President John McCain?
This isn't much of a surprise, but it looks like he's already on the pre-campaign trail, gearing up for a run at the White House in 2008:
True enough, perhaps, and I've always liked McCain a great deal. But may I mention that in recent days he has come out in support of the teaching of so-called intelligent design alongside evolution? And that's but one example of the ideological conservatism behind his cross-partisan cult of personality. Sure, he's a maverick -- and even, on some issues, a moderate -- but his conservative credentials are undeniable. Like him or not, at least understand him for what he is. His foreign- and military-policy experience is impressive, as is his personal history, but the substance is more important than the image, especially when we're talking about the presidency.
But, hey, at least he mentioned global warming.
U.S. Sen. John McCain knows why he wants to be president.
He isn't running for the job -- officially. That won't happen, if it happens at all, until after next year's midterm elections.
McCain, who turns 69 on Monday, said "there's no point" in formally announcing his candidacy until after the 2006 congressional elections.
But the Arizona Republican didn't skip a beat Tuesday when asked why he would want to run for the White House in 2008.
"Because we live in a time of great challenges," McCain said in an interview with Arizona Daily Star editors and
reporters.
Chief among them is the war on terror, a "transcendent issue" likely to last for years, he said. But there is "a broad variety of domestic challenges" as well.
Sounding much like a candidate ticking off the priorities of his platform, McCain said they include immigration, Social Security, global warming, rising health-care costs and the "obscene" spending practices of Washington.
"My ego is sufficient to say that I think I have the background and experience to take on these challenges," he said.
True enough, perhaps, and I've always liked McCain a great deal. But may I mention that in recent days he has come out in support of the teaching of so-called intelligent design alongside evolution? And that's but one example of the ideological conservatism behind his cross-partisan cult of personality. Sure, he's a maverick -- and even, on some issues, a moderate -- but his conservative credentials are undeniable. Like him or not, at least understand him for what he is. His foreign- and military-policy experience is impressive, as is his personal history, but the substance is more important than the image, especially when we're talking about the presidency.
But, hey, at least he mentioned global warming.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
2:34 AM
7 Comments:
You do realize that the Democratic Party's own staunchest supporters - **blacks** - agree with President Bush and Sen. John McCain on the intelligent design vs. evolutionary theory issue? Although I would call Sen. McCain a moderate-conservative, there are many folks who are not conservative who view evolutionary theory as undermining their cultural values (and some blacks view it as racist as well, since Darwin was not exactly a friend of ours either. Personally, I don't see contradiction in the two theories, but others do).
By
Shay Riley, at 10:17 AM
Since when was evolution a race issue? I've never heard of this before.
By
Anonymous, at 4:40 PM
I don't think McCain will win the Republican primary. The hardcore right hates him. For them, it's personal. They hate him so much they'd rather vote for a pro-choice Guilliani. If McCain doesn't get to the white House he will be the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee. So they will still have to deal with him and people like me who like him can still get the benefit of his expertise in the Senate on military issues.
By
Anonymous, at 11:04 PM
Shay, you need to learn the difference between a theory, hypothesis, and scientic law. See http://wilstar.com/theories.htm for a good simple explanation.
By
Anonymous, at 12:46 PM
Um, yeah. They guy has the same name as a frozen french-fry. And about as much personality. I need a superliberal to light my fire.
By
Anonymous, at 12:48 AM
RGBLK: Shay, you need to learn the difference between a theory, hypothesis, and scientic law. See http://wilstar.com/theories.htm for a good simple explanation.
I am perfectly aware of the difference, without your condescension. Read again, as I said in my original post that I personally don't see contradictions in believing in both evolutionary theory and intelligent design theory. However, others do and I was pointing out Michael's erroneous suggestion that only right-wingers support intelligent design theory by noting that the Democrats' own staunchest supporters (blacks) also mostly support it and thus it goes across party lines.
And Anonymous, while most evolutionists do not operate the theory as a race issue, some do (and Darwin himself was not a friend to black folks). That is perhaps one reason why many black parents don't want the theory taught to their children, and some see it as an attack on old-school black cultural values. And if we had school vouchers, this would be a moot point as people could choose the school that fits their needs.
By
Shay Riley, at 11:33 AM
This is strange, and very sad. I think you are saying that there are "many" black parents who don't want Evolution taught because it was propounded by someone they thought was "not a friend to black folks?" The idea was not original with C. Darwin. In fact one of the earlier proponents of the idea was his grandfather, Erasmus Darwin. And Darwin sat on his publication for some 21 years, before he was more or less forced to publish, as someone else had told Charles he was going to publish the same ideas.
Look, I know many Jews who love and study the music of Wagner, in spite of his well-known antisemitism.
As far as Evolution, the theory stands, and has been developed by thousands of scientists since Darwin's day. Some of them are even black. As if that matters! No, when I hear that sort of ad hominem attack in the context of scientific theory, I am afraid my gut reaction is to think of it as making an excuse for intellectual sloth. That is something we should really stand against.
By
Anonymous, at 1:53 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home