Flunking the ‘Commander-in-chief’ test!

I am totally frustrated a to see the polls of the coming Presidential election, placing the Republican John McCain in a neck-to- neck race with Barack Obama, the Democrat. I just cannot figure this out as John McCain is an almost comical* ‘wrinkly white-haired guy’ who should be no match for the charismatic Obama. I guess there is still some unease about electing as President of USA (POTUS) a black candidate with an unusual background. This I can understand. But what I find most asinine is that McCain commands a 56% to 36% lead over Obama, as the person best qualified to be the commander-in- chief of USA. To me, the main reason McCain should not be elected as the POTUS, is that he will be a poor and dangerous commander-in-chief who can obliterate the whole world to dark ages with his crazy actions. As Commander-in-chief we need a calm person with good judgment, who does react on the spur of the moment. McCain is exactly opposite of this. He is a short tempered guy who makes bellicose statements without carefully thinking through. His reaction to recent Russian and Georgia conflict is a good example. What was he thinking when he threatened Russia, and pronounced that ‘we are all Georgians’ (like JFK’s ‘Ich bin ein Berliner’)? Was he trying to frighten Russia by implying USA will fight for Georgians? Does he not realize that our military is in a very weak position with most of the army stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan? McCain appears to have no clue to the nuances of the situation – that we need the oil rich Russia for buy our debts, help us to control Iran and North Korea, so on. Does he not know that the world has changed from the Cold War days, and that we need cooperation from other countries to keep USA safe and prosperous? In contrast, although he condemned the Russian attack, Barack Obama urged restraint by both parties, and use of diplomacy. (Of course, McCain campaign is going to use that reaction as proof of Obama being too weak to secure our country, and he being so macho!) Obama has an aura of confidence and calmness about him, and he has consistently demonstrated his ability to see the big picture – his opposition to the Iraq war, a sensible energy policy, a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, so on. He has the uncanny ability to work with people of differing opinions and interests, to achieve common good. He is exactly the right person to be our next President. We are safer with him as our commander –in-chief, than with the war hungry ‘shoot from the hip’ McCain.

(I really enjoy the gaffes of McCain and the reaction to them in T.V. late-night shows and blogosphere-- him offering his wife to a wet T- shirt competition, his cheese aisle press conference, his confusion about al-Qaeda and Iran, so on. But the thought of him somehow stumbling into Presidency gives me shivers!)