Not a Big Truck

John McCain has recently made a habit of using his POW experience as a one-size-fits-all retort for criticisms lobbed at his campaign.  (See our earlier post about allegations that McCain was not in a “cone of silence” before Rick Warren’s debate at the Saddleback Church.)  Today, the Obama campaign released an ad depicting McCain as an out-of-touch moneybags who can’t even keep track of how many houses he owns:

The McCain campaign’s laughable response:

The reality is they have some investment properties and stuff. It’s not as if he lives in ten houses. That’s just not the case. The reality is they have four that actually could be considered houses they could use. … This is a guy who lived in one house for five and a half years — in prison.

Only four houses!  A true man of the people.

The idea that McCain permanently gets a free pass not only on all allegations of dishonesty but also on charges of elitism simply because he was a POW is ludicrous.

Part of me hopes that the McCain campaign continues using this line of defense against criticisms from the Obama campaign.  I’m not convinced of its ultimate effectiveness.  Being a decorated veteran running against a non-veteran was not enough for John Kerry in 2004 or Bob Dole in 1996.  The American people don’t care nearly as much about military service and POW status as McCain hopes they do.

What’s more, I think the endless repetition of the “But I’m a POW” cry from the McCain camp could become a punchline of sorts if they are not careful.  Think of Rudy Giuliani running on his post-9/11 record as “America’s Mayor.”  At the beginning of the presidential campaign season, everyone thought Giuliani had a great shot at becoming the Republican nominee thanks to that record.  But Giuliani could only play that one note and found ways to bring every discussion back to 9/11.  Even though most people still respected Giuliani’s service as mayor, his shameless repetition of it in speeches and debates eventually became kind of a joke, to the point that Joe Biden mocked him as the man whose every sentence consisted of “a noun, a verb, and 9/11.”  McCain should watch out, especially if Biden ends up on the ticket.  I think a similar thing could happen to him.  All that’s necessary is a single witty and memorable (but not nasty) line like Biden’s.

Interesting article in The Times today that has been cited quite a bit on the blogs.

The money quote comes from McCain spokesperson Nicolle Wallace: “The insinuation from the Obama campaign that John McCain, a former prisoner of war, cheated is outrageous.”

No one should ever minimize the courage required by soldiers fighting in combat.  It takes a mentality and certain quality of personality that I personally lack.

Additionally, no one should dismiss the torture that McCain went through during his time as a prisoner of war and the fortitude that it takes to survive such circumstances.

I do not, however, in any way, see how McCain being a former prisoner of war means that he is morally infallible.  Just as some assume a certain moral superiority for the poor — everyone that is poor is hardworking and just have had bad luck or unfortunate circumstances, while the wealthy work cushy jobs and lazily stumble through the day raking in millions — it seems that some assume that the tortuous and terrible experience of being a prisoner of war necessarily produces virtue.  Having been a prisoner of war is not a sufficient condition for virtue.

Of course, every experience that we have contributes to our character and our development.  I think it is reasonable to discuss traumatic events like being a prisoner of war and explain how that event and the experience contributed to one’s growth.  One can discuss how being left in painful positions, bound by ropes overnight, forced to stand for days, and other forms of torture or aggressive interrogation can lead to the enrichment of character.

The legitimacy of arguing that simply being “a former prisoner of war” means that one cannot lie or cheat — especially in light of the fact that McCain has unquestionably lied and cheated in the past — must be challenged.

One has to wonder if John McCain believes, given what his spokesperson stated, that those that were captured and were/are being physcially harmed/abused/tortured by our government will forever be pure of heart and above dishonesty or cheating.