The Real Story: The resurgence of John McCain
Senator is blazing through the primary trail with fresh steam
Posted on February 4, 2008
Last summer, John McCain’s presidential campaign was practically dead. His fundraising had dried up and he was polling in the single digits in most states. In the fall, many political experts expected McCain to end his campaign at any time. But instead of calling it quits, he kept fighting and it resulted in one of the most remarkable comebacks in recent political history.
McCain’s resolve should come as no surprise; no one can question his spirit and toughness. As a prisoner of war in Vietnam, he was tortured and beaten so severely by the North Vietnamese that, to this day, he cannot raise his arms above his head. But despite his suffering, he refused to surrender his dignity by caving in to his captors.
His horrifying experience as a POW and his ability to overcome it has earned him tremendous respect among his colleagues in Washington and his presidential rivals. While many have criticized him for his positions, his character and integrity have rightfully remained untouchable subjects. Yet while his conviction kept him in the race, his reversal of fortunes has been most affected by the success of the American military in Iraq and the “surge” that McCain fought so hard for.
Early last year, our military faced the possibility of being caught in the middle of a civil war between al-Qaeda-backed Sunni and Iranian-backed Shiite Muslims in Iraq. Yet, while the Democratic leadership in Congress did all it could to undermine the war effort and withdraw our troops in defeat, McCain fought for victory so our soldiers could “come home with honor.” He criticized the mismanagement of the war by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and led the call for an increase in troop levels before President Bush adopted the strategy.
At the time, even Republicans had their doubts over whether victory was possible in Iraq and McCain’s steadfast support for the war caused his poll numbers to suffer greatly. Risking his political future, he held his ground saying that he’d “much rather lose a campaign than a war.”
But today the situation is much different. Our soldiers have done a remarkable job in securing Iraq. Violence has dropped dramatically all over the country and, as of this week, only one al-Qaeda stronghold remains.
As a result of the success, McCain’s poll numbers have skyrocketed. He holds leads over his Republican rivals in almost every state left in the primary season as well as head-to-head leads over Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
McCain’s revival can also be credited to another cause: his own personality. He may not be the smoothest talker in the race for the White House, but he is by far the most straightforward and honest of any other remaining candidate. Throughout his campaign, he has been willing and eager to defend his beliefs on issues of which he is at odds with Republicans. Instead of trying to fool voters by telling them what they want to hear, like Mitt Romney, McCain wants to win votes by earning the voters’ respect.
At his townhall meetings, McCain doesn’t brush voters off with sound bite answers; instead, he lets them ask follow-up questions. Between campaign stops, he often sits and talks with the reporters he travels with on his bus. His accessibility to the media and to voters has helped to grow his support by giving voters a better understanding of him.
In 2008, America finds itself at a crossroads. We are a war with Islamic extremists who, guided by their ideology of bigotry and hatred, wish to rule the world and replace our freedom with fear. Our economy is failing, Americans have lost faith in their government, millions live without health care and our laws are continually undermined by activist judges who legislate from the bench.
I support McCain because he is a true American hero who stands on principle, not politics. He has dedicated his life to serving our country and has a record of courage and leadership. He will keep our country on the offense against the terrorists and make our government accountable to the people it serves by eliminating wasteful porkbarrel spending, as well as protect the dignity and sanctity of human life and the values that make this country great.
Tony Spadaccia is a freshman political science and business management major.
