<p>Shogun, </p>
<p>I think Clarks comments struck a nerve in different people for many different reasons. </p>
<p>His statement of the obvious or "true"; McCain was shot down and that should not be considered as feather in his cap of "presidential qualifications" is not a statement worthy of additional discussion. Clark has not been assailed for stating what anyone with half a brain understands. </p>
<p>I can only characterize his statement of the obvious as just plain stupid, causing him to come across as this pathetic individual seeking to engender goodwill and perhaps a VP slot from Obama. Consider how many compelling issues that the candidates differ on, issues and positions you could point to as you make a case for the candidate you support. Why would you go down the path of trying to diminish the military service of McCain when the candidate you support has none? </p>
<p>If Clark had limited his commentary, observations and opinions to what he believed to be defects in Senator McCains approach to Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, military spending, the recent vote on the expansion of the GI...etc. I'm sure he could framed his case in such a way that the majority of us would have appreciated, whether we agreed with all of his observations or not. He could have used his credibility on Military and Foreign affairs in positive terms instead of loosing his entire message taking what many people felt was a cheap and rather disingenuous shot at McCain. </p>
<p>I also think it’s insulting and patronizing for people from either party to sit on some talk show and try and tell me who is fit to be President. I get to decide who is fit, through a process called voting. If a majority of Americans agree with me, the man or woman we say is fit gets to be President and we get to find out whether or not we were right.</p>
<p>Many people complain about the choices we’ve had for President. I have to say I’m one of them. And yet having spent some time in politics, I can no longer fathom how anyone would subject themselves, their spouse, and their family to the insanity of what politics has become. The are no subjects off limits, no aspect of your life that won’t show up on the front page of the national press or become the lead story on the evening news. If you can't win the debate, destroy the candidate, if you can't touch the candidate take a shot at their wives, children, pets, hobbies..... </p>
<p>I occasionally make the mistake of reading some blogs and posts about this election. I am almost always blown away by the vicious commentary where individuals seeks to belittle or dismiss out of hand a life’s work and the meaningful contributions of an individual just because they are the “opposition candidate”. Nasty doesn't even begin to describe some of the venomous diatribes I've read. </p>
<p>Some people seem to feel it’s just part of the process, “if you can’t stand the heat” or something else I just read that I’ve never heard before “ they better put on their big boy pants”. </p>
<p>The democratic process is by design, a confrontational one. Unfortunately the process by which we elect our representation in congress and our Presidents has become one in which individual humiliation and the destruction and diminishment of the opposition is now a fundamental part of most campaign play books. </p>
<p>And what happens after the election? After one side wins are they supposed to kiss and make up and work cooperatively to advance our national interests…. </p>
<p>When the cost of winning an election is so high, in both economic and personal terms, what kind of candidate would run? Maybe we should stop complaining about the quality of candidates given what we’ve allowed the process to become. It could be we just get the kind and quality of candidates we deserve.</p>
