I, as many on this great site, have scratched my head in amazement at the completely deranged campaign that Senator McCain has waged against Senator Obama for arguably the most powerful position in the world. I have felt that Senator McCain’s campaign is one of a group of misfits that enjoy creating as much drama for themselves as for Senator Obama. Apparently, I am right on the mark. McCain loves the "shoot-from-the-hip" style that contradicts the message that his campaign wants him to portray. This is why McCain does not speak for his campaign. His new campaign advisor, Steve Schmidt, has even limited his cell phone use and discussions with reporters he normally had regular discussions with.
According to the NYT, Senator McCain is "loose in style."
His campaign staff call him the "white tornado" due to his knack for seeking and adopting the latest opinion, while contradicting things said previously, which explains a lot. McCain believes the tension he causes within his campaign is a good thing, stating:
"I think a certain amount of tension is very healthy, and a certain amount of different views," he said. "Because of the bubble that a president is in, and the bubble that a candidate is in, sometimes you find out afterwards something that — ‘Oh boy, I wish I had heard thus and such and so and so.’ So I appreciate and want some of the tension; I don’t want too much of it, obviously, because we have to have certain efficiencies. But I think there is a balance there."
Oh boy, indeed. Senator McCain’s running of his campaign really has the marks of a disaster waiting to happen as seen early 2007 when he nearly ran his campaign into a ditch.
Mr. McCain’s advisers said he pays more attention to his campaign’s spending and fund-raising than he did before it nearly went broke in July 2007. Mr. McCain told friends he was surprised — and mortified — when that happened. Mark McKinnon, a former adviser, pointed to Mr. McCain’s reaction to that crisis — slashing staff and dismissing some senior advisers — as evidence of management strength. "He did all the things you need to do to right the ship," Mr. McKinnon said.
Equally troubling is the fact that Senator McCain has the attention span of a gerbil due to his inability to focus for long periods.
"The guy’s incredibly engaged in this process," Mr. McInturff said, "but he’s not a client who has much tolerance for sitting through an hour long presentation, or 30- to 40-minute presentation of slides and charts."
I am sorry, I want a President that can spend the time needed on issues such as Iraq, Iran, the economy, and now Russia. A person unable to focus has a tendency to make hasty decisions-where have we experienced this before.
His management of his campaign offers a glimpse of how he might run the White House. He would, it appears, be a president who is intensely interested in issues (particularly foreign affairs) and open to conflicting opinions, but also impetuous at times and tolerant of the kind of internal churning that can impede orderly decision-making and keep aides on edge.
Are we ready for an Administration that thrives on drama or do we want a president that is disciplined and focused on the issues facing our country? I vote for the later.