The Southern Male Democrat

When I was a kid, I went to the Southern Baptist version of summer camp for boys – Camp Caraway. Each morning, before we began our daily routine of bible study and basketball, there was with a competition to see which cabin could sing the loudest. Of course, in this case, “sing” actually meant “shout”, and we would repeat each song a half dozen times over, getting louder each time in an attempt to out yell each other. As soon as we’d get though one stanza, we’d all shout – “second verse, same as the first, this time a whole lot worse” and do it all over again.

Listening to John McCain last night, I got the strong impression that he too had spent some time at Camp Caraway. The distinction that he is starting to draw with Barack Obama is a verse we’ve heard before. And it should be no surprise that this time it’s a whole lot worse.

Here is the text of McCain’s remarks last night. The message can be boiled down to –“it’s too risky to try a new approach on terror, so let’s stay the course and I will protect you from the boogeyman.” Here’s a choice quote –

“Will the next President have the experience, the judgment experience informs, and the strength of purpose to respond to each of these developments in ways that strengthen our security and advance the global progress of our ideals? Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested invading our ally, Pakistan, and sitting down without pre-conditions or clear purpose with enemies who support terrorists and are intent on destabilizing the world by acquiring nuclear weapons?”

 Does any of that sound familiar? It should because it’s the exact same rationale that the 2004 Bush campaign used. I mean, any idea other than “stay the course” is weak and risky, right?

(And then there’s the silly little detail about being factually correct.)

As a Democrat and Obama supporter, I sincerely hope that McCain keeps using that angle, because that dog won’t hunt.

The war on terror is nuanced. And the quagmire in Iraq hasn’t helped. One could rationally argue that Iraq has hurt the larger war on terror. We are no longer fighting a nation-state with a regular military. We are fighting zealous individuals with a common goal. We don’t need to occupy another country for 100 years to make ourselves safer, we need to go after individuals and groups of individuals with a surgical like precision. (Does anyone remember the movie Navy Seals with Charlie Sheen?) And when there are large concentrations of terrorists that we know about, (Oh I don’t know, maybe somewhere like Afghanistan? Good thing we pulled troops from there huh?) we need to kill them and get the heck out.

And I think most Americans are starting to realize this. Unfortunately, the extent to which American are willing to embrace the idea that change is not weak is directly related to how much time has passed since the last terrorist attack. Without an attack on our own soil since 9/11, we are more willing to think about strategies a little deeper, with more nuance.

So please Cabin GOP – keep lining up on the shores of Camp Caraway and shouting that song from the top of your lungs. I’ll take that contrast any day of the week and turn it into an electoral tsunami in November.