John McCain: Not Such A Maverick Anymore

By declaring Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential candidate, John McCain has completely shed his maverick status. First, the selection of Sarah Palin shows that he is selling his soul to the Christian right in order to win. Second, I don't believe a single word of the rhetoric he has been putting out lately about dismantling the influence of special interests in Washington under his administration. Third, his plan to drill America out of dependence on foreign oil is hopelessly outdated, and his eight conspicuous absences for votes on extending the tax credits for solar and wind power show that he is not tuned in to the economic need of this country on either a micro or macro level. These are the industries of the future, the 21st century growth engines that the microprocessor and software were for the last generation. The standard of living is declining right before John McCain's eyes and he apparently thinks that cheap oil will preserve it. He fails to recognize the damage being done by continued use of fossil fuels and their inevitable exhaustibility. By the time the new drilling begins to have an impact on the average price of a gallon of gas, John McCain's presidency would be over. It's impossible to think of Mr. McCain running for a second term at the age of 76. I think we should send John McCain out of town on a rail and let him quietly fade into political oblivion. The baby boom generation has not shown itself to be great leaders, but I'm praying that we will not wait until a late stage crisis to take decisive action.