Monday, September 1, 2008

John McCain is more like 'W' than you might realize

Just read this NYTimes article on the selection process of Sarah Palin. The headline is a bit misleading, however.

The article suggests a very rational process to choose a VP. How Sarah Palin's name ever got into the mix is what I'd like to know. It may be due to this:

At the very least, the process reflects Mr. McCain’s history of making fast, instinctive and sometimes risky decisions. “I make them as quickly as I can, quicker than the other fellow, if I can,” Mr. McCain wrote, with his top adviser Mark Salter, in his 2002 book, “Worth the Fighting For.” “Often my haste is a mistake, but I live with the consequences without complaint.”


This is our current President's style of decision making. I'm fairly sure that President Bush would agree...and when we use the instinctive style to buy a car, or maybe even a spouse, it is just "I" living with the consequences. But, President Bush's instincts about Putin were ..."wrong." And are the Georgian people living with the consequences (without complaint?)? The instinct to go to war in Iraq? The ridiculous justification that the world is better off without Hussein is a blanket justification to go to war with North Korea, Russia, hell, how about with China? Rwanda? And who is paying the consequences for such "instinctive" decisions?

The other side of the coin is "feet of clay." The over analyzed, get me more information, the fear of making the wrong decision, in the face of a needed decision. Senator Obama could be that kind of leader. A ditherer. Hot-headed, impulsive, maverick or a cool, headed, reasoned, contingeny planner (or ditherer?). We do have a choice in this election.

No comments:

Blog Directory - Blogged The Steiger Counter at Blogged