Will John McCain Be America's Temper Tantrum President?

Barely two hours after being on the phone with Senator Barack Obama, Democratic candidate for president, Arizona Senator and Republican presidential candidate John McCain took to a microphone to announce to the world he was putting his campaign on hold. He announced he was headed to Washington to play superman in making sure that Congress produces the $700 billion bailout for Wall Street.

In the same photo-opp stunt, Senator McCain also said he was not going to show up for his scheduled debate with Obama in Oxford, Mississippi, unless the bailout package was certain.

That was around 3:00 PM on Wednesday, September 24.

Obviously the move blind-sided Senator Obama, who responded with shock at McCain's impromptu announcement. Of course, Mr. Obama might have been faking ignorance, as politicians often do. Or did McCain give him no hints at all?

Did Mr. McCain even consult the Presidential Debate Committee, which has been planning the first of three debates between the two candidates? Perhaps, but who can be sure?

While staunch McCainaics call the senator's move "brilliant" or "patriotic" (it seems everything McCain says or does is patriotic to some degree), some of us are left scratching our itchy heads as to what Candidate John McCain is up to now. Who can tell what other unseen rabbit he'll pull out of his hat next. But whatever his political motive is this time, Senator McCain may have helped to reinforce suspicions about his shaky, bumpy temperament.

These suspicions first took on steam back in 1999 when McCain faced off Mr. George Bush during the Republican primary. Fellow politicians who know the Arizona Senator best have often testified to his fiery temper and outbursts of tantrums.

Scott Thomsen, writing from Phoenix on Sunday, October 31, 1999, cites The Arizona Republic, which wanted "the nation to know about the 'volcanic' temper McCain has unleashed on several top state officials."

That article stated, "Those who have been on the receiving end of a McCain uproar include Republican Gov. Jane Hull, former Republican Gov. Rose Mofford and former Democratic Mayor Paul Johnson of Phoenix... If McCain is truly a serious contender for the presidency, it is time the rest of the nation learned about the John McCain we know in Arizona. There is also reason to seriously question whether he has the temperament, and the political approach and skills, we want in the next president of the United States."

Other colleagues of the senior senator label McCain's temper tantrums as "passion" for his constituents and for the issues he believes in.

It should be noted that political science professor, Larry Sabato, points out that a President McCain would not have a monopoly on presidential tirades. Professor Sabato says Presidents LBJ, Nixon, and Clinton displayed First Temper before the eyes of the American people.

While that may well be the case, it was not true that those leaders were KNOWN as temperamental, on their way to the oval office. Well, I guess one could say, with McCain, we know exactly what we're getting. Still, it is one thing for a national leader to get angry every now and then. That's called being human. But erratic flares and sudden emotional flips are quite something else. And that has been part of the McCain experience we are supposed to adore.

Now, one of the most important prerogatives of the American President is to be the only one who has full access to the doom's day button of the nation's nuclear weapon arsenal. In that vein, ponder this somber scenario: President McCain has his fingers on the nuclear button, sort of stroking it. No problem there. Well, then the Russian army invades Georgia again. Is the American Commander In Chief getting a bright idea already, one of those hot Phoenix summer feelings? Next, Russian leader Dmitry Medvedev, being coached by Prime Minister Putin, and tagged team by his visiting buddy Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, dials up the American President and intentionally tries to get under his skin, tick him off, knowing he's a man of sudden rage. Mr. Medvedev warns, no, he threatens President McCain, "Chief Yankee, you've better butt out of Russian affairs. We're taking Georgia back, and there's nothing you can do about it. We've got the Chinese, the South Americans, and most of the Arabs on our side. As for Europe, they can't do without our oil, so we're not even worried about them. We are back! Now, smoke that, or as we prefer to say here in wintry Russia, drink that hot stuff -- vodka, that is! What you're gonna do, Mr. President of the ever dwindling empire? Ha-ha-ha!"

Did I say, that by noon on Thursday, September 25, Senator McCain had suddenly flipped, saying he was ready again to walk into the presidential debate hall? What had changed about the bailout? Well, no much, really. Only looks like the senator's superman feat had fallen flat, failing to impress most Americans, except McCainaics, of course.

This man keeps turning presidential politics into a better soap opera than any politics addict could ever dream of. He may well be destined for Hollywood, after all. He already has a great story line anyway. Add all the drama and waterfall emotional highs and lows, and you've probably got a thriller there, especially with the Vietnam hero and veteran politician playing himself, Maverick par excellence.

Don't mean to scare anyone, but Mr. McCain behaves too panicky. And please spare us this military bravery stuff -- for the millionth time. We're talking TODAY. And right now, Mr. McCain acts erratic, a little too temperamental to ease our minds in a nuclearized world, where America is being, not only hated by a growing number of countries, but also isolated and often provoked on purpose.

Will we be able to sleep soundly come night time, knowing who's manning that nuclear remote, as our Commander In Chief? Will he be able to keep his cool when provoked by a rogue nation, or a global power player? Serious doubts.

Frankly, a person of my ilk may have little choice but to keep his heart in his throat, or give up the ghost far ahead of an aging CIC, not to mention one who's experienced in temper politics. No wonder the folk keep reminding us that John McCain has "the experience".

How Should Republicans Woo Minority Voters?

I would have voted for Gov. Bill Clinton, without thinking twice. Hey, that's just what a typical African would do. There is a Democrat bias in African politics. Though I could not vote in the US elections of 1992 and 1996, my guy won, and it felt like I helped to put him in office. Boy, was I excited, seeing with my own two eyes how real democracy works!

Already, I was looking forward to the next presidential election. Well, I still couldn't vote. In fact, it would be February 2002 before I became a US citizen, with the right to vote. By then I had undergone some soul searching about my knee-jerk support for liberal Democrats. I realized that the key reason Africans favor the Democratic Party in the US has to do with their perceived compassion for the poor and oppressed, and for Africa in particular. Up to the time I came to America, it was more likely for a Democratic president to visit Africa than a Republican one.

When it comes to moral standards, family values or social beliefs, however, Africans are actually more like socially conservative Republicans. It dawned on me that if Republicans could find some way to bridge the compassion gap, they could, over time, win a sizable portion of the black vote that Democrats, for the most part, take for granted.

When the 2000 election season came around, I began to hear something very interesting. A Republican candidate named George W. Bush proposed the idea of "compassionate conservatism", and, with those words, he got my attention. When Mr. Bush visited our city in 2000, I ignored the heavy rains and went to the rally at the airport to see this different kind of Republican. As luck or God would have it, I got close enough to shake hands with Mr. Bush, and that made my day. No, it made my week, my month. OK, much longer than that -- I'm still talking and writing about how I shook hands with President Bush!

If Bush had been mocked by elitist liberals for saying Jesus was the most influential philosopher in his life, he was now being spanked for coining the phrase "compassionate conservatism". But this time, the lashes came from the base of the Republican Party.

To me, Mr. Bush came across as having a balanced understanding of what the Man of Galilee was about. It is for good reason that we find it hard to correctly classify Jesus Christ as liberal or conservative. Jesus was neither. He was both. Jesus perfectly mingled care for the downtrodden with high moral standards. And is that not what most churches do? Show compassion without compromising moral values?

In candidate Bush, I had found my "perfect candidate", or, at least I had persuaded myself so, and when I cast my first vote for president in 2004 it was for Republican G.W. Bush. Shortly after the elections, though, I had this gut feeling that it might be a long time before I had an easy choice like that again: a compassionate conservative, a politician who seeks to marry concern for moral standards with care for the battered and bruise of society.

Come to find out, I was only one of thousands of blacks who became Bush Democrats or Bush Independents. For example, as much as 7 percent of delegates at the 2004 Republican Convention were black. That's significant, considering that blacks make up about 12 percent of the nation's population.

In contrast to 2004, this week, at the 2008 Republican Convention, there was a measly 1.5 percent of black delegates. That's 36 blacks out of a total of 2,380 delegates who attended the convention. This low representation marks a 40-year low for the Republicans. In 2004, Bush won 41 percent of Latino votes. Polls currently show McCain has just 31 percent of Latino support.

Have McCain and the Republicans squandered all the gains President Bush made with minority voters?

What should really concern Republicans is that this trend runs counter to that of an America that growing more and more diverse. According to the Census Bureau, minorities will comprise the majority of Americans by the year 2042, just 34 years from now. The Republican Party may well seal its status as a minority party, unless it learns how and works hard to attract more blacks, Latinos and other minorities. And the party has none better to turn to for advice in this regard than President Bush, the father of compassionate conservatism.

But with his job approval rating in the dumps, who wants Mr. Bush around Republican candidates these days?

Just in case my point is not yet clear, let me ask, “What was it that primarily drew blacks and Latinos to Republicans during Bush's campaign for president?” I wager it was the candidate's brilliant mix of compassion and conservative values. His success with minority voters is partly responsible for his two-term presidency.

Some of this dismal showing of Republicans among blacks is certainly due to Barack Obama, who has the overwhelming support of blacks, mainly because he is America's first black presidential nominee of a major political party. But support for Barack does not provide the sole reason why blacks have run from the Republicans in droves. For one, Senator John McCain has not made any consistent efforts to get minority votes. Yes, McCain did address the conventions of the NAACP and the Urban League, but lately he has not focused on blacks. McCain, the man of “town hall meeting” politics has to do more than address blacks at large gatherings of black leaders. He may need to hold town hall meetings with ordinary black folk to discuss their concerns. Or is it already too late?

Any outreach to blacks by Republicans must be more than words. President Bush's compassionate conservatism has not been talk only. Under Mr. Bush, the US has tripled humanitarian and development aid to Africa. He approved a whopping $48 billion to help combat HIV-AIDS. He's done more to fight AIDS than any other US president. In addition to financial aid, President Bush visited Africa, making stops in Ghana and the small country of Liberia, among others.

President Bush has also demonstrated his compassion through the White House office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, which give greater support to community groups, including equal opportunity for faith-based groups to apply for public funds. By standing with private charities in this way, Mr. Bush has been able to touch the lives of inmates, the homeless, those needing assistance with food and utility bills, and many other people served by faith-based organizations.

Though President Bush's compassion credentials were put to the test by the aftermath of Katrina and the blame game that followed, it is fair to say that this man has done more than the typical Republican president in showing compassion for the poor, needy and hurting.

No, Mr. Bush has not perfectly lived up to the ideal of compassionate conservatism, but he has done more than try. And Republican politicians will be shortsighted to abandon his breakthrough in Republican politics. If Republicans sever ties with Bush's compassionate conservatism, their party will be playing right into all the liberal stereotypes – that Republicans are friends of the insulated rich, but do not care or do not get it, when it comes to the plight of the poor. By being compassionate conservatives, Republicans can debunk all that.

Another positive thing about compassionate conservatism is that the concept can serve as a platform for Republicans to talk about things like immigration and the economy in ways that regular folk can identify with. A compassionate conservative can discuss the economy as it relates to the cries of citizens suffering the effects of high gasoline prices, health care, cost of college, high cost of groceries, people losing their homes, etc.

The switch that many black and Hispanic voters made to Bush and the Republicans is proof that conservatives need not abandon their high moral standards to attract minorities. Most blacks and Latinos are actually conservative when it comes to moral beliefs or social values. (Whisper: many of us are strongly pro-life too!) For the most part, we lead our lives and raise our children by conservative values. What keeps most blacks in the pocket of liberal Democrats is the perceived compassion of the Democratic Party. That's what Mr. Bush figured out, and he used the bridge of mercy to touch the hearts of minority voters. The notion of compassionate conservative remains the Republican Party's best hope for making inroads with blacks, Hispanics, and other voters in the long run. No, the switch won't be a quick one, but it can happen, as President Bush has proven.

Sarah Palin's Speech at Republican Convention Nails It. Really?

For a stranger to the national stage of presidential politics in America, Gov. Sarah Palin delivered an excellent speech for the Republicans at their convention. At last, she has lit the flames that the Republican grassroots have waited all these months to warm their partisan hearts and hands. It's kind of unusual that it took the bottom of the Republican ticket to fire up the campaign and the base of the party. But if you are Senator McCain, you get your fire any way you can, whether from the top or bottom of the hearth.

Having heard and seen Gov. Palin put on quite a show before the eyes of a nation curious to discover the newest political star, will Barack Obama finally be kicking himself in the pants for not picking Senator Hillary Clinton as his running mate? That would have been a double history-making ticket, but that's too late now, Senator Obama. Palin has stolen Hillary's show, it seems.

Gov. Palin's speech was historic, not only because she is the first ever female VP candidate on a Republican ticket, but also because she surpassed all expectations both in her demeanor and delivery of the most important speech of her political life thus far. Now, some broad and real-life observations on this ground-breaking speech that has America buzzing...

What Gov. Palin's Goals should have been for this Speech:

• Who I am: She did tell the nation who she is, from family background to personal qualities.
  
• What I have accomplished: She did outline her achievements, with emphasis on tackling corruption head-on in Alaska. She mentioned Alaska's budget surplus. She spoke of her reform in the energy sector, presenting herself as a champion of ending America's dependence on foreign oil, though her energy solution remains dipped and drenched in the expected oil wells of Alaska, for the most part.
  
• What I plan to do as McCain's vice president: She stressed that she will team up with McCain to bring change to Washington in maverick style and fashion. As she has done in Alaska, so McCain-Palin will do in Washington. OK...
  
• Why I'm tough enough to be John McCain's attack dog against Barack Obama: she did a very good job at that, though former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabe and former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani already covered the "nail Obama" assignment.
  

Where the Speech Strayed Somewhat

• Palin touted the military record of Senator John McCain for the millionth time. This not gets old but keeps the accent on national security as the winning issue for the McCain campaign. The risk here is that November's election is not likely to be decided by military record or on national security, as America already has a hawk in the White House.
  
• She made her children a central piece of her speech, when we are being told that the family, especially the children of a candidate are off limits. How can the kids be off limit but be center-stage in your speech? Will she continue to walk this fine line and seek to have it both ways?
  

Three Biggest Questions with Regard to Winning the Election on November 4th

1. "Does the speech reveal that Sarah Palin is ready to take over from President McCain as Commander-In-Chief, just in case McCain becomes incapacitated?" Will the majority of Americans answer that question with a unreserved "Yes, she can!"
2. "Will the speech sway the swing voters, who will decide this election, as they usually do?" The speech was "great" for firing up the partisan, hardcore Republican base, but how will the speech go down with independent swing voters? Will that speech attract or repel those swing voters who are fed up with harsh partisan, personal attacks that have little to do with the issues? We shall find out.
   
3. "Does the speech give the impression that Gov. Palin and the Republican Party understand and care about those who are hurt by this recessive economy, those who are losing their homes to widespread foreclosures all across the fruited plain?" Could it be that the speech re-affirms the image of Republicans as callous and indifferent towards "the little guy"? The speech poked fun at at community organizers, when it is those organizers who roll up their sleeves to help victims of company shutdowns?

Does it really Matter Who Wrote the Speech and for Whom?

• Minus the biographical stuff, the speech that Gov. Sarah Palin delivered at the Republican Convention was a partisan, generic speech, written long before Gov. Palin was even chosen as McCain's veep. The speechwriter is Matthew Scully, described by one blogger as "a gifted pen and former speechwriter in the George Bush White House". It seems like Palin had no input into the speech, except for her biography. That shows just how closely and carefully she's being handled by the McCain campaign, who seems to be treating Sarah as McCain's daughter, rather than as his capable teammate. And that level of handling takes away from the image they want America to see of Gov. Palin as an intelligent and independent woman who can carry her on. It may not be unreasonable to say that until Mrs. Palin can use her own words to debate or discuss ideas of her own, until she can face questioning from the news media, without Matthew Scully's script, until she can get through the VP debates, the jury is still out on exactly what Sarah Palin's qualifications are to be next in line to the 72-year-old McCain, who, for health reasons, could by default make this woman the head of state of the world's sole super power and leader of the free world. I'm afraid it will take more than the reading of one good speech to settle that all-important question.
  

Seven No-Money Gifts You Can Give Everyday

At any rate, I have been thinking of low-cost or non-cost gifts that each of these teenagers can proudly call "cool". Clearly, no easy challenge. But whereas we may actually spend some money giving our children a birthday celebration worth the name, it is my hope that one day they will discover those special gifts in life that cost no money but mean so much more. There are at least 7 such no-money gifts I can think of and ramble about in no particular order.

1. Gracious words: These can be words of thanks, like "Thank you." They can be words of encouragement: "You can make it. Don't give up." What about words of praise or compliment: "You did great! You look sharp. That's a brilliant observation." Words of affirmation: "You are important to our family. You make a difference in our school, company or church." How about words of comfort? "I don't know what it's like to experience what you're going through, but I'm standing with you; I will support you through this. I'm praying with you." Words of appreciation: "We could not have achieved this without you." What about humor, like a good joke? Or words of greeting: Please say "Good morning" every day when you wake up; yes, "Good morning", even to each person who lives in the same house with you.

2. You can give your ears at no cost to you. How? You listen. Simply listen. You come across as caring, concerned, and wise when you listen to another human being with that feel of empathy, which says, "I understand, I care, I know, I want to know".

3. How about giving your eyes? This is the gift of attention or eye contact, and it does not cost money. Do you know that 'love is in the eye'? A good look can seal the deal between two people as one falls in love, and the other confirms the feeling is mutual. Your eyes, if you are blessed with the gift of sight, are a wonderful gift; use them to give someone special that special look that engenders love, confidence, compassion, and the like.

4. Forgiveness: More than a gift to another person who has hurt or offended you, the free gift of forgiveness can heal you and free you just as much as it releases your offender. "I forgive you" is one of the most powerful sentences one person can utter for another to hear. It says you are ready to move on, and so can the other person. Forgiveness sets two prisoners free, though they may still head in different directions from the cell of grudge, bitterness and resentment.

5. Presence: This is one of the most undervalued gifts in our world. Your presence, just being there can make a whole lot of difference. Presence makes a difference in the lives of millions of children. Do you know that a son may drop out of school, use drugs and alcohol, engage in pre-age sex, commit crime, and end up in jail, simply because his dad was 'not there'? Never underestimate the power of 'being there'. The gift of presence is also essential for organizations like a sports team, a church, or a company. What good is a team, a church, or a company if no one shows up, if the players, members, or employees do not attend, if they are never 'there'? Attendance is just another name for the gift of presence. For those who are religious, one of the beliefs that keeps many of them going is a simple promise from the Almighty: "I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am with you, even to the end of the world." Presence. What a gift!

6. Smile or Laughter: Few things communicate "I'm on your team" like a genuine smile, or a good laugh. For years now, I have made it a point each day to have one good 'laugh of the day'. If the day wears on, and I haven't yet gotten my laugh of the day, I will surf the Internet until I locate a good laugher. But on most days, I get my dose of laughter with a family member, a friend, or even over the phone. By the way, laughter relieves stress and conditions your mind like you know what. By the way, we are speaking of a "laugh with" someone, not a "laugh at" anyone. The wise old king got it right, and the modern physician agrees, "A merry heart does good like medicine". Laughter is medicine. Laughter heals.

7. The Gift of Touch: The Mother Teresas of this world have understood the great gift of that human touch, the tender kind. That gift can shape the personality of a baby for the rest of that child's life. A child that is often touched will develop differently from one who never gets a hug or kiss. A gentle touch from a nurse or doctor can cheer up or even speed up the healing process for a patient, or make the difference between a peaceful death and a traumatic exit from this life. Jesus the Rabbi distinguished himself from other religious leaders and endeared himself to the common people by being a toucher rather than just a detached teacher. He touched the epileptic, those with leprosy, the prostitute, the hated, and he touched his disciples. The touch of Jesus changed lives and brought tears to the eyes of the most macho of men, including Simon Peter, that strong fisherman of Galilee. Jesus still touches lives today, through those who care enough to reach out and love another, people like you and me. Never regard a handshake, a hug, an embrace, a kiss on the cheek or lips as anything less than a precious gift. Touch someone today. It's a gift.

There is little chance that our son or daughter will be impressed with any of these cost-less gifts for their birthday. The good news is that, as their parents, we know that it is these gifts they will remember the most once they leave the nest to try out their wings across this vast wilderness we call earth. Meanwhile, thankfully, we can dump these precious presents on them just about any day of the week, whether it's their birthday or not. And you know what? Every now and then, it looks like they cherish these "uncool" presents too.

5 Brands of Friends

One somber evening not long ago, a husband and wife lay in bed rehearsing the many close friends of theirs who had checked out of their lives from recent years to the current. The husband said, "I have not taken anyone under my wings like I did that guy. I set aside time to meet with him once a week to chat, share laughter, sip coffee, and pray with him."

The wife said, her voice cracking, "When I say hello to her these days she acts like she doesn't hear me. In fact, she's started taking her break at a different time just to avoid seeing me at work. The other day I saw her and another lady talking, and as I approached, they stopped talking. I felt like they were talking about me. Anyway, that's OK. I will keep loving her, speaking to her even if she doesn't answer me. That's all I can do. Love her."

"Every time one more friendship hits the trash bin, I feel like one who rescues and raises a tiger only to get attacked by that tiger when it's all grown up. You know, Honey, I don't know what it will take before you and I finally learn our lesson and stop pouring so much of ourselves into friendships that go nowhere," the husband replied with much apathy in his tone. "We've been let down so many times. May be it's something with us. May be we just don't understand this culture, though we've been in this country for over a decade now."

The wife said, "Back home, once you find a friend, you've got a friend, but here it's like it's no big deal. They just cut off, and you have no idea why."

Her husband interrupts, "Honey, you know something, I'm in my mid forties, and when it comes to friends, I only have two right now: Amy and Rick."

Amy is the name of his wife, and Rick is his friend since junior high school.

After few more lines of conversation punctuated with stretches of silence, the couple took each other's hands, winding their day to a quiet close, as much-needed sleep slowly overwhelmed their tired bodies and wearied minds. Not a great way to end a day, but...

Like many people who value the human experience known as friendship, this couple needs to learn that there are two most unpredictable things in life: the stock market and people. Of the two, you can make a living forecasting the market. As for predicting people, well, it's a loser's career.

We all can take some of the sting out of dead-end relationships and trashed friendships once we understand that all friendships are not created equal. Looking back over the friendships of my own life, I can say with some degree of certainty that friends come in five basic brands: casual, temporary, seasonal, intermittent, and permanent.

1. Casual friend: That's your touch-and-go friendship. The hello-hello kind, just one step beyond stranger or acquaintance. You exchange smiles every now and then when your paths cross, but that's about it with casual friendship.

2. Temporary friend: As you will guess, this type of friendship is short-lived. It starts over nothing special, and it ends that way, in a relatively short period of time, though "temporary" could be a year or more before one or both friends call it quits.

3. Seasonal friend: This is friendship that was probably triggered by a special event, a moment of crisis, or a transition in the life of at least one of the two persons involved. It could be the birth of a child, the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, a flat tire by the road, or any other event that marks a crisis or transition in one's life. A seasonal friendship tends to come to an end when one or both persons get through that transitional period. The friendship has served its purpose, and it only makes sense to pull the curtain. If you try to force the continuation of such a friendship, you may actually strain the relationship beyond the pain of a broken friendship; you could make an enemy out of your old friend. It's better to let go.

What hurts most about temporary and seasonal friendships is how abruptly they usually end. Often the person just cuts away without warning or explanation. You ask the person, "What happened? What did I do wrong? How can we work this out?" And he or she says, "Nothing. There is nothing to talk about. You did nothing wrong. It's just time for us to go our separate ways."

And you wanna go, "Say what? After all we've been through? After all these years and all the time we've invested in this relationship? This is it? This is how it ends? Can't you remember? Have you forgotten?"

Sometimes it's far worse than that. Your once-good buddy may start to slander you, starting and spreading the nastiest kind of gossip and rumor about your character, saying crude and cruel things about you. How more bearable it would be if the ex-friend would let you know why s/he ended the relationship. But you are left to guess from hints dropped here, there and yonder. You must get used to not expecting or getting any explanations. This world can be a jungle, and people can be the beasts.

The surprising thing to me, knowing a little something about human nature, is that we are often shocked when a friendship we thought would last forever suddenly shrieks to a terminal halt. Look at it this way: if the seed of your loins, the embryo of your womb can come into this world, eat your food, sleep under your roof and in your bed, play with toys that you bought or made, go to school on your dime or in your car, accept and enjoy your birthday presents and graduation gifts over the years, etc, and grow into adulthood only to abandon you and cut out of your life, as though s/he never knew you from Adam, why be astonished at all when a friend with whom you shared no blood link, suddenly or gradually walks away from your life? Welcome to the real world. Get used to it, my right-now friend.

4. Intermittent friend: "Intermittent" describes something that starts and stops at intervals. "Intermittent" means periodic. It means "on-and-off".

Our family enjoys an intermittent friendship with one lady in particular. Let's call her Lady. She is the Godmother of our daughter. We may run into her at the store or at some community gathering. My wife and I sometimes voice our mutual guilt for not keeping in touch more frequently with this dear lady. But she rarely touches with us either. Recently, I surprised Lady with a visit to her home; we talked and laughed for hours.

There is one time in the year that our family can bet on seeing Lady at our house: the evening before our daughter's birthday (which happens to be our son's birthday too). Her tradition for the last few years has been to come with an envelope containing a birthday card, which has money tucked in, the amount equal to the age of her Goddaughter. (She brings one for our son too.) Every time we meet Lady, whether on our doorstep, at her home, or somewhere in the community, it's like we've just made friends with her all over again. This intermittent friendship is one of the most precious relationships we know of. Yes, it's on-and-off, but we know it's still there, and whenever we bump into Lady, the meeting proves that our friendship with her is still alive and well.

The really neat, or perhaps odd thing about this relationship is that neither Harriet (that's my wife) nor I can exclusively claim Lady as "my friend". Isn't that weird? Lady is a friend to both of us, to Harriet and me. She's "our friend", our intermittent friend.

5. Permanent friend: Life hardly gets any better than a lasting, lifelong relationship with a true friend, with whom you are regularly in contact, like almost on a weekly basis, if not more regularly.

A permanent friendship may start while two students are in grade school. The ride never ends. One is there when the other lands his first job. One serves as maid of honor or best man at the other's wedding. When one moves into an apartment or house of her own, the other is right there, or knows the day and time when the big move takes place. So on goes this rarest brand of friendship until the 'ship' veers by a hospital or some other sick bed, then finally reaches the harbor of a funeral home. From there, one still faithful, though frail friend, follows his buddy to say one last goodbye at a graveyard just outside of town.

Blessed is the soul which has one such jewel of a friend, a permanent friend, especially if that golden friend is someone outside of one's family circle. But if you find a family member a permanent friend, you'd better take him or her. Life doesn't churn up a whole lot of that brand anymore.

Fred Thompson Makes the Best Case for John McCain, But...

After watching former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson give the keynote address on Tuesday night at the Republican Convention, one comes away wondering where all that fire power was when Mr. Thompson ran in the Republican primary earlier this year. Senator Thompson's speech is the first rousing speech at the Republicans' show to nominate Senator John McCain for president of the United States. Even President Bush's address via satellite was rather flat and lifeless, which is not surprising, judging from the tenuous relations between the President and Senator McCain, dating back to Mr. Bush's campaign's hostile treatment of the senator during the 2000 Republican primary season. John McCain did not really want Mr. Bush on the floor of the convention, and with the satellite deal, the Republican candidate can somewhat dodge the "McCain-Bush twain" mockery from Democratic quarters.

Senator Thompson, the former actor, took the stage and took the delegates for a ride. He gave a narrative of Senator McCain's life that succeeded in painting a much more graphic portrait than even the videos of the McCain's life shown at the convention into its second day. I was simply moved by Mr. Thompson's presentation of the presidential candidate. One might even say, Thompson introduces McCain better than McCain himself is capable of doing. It was an A+ speech that underscored the generational military service of the McCain clan, stretching as back to the 19th century, and as current as deployment in Iraq. Thompson narrated McCain's 5-year torture-laden captivity in Vietnam with the touch of a master story teller, punctuating every little important detail, yet holding the greater theme of service and "Country First" right before the nation's eyes.

Simply put, Senator Thompson's portrait of Senator McCain seemed to have lit the flame of pure patriotism in the hearts of all grateful and proud Americans, especially the delegates assembled at St. Paul.

Yes, Senator Thompson did manage to slip through some red meat for partisan Republicans by taking numerous jabs at the Obama-Biden Democratic ticket. He poked fun at Obama's inexperience and the Democrat's tendency towards higher taxes on businesses, which Thompson humorously pointed out will affect everyday Americans. It was amazing how Mr. Thompson tactfully wove all that together, especially with the added bonus of making it hard to tell if the speaker was reading from a teleprompter. Simply brilliant.

Nevertheless, like the thematic banners and background images displayed at the Republican Convention, Mr. Thompson's speech missed the boat in no small way by sticking almost exclusively to a national security genre. American voters have made it clear in no uncertain terms that this presidential election is not going to be primarily decided on which candidate will do a better job at defending America against terrorists and other enemies. The real bump in the road for the "Country First" security-minded Republican Convention is that we already have a president of McCain's kindred spirit in the White House right now, a president who is as militant about national security as any patriotic American can get. Yet there is no real proof that America is more secure now under President Bush than when he first took office. Except for the vague explanation, "There has not been another attack since 911," there is no solid evidence that our nation's security has improved under G.W. Bush.

So one big question begs to be answered: What will President McCain do to secure America that President Bush has not done, or is not currently doing? And if President McCain will do nearly or exactly the same things that President Bush has done for our national security, then how can Candidate McCain still contend that electing him to succeed Mr. Bush represents bringing change to Washington?

Thus, while it is true that Fred Thompson succeeded in making the best case for McCain as the war hero, who has served this country his entire adult life, it may be the wrong case that Senator Thompson has laid out in such a strong way. It's like going in the wrong direction at a faster speed; you may get there quicker, but you'll soon find out it's not the destination you desired.

Unless the remaining two days of the Republican Convention makes a U-Turn and puts the spotlight on the economy, rather than mention economic issues in passing, like using partisan attack lines about "tax and spend" liberals, the McCain-Palin ticket may be in for an ice-cold shower on November 4th. According to poll after poll, when millions of Americans choose a president on that day, they won't be thinking so much of Osama bin Laden as they will be about runaway foreclosures, unemployment, the rising cost of health care and college, bank closings, less money for the family's groceries, alternative energy that will eventually wean America off of petroleum, and other bread-and-butter matters.

While securing America remains an important agenda for whoever will be elected president, the majority of American voters have made it known that a Democratic administration will do just as good a job defending and protecting this land of liberty as a Republican one will. What Americans doubt is that whether a Republican president will do any better to turn this economy around than the current administration has done. Right now, it seems like Democrats have the edge when it comes to the question of, "Who is more likely to improve the economy for the folk on Main Street?". Until the Republican ticket can make a strong case that McCain-Palin will do a better job at restoring the economy to health, I'm afraid the war-hero path may not lead to Pennsylvania Avenue for the Republicans, not this year.

Senator McCain has admitted that the economy is not his strong suit. The time may be ripe for the senator to change suits. But even if Mr. McCain chooses to remain in his military suit, that should not take away from Mr. Thompson's great speech about his one-time rival for the Republican nomination.

Why Bristol Palin's Pre-Marital Pregnancy is Fair Game

Every time news like this comes up, we get lectured about it being a private family matter that should not be dragged into the muddy political arena. Barack Obama is being praised for doing the responsible thing by saying family members are off limit and should not be dragged into this campaign. Good for Mr. Obama, but there is more at stake in Ms. Bristol Palin's pregnancy than a private family affair.

Why should we care that 17-year-old Ms. Palin is 5-month pregnant? For more reasons than one.

The way the news came out is cause for concern. An Internet rumor about the Palin family's last child being the child of Bristol helped to flush news of the pregnancy from the dark room of family secrets into the limelight of national news. It was after that rumor took off online that the family told us of the pre-marital pregnancy. Gov. Palin should have volunteered this information as soon as she hit the campaign trail with Senator John McCain.

The governor could have said something like, "For the most part, our family has tried to uphold the moral standards we believe in and stand up for. But like most people, we too struggle with these standards. Even though I have championed the cause of abstinence education (no sex before marriage), I want you to know that our high-school-age daughter, Bristol, is pregnant. No, we do not approve of pre-marital sex, but we will support our daughter, who has decided to carry the child to term, and to marry the father of the baby. We apologize for this sad situation, but we are counting on the understanding of the American people."

But instead, the governor made it sound like she has no remorse for the daughter's behavior. In fact, she nearly praised her daughter for her heroic decision to keep the baby and marry her sex partner.

This issue matters, because Mrs. Sarah Palin, like an outspoken conservative, has made abstinence a political issue throughout her political career. She has run on that issue and won political office based on her support of 'no sex before marriage'. In short, she condemns sex before marriage. Based on that stance, hiding the news of her own daughter engaging in pre-marital sex amounts to being less than honest. Unless these people want us to think that hypocrisy is now an acceptable behavior in American politics, this is no innocent little snafu.

Some of the most disturbing, if not disgusting responses to the news of Bristol Palin's pre-marriage pregnancy have come from conservative evangelicals, America's watch dogs of moral values, the supposed conscience of society.

In Dr. James Dobson's response, the evangelical gian said in part, "In the 32-year history of Focus on the Family, we have offered prayer, counseling and resource assistance to tens of thousands of parents and children in the same situation the Palins are now facing. We have always encouraged the parents to love and support their children and always advised the girls to see their pregnancies through, even though there will of course be challenges along the way. That is what the Palins are doing, and they should be commended once again for not just talking about their pro-life and pro-family values, but living them out even in the midst of trying circumstances."

There is no word in Dr. Dobson's response saying he frowns on the young woman's sexual impropriety. This kind of talk makes a mockery of these evangelical leaders who seem to grade one sin above another, or worse yet, wink at some sins while taking others for the kill. Which Bible are these fellow Christians reading? Dr. Dobson is not totally true to the Holy Scriptures in his views on this matter. The Bible outrightly condems pre-marital sex; it's called fornication, and that's the sin, not the pregnancy. On the other hand, the Bible says nothing directly about abortion, which traditional evangelicals have made the cardinal sin of our time.

From their attitude and words about Bristol's pregnancy, it seems like to Dr. Dobson and the Palin family, as long as you are pro-life (decide to keep the pregnancy), no other sin really matters, short of murder of course. But if you will keep the baby, you get a pass on fornication (pre-marital sex). If you vote pro-life, like Senator McCain, we give you the nod on adultery. But did not one of those precious Ten Commandments did say, "Thou shall not commit adultery"? But, hey, if you are against abortion, it's not that bad. It seems like "pro-life" cures all ills and covers all transgressions. Really?

The other political fallout from Bristol Palin's pre-marital sex and pregnancy is that it will strengthen the argument of those who propose all-out, no-holes-barred sex education for our youngsters. They will say, "Aha, you see, abstinence only is not realistic. As Bristol Palin proved with her pregnancy, teenagers are going to have sex, regardless. We must now divert funds from abstinence education to condom-based safe-sex education to protect our children from unwanted pregnancies and STDs." The Dobsons and the Palins are making the argument for the condom pushers.

Such behavior, when it is accompanied by a total lack of apology from a pro-abstinence candidate, goes a long way to undermine the efforts of those who are still trying to promote sexual purity as a viable option for our youth. If we evangelicals keep going down this road of making excuses for sexual misconduct, while singularly focused on abortion, we will soon lose the high moral ground, if we have not already, and forfeit all credibility to "preach" responsible sexual conduct to our society. Our shameless hypocrisy will be our undoing, because the baggage will become too burdensome to overcome. One casualty of our hypocrisy will be the "True Love Wait" rallies that we promote, where youngsters promise to remain sexually inactive until marriage. At a "True Love Waits" rally, each participating youngster wears a ring to symbolize his/her commitment to virginity until honeymoon night.

Evangelicals are shooting themselves in the foot by excusing fornication and adultery while decrying abortion. The pit we may fall into is call 'moral equivalence', whereby pre-marital sex and adultery within conservative families will cancel out abortion within liberal circles. When that happens, we lose our voice, and we cease to be the effective "light of the world" and "salt of the earth".

We can help the situation by doing a very simple thing: Admit that pre-marital sex is as unacceptable to us as abortion. And when of our children gets pregnant outside of marriage, let's be quick to express our regret for that child's sexual misconduct before we brag about the brave act of keeping the baby or marrying the father.

By the way, how is pre-marital pregnancy any different from cohabitation, shacking up before marriage, something that evangelicals also frown on?

What is the big lesson here? We would do better to take these moral issues out of the political arena; that would include matters like abortion, marriage, etc. That's the only way we can honestly consider these issues private family matters. We contradict ourselves to run on so-called conservative values like abstinence and defense of the traditional family, then turn around and say my unwed daughter's pregnancy is a private family matter, and it's really no big deal, as long as our sweet daughter intends to keep the pregnancy and marry the guy.

The Unluckiest Man in American Politics

This addict of politics is beginning to feel sorry for Arizona Senator John McCain, presumptive nominee of America's Republican Party. How can one not sympathize with a man who keeps getting the raw edge of circumstances and fate tag-teamed against him? The man has been through so much, from his five years of torture at the hands of his Vietnamese captors, to being crudely booted by the campaign of George W. Bush in the Republican 2000 primary season. Let's highlight McCain's catalog of woe.

Because of President Bush's abysmal popularity rating (I still think Mr. Bush is the same good man I voted for), coupled with a pained economy, the senator is forced to run against the current standard bearer of his own party. One would think George Bush were some kind of left-wing tax-and-spend liberal from the extreme wing of the Democratic Party. How can John McCain be trying so hard to win the hearts and minds of the ultra-conservative base of the Republican Party, those who believe exactly like George Bush, while distancing himself from President Bush, one of the most conservative leaders the party and country have ever seen? The biggest problem with this anti-Bush campaign is that Senator McCain has a voting record that shows most of the time he has voted with the President on the major issues. It's hard to duck that voting record, and the Democrats are making it harder for Mr. McCain with their "Bush-McCain" tag and "John McCain has voted 90 percent of the time with George Bush".

John McCain has positioned himself to run as a Washington outsider. He's now making the case that he will be an agent of change. And with his recent pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his veep, Senator McCain has argued that like, Gov. Palin, he is the maverick who can change Washington just like the Governor has done in Alaska. This is a very awkward position for the senator, since Mr. McCain has been in Congress for 26 years, and he has little record to show for taking the lead to bring the major change he now wants to champion. Why wait until your 72nd birthday before you wake up to your destiny as the change agent America has been waiting for all these years, the change agent who can end our dependence on foreign petro, transition us to alternative energy, fix Social Security, healthcare, and immigration? Again, Senator McCain has a difficult case to make as Mr. Maverick Change Agent.

To make matters worse, Candidate McCain has made experience a centerpiece of his campaign against Barack Obama, whom, we must admit, has very little public service experience, compared to Mr. McCain. However, for McCain, the problem with this "ready to lead from day one" argument is that it emphasizes Washington experience, the very thing that Mr. McCain now sounds like he hates and wants very much to change. If Washington is the problem you want to solve, how can you in the same campaign brag about your experience in Washington as a primary reason for your qualification to be president? Are we missing something here?

Unfortunately, the senator was forced into another "rock and a hard place" situation when it came to choosing a running mate. He wanted to make sure he won over those female voters from the other side, those Hillary Clinton women who are angry with Obama for slighting their beloved feminist fighter with her 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling of a male-dominated society. The thing is that the vast majority of those Hillary girls are stauchly pro-choice, wanting Roe v. Wade to remain the law of the land. At the same time that McCain badly wanted those pro-choice Clintonites to win, he had to also please the one-issue pro-life members of his party. He sought to solve this dilemma by selecting Gov. Palin, a woman, yes, but who is as conservative as you get in American politics. Well, the senator did deliver the red meat the right wingers craved, but he might have sent those Hillary pro-choicers scattering to the winds. The guy just doesn't seem to get any easy choices.

As if that were not enough problem for Mr. McCain to sort through, here comes Gustav, that massive storm, which has already killed 80 people in Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica, according to an AFP report. News report of the storm has all but taken McCain and his historic VP pick off the television screen, off the front page. To add fuel to fire, McCain, who is already running against George Bush, against Washington, and against Obama, must now contest Mother Nature also? How unlucky can you get! If John McCain pulls off a win against the media coverage of Gustav, rather than the Republican Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, he may yet add another medal to his war hero image.

But at this point, in the McCain vs. Gustav match up, it seems Mother Nature has the upper hand, though we don't want to count the good ole soldier out just yet. Plans for the first day of the Republican Convention have been scraped to just absolutely necessary business agenda, stuff you could do in a committee meeting, the really boring stuff that deserves no news coverage. President Bush and Vice President Cheeney have cancelled plans to attend the GOP show. Now that may be a God-send, since it provides the perfect caveat for McCain to avoid the Bush fever of unpopularity by association. Mr. Bush's presence would have strengthened the Democrat's "Bush-McCain" attack, especially had President Bush spoken at the GOP Convention. For once, Senator McCain can breathe a sigh of relief there. Even an unlucky man deserves a break every now and then.

On this Gustav crashing of John McCain's party in St. Paul, if we were in an African village we would quickly see it as witchcraft for sure, a curse, an omen, a spell from hell. But of course, in these civilized parts of the globe, we are not that superstitious, so we settle for calling Gustav storming down the opening day of the Republican Convention a mere coincidence, pure chance, or perhaps an "Act of God", but just that and nothing more.

It never ceases to amaze me just how unfair life can be, despite our modern tolerance for positive thinking, "the law of attraction", and motivational tips like that. Life remains flat out unfair at times, and in Senator McCain's case, that has been exactly the case, with few exceptional breaks notwithstanding. Someone tell us, Why must John McCain have to get the blunt of the blade for what seems like most of the time? Vietnam tortured him for five years. He returned from his POW experience only to be shunned by a nation ungrateful for his immense sacrifice. In 2000, the George Bush campaign sabotaged Senator McCain's chances for the White House. Lately, Obama and the Democrats had their big political show in Denver without distraction, coming out of there better than expected. And now when it's McCain's time to shine on a stage all to himself, here comes Mr. Gustav, or is it Mrs. Gustav? It's just not fair, and this political junkie feels mighty sorry for this brave American. I may vote John McCain after all, though I have not appreciated some of his so-called maverick treatment of conservatives. Call it a sympathy vote, but the man deserves a break, and voting McCain would be much better than sitting this election out anyway. Yeah, make America's unluckiest man President McCain, so he can get double for his trouble.