Residual Forces

For those of you who think John McCain is the only person who can satisfy the religious right for Republicans, think really long and hard, and make him prove it.

And then someone asked about public funding for contraception in Africa to prevent the spread of AIDS.

“I’m sure I’ve taken a position on it in the past,” he stammered as he looked to his communications director. “I’m sure I’m opposed to government funding.”

Sensing a vulnerable moment, reporters kept the questions coming. What about sex education in the schools? Should it mention contraceptives? Or only abstinence, like President Bush wants?

“I think I support the president’s present policy,” he said, tentatively.

More questions: Do condoms stop sexually transmitted disease?

A long pause.

A stern look.

“I’ve never gotten into these issues or thought much about them,” he said, almost crying uncle. “Obviously, we all want to stop the spread of AIDS. Everybody wants to do that. What’s the most viable way of doing that?”

Well? The reporters asked?

In a last ditch attempt to rescue himself, McCain told an aide to go get a briefing paper prepared by Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn, a doctor, who he said has been advising him on “these issues.” But the aide couldn’t find the briefing paper. “We’ve lost it,” McCain mumbled.

“Whether I support government funding for them or not, I don’t know,” McCain said about contraceptives. He then said he’d look into it for the reporters, who finally let him off the hook and moved onto other subjects again.

It is entirely too early to make commitments folks.

Now these are pretty big right vs left issues that will be very important for the next President of the United States. Most people have strongly held beliefs for or against these things.

Shouldn’t a President of the United States at the least know where he stands on them?

Or is he waiting for the Democrats and Republicans to stake them out so he can maverick his way to the middle ground.

Folks, a conservative across the board, McCain is not. If he seriously was a social conservative he would have been able to answer these questions in some convincing fashion.

(AAA’s note: This is not in any way a statement of any policy towards AIDS in Africa or Sex Ed in Schools. I am just pointing out that McCain is playing Republicans as fools, and is in no way qualified for being POTUS, let alone courting conservatives in route to  the Oval Office.)