13 Days to Go - Electing a Commander-in-Chief

In less than a fortnight, American voters will determine who will lead the country for at least the next four years. While many of us are well into campaign fatigue, there are many voters who are just waking up to the fact that, in a few weeks, they will be facing an important decision. Given the stakes in this election, it is hard to credit such widespread ennui. But hey, the World Series starts tonight and should be over in time for at least one long week end of soul searching. The polls would have us believe that the race is virtually over, but while this election has been ongoing since at least 2004, it is only now getting down to business. I'm sure many voters have long made up their minds, but here are a few points for the famously undecideds to ponder:

The world can be a nasty place with more than a few fanatic regimes that would love to bring the United States to its knees. If you think that the world could evolve into one big happy family if we could all just play nice, I recommend some intense reality therapy. Who should we chose to serve as our Commander-in-Chief? John McCain brings a wealth of experience both as a Naval officer and governmental oversight to the table and espouses policies that recognize the dangers in stark realities of the modern world. He would strive to achieve world peace and strong mutually-beneficial international relationships, but also sees the importance of working towards these goals from a position of strength. His opponent, whose experience lies mostly in the vagaries of community organization and Chicago politics is as much a cipher in this regard as any other facet of his proposed presidency. Moreover, what insights we are able to glean from his speeches, which are high on oratory but lacking in specifics, also indicate a preference for pandering and appeasement. Moreover, his conflicting statements on the Iraq war and wavering support of the U.S. forces reflect not only his inexperience in military matters, but his ambivalence, if not outright disdain for the U.S. Military.

When it comes to choosing the next Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces, the choice is clear. John McCain is the man for the job. His opponent would constitute a reckless gamble on an inexperienced senator who seems to be emotionally and philosophically unsuited for the job.

Of course there are a number of other major points that should be considered before one goes to the polls on November 4th. The View will be dealing with these over the next several days.