John McCain got his panties in a wad when Senator Barack Obama, during his recent trip overseas, clearly demonstrated to voters in the United States, as well as to the 6.6 million Americans who live abroad that he is a world-class leader, raring and ready to go. The fact that the majority of the rest of the world shares the viewpoint that Obama is a tremendous -- in fact, the best -- candidate for the U.S. presidency was only icing on our nation's cake.
It was good news indeed that the reputation of the United States can be so remarkably rehabilitated after the last eight years that have worn even us Americans down to the nub of wondering if we had a democracy left. It was momentous to see the world so amply demonstrating that it still wants to hold us up with respect and admiration, and Obama hit all the right notes. He showed people around the globe what a gifted most powerful leader of the most powerful nation he would make, and the world showed us it wants positive leadership. It was plain to see that after the last years of the Bush administration's dark cloud covering the earth that all people of all nations are starving for it.
This 21st Century vision was real: the U.S. could possibly have a president who no longer scrapes the bottom of the barrel, and his name is Barack Obama -- so visually, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and mentally not John McCain. No wonder McCain and his crew tried to think of something down and dirty with celebrity names that draw readers and YouTube views (oh, how young and hip!), since he can hardly get the attention of a gnat, much less the voting public.
The McCain campaign's ads comparing Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., to those figures (Britney and Paris) may have prompted a chuckle, but Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told ABC News' Diane Sawyer he's dead serious about the issues in the ads.
"We'll continue to have humor in our campaigns," McCain said. "Those ads really were focused on two things. They were focused on the fact that Sen. Obama wants to raise taxes, and I'm opposed of it. And he opposes an energy policy which would work, including offshore drilling. So the message there is there're stark differences between myself and Sen. Obama."
Among McCain's many problems are: 1) He himself looks near dead and too opaquely serious. 2) He has also turned green with envy. 3) He is half of a mega-rich couple, who is trying to throw a bone to American blue collars to whom he wouldn't give a hand up if he had a half a chance. Acting as though Obama is an out-of-touch elitist may have worked in the Old Republican Playbook but now seems verging on more out of touch than McCain has already seemed. 5) Reducing himself and his discourse to Jr. High School girl- or boy-talk and consciousness reduces his stature, which is already shrinking fast. 5) Humor, John? Like your and your campaign's sarcastic whining about Barack being "The One" when he was regenerating the American reputation throughout the Middle East and Europe, when -- sorry, buddy -- you looked like you were on your last desperate and petulant legs at home?
But McCain was only too right, because it's so obvious that he's not the one to lead us out of the mess George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, his Republican party, and some cowardly Democrats have gotten us into over the last eight dreadful years. And, hey, John, give it up on blaming Obama for George W's gas price hikes during his time in office -- and for trying to act like any good energy planning has or will ever come from the Republican court. Instead of a wad in their panties, the bulging bankroll is in the deep pockets of the oil and gas industry that Republican policies have enriched.
By the way, Karl Rove and his boys are dead, too. They just don't know it yet.
Beth Arnold lives and writes in Paris. To see more of her work, check out www.betharnold.com.