McCain's virtues require a contrast in order to stand out. His strength, integrity, solidity and dependability all are essentially passive virtues, which shine only by contrast with others. Now that Obama and Hillary are offering images that are much weaker, less honest, and less solid and dependable, good old John McCain looks that much better as he tours Iraq and Israel while the Democrats rip one another apart.
(A John McCain who insists we flood arms to support the insurgents in Syria! A John McCain who can't count how many houses he has.)
It took Nixon for us to appreciate Jimmy Carter's simple honesty. It took Clinton and Monica for us to value George W. Bush's personal character. And it takes the unseemly battle among the Democrats for us to give John McCain his due.
(Jimmy who plotted the have Afghanistan invaded by the Soviets. Nice guy to sacrifice Afghans like that! Jimmy who helped create al Qaeda to extend the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. And no I do not support the Soviets here either! GW Bush's 'personal character' as a bigger liar than Nixon and Reagan.)
