Better Prepared to be Commander in Chief

[Michael Tee]

I'm just thinking about this one and wondering just what McCain's command experience was.  Far as I could tell, the guy was a pilot, pretty low-ranking in the order of things.  He's not in charge of large battle groups and has no experience, other than being on the receiving end, of how orders are given at the top, passed down and implemented.  He's no Eisenhower I guess is what I am trying to say.

Basically, what this guy has - - apart from being the son and grandson of Admirals and one of the lowest-ranked members of his graduating class at Annapolis - - is a kind of allegiance to the military, without any real command experience or knowledge of the top-level politicking that goes on among generals and admirals jockeying for position in peace or war.

I would argue that a civilian with no military ties would be better able to stand up to the bullshit and snow jobs of military professionals who apparently are being given the right to write their own report cards in such key matters as "progress" in Iraq than a guy like McCain who is selling himself as a "warrior" and obviously tries to ingratiate himself with military families and supporters.  Someone needs to keep a close rein on these guys and why not a civilian?  Why not Obama?

[Amianthus]

He's not in charge of large battle groups and has no experience, other than being on the receiving end, of how orders are given at the top, passed down and implemented.

He was the commanding officer of the largest attack squadron in the Navy - the VA-174 "Hellrazors".

[Michael Tee]

Apparently the guy had more command responsibility than I thought.  How long did he hold the position and where did he go from there?

[Amianthus]

How long did he hold the position and where did he go from there?

Two years, during which time the unit, considered mediocre before his arrival, earned its first Meritorious Unit Commendation. After that, he became the Navy's liaison to the Senate until his retirement several years later. Then he entered Congress, where he has been ever since.

[Rich]

[Plane]

I have a co-worker who was a sailor enlisted in the Navy working for McCain .

He tells me that McCain told the assembled unit that he had an open door policy , but that he wanted the chain of command to be used first before walking through his door with a problem , but if the chain of command couldn't solve a sailors problem he should then bring it straight into McCain who would personally see to the solveing of the problem.

He also tells me that practicly no one went through the open door , McCains policy made his chain of command eager to solve the problems of the lower enlisted and not have to admit to the old man a lack of command ability and an inability to take care of their people.

This strikes me as a simple but effective means of positively encouraging junior officers to look after the welfare of their people without loading a commander down overly , and a policy much better than was tipical of my Navy experience. Most5 sailors spend a great deal of time griping ineffectively.

[sirs]

So much for yet another one of Tee's hypotheses

[Plane]

So much for yet another one of Tee's hypotheses

I like You Sirs , but this isn't personal.


I like MT also.

[sirs]

Sorry Plane, my emotions got the better of me

[Rich]

>>So much for yet another one of Tee's hypotheses<<

Right out of the fiction section.

Mike, do some research first. It'll save you a lot of D'OH's!

[Xavier_Onassis]

Mike, do some research first. It'll save you a lot of D'OH's!

================================
A "D'oh" from Richie is like a wilted philodendrun from Astro-Boy.
Gotta avoid those.

[Michael Tee]

But unlike the wilted philodendron, a D'oh from Rich or a tooshay from sirs have a certain comical aspect and also serve to remind those of us who like to think that we have a little more on the ball than those jokers that still and all, we don't know everything.  It's pretty cool and it's one of the strengths of this group.

[The_Professor]

Sometimes, you have to separate the man/woman from their political positions. An example might be integrity. A man/woman may possess excellent personal integrity but have political positions you vehemently disagree with. John McCain might be an example of this for you.

Another example might be Jimmy Carter. Or, in the reverse context, William Jefferson Clinton.

[Michael Tee]

<<John McCain might be an example of this for you.>>

Huh?  JOHN MCCAIN would be an example of INTEGRITY?

You're kidding, right, Professor?  This guy was one of the Keating Five.  What kind of integrity does that take?

More recently, he was accused of doing improper favours for a lady friend.  He denied meeting her or her lobbyist, and the lobbyist has already called him out on that one - - remembers their meetings very clearly.

What on earth would make you think that John McCain had any more integrity than all those Senators (like Hillary and Obama) who managed to steer clear of scandal in their Senatorial careers?

[Xavier_Onassis]

He was the commanding officer of the largest attack squadron in the Navy - the VA-174 "Hellrazors".
=====================
As I recall, Monty Burns and Abe Simpson were members of the "Hellfish" of the Army.

Do they actually have razors in Hell? That is a serious theological question raised by McCain's group's name.

On the one hand, beards would catch fire a lot and add to the torment, but on the other hand, shaving could be really unpleasant with a dull razor. The Devil looks as though he shaves part of his beard on a daily basis, but he's the boss.