Debate Wire

09:28: Is Romney capable of being Commander in Chief? McCain cites Romney's business experience...: "He bought and he sold and sometimes people lost their jobs and that's the nature of that business...but we're at the time in our history where you can't afford any on-the-job training..."

09:28: Romney gives a strong answer that weaves together his experience with his resume...notes that ABe Lincoln wasn't a military leader...

09:26: Romney actually said he was commander-in-chief of National Guard... true, but...he's sitting next to John Sidney McCain!

09:25: Romney says he'd the better leader on the economy.,..as people "over the centuries" have considered who'd lead the country, "they look to leaders." "You've got to have something who's actually done some work in the private economy and understand how it works..."

09:24: McCain is asked about the economy but instead talks about wars.... talks about his history with Reagan... "as we fought these wars together with unshakable courage and principles."

09:23: McCain has his Somber Reagan Voice down pat.

09:23: Press room starts to talk among themselves when Romney is speaking.

09:22: Romney goes all wonky when talking about Putin; Huck's simpler answer was stronger.

09:21: You can imagine McCain's brain trust sitting behind a VP table grading Huckabee's every answer.

09:20 When Huck looks at Pres. Putin, what does he see? "I don't know if I can read people's souls...their eyes can lie, their actions don't..." cites Ronald Reagan's "peace through strength: line.

Comments

McCain makes weird faces whenever Romney talks.

Posted by Chris in Cal | January 30, 2008 9:23 PM

I may be wrong, but I believe I heard Mitt laugh when McCain mentioned Romney losing jobs.

Posted by Mr. Warmth | January 30, 2008 9:42 PM

I believe I heard Mitt laugh when McCain mentioned Romney losing jobs.

Posted by Mr. Warmth | January 30, 2008 9:43 PM

History nerd note: Romney rags on about how people with executive experience lead the country through a time of crisis... Uh, well, Lincoln was a Congressman, lawyer, and Senate nominee for the Republican Party too.

And for the record, Lincoln was elected a militia captain during the Black Hawk War. Does that technically matter... No... But I don't see how Lincoln is somehow supposed to be an example of why I should vote Mitt Romney.

Posted by DPT | January 30, 2008 11:36 PM

Romney actually said he was commander-in-chief of National Guard... true, but...he's sitting next to John Sidney McCain!

Romney could have added other adept Commanders in Chief that never served, lead among them FDR and Lincoln(militia aside), also Jefferson, Madison - I believe, Reagan who was a movielot soldier, Coolidge, Wilson...and if he dared, Clinton.

AS for McCain, his service was undistinguished.

1. He was passed over for Admiral, 5 levels below CiC, as unfit due to matters of temperment, character, and judgement. He was promoted to Captain under protest by some aware of his rough treatment of subordinates, lies, and adultery and resenting he was getting a special deal by being a POW when others not promoted had hundreds more combat sorties and had recovered from serious wounds..

2. McCain lost 5 jets. Two due to pilot error, but kept his wings on family influence.

3. The "largest jet squadron" McCain commanded was a training squadron where broken planes and pilots were patched up, on a Base where he reported to multiple levels of Supervision vs the two superior officers a Fleet Squadron commander dealt with.

4. Last year, a journalist found that McCain's claims that he did an intense study of all aspects of war and the Vietnam conflict as his War College thesis were bogus. His paper used few references and was a narrow subject of conflict between 1950s UCMJ rules and POW reality in Korea and Vietnam. The paper had nothing to offer about war-fighting, strategy, tactics, or the flaws of the Vietnam experience.

5. As an ex-officer, I can say that junior officers deal with doing one aspect of the military very well. They are no more "prepared" to be President by that than a doctor, lawyer, or truckdriver is.
McCains world was his cockpit for almost 20 years, plus his POW years, where he wasn't studying how to be an executive manager of the Armed FOrces.
It did not encompass the rest of the Navy, he did not interact with other branches during his career, and he directly commanded only a handful of men before his return from POW life offered him his one shore command....

6. He displays the same arrogant, stubborn jet fighter jock mentality in government as Bush adopted after 9/11. "My way or the highway, I am always right from my military experience and know what is right in my gut. So I don't need to listen to no stinking advisors, experts, other leaders....and once I've decided, I don't ever revisit my decisions because --well -- that's it, and don't you EVER cross me!"
You can argue, that like BUsh, McCains military time may have made him LESS suitable to be an executive leader than many civilians that are capable of listening, learning, and being objective.

Posted by Chris Ford | January 31, 2008 3:25 AM