McCain's 'gonna test them'

by Jay McDonough

Obama supporters collectively cringed when Joe Biden predicted U.S. enemies would "test" a new President Barack Obama with an international crisis.  At this point in the game, up in the national polls and in good shape in state polling, it would be smart to error on the side of caution and avoid gaffes at all cost.  Not unexpectedly, the McCain campaign ran with Biden's gaffe, claiming even Biden was questioning Barack Obama's preparedness. 

Whether or not our enemies intentionally "test" U.S. presidents, international crises will certainly arise regardless of who is elected. So, the question is; what kind of a president would best confront these crises?  My preference would be someone with a calm resolve, a steady hand, and surrounded by sensible advisors and not someone who's erratic, tactic driven, short fused and surrounded by the same group of neocons who've held sway during the Bush Administration. I suspect the reason the McCain campaign attack never gained much traction is because most folks felt a lot more secure imagining Barack Obama and not John McCain managing the helm in one of those crises.

Perhaps because that McCain campaign attack didn't take root, John McCain doubled down yesterday.

"I'm gonna test them,'' Republican John McCain said at a campaign rally in New Mexico this morning. "They're not gonna test me.''

Let me get this straight; John McCain, in an attempt to demonstrate his preparedness will initiate an international crisis?  And that's going to prompt folks to vote for John McCain?