HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Republican John McCain told voters in this key electoral state Tuesday he was personally tested by the same kind of crisis that Democratic vice presidential nominee Joseph Biden warned Barack Obama will almost certainly face if elected president.
McCain recalled being ready to launch a bombing run during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which Biden said over the weekend tested a new President John F. Kennedy and was the template for the kind of "generated crisis" the 47-year-old Obama would face within six months of taking office.
"I was on board the USS Enterprise," McCain, a former naval aviator, said in the capital city of Harrisburg. "I sat in the cockpit, on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise, off of Cuba. I had a target. My friends, you know how close we came to a nuclear war."
As the crowd of several thousand began to swell with cheers and applause, he added with dramatic effect: "America will not have a president who needs to be tested. I've been tested, my friends."
Biden told two fundraising audiences in Seattle over the weekend that he expected world figures to test Obama early if he wins the election in two weeks.
"He's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him," Biden said.
Biden predicted Obama would fare well because he's "got steel in his spine." In citing the Cuban Missile Crisis, though, he evoked a historic event in which McCain played a part.
"The Enterprise, sailing at full speed under nuclear power, was the first U.S. carrier to reach waters off Cuba," McCain wrote in his memoir, "Faith of My Fathers.""For about five days, the pilots on the Enterprise believed we were going into action. We had never been in combat before, and despite the global confrontation a strike on Cuba portended, we were prepared and anxious to fly our first mission."
He added: "Pilots and crewmen alike adopted a cool-headed, business-as-usual attitude toward the mission. Inwardly, of course, we were excited as hell, but we kept our composure and aped the standard image of a laconic, reserved, and fearless American at war."
McCain spent all day Tuesday in Democratic-leaning Pennsylvania, worth 21 Electoral College votes, before heading Wednesday into New Hampshire, a formerly reliable GOP state which Obama has made competitive this year. Though it has only four of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency, New Hampshire could swing the election under some voting models which predict a very close Electoral College split.
The 72-year-old McCain regularly questions whether Obama - a first-term senator - has the experience to be president. He also questions whether the Illinois Democrat has the character to stand up to his own party and to stick with his core philosophical views.
In a region experiencing World Series fever, McCain underscored his argument by noting Obama had expressed support for both teams playing in the upcoming baseball championship.
Standing just miles north of Philadelphia, whose Phillies will represent the National League starting Wednesday against the American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, McCain noted Obama has identified himself with both teams while campaigning in their two politically important home states.
Obama said over the weekend in Philadelphia that while he was a Chicago fan, "Since the White Sox are out of it, I'll root for the Phillies now." On Monday in Tampa, Obama was introduced by a Rays pitcher and said, "I've said from the beginning that I am a unity candidate, bringing people together. So when you see a White Sox Fan showing love to the Rays - and the Rays showing some love back - you know we are on to something right here."
McCain told employees at TCI Millwork Inc. in Bensalem: "Now, I'm not dumb enough to get mixed up in a World Series between swing states. But I think I may have detected a little pattern with Sen. Obama. It's pretty simple really. When he's campaigning in Philadelphia, he roots for the Phillies, and when he's campaigning in Tampa Bay, he 'shows love' to the Rays."
As boos echoed through a cavernous warehouse, he added:"It's kind of like the way he campaigns on tax cuts, but then votes for tax increases after he's elected."
McCain ended his day with a rally at Robert Morris University in Moon Township, just outside Pittsburgh. He tried to criticize Obama for saying in April that working class Pennsylvanians "cling" to guns and religion when their economic fears rise and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., for saying last week that some of his Western Pennsylvania constituents are racist. But McCain drew mostly silence as he fumbled the remarks several times before getting his point right.
"Sen. Obama's supporters have been saying some pretty nasty things about Western Pennsylvania lately. And you know I couldn't agree with them more. I couldn't disagree with you. I couldn't agree with you more than the fact that Western Pennsylvania is the most patriotic, most god-loving, most patriotic part of America. This is a great part of the country. My friends, I could not disagree with those critics more," McCain said.
Do you think it matters if someone has been or has not been "tested" when deciding who should be president?
10 comments:
With the election coming down to the last two or so weeks, it seems that Obama is on his way to claiming the presidency. While this election has had its share of mud slinging, most of it have been directed toward policies and not personal issues. McCain is the candidate that has the experience; however, Obama is the one with the vision. I believe that Obama's health care care plan and tax cuts appeal to more of the people and as a result, he has gained the lead. I believe that this election will be decided by the people's pocketbooks due to the economic crisis that has gripped the nation.
McCain has no power saying the remarks of Obama not having enough expereince when his running mate is an outside governor from Alaska. Obama has proven that he has the skills and patience for the presidency, and Sarah Palin has showed no such thing. Obama is more than qualified to become president, and with McCain having more military experience really doesn't matter in this election based on the issues of the economy. McCain needs to evalute his running mate before making such comments about Obama.
I think it's important for the president to have experience but not necessarily to have been tested. No one is perfect for the presidency. Absolutely NO ONE! So, whether they have been tested or not, both of them have their faults and both of them won't fit the criteria for president 100%. Sure, McCain has been to war and has had more experience than obama but Obama may be more qualified when it comes to economics and such. Both candidates are experience in different areas. so I guess it just depends on what they've been "tested" on.
It really bothers me when people try to pull the "he has no military experience" card in their attempts to discredit Obama. I really don't think it's a big deal. I mean, it's not like Obama will have a league of military advisors to consult, right? He'll be all by himself making all the big decisions, right?
No, he won't. At the very least he'll have Biden, who has more than enough experience himself.
And anytime McCain or Palin says the word "tax" it makes me want to punch a baby seal in the face. They hardly ever make a good point and they're always haranguing Obama for his supposed contradictions. The majority of the raises are aimed at the wealthy, those who can more than afford it.
But more importantly, no, I don't think a president needs to be "tested" before he can be elected. Obama has the makings of a good leader and is actually coherent when he speaks.
McCain said that he has been tested. He keeps trying to turn the voters attention toward policies. Obama for the most part seems like he is going to be a good leader and the right change we need. If Obama hasn't been tested, it's ok because he's smart enough and mentally ready to become president anyway.
Yes, Obama has never had to make any major disions ever. He has a good vision for what he wants to do, and he's very well spoken but i would feel more comfortable with a president who has been "tested". We need someone with the expceince of leadership on their shoulders. That doesn't mean i support McCain because he's had more expeirence(i'm undestided who i would vote for), i just think are Presedent should be someone who has proven they can handle the responsibility.
I think that Obama offers more plans for your average American that they will be rewarded with immediately
Wait, why is McCain criticizing Obama's baseball views? I believe that the current economic situations and the war on terrorism situations are far different than the cuban missile crisis 46 years ago. McCain may be the candidate with more experience, but I wonder if it will actually help the country if he were to be elected president. Obama is a dreamer. He speaks of his grand plans, tax cuts, economic policies, and how he would encourage the development of alternative energy; all the issues which the common people would want to hear. Although McCain is also deploying a similar approach, he mud-slings Obama on almost every opportunity, as seen on all 3 presidential debates. I think its important to have a president who has been tested during a time of crisis, but its more important to have a president who will set the country on its rightful path.
Of course it is better if a president has been tested before he enters the office. I wouldn't want the test to happen when he is actually president only to find out he can't handle it. I don't think we have much to worry with Obama because of all the experience he has around him, but it is still true that he has not been tested to such limits as John McCain has. And Biden's remark, "He's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him," is definately inspiring for the american people but I would feel much safer if I knew he could do it even without the help of the people. And I'm not saying John McCain is capable of that but i think he has a better chance of withstanding the tests he will face during presidency with the experiences he's been through.
I agree with Rui. The first test for Obama will be to fix the American economy. In this area Macain has not had much more experience than Obama. Experience does not always necessarily denote that a person will make the better president. Take President Lincoln for an example; he was much less experienced than Stephen Douglas or John Breckinridge, yet he ended up being one of the greatest presidents ever.
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