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Should McCain’s Problem Temper Disqualify Him From Presidency? |
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Today’s Washington Post has a piece about John McCain that should make the rest of the media wake up and take notice. The article describes McCain’s volcanic temper and inability to let go of a grudge. There are two especially remarkable things about the story: (1) several Republicans, members of McCain’s own party, say that McCain’s temper should disqualify him from the presidency and (2) tough guy McCain would not answer questions for this story.
Some of the highlights:
- Former Sen. Bob Smith bluntly says that McCain’s “temper would place this country at risk in international affairs, and the world perhaps in danger. In my mind, it should disqualify him.”
- Sen. Thad Cochran says the thought of McCain in the White House “sends a cold chill down my spine.”
- Former AZ Republican Party executive director Jon Hinz wonders “What happens if he gets angry in crisis”? and concludes “I’ve just seen too much. That temper, the intolerance. It worries me.”
- Conservative AZ state senator Karen Johnson says “I don’t think that he forgets anyone who ever opposed him, that he can ever really respect or trust them again. That goes for people here and overseas.”
Some takeaways: based on the last point, I guess Mitt Romney can forget about the VP slot. More seriously, these are Republicans who agree with McCain on the issues. It is astounding that people in McCain’s own party, who would clearly prefer his policy views to those of any Democratic candidate, have such serious concerns about a McCain presidency. Imagine if Democratic senators and party activists said things like this about Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
Also, McCain should not get away with dodging questions on the concerns raised about his problem temper. The press clearly believes that questions that even tangentially touch on a candidate’s character are fair game, and must be answered. There can’t be a double standard–McCain must answer these questions, either in an interview, or a debate, or both.
The Post stories doesn’t provide the only examples of McCain’s explosive temper producing ugly results, including shouting obscenities at women. The Post article documents some of this, but leaves out McCain’s profane outburst against his own wife. Before McCain’s 2000 run for the presidency, one of his homestate newspapers, the Arizona Republic, declared that “it is time the rest of the nation learned about the John McCain we know in Arizona. There is also reason to seriously question whether he has the temperament, and the political approach and skills, we want in the next president of the United States.”
These are not isolated incidents. There is a pattern here. People in McCain’s own party, the newspaper in his home state, believe there is a problem. The American people need to know the whole story, and to hear from McCain himself on the specifics.
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Certainly the issue of John McCain’s temper seems much more relevant than the “issues” of flag lapel pins or Jeremiah Wright.
Way more relevant.
yep
He’s a fiesty maverick - not a neocon who has an anger management problem. Frankly, if I don’t have my afternoon nap and yumyums, I get a little tempermental too. When he becomes president, perhaps he could designate an officer to provide timeouts.
Has he ever lost his temper during a debate?
not sure about McCain’s temper during debates…hopefully we’ll get a chance to see at some point once the Dems wrap up their odyssey of a campaign