John McCain's weekend off

For some reason, the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States did not make a single public appearance over the Fourth of July weekend.

Not one.

Not one parade, not one speech, not one fireworks show, not one baseball game, not one picnic, not one VFW event.

Nothing.

He stayed in one of his houses in Arizona, in the air conditioning, and relaxed. All weekend.

Senator Barack Obama attended a parade, a picnic, and his daughter's tenth birthday party. He gave interviews to People, Essence and Parents magazines and to TV's "Access Hollywood." He spoke to the National Education Association convention by satellite from Montana and flew to St. Louis to give a speech about values to the African Methodist Episcopal Church conference. And that was just through Saturday afternoon.

As comedian Argus Hamilton observed, if John McCain were in the NBA, there would be a point-shaving investigation.

America Wants to Know can think of four possible reasons that, individually or in combination, might explain Senator McCain's decision to skip any public observance of Independence Day:

-- He's not smart.

-- He's not well.

-- He doesn't want to win.

-- He thinks he can't lose.

Republican lawmakers and campaign strategists have expressed some frustration over the shapeless campaign and shifting message of McCain's operation. Republican consultant Nelson Warfield compared the candidate to a quarterback who hasn't called the play yet.

It looks pretty bad for the Republicans.

Of course, it's early, and anything could happen.

It makes you wonder if John McCain knows what's going to happen.

Did you know that Senator McCain was briefed in advance about the top-secret Colombian military plans to rescue the hostages held for over five years by revolutionary terrorists?

Do you suppose Senator McCain has been briefed about some U.S. military operation to go after terrorists between now and November?

Or worse, do you suppose Senator McCain has been tipped off to some pending orange-alert terror hysteria that will be triggered by the Bush administration's prosecution of terror suspects, timed precisely to assist the GOP in November?

That would be cynical.

Would it work?

It's far from certain that the fear of terrorism would help the McCain campaign more than the Obama campaign. At one time it was easy to argue that one cause of terrorism was weakness shown by a Democratic administration. But six years into the war in Iraq and seven years into the one in Afghanistan, that argument looks a little frayed.

The Republicans might try it one more time. Senator McCain sure is campaigning like a man with an ace up his sleeve.

A presidential candidate has to be pretty cocky to blow off the Fourth of July.


Copyright 2008

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