Obama's Troops Fiasco: The Real Test

This week every blog in God's creation will rant about how Obama conspicuously skipped a visit to our wounded troops. I've heard all the different explanations for the no-show from the Obama camp, the Pentagon, and the media. But I see it a little bit differently.

It's not necessarily wrong that Obama didn't go to that particular place at that particular time. Maybe it was right not to go, if the motives were political gamesmanship and nothing more. (If I were lying wounded in a hospital bed and some guy with zero military experience popped in for a photo op, I'd tell him to go take a long walk off a short pier.)

What happened may have been a catclysmic offense, or merely a miscommunication. That's not the problem. The problem was how the Obama camp handled an incendiary situation: without responsibility or apology. If you think you've offended millions of powerful people, you don't respond with haughty defensiveness. You say: I'm sorry.

You don't say "but I went to see them already!" Or "but it wasn't my fault!" You say "I am truly sorry that I could not honor them in person, but today with my sound bite I honor them and their families and I urge Americans to support them too."

The question we should be asking is not 'why didn't he go?' but 'why isn't he sorry he didn't go?' Does he not know this was a mistake (doubtful)? Or does he not care?

This trip was designed to emblazon the image of a potential President Obama on American voters' minds. So how would a President Obama handle a legitimate mistake when it happens?('Cause we're human, it always does.) Will there be swift and clear admission of a mistake and a sincere effort to correct it? Will the offended parties be told to "get over it" and let it go (p.s. some of those parties may have nuclear weapons and some rather unforgiving attitudes about America)? Doesn't Obama, like Dean and cronies, lambast President Bush for refusing to apologize for anything he does? Why then is he not stepping up when he messes up?

I want someone in office who takes credit for their accomplishments and responsibility for their mistakes. John McCain has proven that he takes the American people seriously enough to be straight with them, even when it makes him unpopular for a while. He believes that we deserve not perfection, but sincerity. And in my eyes that is what makes him a hero.

Real heroes aren't without fault. Real heroes know their faults better than anyone else. They are anxious to address them, compensate for them, and ensure that their faults don't harm the people they serve. Real heroes aren't the ones with the most friends in Hollywood or on myspace. Real heroes ensure that their principles define their image - and not the other way around.

That's why I am proud to support a true hero: John McCain. If you agree, please get involved today by donating, volunteering, or working online to ensure that our troops and our nation get the kind of heroic leadership we deserve.