In the face of a reasoned critique of John McCain's potential to lead the nation as Commander in Chief, in which Gen. Wesley Clark pointed out that McCain's personal heroism as a P.O.W. did not necessarily mean that he had the good judgment to be an effective president, John McCain and his hired guns from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have called upon Barack Obama to repudiate Clark. Obama, after initially backing down in the face of McCain's bluster, has now rejected any call for Gen. Clark to apologize for his accurate summation and fair criticism of McCain's war record. Meanwhile, the McCain camp has the audacity to have its Swift Boaters disingenuously whine that the Democrats have turned the tables on them.
Among Michael Kinsley's pointed observations about public life was the comment that a gaffe is a truthful statement by a politician. In Kinsley's sense, Clark has certainly committed a gaffe, and every good Democrat should applaud him for it. Clark's gaffe was as follows:
Mr. Schieffer: Well, you went so far as to say that you thought John McCain was, quote, and these are your words, “untested and untried.” And I must say, I had to read that twice, because you’re talking about somebody who was a prisoner of war, he was a squadron commander of the largest squadron in the Navy, he’s been on the Senate Armed Services Committee for lo these many years. How can you say that John McCain is untested and untried, General?
Mr. Clark: Because in the matters of national security policy making, it’s a matter of understanding risk, it’s a matter of gauging your opponents and it’s a matter of being held accountable.John McCain’s never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands of millions of others in the armed forces as a prisoner of war. He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he has traveled all over the world.But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded wasn’t a wartime squadron. He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn’t seen what it’s like when diplomats come in and say, `I don’t know whether we’re going to be able to get this point through or not. Do you want to take the risk?What about your reputation? How do we handle it publicly?’… He hasn’t made those calls, Bob. So…
Mr. Schieffer: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean…
Mr. Clark: Well, I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
Mr. Schieffer: Really?
Mr. Clark: But Barack is not — he is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements, he’s running on his other strengths. He’s running on the strengths of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment, and those are qualities that we seek in our national leadership.