John McCain's America

Note: This is a little off topic, but I wanted to give you my impressions of the election. 

John McCain lost in his effort for the presidency. Probably for the last time. For a man who spent most of his life serving his country, this had to hurt. But for many people, McCain represents a different time in America. A friend of mine told me that McCain’s time had come and gone. Bill O’Reilly said that McCain ran a campaign from twenty years ago. This could be true. I thought that there were many times when McCain barked, he should have bitten. He took total responsibility for his loss. “The failure is mine, not yours,” he said. 

I voted for McCain. But, I’ll be honest here. I knew he was a U.S. Senator, I knew he was held prisoner in Hanoi. But beyond that, the politics, I didn’t know that much more about this great man. I didn’t until the last five minutes of his speech at the Republican Convention. The last five minutes did it for me. When he repeatedly urged us to stand up for America and fight. It brought me to tears. From that instant, I feel like I understood John McCain. Whatever the challenges and mistakes we make as a country, whatever the pundits, personalities and bloggers say, we are still the best in the world. “The Last Best Hope,” as Abraham Lincoln said.

As you know, I read a lot of history, and I often say that you don’t have to read much history to get a real feel for what America is. It is a miracle we are here, living in the country we have. I absolutely believe that God has blessed this country over and over again and has placed in power the leaders we have needed for that moment. No, we don’t as a country, and as a voting public, get everything right. We’re not going to and it does no good to beat ourselves up over losing or gloating over winning. The system worked, and for whatever reasons there are for voting against Barack Obama, he won, and now we must look forward with open eyes and hearts. For me, that is being an American. Because to wish Obama failure, to me, is bad for the country. But should he fail in his efforts, the system will work again, and someone else will get the job in four years. 

Obama is right about one thing. The politics in this country must change. The pure evil against the candidates, on both sides, from bloggers, what we have seen on television, and heard on the radio, is hard for me to understand. This isn’t the America we should expect of ourselves. We’re better than this. 

I voted for McCain, and I would do it again. There was something else about John McCain that stood out for me. John McCain is the only person running for president that has had America taken away from him. Just imagine for a moment that America is gone. I think if more people could experience what John McCain experienced for five years they would feel different, they would understand just what this country is, and means. But you don’t have to spend five years in prison being tortured like John McCain was to understand what we have and what we take for granted. You can just read a little history. 

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Recommended Reading: "1776," by David McCullough; "The Last Best Hope," by William J. Bennett. Take some time and read some history. It will enrich your life. -DL