LUNCH WITH JOHN McCAIN?

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:6)

Well, it’s over; and even though I’m one of those people who seemingly can’t get enough of news and politics, I was even getting kind of sick of the whole thing! The political campaigns in the U.S.A. are just WAY TOO LONG. No, I’m not happy about the results, but I will pray for President-elect Obama and Vice-President-elect Biden. They’ll need it. Their political views on almost every subject are FAR from mine, and that DOES make it tough, but I realize anything is possible. I realize they may do a far better job than I think they’re going to do, and I may be pleasantly surprised. Even if not, I’ll still pray for them. WTKK’s Jay Severin opened his show on Thursday making a very off-color remark against Obama and saying he will never call him “President Obama”. Sorry, Jay, but that’s over the line, and I just can’t agree.

A lot of the people and “stuff” I voted for did not make it. That’s not a surprise! For me, it’s the norm. I tend to “march to the beat of a different drummer” and I’m kind of proud of it.

I’m truly sorry we won’t get to have John McCain as President. Poor John McCain. Conservative Republicans generally hate him. Liberals generally hate him. Ill-informed Democrats generally hate him. (I say ill-informed because it IS true that a few years ago he almost switched parties to become a Democrat.) Bush-haters FANATICALLY hate him, saying he’s the equivalent of George W. Bush and is Bush’s best buddy and biggest supporter. (That’s really not true.) And, Sarah Palin haters hate him because he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate.

McCain was my candidate all along. I voted for him in this year’s Republican primary. I also voted for him in the 2000 Republican primary. I like him. Is he “saved” as we born-again Christians like to say? While only God knows for sure, I’d guess “No”! (Incidentally, I don’t think Ronald Reagan was “saved” either but that didn’t stop me for voting for him twice for President.) I know McCain has a reputation for having a temper. There are stories of him (like Dick Cheney) letting the “F” word fly in public. Do I approve of that? No, I don’t. But I understand a guy who has a lot of passion and is not a phony. I’d MUCH rather have a guy like McCain than some sappy, gushy con man (which is what at least half of our Democrat and Republican politicians are). I’ve also heard McCain enjoys his alcohol, cigars, etc. AND, it’s true he had a history of being a skirt chaser, and he dumped his disabled first wife for Cindy. No that’s NOT right, but unlike Ted Kennedy, McCain talks about his past and regrets it. Today, McCain says cheating on his wife and dumping her was the biggest mistake of his life and he’s deeply sorry for it. (Incidentally, his first wife has forgiven him and speaks well of him.) I respect John McCain’s honesty and his humility. I know the N.A.R.A.L. crowd won’t like this, but I respect McCain’s pro-life/anti-abortion record. My understanding is he has the best pro-life voting record in the U.S. Senate.

Do you know the story of what John McCain endured as a prisoner of war at the “Hanoi Hilton” between 1967 and 1973? This man endured horrific abuse and torture. He was true to his country, and an ABSOLUTE HERO. I get choked up when I think of what he went through. I really do.

I know conservatives are furious for his “pro-illegal alien” actions, and I admit to having some trouble with that stuff. Hey, you’re not going to agree with EVERYBODY on EVERYTHING. Conservatives also can’t stand the fact that McCain has worked and collaborated with the likes of Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold. That’s where I don’t agree with conservatives. I was once told by a clergy colleague that I “network very well”. I do. I’ve learned to work for good causes with all kinds of people. I’ve built relationships with all kinds of people. I just don’t see that as a weakness in McCain, I see it as a strength.

John McCain took a lot of heat for choosing Sarah Palin. IS Sarah Palin really ready to be President? I don’t know, but as Don Imus commented, “Could she possibly be any worse than George W. Bush?” I don’t think so. I actually think she’d have been better.

I’m glad at least that McCain is still in the Senate. I saw a photo of a very sad looking John McCain on the internet yesterday and a caption saying he “blames himself” for the loss. My counsel to him is, “Senator McCain, PLEASE don’t blame yourself! You conducted your campaign with integrity, and I’m one fan of yours that’s very proud of you.”

Will John McCain visit the Boston area any time in the near future? I don’t know.
I will say this...I know I’m just little Bob Baril, but in the one in a million chance that I ever had the opportunity to meet John McCain and (say) have lunch with him, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Who knows? Maybe it will happen someday! Maybe I’ll get to enjoy a lunch with John McCain.