Senator Mc Cain earned my vote tonight. The small menu really left me no option. I was electrified by Governor Palin last night and expecting to be underwhelmed tonight. What Mc Cain's speech lacked in entertainment value, it reinforced my belief that Mc Cain is a dedicated man with the right qualities to lead this nation; in Vegas terms, I'm "all in."
Sarah Palin reminds me of Jim Rome. She's brash, smart, and a breath of fresh air. John Mc Cain reminds me of, well, my father. I suppose I've always thought of him, and his generation, as plodders. Somewhat quiet, they are the generation that really grew up in tumultuous times. The Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missle Crisis reminded them that the bad guys are really out there. Vietnam showed them that our country thought they were expedient. The height of their disappointment was displayed when Americans were held hostage, for nearly 2 years, in Iran.
Still, guys like my father and Mc Cain remained resolute. My father never let me utter the words Vietnam and defeat in the same sentence. If I had to name this generation, I'd name them the Stockdale Generation. If you're familiar with the Stockdale Paradox, you know this:
You must retain faith that you can prevail to greatness in the end, while retaining the discipline to confront the brutal facts of your current reality.
Admiral Stockdale died, in 2005. He died but he left his mark on a generation, the generation of my father and Senator Mc Cain. Steady guys. Resolute guys. Guys who have seen horrors and been dealt defeat but never lost their faith that they can prevail to greatness in the end. It's never been about their greatness but the greatness of our country. While they lack the glib quips I love hearing from Jim Rome or Sarah Palin, they know how to persevere and get the job done.
Witness an example of that this evening. Classless thugs snuck into the convention and attempted to rush Mc Cain during his speech. Mc Cain calmly asked his "dear friends" to pay no attention to the "static". That's when it hit me; he sounded like my dad when I was screeeching about Michelle Obama's indictment of the last 25 years of American life. My father merely told me to avoid the mindless chatter of people who hate America.
I wondered why every speaker reminded us about Mc Cain's trials and courage as a POW. I thought they overdid it until I heard Mc Cain give his "testimony". Now, I get it. IT matters a lot. It proves that he can remain positive in the face of reality. Mc Cain exhibited that resolve when he decided to win the war in Iraq. It looks like his faith that America can prevail to greatness is manifesting.
John Mc Cain finished his otherwise predictable speech with a plea to stand up be counted. It lacked the polished delivery of a skilled orator but it was genuine. It came from the heart of a man who has faith that we can prevail to greatness. I said it already, but I'm "all in".
Mc Cain earned my vote tonight.
