2006 Column Archives
McCain and the F Word
By John Sammon
Mar 8, 2008, 09:35

       Ever notice this?

       John McCain has an obsession with the word “fight.”

       Why does he say this all the time? Is it a psychological quirk?

       “Help me fight for America,” McCain says.

       What America? That’s your America man, not necessarily mine. I may have a different vision of America. It’s my right to.

       Fight! Fight! Fight!

       Watch out for any politician who constantly uses the word “fight,” or who calls himself a “hero,” or even worse, a “patriot.” Unlike Patrick Henry, he’s a patriot who rides around in a limousine.

       First of all, since America is composed of disparate groups with different philosophies, and since the right to disagree are paramount under the Bill of Rights, and since freedom of speech is one of the main pillars of the Constitution.

       Why are you talking about fight? Who are you going to fight, me?

       McCain thinks he’s a fighter.

       “I’ll fight for you,” he says.

       He should add, “If I don’t fight for you, I’ll have to fight you.” What is this, a schoolyard with a bully?

       The job of president does not involve fighting. Yes, he’s Commander in Chief of the armed forces. But, for most of it, it’s basically a managerial type position in which one has to work together (or try to) with people (Congress) who don’t necessarily agree with your agenda, in a sometimes futile attempt to reach some kind of compromise so something can get done. It is a mundane, boring, frustrating, paper shuffling, slow, deliberate process in which endless meetings and speechmaking and canvassing of constituents takes place, to reach some kind of majority consensus, be it a new law, or legislation, or taxation, or anything.

       Since that’s the case, why is McCain compulsively driven to use the word “fight” again and again? Does he think he’s a boxer?

       It’s a psychological skeleton keyhole to peer into the workings of his mind, and how he views the world.

       McCain sees the running of the country as a struggle in which one side (his side) wins and vanquishes the other side, presumably traitorous, disloyal liberals. But it includes anyone who disagrees with him. Remember. This is supposedly a democracy in which disagreement is not only allowed but tolerated.

       McCain views war the same way. Also as an instrument of foreign policy, as a tool, rather than a last resort to be used only in defense of the country as the Founding Fathers did.  

       “Let’s fight for freedom.”

       “I was born a fighter.”

       “I’m white and I’ll fight.”

       McCain loves the word “fight.” In fairness to him, other candidates for president use the word too.

       Why does he use the word “fight” all the time? It’s like being told by your doctor that you have cancer, and you say, “I’m going to fight this.” Everybody says that.

       There’s nothing to fight. Your doctor, if he’s honest, should tell you this. This is a cell that has mutated, and only God and nature will dictate what it will do. We’ll throw what limited technology (chemotherapy) we have at it.

       It’s not a drunk you can take out in the alley and beat up.

There’s no fighting. There’s nothing to fight.

       In the end, you’ll probably die. That’s what God and nature decreed. That’s nature. You live for a time, and then you die. There’s not a damn thing you can do about it. It was meant to be. Your luck ran out. That’s the way it is.

       That’s the price you pay for being born.

       Does McCain think he’s a fighter? He’s a little guy. There are women who could knock him out in two rounds.

       McCain has the kind of ego where he easily loses his temper and shouts at reporters. He believes his war service makes him a hero. I’m not knocking his war record as a prisoner of war. But there are thousands of Democrats who were also prisoners.

       I think when it comes down to it, the problem with McCain is he doesn’t approach government as a statesman would, a process of at the very least trying to bring people to grudging agreement or appeal to reason seeking some kind of middle ground where we can all move forward.

       Instead, he views the world as composed of enemies, foreign, domestic, political, to be conquered and shown the light by force. In other words, might makes right.

       He should say, “I’ll fight for might makes right.”