Clark: McCain a hero, but lacks command experience

[dragonrider]

And still a legitimate question: What is it in McCain's war record that qualifies him to be president?

Well lets see:

-Unlike Obama he actually served and did that beyond the point of what most could handle. When offered to leave a POW camp he refused due to principle. Shows love of country instead of sitting in a church service learning about the U.S. of KKK A.

The point of the thread was that somehow Clark was wrong for questioning why McCain's war record qualified him to be the president. So I want to look at this answer from that point of view.

So he "actually served and did that beyond the point of what most could handle" --- that does not necessarily qualify him to be president. There are millions of people who served and many who served far above and beyond what is to be expected of anyone, but it does not necessarily qualify them to be president. Their achievments are admirable but it does not necessarily qualify them.

"When offered to leave a POW camp he refused due to principle" --- that does not necessarily qualify him to be president. In some ways it seems admirable, but in other ways it seems foolhardy. I don't even know what military policy is on this --- does anyone else? If you are in a POW camp, and offered a chance to leave, are you supposed to stay? The president is going to make decisions for all of us, and we have to think about how we want those descisions to be made. Purely on principle? Or other considerations too? If we were all in the POW camp together, would we want McCain to decide that we all were going to stay based on principle? Or would we rather leave and come back fighting? No one can question his bravery or dedication, but I think you could argue the judgement question either way. This particular anecdote is often promoted as showing what kind of man McCain is, but it could really go either way if you think about it.

"Shows love of country" --- that does not necessarily qualify him to be president. Having a love of your country is definitely a REQUIREMENT for being the president, but it is not a QUALIFICATION. Millions of people love this country, and they are not all qualified to be president.

-He's been on the Senate Armed Services Committee for years and unlike Obama who chairs a foreign relations subcommittee covering European matters, he has actually had meetings.

Being on the Senate Armed Services committee is not part of McCain's war record. It may serve as one of McCain many legitimate qualifications to be president, but the point of the thread was that Clark was wrong for questioning why McCain's war record qualified him to be the president. And I don't think this has anything to do with that.

If this is how McCain's war record qualifies him to be president, then I think it was legitimate of Clark to question how important it is. McCain is admirable and brave, and he loves his country as shown by his war record, but those good qualities are not necessarily enough. And I personally think there are legitimate questions about judgement in the POW story --- it shows an adherence to principle above all else, but maybe a flawed judgement. Of course, the Obama campaign would be insane to question it, given how rabid people can get around these issues, but I'm not part of the campaign, so I can question it.

dragonrider Reviewed by dragonrider on 07-01-2008. Clark: McCain a hero, but lacks command experience WASHINGTON (AP) â?? Retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former Democratic presidential candidate now supporting Barack Obama, said Sunday John McCain's military service does not automatically qualify him to be commander in chief. Underscoring during a national television appearance a position he has been expressing for several weeks, Clark said performing heroic military service is not a substitute for gaining command experience. "In the matters of national security policy making, it's a matter Rating: 5