The American people want a president who demonstrates courage. The Republicans have proven time and again that if they can convince the voters that the Democratic candidate is a wimp, their guy wins. All the talk about haircuts (Edwards, Bill Clinton) and make-overs (Gore) is code for prissy, effeminate and ultimately – wimp. The 2004 Swift boating was an attempt to make Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, into a liar who didn't deserve his medals. All those purple heart band-aids worn in mockery of Kerry at the Republican convention might as well have had "wimp" printed on them.
This year is no different. Once again the Republicans are going after the Dem nominee as someone who is elitist (sissy), and not tough enough on terrorism (wimp) and too inexperienced (courage unproven). But this year, the Republicans have doubled down by nominating a gen-u-ine war hero, a former POW, and McCain plays his tough guy qualifications to the hilt.(He had good training for his at the Naval Academy and flight school.) He will defeat evil, follow Osama bin Laden to "the gates of hell," (though not apparently to the Afghanistan Pakistan border), kick Russia's butt, etc.
However, the American people would be wise to know the difference between courage and fearlessness and what the two different qualities mean in a president.
Courage is the ability to do things, even when you feel fear. Obama's appearance at the Rick Warren forum, in front of an audience that obviously did not favor him, and talking about being pro-choice, showed courage. Runnning for president shows courage. Opposing the Iraq War showed courage. Being a black man in America takes courage. Taking on the Clintons showed courage. Obama has plenty of courage.
Fearlessness is different. It is not the same thing as courage (which is acting in spite of one's fears) nd it can, in fact, be pathological. Fear, after all, is a normal part of being human. Fear signals danger, keeps us alive, prompting us to fight when we need to fight and run when we need to run. Without fear, people do not survive easily, that is unless they are lucky, or they are protected in some way by others.
There are two types of fearlessness: situational and global. For instance, if my grandson is afraid to ride a bike, but he practices over and over in spite of his fear, he will overcome it and eventually ride his bike fearlessly.
Some people who have faced death or terribly dangerous circumstances and have survived, may develop a global fearlessness. Many criminals, for instance, seem immune to fear, partially because they have broken the law over and over again and either escaped detection, or survived brutal time in prison.
George W. Bush often acts in a way that seems fearless. Having seen all of his businesses fail, but then having been rescued from the economic consequences by daddy's friends, he has no fear of being poor or of causing economic ruin to the nation. Having escaped Vietnam, with daddy's help, and not felt any consequences of being AWOL, he appears to have no fear of the consequences of any of his actions, from drunk driving to making dangerous presidential decisions. Having never felt the consequences of failure or loss, Bush has no empathy either. He cannot relate to soldiers who die, or to their loved ones, or ordinary families who lose their homes. And so sending the military into Iraq was no big deal, nor was allowing the de-regulated mortgage industries and banks to create mischief which resulted in millions of Americans losing their homes.
John McCain is another politician who is fearless. What could be worse than being shot down and captured and held prisoner for six years? A few things, perhaps, but not many. And McCain found a way to survive and come back to a good life, complete with a new marriage to an extremely wealthy and very young woman. What could he possibly be afraid of after six years in a brutal POW camp? What could he possibly be afraid of now in bad economic times when he is financially set for life?
And that is precisely the problem. While a president should be courageous, in my opinion he or she should not be fearless. Just because a person has learned not to feel fear, doesn't mean there is nothing dangerous out there. In fact, a healthy dose of fear, coupled with courage, is what we really want in a president.
We need someone who can think things through, who can use diplomacy effectively, who takes time before he commits the nation to war, who knows there are solutions to world problems that don't involve the military. We need someone who has the courage to take the nation to war, but not the hair trigger reaction of someone who lacks fear.
What we absolutely don't want is someone who is reckless because he is fearless. We can't afford to elect someone who, like Bush, seems to have no checks on his impulsivity, his temper, and his willingness to use military force anywhere and everywhere.
McCain would be a very dangerous president.
