McCain’s many assets apparently don’t add up to the presidency

It would be hard to imagine a more dramatic tumbling downward than the campaign of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) experienced yesterday without death, sex or a crime. Losing his long time trusted aide and friend, John Weaver, no matter what the circumstances, will exact an emotional toll on McCain for months to come.

Standing on the Senate floor yesterday the lonely man spoke of his continued commitment to surging troops and our military operation in Iraq, despite the bipartisan critical mass growing against the president’s war policy. McCain’s voice shook, and he twisted his wedding ring around his ring finger as the emotion of what we were about to learn took hold of him. In less than an hour the announcement came that Terry Nelson and Weaver had left the campaign, and two more top staff would follow later in the day.

Friend and foe alike of McCain, a singular figure in American politics, would find the e-mail he sent supporters last night wrenching. In it he assures them challenges are not new to him and that “how you stand up, face them and move forward defines your character and your strength.” But as Sam Youngman and Manu Raju aptly described better than any other reporters in town in our newspaper today: “McCain, well-known for his military experience, appears to have lost his top staffers and closest confidant by failing either to institute or adhere to a chain of command within his own organization.”

These are scary times we live in and after the Bush years, Republicans and Democrats are weary and wary of chain-of-command problems in a presidency. McCain makes a fine rebel, a very human being, an effective public servant, and a valiant war hero. He may have wanted to be the underdog again, and he is good at that too. The presidency, however, now seems beyond his grasp.

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