A reader writes:
In defense of Schmidt, he comes across very credibly when he talks about the campaign and about Palin. If nothing else, he openly admits that the pick was pure cynicism from a political operative trying to win an election, not govern a country.
Frankly that doesn’t bother me—that’s his job. It is McCain’s job to say to Schmidt, “No Steve. I get the political argument you are making, but she just isn’t qualified to be president.” The real character failure here was McCain’s, and really no one else’s. It is not dishonorable for Schmidt to suggest her and look at the potential political upside in a heated election cycle. He is a tactician, and it’s his job to consider all options that improve his guy’s chance to win. McCain is the one with the responsibility to think about the election AND the aftermath AND the bigger picture of what is good for America…(Country First, anyone?)
For a guy who spent such a long time building his public persona as the brave, feisty, patriotic centrist-populist to acquiesce to Palin’s selection is one of the most dishonorable things I have ever seen a politician do. You sense that he knows it too—knows that his time has passed, and that his public character is damaged beyond repair. His failure is absolute, and he now has all the bearing of a defeated, embittered, barely contained man whose stature gets smaller by the day.
(Photo: Republican U.S presidential nominee U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) walks on stage during day four of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center on September 4, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will accept the GOP nomination for U.S. President Thursday night. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.)
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