The more I see of John McCain's campaign, the more impressive I find him. You really can tell a lot, from a long, long cmpaign, about a candidate's abilities to govern by what sort of campaign he runs. In Big Mac's case, he has proven to be steady, articulate and precise, and at ease with himself. He demonstrates every minute how seriously he takes the office that he aspires to. He surrounds himself with many different kinds of voices but remains his own voice, with an even handedness that I had not expected.

By hammering home, day after day, the observation that BHO is NOT ready to be president, he forces himself to be all the readier for the job. His You Tube ads, humorous or serious, illustrate the point almost irrefutably. His speeches have vision, clarity and pragmatic purpose: which is not to say that Big Mac does not also have strong priorities: curbing the defense appropriators, cutting down federal spendin waste, restoring our nation's foreign policy credibility and extendig our military morale and effetiveness.

I say PRIORITIES, because John McCain is indeed a pragmatist, not an ideological man. He has principles, but he understands that American government seeks solutions first and chiefly, not intelleectual agends.

Constantly at various blog sites (Red State, Hedgehog Report) I find myself surrounded by folks with strong ideological callings, especiall of a pro-life bent. I call these folks "madrassa militants." Though they are not suicide bombers, or terrorists, thank goodness, as are so many Muslim madrassa students, they exhibit, albeit in milder form, that same insistence on ideological purity that makes Islamic militancy so alien; oh yes -- these low-voltage Ayatollahs know the True Way! AND YOU BETTAH BEHAVE!!! Hmmm.... Fact is, the True Way, if there is one, is something that NO human being knows, or at least I haven't yet found one who knows it. Especially no POLITICAL person.

John McCain is not of that sort. His beliefs are basic, fundamental, simple, shared by almost all Americans. He has a political program -- not an intllectual agenda. He also has character and presence. Indeed, he looks,speaks, and acts very VERY presidential: that, and nothing more. He is strong, yet comfortable. A winning hand if you ask me.

UPDATE: Easily 90 % of the blog posts that I read at Joh McCain webpages are about pro-life. Yet pro-lif zealots don't even like John McCain. Where are blog posts by those who are TRUE McCAIN SUPPORTERS ? Military folks ? Small-government advocates ? Defense budget reformrs ? Foreign policy people ? Those I don't see posting here or elsewhere. Yet they -- WE -- are the overwhelming majority of voters who wil be electing John McCain. If all that hehs re the pro-life insisters, he'll get abou 8 % of the vote. If that. Hmmm.......