John McCain, republican presidential hopeful for the US elections of 2008, has just won the State of Florida primaries, leaving him well positioned for "super Tuesday", a key event in the presidential race. I am very happy about this.
First of all, because I just think that he is one of those rare exotic species: the honest politician. Of course, I don't really know, I can't know for certain, what is in his mind, what his true motivations and intentions are. However, I do believe that a person's eyes are a window into their soul, and that if you pay attention, you can see a lot through them. What I see, is honesty, selflesness, and the drive to do what is right -not too scientific, but I think that intuition, when balanced by analysis, is a powerful tool.
Second, because he is one of the very few -certainly the only one this close to the top- who feels strongly about finance campaign reform, which in my opinion is the single most important issue in US politics. Why is this issue so important? The answer is clear when we look at the "achievements" of the current administration in light of president Eisenhower's farewell address speech, and we realize that his worst fears expressed almost five decades ago, have become true. I am convinced that Mr. McCain wants to change this. Can he actually make campaign reform happen, return sovereignty back to the citizens, even as president? It certainly would be an uphill battle, perhaps it would be wiser to attack the issue on a second term, after accumulating political capital and popular support. In any case, knowing that he wants to tackle the worst problem in our political system, and knowing that he went for it, when he could have ignored it just as the other candidates did back in 2000, speaks better of him, in my opinion, than any speech writer could possibly dream of doing.
Unfortunately, and paradoxically, the consequences of eight years of catastrophic leadership in the Republican party at the hands of the Bush administration will prove a far worse enemy to senator McCain than the Democratic candidates could ever hope to be; I believe that as american voters have finally awaken to the truth about the Iraq war, and the "legal corruption" within the administration, they will be driven away from the Republican party, stacking the odds in favor of a Democrat.
Interestingly, a democratic win will almost certainly place a member of a minority in the oval office for the first time in US history. While this fact in itself would be a boost for both the country's self-image, and for its reputation abroad, I think we still need to vote for the right candidate, regardless of race, creed, or gender, and while I think both Clinton and Obama would make capable leaders, I doubt either one would bring real change -I hope they prove me wrong.
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