THE US REPORT

Sen. John McCain did a solid job of connecting with the American people last night at Federal Hall, in the townhall meeting broadcast on Fox News. Neither mainstream media nor GOP pundits are giving this candidate credit due. Shepard Smith, easily the best looking and most liberal of Fox anchors, disclosed with characteristic angst at the end of the event that while he’d been under the impression the audience would be mixed politically, tickets were distributed to supporters, to Mayor Bloomberg and to independent groups. What the brilliant minds in politics and media are overlooking: Sen. Barack Obama was invited. He could’ve brought Democrats into the mix but declined.

Maybe the audience was friendly, but it’s my opinion you can never be sure what you’re going to get in any mix, even if you think it’s a friendly mix. Just ask Sen. George Allen whose career was derailed when the media assailed him for the use of a word, macaque, which most of the media, including large media outlets, didn’t even spell properly. Talk about a character assassination based completely on politics rather than truth. Are you tired of showbiz journalists?

Rock star politics
I confess I am tired of rock stars. I am tired of oratory. I am tired of elitism. I am tired of politicians taxing me to the hilt while they enjoy stellar insurance, pension and payroll packages and sweet deals from lenders they’re supposed to regulate. I am also tired of pettiness. The DNC and left-wing pundits assailed Sen. Hillary Clinton, and if you don’t think there was gender bias in the media, ask yourself if you’ve ever seen a pundit comment on what Obama or any other male candidate is wearing. I’m not sure when wardrobe became important. The GOP right now in some quarters is wailing like a banshee, wishing Ronald Reagan could be cloned and longing for a return to the good old days. I'd like to point out we don't recognize the good old days until they're in the past. It's the present we have to work with.

This centrist is longing for a president who will find a way to work with what promises to be a completely cantankerous Democratic Congress. Would you want to have to work with Sen. Nancy Pelosi? Her sanctimony is exactly like the sanctimony of the far (times two) right. Both of them want to save me, but I don’t need saving. It’s my country that does.

Townhall forum is McCain’s forte
Last night, McCain looked like a president in touch with people. He was at ease. He answered questions in a natural and comfortable manner. Is he an orator? No. But some of the greatest orators in world and US history have been some of the most corrupt politicians on the planet. I don’t care how a candidate does on TV. I do care how he deals with our nation’s security,  how he spends my money and where he decides to place his priorities.

One of McCain’s priorities is controlling pork. Our farm bill designated $15 million to asparagus growers and another $93 million to the thoroughbred race horse industry. Thank that amazing Congress that promised all that change for those decisions. Sometimes change is a real bummer. Just ask those of us who survived "change" wrought by Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

Another is moving away from foreign oil. “We’re sending $500-600 billion a year to countries that don’t like us that much,” McCain said. And he pointed out the gas tax holiday he’d proposed, promptly dissed by his opponent, would have actually helped the lowest income Americans. You know what? It would have. Talk to people on fixed incomes. Talk to young people fresh out of college. Talk to single moms. A buck helps. If our politicians weren’t so far removed from the daily grind many of us face, they might realize that.

McCain on the issues
McCain, the only politician I have heard yet to do so, referenced the amout of taxes that the local, state and federal government levy on us. We are second only to Japan when it comes to corporate tax rates—35%. You want jobs? Give corporations a reason to be here. You think a company is in business to not make money? If we continue as we are, government will be our largest employer—local, state and fed. You can thank the unions and the federal government for the job crisis.

McCain said making English the official language “would be fine with me.” Noting the Internet is a major way for young people to communicate, he said he intends “to compete in the battle of ideas.”

There’s the matter of the war. And here’s the white elephant in that room. McCain mentioned it briefly, but I’ve mentioned it many times. Israel. What do you suppose might happen to Israel if Iran continues with its nuke program and Saddam had succeeded in his own goals? What might happen if the imperial Islamic fundamentalist army succeeds in establishing one religion and one government across the East (notice the regional expansion and check out some newspapers from countries other than the Middle East)? “I want the troops to come home with victory and honor,” McCain said.

Is McCain a conservative?
Meanwhile, some Republican voters and pundits are wailing that McCain isn’t conservative enough, that he isn't glitzy enough. I don’t get this. He has a lifetime rating of 82% from the American Conservative Union  (Obama’s is 8%). Does McCain focus on social issues? No. And in this centrist’s opinion, he shouldn’t. When was the last time you heard a pundit ask a Democratic candidate about gay marriage or abortion? Why should those social issues dominate a candidate’s qualifications when our economy and national security are screaming for attention?

Right now the Democrats are repeating hope so often it sounds like I’m listening to the communion hymn (“Lamb of God”)  in my church where I do not attend as often as I should. Let me tell you about hope. It ain’t gonna come from your government. Hope comes from us, the American people. We make our own hope and we run our own government. And lately, we’ve done a shoddy job of both. A politician can give you a fair deal. But if you think he gives you hope, I can guarantee the day will come when you'll be sorely disappointed.

Country above party
Here’s the rub for many a GOP voter. McCain said something last night that will eventually in histories about him become a chestnut. Standing straight as an arrow, an effect of years of military training, he looked at the audience and spoke from the heart. “I will always put my country first,” he said. Party comes second.  It’s about time a candidate said that, and more importantly, it’s about time a candidate walks that walk instead of just talking the talk. McCain did that last night as he has done for many years in politics. He looked like a president to me. A good one.

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[Text by Kay B. Day; photo of Sen. McCain from his official website; the photo was from an event this week, not from last night’s Townhall.]

[Disclosure: I am a supporter of Sen. John McCain. I do not receive any benefits, however, from writing about him as a candidate, other than small revenue from advertising placed on this site. Consequently, I did not renew contracts to write straight news for various media I have written for in the past. I still write freelance commentary and opinion, non-political features and general informational content however.]

Tags: McCain, Obama, townhall, POTUS, president, candidates