Mr. Nowhere Man….
When the Beatles started talking about Mr. Nowhere Man, it was inferred that the man was Richard Nixon.

My, how times have changed.

Now, there is John McCain, the nominated flag bearer for the republicans in the upcoming election, a nomination that becomes more curious with every new McCain utterance. It would seem that the constructs of logic and governance have literally fled John’s mind the same way jobs have fled our shores….

Much as been said about John McCain. Much of it not repeatable in polite society.

But we do know a few things just through sheer repetition.

He’s got the experience. He’s been tested in the crucible of War. And he’s the “straight-talker.”

All very impressive. Indeed.

We know, too, that John is against pulling back the troops in Iraq and that if he had his druthers, he might even commit us there for another hundred years…..Why not? And as an American veteran, he can’t seem to differentiate between safety for Iraqis not being quite the same as safety for Americans against terrorism….

We know, too, that he is against getting involved in the mortgage crisis. He believes in fact that Bear Stearns should not be bailed out….no matter how that might affect the financial health of the country. And he is against helping the mortgage holders of the several million additional homes that are likely to go into foreclosure this year regardless of the consequences.

Moreover, we know that John McCain has already said that he is against bringing back the jobs that have fled Detroit in recent years… And that overall, he’s against interfering in the economy at all. All in all, a proposed program that Hoover could have easily endorsed with one hand tied behind his back..

However, what we don’t know is what presidential hopeful McCain stands for…

And that is the conundrum.

For it’s one thing to be against everything; but you also have to be for something.

In the overall scheme of things, it’s very hard to back a candidate when you don’t know what he stands for except for a continuation of present policy whether it applies to New Orleans, jobs, the economy, health care or Social Security.

Nor has he indicated that he will do anything except allow the economy to run its course.

In fact, if you examine everything John McCain’s said, it becomes clear that his platform stands for “nothing.”

A great motto might be Vote For Nothing. Vote for McCain.

It would certainly be an improvement over an eight year policy of protecting the interests of the very rich and alienating everyone else that defined Bush.

For a nation where 81% of the population believes that the country is headed in the wrong direction as determined by the latest polls, McCain’s emphasis on standing for nothing might just get him nowhere in November.

And that might be the best way to accomplish something meaningful in the four years before us.

Les Aaron
The Committee for Positive Change.