John McCain and the “Most Experience” Claim

By Brigitte L. Nacos
Before officially declaring his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Republican Party this Wednesday, Arizona Senator John McCain made another guest appearance on the Daily Show last night. Jon Stewart’s show was hardly the venue to win points as the reactions of the studio audience attested to. The most hawkish competitor for the Republican nomination continues to put his chips on the claim that he is the most experienced of all candidates. “I know what war is like,” McCain told Jon Stewart and the audience. This was an implicit reminder of his time as POW in North Vietnam. Dan Balz reports in the Washington Post that McCain’s chief campaign strategist John Weaver, too, emphasizes his candidates experience, saying, “"I think that without a doubt the American people, beginning [Wednesday], are going to see the most experienced candidate in either party and the only one who's willing to put principle above politics to get this country moving forward," Weaver said. I do not know what Weaver means with moving this country forward. But given McCain’s unwavering hawkish stance on Iraq—and obviously on Iran as well, moving forward seems to mean most of all winning in Iraq. Aside from the question what victory means after the military battle against Saddam Hussein’s army was won years ago, Jon Stewart put it well, when he asked McCain with respect to the failed Iraq strategy, “If the architects that built a house without doors or windows don't admit that that's the house they built and continue to say it's your fault for not being able to see into it, I don't see how we can move forward?"

But McCain does not ask or answer such questions. Instead, he repeats the White House line: Unless we defeat Al Qaeda in Iraq, terrorists will follow us into our homeland. Of course, Al Qaeda was not in Iraq before we invaded the country nor is there any reason to believe that the organization’s terrorists wouldn’t strike us as long as we fight in Iraq, if they saw an opportunity to do so. Most of all, however, the most credible reports from Iraq reveal that the horrific violence there is committed by Iraqis some of whom embrace Osama bin Laden’s hateful ideology and others who do not. It is far from clear that they have more than domestic goals.

The claim that McCain is the most experienced candidate and best qualified to lead this country—especially during war—deserves scrutiny. While one can easily sympathize with his suffering during his time as prisoner of war in North Vietnam, such a predicament does not necessarily mean more experience and more expertise and better judgment, when it comes to matters of war and peace.

Finally, the argument that McCain puts principle above politics has not resonated with voters either. He seems to do so with respect to Iraq—but he certainly has proved opportunistic otherwise in a so far unsuccessful attempt to win over the right wing of his party. Independents and Democrats who might have voted for McCain in 2000, had he beaten George Bush for the nomination of his party, are far less inclined this time around. Indeed, as the Washington Post reports, “McCain's support for the war has made him far less popular among independents and Democrats, according to Washington Post/ABC News polls. Over the past 11 months, the percentage of Democrats who say they definitely will not vote for McCain has risen by 30 percentage points; among independents, it has jumped by 16 percentage points.

Comments

[Tony]

I would have voted for McCain in 2000, but when he became submissive to those who had besmirched his character, I thought McCain was "stayin' alive" politically, and forgoing the battles on principle. I was neutral until McCain apologized to Falwell, and spoke at Liberty University. Then I decided that votes matter more than principle. McCain hasn't clarified his "winning in Iraq" statements, so I won't vote for him.

[Brigitte]

Tony: In 2000 I felt the same way as you but I changed my mind a while ago. I was especially disappointed when McCain did not stand his ground on the issue of "aggressive interrogation" (torture).

[kristina]

Hello.. i think that McCain shold be president he is very experinced and just very smart :)