This is a fantastic picture. You know, there are people you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Then there are those you wouldn't want to meet at all. John McCain probably fits in the latter category.
You can't say he doesn't have a friendly side. I've heard him in speeches, addressing us as "My friends, friends, friends, friends..." But it would appear those friendly references -- the use of the vocative that is likely more of a tic or ingrained habit than an assurance of true friendship -- might hide a seething, enraged man just waiting to explode. We believe this is the case.
Mount St. Helens, you will recall, is about the same age as John McCain. And it sat there peaceful as could be until one disastrous day it erupted. I believe it's true that there are parts of the state of Washington still today that have not been rediscovered. That is precisely what John McCain's anger would do for America. Look at that picture again. This is a man who either needs anger management or a good stool softener.
There are many things you can say about anger in general. And then as we narrow the focus down to this one man, there are also many things we could say. And all of it would be interesting, perhaps being topics for a good five-star, blue-ribbon psychiatric panel to explore. John McCain is exploring it himself, as this quote from the New York Times today attests: "Last Sunday, [John McCain] invited Mike Murphy, his longtime friend and political adviser, who is not involved in this campaign, to his home in Virginia. There, Mr. Murphy reportedly gave him a detailed and, at times, tough assessment of what Mr. McCain had done wrong. Mr. Murphy urged him to tone down his attacks on Mr. Obama and stop coming across as so angry." [My italics]. But we cannot get into all that today. We shall leave that to Mr. McCain and his team of psychiatrists, allowing him an appropriate degree of privacy, giving him that kindness.
What we want to ask today is "Why?" Why is John McCain so darned angry? Why is he seething with rage? Why, with all the good things of life -- springtime, lullabies, and the continuing respect for America around with world -- is John McCain about to bust a gut with this terrible ire? Why does John McCain have such a short fuse? Why has he been passed from psychiatrist to psychiatrist -- many of whom ended up with black eyes -- and is no longer wanted as a patient? Why do flowers wilt when he is near? These are all good questions.
In answering those questions, we need to plead some ignorance. John McCain has covered up many of the compelling reasons for his fury. These are issues that he knows, and issues that all those who have suffered from his outbursts can only wonder about. We are left to guess, and some of the common reasons for anger come to mind: poor self-esteem, feelings not expressed over time, lack of nurture as a child, toilet training issues, being a prisoner of war, being a pilot shot down every single mission, etc. Does any of this disqualify him from being president? No! If the answer really is something as simple as toilet training issues, they have plenty of restrooms at the White House, and the staff there can point them out to him and what their general use is meant to be.
Aides, rivals, allies, and yes, friends, have tagged John McCain as one of the angriest men on the planet. He literally has been compared to Mt. St. Helens (see above). And we have even speculated that he has a team of psychiatrists (also above)! Could it be that we would be better off looking for someone else to be president? It is worth considering, no matter which party you favor, the Democratic party or the more-angry Republican party.
