John McCain has avoided wide spread scrutiny of his actual biography. He has done this in part by relying upon his age as a substitute for the actual experience that he wants everyone to assume he possesses. McCain pursues the mantle of experience by putting the hard sell on a few highlights of his life, and those vignettes remain pretty much the only things most folks know about him.
Even with many of those who oppose him, McCain has successfully defined himself as he wants to be seen, but the way he has done it illustrates that sometimes the best way to tell a lie is to reveal only part of the truth.
He's peddling a two part story.
Part 1: He was a Navy war hero. He suffered through 5 1/2 years of torture, isolation and deprivation as a prisoner of war during the Viet Nam war.
At this point, there occurs a a convenient blur in the story. Then comes the rest.
Part 2: McCain is suddenly the independent minded, straight talking, Republican Senator from Arizona whom George Bush cheats out of a chance to save the country in 2000 and whose long Congressional service has prepared him to step up and get the job done now.
McCain brings up other biographical tid bits from time to time, such as when his campaign tried to claim credit for McCain for the Blackberry, a Canadian product that America apparently couldn't figure out a way to compete with during McCain's years as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee. But mostly he sticks to the main points of Parts 1 and 2. His campaign leans so much on the POW part of the story that at one point they inspired a "Noun verb POW watch" at Firedoglake.com.
John McCain deserves every bit as thorough a vetting as his running mate has received, and then some. By the way, this diariest has vowed to no longer type the running mate's name because stigmata appeared on my hands the last time I did so in a comment. Where necessary, "She who must not be named" will suffice to identify the person in question, if no other circumlocution fits better.
Over the course of the comming days, a series of diaries will try to help fill in some gaps and clarify some blurry parts of John McCain. The subjects treated will include:
McCain's Privileged Upbringing
McCain's Lackluster Navy Career
McCain's Cozy Comfort with Big Millitary
McCain's Complcity in Republican Excess
McCain's Unsuitable Temperament
Stay tuned.