It’s difficult to ask that question with a straight face but ABC News did:
One reason McCain can push back on Iraq is his advantage as commander-in-chief — a striking one, albeit perhaps not surprising given his military background. Seventy-two percent of Americans — even most Democrats — say he’d be a good commander-in-chief of the military.
By contrast, fewer than half, 48 percent, say Obama would be a good commander-in-chief, a significant weakness on this measure.
It’s called an experience gap and Americans can see it. They may be divided on the war but they’re going to carry doubts about Obama’s experience and competency into the voting booth.
Update:
His actions today just reinforce his unworthiness.
3 Responses
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July 15th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Would this nation be served best by a commander-in-chief who scored very near the bottom of his Naval Academy class?
Who’s career was boosted by his father’s influence….
How many aircraft did John McCain wreck….2 were deemed his fault.
July 15th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
What experience makes one a better commander-in-chief than the next? We elected someone eight years ago with absolutely NO experience and look where we have arrived. Now we think someone may be worthy because they were a POW? I respect Mr. McCain’s duty and service during the Vietnam war but THAT war ended over 30 years ago. What are the comparisons of his and Mr. Obama’s experience to be made against now? Whoever will be the best commander-in-chief should be the commander-in-chief. America needs to stop wondering if we would play ball with the person we would want to elect and figure out if that person is going to keep our schools understaffed, our neighborhoods rundown and our children not keeping up with the world as far as education. Among the fact that people are taking second jobs just to pay for gas to get to their primary job. Sorry my vote will be based on facts and figures not which way the media wants me to vote.
August 30th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Sen. Obama, for reasons I do not agree with and don’t really understand, has suffered significant obstacles from his reputed lack of qualifications to be Commander-in-Chief. In order to win the election, Obama is going to need to answer this criticism more convincingly than he apparently has so far to a fair number of voters. Al Gore made a great argument comparing his qualifications to Abraham Lincoln’s. However, I would like to propose what I feel is a much more direct answer to this criticism: Just how is finishing at the bottom of your Naval Academy class a good qualification to become Commander-in-Chief? McCain’s instructors must have seen his shortcomings, as he then went on to get himself shot down in one of his first and only military combat actions – good enough for 40+ years of sympathy, but really NOT a good qualification to be Commander-in-Chief!
Sen. Obama must ask McCain this question very seriously and directly and without any apologetic qualifiers when McCain attacks his qualifications in one of the upcoming debates, which WILL happen. He should then be prepared for a show of McCain’s angry temper in response, and introduce some question about residual chronic post-traumatic stress disorder being a sequel of his POW years, which must be seen, at least in part, as a result of his own reckless behavior contributing to his being shot down.
This is admittedly an unusual way to view McCain’s experiences, but will cause people to ask questions and reflect that his honored military experience REALLY WAS NOT ANYTHING TO BRAG ABOUT. I am very tired of people, including Sen. Obama, always apologetically prefacing valid criticisms of McCain with salutes to his loyal military experience. How great do you have to be to nearly flunk out of the Naval Academy, get yourself (and an expensive plane) shot down, and languish in a prison camp for 5 1/2 years without making a good escape attempt? Those are not the qualifications I want for my Commander-in-Chief!
After Sen. Obama gets a chance to drop this in a debate, then it should be heavily pushed in advertising, whether directly from Obama’s campaign or more indirectly, like the successful swift-boating attacks on Sen. Kerry.
Sen. McCain’s preparedness to be Commander-in-Chief is NO MORE DEFINITIVE than is Sen. Obama’s, and this important qualification should not be ceded him without some real scrutiny of just what DID McCain do that would win a conflict? I don’t want to be led by a commander who IS qualified to make the United States prisoners of war!!!
-Michael Grinberg, M.D.