McCain, Secretary of Defense?

Come on guys!

First you want to put a polititcian with terrible administration skills and no foreign policy experience in the most important foreign policy postition and now you want some guy who almost finished dead last in his class at Annapolis and who rates very low with a number of veterans groups to be the civilian adminsistator for the Defense Department. How about suggesting some people with competence for these positions?

This is not fantasy baseball.

I agree with mikeyes that McCain isn't competent for Sec of Defense. He might have qualifications but not the competence. It would be like electing as president the governor of TX who has run businesses and a big state. On the surface this person has the qualifications to be prez, but then when it comes to doing the hard work and producing results that person turns out to be a totally incompetent prez... Same with McCain. Some good qualifications, but no competence or judgement.

I doubt that Obama is seriously considering this... Obama has better judgement than that (but who knows, I may have to eat my words next week).

McCain, Secretary of Defense?

I certainly hope not, for many reasons. Among them:

Differences over Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia-Georgia, and any future military policy, strategy, actions and conflicts, are just too large, too deep, and too fundamental.

Gates is a decent man, a decent Republican, has been doing a decent job. Thus keeping him would be like killing three or four birds with one stone

McCain doesn't deserve ANY position in an Obama adminstration. Especially not as Sec. Def., after all his votes (and non-votes) against military personnel and veterans benefits legislation (e.g. G .I. Bill). McCain is not the same man I respected in 2000, 2002, and even in 2004. Even leading Republicans are turning away from him.

Finally, how could McCain honestly, faithfully, honorably and principled serve a man whom he said did not have the qualifications to be a Commander- in-Chief? A man whom McCain smeared so much, especially on national security issues--remember "waving the white flag?". A man whom his running mate accused of "palling around with terrorists," a smear that McCain, by his silence, condoned.

I am sure 'll think of some more

A retired military officer

.

And, here is one more reason I don't support McCain for Sec. Def:

At his very moment, McCain is campaigning his heart out in Georgia for Chambliss. Chambliss is the guy who in his 2002 campaign against Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, a triple amputee Vietnam War hero, used TV ads questioning the war hero's patriotism and his national security credentials. Ads that had a picture of Osama Bin Laden in the background. And, we sould support McCain for Sec Def? Yes. McCain condemned Chambliss' ad back in 2002. But now he is campaigning for him. What has changed? Not Cleland's heroism. Not Chambliss' shameful conduct in 2002. Perhaps McCain?

I originally had this idea as well, as McCain's got the military policy know-how certainly. However, I just can't see it working because McCain and Obama genuinely seem too far apart on Iraq in particular. Some of the differences in the campaign between the two were trumped up, but I always thought this one was real. How could McCain be the person to implement the withdrawal that he seems to so disagree with?

pacatrue:

"Some of the differences in the campaign between the two were trumped up, but..."

Perhaps it is my Latin temper. But I would never forgive anyone--heat of the campaign, or no heat of the campaign-- who would call me(or imply that I was) a traitor, unpatriotic, 'palled around with terrorists,' or that I waved the white flag of surrender.

I certainly understand Dorian. For better or for worse, however, I think that many of those various insults from the McCain camp were indeed "trumped up" from McCain's perspective. When asked on Larry King if Obama was a socialist, McCain said no. When the person at his rally called Obama an Arab, McCain said he was a good family man (unlike those Arabs?). All this suggests that McCain never believed many of his own campain's own insults. However, I think there was little "means justifies the ends" on Iraq. The two really disagree, which is why I have a really hard time seeing McCain as an effective S.O.D.

I would much prefer that Obama keep gates on for a short while. McCain has demonstrated that he is incompetent and just as delusional as the neocons. McCain will essentially be powerless after this election and the world will be a better and safer place because of it. Polls show that he may well be defeated by Janet Napolitano in 2010 and if that continues to be the case I would guess he will decide to ride into the sunset.

I chuckled when I read pacatrue's "When the person at his rally called Obama an Arab, McCain said he was a good family man (unlike those Arabs?).

I had not looked at McCain's comment that way, but you're right, even in his (genuine or not so genuine) defense of Obama there was a slight (intended or not) to a whole ethnic group.

Unlike the Hillary for State leak, this little bit about McCain being Sec. of Defense is not a widely reported "leaked rumor" nor can I see any evidence that Obama is seriously considering it. It seems to be Robert Stein theorizing... so remember that it's just a little parlor game. Hopefully it will stay that way.

Sen. McCain would do just fine as Sec of Defense, and he is hugely qualified, as anyone who watched the Presidential debate on foreign policy could see. However, his vote is needed for the the GOP in the Senate, especially as the Dems move closer to the magic filibuster-proof number of 60. That's why he's in Georgia campaigning for Sen. Chambliss. It would make no sense math-wise for McCain to assure that Chambliss holds his seat, only himself to exit stage left to a cabinet position.

How about McCain as Secretary for Veterans Affairs?

"How about McCain as Secretary for Veterans Affairs?"

Except he got a "D" from two veterans groups who follow congressional voting patterns.
How about Max Cleland? He gave up 3 limbs for his country, and was rewarded for it by being pictured by the RNC in an ad with al queda and Osama bin Laden!

[yawn]

How about thinking?

* McCain has often been like a Dem Lite, but not always. THINK.

* To the extent that he conflicts with other Republicans, going to Sec-Def means he escapes the Senate and those conflicts. It's a fine pasture in which he can spend (at least some of) his last years in Washington. Defense has normally been a problem for the Dems (and has tarnished liberalism) and this is an easy solution for the Obama team.

But Obama no doubt is thinking.

What are the trends? In 2006 and 2008, away from the GOP and by default in favor of the Dems. In which states? Pretty much, all of them. Where do the Dems need to make the most progress if they want a real future? In the traditionally Red states and in the more modern, vital states where population migration is largely still taking people, and political clout -- in the South and in the West. You know, like Arizona.

Who is in Arizona? Someone well known in Dem circles, moving up in her career, perfect as a replacement in the Senate, a Dem, namely Janet Napolitano. (She's also a possible Obama Cabinet member.)

Getting McCain into Sec-Def means getting a Senate seat loose and open for contention.

THINK.

Manchester -- you understand. Obama can induce McCain to pry himself loose from his Senate seat ("imagine, John -- no more run-ins with your fellow Republicans over silly policy or ideological issues any more!") and the Dems get a shot at that "new" Senate seat.

A Senate seat is not worth making a Bomb, Bomb Iran (and other nations) singer Sec. Def.

I don't think there's any way -- they are too different on approaches and policy. He might offer it to Hagel- who at least is on the same page about Iraq and Iran.

Brilliant move to make McCain Secretary of Defense! The McCain not wanting to be president can be worked with, and Obama would be his boss. Plus, it opens his senate seat in Arizona, which has a Democratic Gov and would appoint a Dem to replace him, thus putting the Democratic number in the Senator closer to the 60 mark.