JOHN McCAIN, HOLY MAN….David Gelernter says that John McCain’s big problem is that he’s just too damn modest about his own saintliness:
Of course no candidate can advertise his own moral stature; he can use weak words like “maverick” and “I have been tested,” but can’t quite say “I stand before you as a hero of proven nobility.”
No, I guess he can’t, can he? Luckily, Gelernter does it for him: “In Hebrew he would be called a tsaddik — a man of such nobility and moral substance that he approaches holiness.” Here’s an example of McCain’s alleged holiness:
McCain is only a part-time conservative and has never inspired enthusiasm on the right; but no one doubts that each of his leftward excursions has been a matter of principle and not convenience. His outspoken, unwavering support for Israel in the face of American Jewish indifference is a perfect example of principled versus self-interested politics.
I admit that I hadn’t realized before that unwavering support for Israel was such a gutsy stand for an American politician to take. Live and learn.
