John Peschong is a Senior Advisor to the McCain for President Campaign here in California…
As I watched last night’s presidential debate at the Reagan Library, it became crystal clear to me that among the ten Republicans on stage, there was only one with both the experience and the energy needed in our next commander-in-chief: Senator John McCain.
John McCain’s record in public service is well-known by now: with 22 years in the Navy and 20 years in the Senate, he is clearly the candidate best prepared to serve as President. And with newly released polling data showing him leading in the pivotal early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, Senator McCain entered the night strongly positioned to win the Republican nomination.
And yet, I didn’t see Senator McCain rest on his laurels for one second. In fact, he distinguished himself from the rest of the field by passionately addressing head on the most pressing issues our country faces. In doing so, he sounded Reaganesque and looked presidential.
When Senator McCain talked about his commitment to vanquishing Osama Bin Laden and the Islamic extremists who pose a serious threat to our national security and democratic way of life, he did so with a fervor that nobody else on that stage could even dare to replicate.
There isn’t anyone in the Republican field who has worked as hard as John McCain has to see that we have a winning strategy in place to ensure success in our mission in Iraq, and it definitely showed in last night’s debate.
I was also impressed by how Senator McCain didn’t shy away from addressing tough issues. He recognizes that Republicans did not fare well at the voting booth last November because we got away from our fiscal conservative principles. Having led the fight to cut government waste and end pork barrel spending, there is no one better positioned to return our party to its traditional role as shrewd stewards of government than Senator McCain. He is a common sense conservative who is right on the issues that matter most to Republican voters.
There’s no doubt that the candidates were all set to address problems that interest Republicans, but for the last month, during three major policy speeches and a five-state announcement tour, John McCain has been addressing problems that affect Americans of all political persuasions.
This forum was no different: Senator McCain talked about the need to provide critical resources to first responders and remedy once and for all our nation’s failed immigration policies.
Last night’s debate made clear that John McCain has both the resolve and the credentials to get the job done, and the integrity, too: when he says he will commit himself to a cause, he is without peer in his determination to see it through.
That’s why it’s so easy to tell the people I talk to that I support John McCain. I can go to bed at night knowing who he is, what he stands for, and what he will set out to accomplish as our next President. I know that come noon on January 20, 2009, he will get right to work — no on-the-job training required. At this critical time in our country’s history, that kind of confidence and fearlessness is what I’m looking for in our next President. The Straight Talk Express rolls on.
May 5th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Blah blah blah.
I am stunned that someone in the McCain camp would come out and…get this…praise McCain on his performance.
McCain was terrible in the debate and he simply does not merit serious consideration any longer.
Lets dissect his “credentials”.
I could make the argument that 20 years in Congress is not a qualification, but instead a disqualification. Based on Peschong’s criteria, he must have not seen Hunter and his 26+ year Congressional experience, service in Vietnam and vigor on the issues last night.
Let’s talk about McCain’s fervor with respect to fighting Osama bin Laden and terrorists. Sure, he sounded great about chasing Osama to the “gates of hell”…right up until the point he cracked an ear to ear grin like a school girl on prom night immediately following his statement.
What was that all about?
And he sounded like a dove to me with respect to Iran. His trigger, waiting until Iran actually acquires nuke capability before striking, is absurdly wrong and detrimental to our national security.
Instead, Hunter made it clear that he already believes Iran has tripped his wire and sounded to me like he would have already taken action against Iran if he were president today.
Romney stated quite bluntly, that bin Laden “would die”.
Sorry, but McCain did not corner the market on fervor in this area.
Is Peschong serious about McCain and immigration reform. McCain, in partnership with Ted Kennedy, supports amnesty for illegal aliens.
However, let’s get to the heart of the matter. McCain is too old. Period.
Far too much in the form of money and human resources are invested in to electing a president. It is irresponsible for the party to expend resources on a candidate like McCain, when to be honest, I don’t believe he will be capable of serving two terms if elected to a first term.
When you amortize the costs of electing a president, building up the grassroots networks, etc., it simply does not make sense to work to elect someone who may only be able to serve a term instead of two.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
To Joseph Turner’s comment.
“However, let’s get to the heart of the matter. McCain is too old. Period”
As a life long California Republican all I have to say is.
The same was said of Reagan.
I rest my case.
May 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
“However, let’s get to the heart of the matter. McCain is too old. Period.”
Wow sir, could you be more wrong. Is it really necessary to point out the age of Ronald Reagan to you? Did you vote for Mondale in 1984 because Reagan was too old?
In the 21st century with all of the advancements in modern medicine in the 1980s, I can easily see John McCain easily being able to win reelection to the Presidency in 2012 when he will be 76 years old.
What you fail to see Mr. Turner is that John McCain is one tough patriot. He passed up early release from a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp to let fellow prisoners who were there longer go free. I do not know if I could do that myself.
John McCain survived a stay at the Hanoi Hilton, everything else is easy to him. Do not think for one second a Presidential reelection campaign is going to seem tough or unbearable to him even at age 76.