Watch out Eric. McCain jumped all over Obama (even put it in an ad) that he “dismissed Palin as good looking”.

KM check out this video clip-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwVA3oc1_T0&feature=related

There is a better version of this song by the Osborne Brothers.

“I loved it because it was not just a place, but an idea, a cause worth fighting for.”

I think that is the real difference between, John McCain and Obama.

Barack’s record on guns shows he just doesn’t grasp the concept of Freedom.

Also, that experience isn’t a pre-requisite for the presidency, but it provides an incite and a difference between him and some other Republicans. He has an excellent human rights record. He pushed through, with Lindsey Graham, the most most recent anti-torture legislation. He has an understanding of being powerless, which I do think makes him rather unique. It also shows how he reacts under pressure, and shows resiliency. Certainly it isn’t the only thing, but I do think it is an important piece of who he is, and why he would make an effective leader.

I agree Senator Obama deserves credit for his story, and I think Senator McCain has said that too including the night of Senator Obama’s acceptance speech.

What I found particularly compelling about the Democrat’s convention was seeing the emotion of some of the older African American people in the audience. To think that they lived through segregation, and are now seeing the first African American presidential nominee is quite remarkable. Already, Senator Obama has made a mark on history, and you’re right he deserves credit for that.

I completely agree that McCain’s years in the POW are incredibly moving. It shows his love for the country. It shows how strong he was in the face of danger. It shows what a hero he was. That is undeniable.

Nobody questions his love for the country and nobody questions his honor of service.

Where we diverge in opinion is that McCain’s service and the fact that he was a POW does not mean his ideas and policies are what is best for the country. That is a matter of opinion that we vastly disagree on.
McCain’s honorable service and heroic days as a POW doesn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that his ideas and policies are automatically the correct ideas and policies.

I completely and 100% agree with the comment that McCain backers jumped all over by Wesley Clark.

Being a POW is not a prerequisite for being President of the United States.
It is a compelling story, but being a POW doesn’t make you any better or worse qualified than someone that wasn’t a POW. It shows you are a strong person physically and mentally, but it doesn’t mean you are a better candidate than a non-POW.

His 5 years as a POW doesn’t make me and my family any safer and it doesn’t make gas and energy any cheaper. It doesn’t bring down my food costs. It doesn’t stop the housing crisis or make healthcare any more affordable. His 5 years as a POW doesn’t reverse the abuses of the past 8 years in eavesdropping, preemptive war or suspension of Habeaus. You would think that his 5 years as a POW may reverse Bush and say that ALL torture is wrong, but McCain folded and said ok… some is ok.

So I do agree that his story is a good story and a heroic story. I have no problem with them bringing it up. But to say someone is better than the other because of that, I don’t think does the story justice.

Speaking of life stories…
When does the GOP ever say that Obama’s life story is inspiring?
Born to an unwed, mixed race couple where the mother was a teenager. Raised by a single mom. Living in different countries. Raised by his grandparents at one point. Etc…etc…etc…

Of course… being raised by a single mom from a mixed race couple by no means makes him a better candidate than someone else.

Both life stories are inspiring. Neither qualifies one candidate over the other.