 after victimhood Palin withdrawals, family commitments, stress etc but a lingering sense remains of an injustice.

Phase 4 McCain’s supporters are now galvanized. Sympathy votes pour forth.

Phase 5 McCain free to pick his first VP choice.

BE AWARE
Obama and Biden judgment and experience.

[neoprimordial]

What serpentine thoughts you have--what Rovian thoughts! I think it's too much trouble for too little payoff. The disruption to the convention and to people's perceptions of McCain and his ability to lead would be too high a cost just to pick the person he really wants, and to what ultimate benefit? If he gets out of this burgeoning fiasco and gets elected, at that point I'd say he deserved the office. Of course, I doubt very strongly he will get out of the mess he's put himself and his party in, despite the sugar-coated party line they keep spouting.

[adnmoh1]

i have thinking the same thing good that im not alone on this.

[bwilder]

"However, one does not gamble with the future of a nation. One does not turn over the bridge of a ship to someone whose very limited experience is sailing toy boats in a bath tub."

That sums it up perfectly.