Pitching at another windmill here, I hope to start a reasoned discussion of John McCain's experience. This is often cited as something people like about him. I believe the basics can be found here at votesmart. His experience entails: a military pilot, a beer distributor (working for his 2nd wife's father's company, if I understand that correctly), a senate navy liaison, and then various political positions, elected and appointed. I cannot, objectively, find executive experience per se. Congressional positions, and advisor appointments, do not qualify as "executive" in my understanding. He did not have to make critical decisions for large organizations. He has run campaigns, and he has been a national security advisor, presumably with a small staff. (There are probably a good number of posters here with more "executive" experience.) Overall, for someone 72 years old, this is fine but not particularly spectacular, in my humble view. He has mainly been a congress person, an active one. In so many years of congressional service and committee work, he has encountered a very large range of issues and has built, one would assume, a nice network of connections in Congress. He's served on committees focusing on energy, environmental issues, and defense issues, as well as joining "centrist" groups within the senate. These are all very positive parts of his experience. There are scores of documented changes of views and stances; I don't mind the changing, especially for someone who has been in politics for such a long time. It is healthy to change one's mind. (This thread isn't about the stances in and of themselves; I don't personally like some of the recent changes, but whatever.) By the way, I am avoiding a litany of fairly biased sites about his resume. There are a surprising number of veteran groups attacking him (which I don't really understand at all... perhaps because he has reached out to Vietnam in the modern era, which I applaud). The only verifiable thing about his military history which was a concern is the number of times he crashed jet planes as a young pilot (four documented, with three being non-combat flights, in the US). My question is: am I missing something on his resume? In particular, am I missing the executive experience?
Umm, it was an assistant to a distributor of the KING of beers - obviously not just executive experience but dynastic experience. Way to try to look smart but end up looking stupid, B-Bob.
If any of you wonder, why I don't start many threads... My threads, other than the clothing ones, always stink.
B-Bob wears polo shirts with corporate logos on them while mowing his lawn - it is true because I have seen it.
You know, I thought my alert system was sounding... the one keyed to your state-issued security anklet. This is a violation of your probation and the restraining order.
The fact that a McCain experience thread has become a referendum on B-Bob's leisure wear is telling. Very telling. There's explosive stuff here, folks. Like when my lawn mower hit an old bottle rocket from one of the neighbor's kids.
Sorry Dr. B-Bob. You are of course, correct. I have yet to hear any sterling rationale for why McCain's "experience" is so great. Of course, all McCain has campaigned about as of late is how much Obama is like Britney Spears, so I really don't think the old fart has anyone to blame but himself.
McCain's next ad: "Obama gad dang pokeyman vidya games with the kids and all of those hair styles and you can't keep your doors unlocked anymore, I remember....zzzzzzzzz" McCAIN 2008
I will say that I feel McCain's logo was very ill-conceived. Everytime I see it, I think it bears a striking resemblance to MCI Worldcom's logo. I'm not sure I'd want to be associated with one of this decades most corrupt companies. Anyone else see similarities?
I don't see the executive part of his experience being all that essential. I appreciate he has long experience in government, in politics, legislating and all that. It'd probably be nice if he had a lot of experience being a boss in a large organization, but not necessary. He does have a relative advantage over Obama, who also has not been a big boss.
I think McCain has enough experience o be president as a Senator. It is just that he supports wrong policies and will get us into frequent wars and needless wasteful military spending. As far as taxes, the environment, social issues, who knows once he doesn't have to try to be elected. He might go back to some of his past positions. I really don't think being a POW is experience for being president, though he and his supporters talk about it constantly. It does give him a sympathy factor, but it may also explain his harmful militarism
fatty, that is pretty damned funny. I liked his logo and had not noticed the worldcom link. I got more of a Texas ranger feel from it (not the baseball team).
Well, you know that McCain was a leading member of the board of directors for Worldcom for 13 years. . . . . . . . . . . . I just made that up. A page from the T_J school of political posting.
I'm not arguing that he should be president (though I can see how one might assume it, since I didn't trash him as BBS form generally requires). I'm just saying the experience argument is a legitimate one. I'm still voting against him.
I'd argue that using your definition of experience is tantamount to declaring that McCain has seniority. If the experience is not such that it gives him a better and/or unique grasp of presidential affairs, it's just more years. Feel free to correct me - I've seriously never heard this argument embellished adequately by those who espouse it. I'm curious.
rhad, I don't want to speak for JuanV, but... I think it's legitimate to say that a substantially greater number of years in the senate, considering a greater number of issues over time at (one would assume) greater depth, could be considered an experience advantage. That seems logical to me. I also think their are political detriments that come with that much DC experience, as in, it becomes more difficult to bring fresh ideas for changing certain habits, expectations and policies.
