The other gorilla in the room.

October 3, 6:48 PMTampa Politics ExaminerJim Stillman

Previous Next

5 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Tampa Politics Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Insert photo caption or credit here

I have previously discussed Senator Obama’s gorilla, that of many Democrats and independents reluctant to vote for a black man but reluctant to admit it.

John McCain has his own gorilla.

The Republican gorilla (Shush, he’s old. Is he senile?)

John McCain’s choice of Governor Palin as vice-president is questionable on several levels. She is, clearly, not the most knowledgeable, qualified, conservative, woman who could have been selected. She was clearly not vetted adequately before the convention and the result has been a candidate who is acclaimed by those with a narrow, but heartfelt, agenda but scorned by everyone else. He has taken positions that have changed over the past year; they have not evolved, they have shifted back and forth, first agreeing with President Bush, then disagreeing, then agreeing again and then opposing. He appears to be in favor of the casual and frequent use of our military in diverse locations in the world but cannot recognize when the military is stretched too thin.

There is a concern of which the Democrats will not express and which both frightens and saddens many: Is John McCain senile, forgetting long held principles, becoming a caricature? With all due respect to this elderly man of integrity and honor, he may not be clinically senile, suffering actual dementia, but he may be past his best years.

Senator McCain acquitted himself well at the first debate; he recalled names, places and events with sufficient clarity so as to deny any clinical disease. However, his interviews with the press have become increasingly angry and hostile. More and more observers have posited that his erratic behavior, adopting contradictory and mutually exclusive positions may be caused by the stress of the campaign and his 72 year old body not being able to get the rest that it requires to function properly. That isn't ageism—that is a simple fact of life.

There have been public comments suggesting that Senator McCain may not have the mental strength and capacity to handle the job of President. Again, just as with the “concerns” about Senator Obama’s race or faith are not well founded and are framed as worries about his “inexperience”, the shifts in John McCain’s positions, sometimes within hours, are raided as issues of senility rather than simple political opportunism. For example, on one day at 9:00 A.M., he declared that the United States economy was basically strong; later that day he called for a massive bailout that would cost our children and grandchildren close to $1 Trillion!

The next election is far too important to be decided by ugly rumors and innuendo, racial bigotry or false concerns about the mental acuity of an older person. And as soon as we face the unpleasant facts and rationales, the better we and the country will be.