letters@latimes.com
Re: ("McCain aide apologizes for terrorist-attack comment" June 24)
Mr. Black's "gaffe" (that thing they make in Washington when they are telling their "truth") may influence some voters toward McCain. It may have its political appeal, as it comes from the same cynical mindset that misled Americans into the war in Iraq, a country that never attacked the US, and let off those who did attack us and their state sponsors to recoup for another day—and sometimes fear works. It worked before, and Republicans like to think it can work again, that, if they just keep the public in a state of abject fear, they win.
While McCain has rejected Black's assessment, in December, he seemed to agree with it, saying about the Bhutto assassination, "I would hate for this tragedy to affect anyone's campaign." And adding, "My theme throughout this campaign has been that I'm the one with the experience, the knowledge, and the judgment. Perhaps it may serve to enhance those credentials."
Some voters will still believe, against all evidence, that Republicans are better on security than Democrats. Some voters will be tricked all over again, but many more won't. Cynicism and fear just doesn't promise to work so well, not this time. Barack Obama pledges to end the mindset in Washington that took us to a war that "never should have been authorized and never should have been fought." That mindset is the mindset of John McCain, who sings about bombing Iran, who thinks terrorist acts can enhance his "credentials," and whose campaign spokesman hopes to profit politically from a new terrorist attack on America. Too many Americans have woken up to the trickery perpetrated by the Bush administration and assisted by John McCain in his vote for war in Iraq.
A new security disaster can only remind us of how we got where we are today. If there should be, God forbid, a national security crisis before Election Day, voters will hold John McCain accountable. American voters will be reminded again and again before Election Day: If John McCain is so capable of keeping America safe and strong, why didn't he when it mattered? Why would his mindset, based on all of his experience, knowledge, judgment, and "credentials," be right now, when it was so tragically wrong then?
Anyone who thinks Barack Obama is going to lay down on national security in this election, just because he's running against a John McCain, had better think again.
Respectfully,
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