Am I Harder on John McCain?

Sure. Here's why. He's not a bad guy and I don't think he's a racist, but he has borrowed advisers and plays from the book of George W. But that is only part of it. It is the way he misleads us, as all conservatives do, when they talk of domestic policy. You see, I have talked a little about Obama's health plan, and it has merits and short comings. His energy policy will be expensive, but he does not deny it and he does not hide it or lie about it. Let's look at a couple of McCain's major policy claims as an illustration. Energy and health care. For energy he says he will build 45 nuclear plants. Now, I am not a big fan of nuclear, clean in some ways, nasty dirty in others and could be dangerous. But we didn't invest all these years in new technologies and because of that fusion, among other technologies, is as elusive as it was 20 years ago. So we may have no short term choice. But here's the thing, McCain talks about cutting spending and shrinking government. Each of those plants will cost $10 billion dollars. Cut spending and shrink government, or start a half trillion dollar energy program, and that is just one piece of the energy puzzle! So which will it be? As for his health plan, I have already talked about how his tax ideas won't work, but I like his community health centers idea. If you have read this blog about health care reform you see I want hospital run medical clinics. But with Medicare rates and insurance reimbursement what they are, the hospitals can't afford to build these clinics. Billions more for that and I won't put an exact price because John won't put out an exact number of clinics. Is he going to cut spending and shrink government or enact these initiatives? If history of conservative administrations from 1980 to the present is any guide--- he will do neither. He will tell us what great plans they are, but we need to "wait, my friends, until times are better and we can afford to do this. Let us first spur on the economy with a tax cut for business and the wealthy". This is why I am so hard on John McCain. Because even if you like what he says...he won't be doing it. As for some other things, as I have previously said, John McCain thought the economy was good before he thought it was bad and he thought the bailout was bad before he thought it was good. He might help in Afghanistan, but hasn't a clue about Iraq. A McCain presidency will be 4 more years of inaction on important issues, and mistakes on others. That is why I am harder on him. Not a bad guy, just mired in an ideology that will not let him succeed.