Saturday, Senator McCain boarded a 777 in Frankfurt almost without notice. Debarking at Dulles International, only two people in arrivals had any idea who he was. He stumbled throughout his campaign for the Presidency, his Veep pick was disasterous, and now few even recognize him. He has marginalized himself.
So why ask him his opinion on broadcast television? Easy, the pearls that issue forth. Yesterday, Senator McCain actually uttered these words in response to a question about advice to Mitt Romney on picking a VP:
“The absolute, most important aspect is, if something happened to him, would that person be well qualified to take that place? I happen to believe that was the primary factor in my decision in 2008. And I know it will be Mitt’s. And I’m very happy to say we’ve got a very deep bench” – John McCain on ABC This Week, May 6, 2012 (segment begins at 11:15)
Really? “I happen to believe?” He doesn’t know what his primary consideration was? The facts are not within his grasp? Well, after all, more and more that is not a surprise.
Discussing the situation in Syria and in response to a question about the chance that there could be blowback if, as McCain calls for, the United States arms the insurgency and it turns out that it is al-Qaeda:
“I don’t know what horrible blowback effect there would be besides the fact that extremists may take it over.”
Intentionally eliciting this kind of nonsense for entertainment might be the only reason to ask his opinion. It is not to get well considered strategic advice. And it is not because a lot of people care what he thinks anymore. It is disconcerting to watch. If his family and handlers cared about him and maintaining any remaining legacy of a true American hero, they would keep him as invisible as he was on Saturday’s flight from Frankfurt and off Sunday TV.
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