Let's Get to the Issues

No one has ever accused John McCain as being a great public speaker. His speeches would seldom be called rip-roaring stemwinders. At the same time, what he may lack in slick glibness, he more than makes up for in his ability to speak straight from the heart in clear understandable statements. You may agree or disagree, but you know where he stands. His acceptance speech, Thursday night, might not have been full of flashy rhetoric, but it provided a clear picture of his beliefs and the policies we might expect from a McCain presidency. Amid the many points he made Thursday night, I was struck by his stated hatred of war. A military man from a miltary family, McCain knows of what he speaks.

McCain's opponent doesn't seem to be as detailed about his policies, and it takes a little digging to get behind the calls for hope and the "yes-we-can" chants. But I believe that this issue providess a clear choice for American voters. John McCain believes in a strong military and is not afraid to hold this option dear as he envisions his administation plying the treacherous roads of international diplomacy. And while he hates war, he also recognizes the stark necessity of having both stick and carrot available, especially when dealing with foreign dictators committed to policies of hatred. His opponent would have us believe that the threats posed by belligerent nations can be calmed by the power of his personality.

Over the next few months, much will be said about the Iraq war, and here again, voters have a clear choice between McCain's support, especially for the surge, and his opponents opposition. John McCain is not the only one who hates war. All people of conscience must satisfy themselves that war is the last resort before unleashing those particular dogs. Good faith debate regarding appropriateness of the Iraq war will occupy us, as a nation, for some time to come. But blindly branding it a mistake precludes much that can be learned.

I invite you to watch a VIDEO made by a young soldier named Joe Cook. I think the message he brings is as just as important to the ongoing debate as is the chanting from the anti-war crowd.