If the election was held today

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by saden1

You seem to find the fact that McCain talks tough a virtue. There is wisdom in not showing your fangs from the outset. You can stare Putin in the eyes and smile at the same time. It can be interpreted as a sinister or friendly smile. In any case, you should go pick up the "The Art of War."

Read "The Art of War" three times, but thanks for the recommendation.

You're correct in a sense, but it's not necessarily a universal truth that it's always, in every situation the best policy to take that approach.

I spent three years as an inner-city cop and have had an experience or two with talking to people in high-stress, hostile situations. Sometimes it's good to play nice, be gentle and sweet talk them. Sometimes you have to be polite but firm. Sometimes you have to look at them like you're the devil and if they say one wrong thing you're going to fuck them up like they've never experienced.

It's dependent on the situation and it's incredibly naive to assume that one approach works under all circumstances

I'll freely admit there's little to base the opinion on, and it's just that, an opinion. My general feeling of Obama, Biden AND Palin is that none of them have any experience dealing with hostile situations and I there's no way of telling one way or another if any of them have the balls to make the tough calls when the situation calls for it. My general impression of Obama and Biden is that they'll pussy-foot around and might end up putting the country in severe danger because they're trying to play so nice and make everyone like us.

McCain hasn't been tested in the executive sense either, but his experiences as a POW lead me to believe he has the character to hold up, make tough calls and deal with the consequences.

The other three are simply unproven in ALL respects.

Again, totally just my subjective impression of Obama. Frankly I'm not sure anyone can argue with any certainty how anyone will perform for sure in a given future situation.

Unless you're Nostradamus, of course.