The Opinionated Bastard

As I get older, more and more, it seems to me that whatever people say, the exact opposite is true.

So Barack Obama is going around saying that McCain is running for George Bush's 3rd term.

Except that to me, of the two, Barack Obama seems like a left wing version of Bush.

It's what I call the "Wisdom Deficit". The Left didn't have it quite right with Bush. It's not that Bush was stupid. On the contrary, Bush was smart enough. What Bush wasn't was wise. Wisdom and Intelligence are two different things.

I went to Caltech. I'm a fucking rocket scientist, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant people in the world.

Some of the most brilliant people in the world can also be some of the stupidest.

For me, intelligence vs. Wisdom is the difference between Theory and Practice. You can come up with a brilliantly thought out theory; but it may be a disaster in practice.

Bush wasn't wise enough to be cynical about what the intelligence agencies were telling him. He wasn't wise enough to realize that when General Franks said "I'll plan the invasion, but the occupation is someone else's problem" that meant "You better find someone who can do this." Bush wasn't wise enough to keep watch on some of his appointees (FEMA, FDA, etc.). Bush wasn't wise enough to trust the American people with the real reasons for the Iraq War, so he took the WMD tactic. Bush wasn't wise enough to realize that he needed to sit down with the American people and guide us through the decision process. Bush wasn't wise enough to realize that when American's talk about winning the hearts and minds in a war, its not really the enemies hearts and minds we have to win over, but our own. Bush wasn't wise enough to take speechmaking lessons. Bush wasn't wise enough to realize that the smartest thing you can do some times is change your mind.

I think Obama might make a good president someday. But not now. Right now, he has the same problem Bush had. A deficit of wisdom. Obama doesn't seem wise enough to realize that many of his positions are just wrong, and he's surrounded himself with advisors who are well, clowns and fanatics.

I get that people are angry at Bush. But a left-wing Bush would be a complete disaster. Obama is a left-wing Bush. Same set of problems, just in a different direction. If you feel that the country would be best served by a confused drift to the hard left after Bush's confused drift to the right, Obama's your man.

But I don't think that the country needs confused direction to the Right or the Left. When I look at the candidates positions, it seems to me that in general, they're both right, and they're both wrong. What we really need in a leader is someone who can take the best of both sides and merge them together.

McCain has been my Senator for as long as I've lived in Arizona. I've run into him now and again, and he always had the time and grace for a constituent. When I talked to him about an issue, I learned something. When I disagreed with him and talked to him about it, half the time he convinced me I was wrong, and he always convinced me that he deeply understood the issue. McCain has been wise enough to change his mind.

I've always been proud McCain was my Senator, and someday I hope to be proud he's my President.