One of the things that makes apparent McCain’s lack of understanding on the issues is his quick resort to the emotional plea. Tying policy to emotion is generally employed to hide deficiencies. If the policy is sound there is little reason to resort to sob stories about one or two individuals. Thus, McCain’s repeated use of soldiers in Iraq whose parents are illegal immigrants is a crutch to prop up a policy that lacks for sound substance. He can tell the story of a soldier whose parents are here illegally until he is blue in the face (or, as his tendency is more, red in the face) and it still does not address the fact that his policy encourages more illegal immigrants to come here. That McCain’s knees buckle at the thought of enforcing the law against otherwise good people does not make him look compassionate but unjust and unwise. Would he refuse to send a soldier’s parent to jail for murder? Would he refuse to send a soldier’s parent to jail for rape? Surely McCain would enforce those laws, but somehow he wants an exception for a crime against our national sovereignty. This seems hopelessly foolish and an affront to the common sense of justice that we all share. Indeed it makes me wonder what other crimes McCain wishes to not enforce. This kind of shallow emotional pandering is one of the lowest forms of politicking and should be rejected.

Labels: John McCain