WHO's 'Out of Touch'? A Few Basic Biographical Facts

[the48er]

In 2004, the pawns of a draft-dodging, AWOL fortunate son named George Bush impugned the service of two-tour Vietnam combat veteran John Kerry.

Now, the campaign of Washington privilege-encrusted John McCain alleges that Barack Obama is "out of touch." This despite the fact that McCain hasn't had a job outside of Washington for over 30 years -- while Obama most assuredly has.

But let's get just a little bit specific ...
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In 2004, the pawns of a draft-dodging, AWOL fortunate son named George Bush impugned the service of two-tour Vietnam combat veteran John Kerry. Now, the campaign of Washington privilege-encrusted John McCain alleges that Barack Obama is "out of touch." This despite the fact that McCain hasn't had a job outside of Washington for over 30 years -- while Obama most assuredly has. But let's get just a little bit specific ...

Let's rewind to 1987.

McCain had already been deeply immersed in Washington for a decade. He served as the U.S. Navy's senate liaison in 1977, started running for congress four years later, and was elected to the Senate in 1986.

Meanwhile, since 1985 Obama had worked (according to Wikipedia) "as a community organizer ... as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes ... on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from 1 to 13 and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute."

What was McCain up to in 1987? Keating Five. Don't recall the particulars? Read all about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five">here.

Or five years later ... 1992. Obama was essentially between jobs -- but still doing lots of community organizing. McCain had already had his current Washington job for five years.

Specifically, says Wikipedia, "Obama directed Illinois Project Vote from April to October 1992, a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers that achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain's Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be. ... Obama was a founding member of the board of directors of Public Allies in 1992."

Meanwhile, McCain was in '92 performing what was probably some of his most honorable service in the U.S. Senate with the that body's Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. The undoubted value of McCain's committee service notwithstanding, as far as being "out of touch" it should be noted that McCain's primary concerns were in many senses about as "out of touch" with Middle America as it's possible to get -- literally on the other side of the planet. Further away from America both in terms of distance and culture than evn, say, France.

Today? McCain's been a Washington insider for over 30 years. He's had his current job for over 20 years -- although he's been getting a lot of bad press lately because he hasn't been showing up to do his job -- even by the standards of a presidential candidate.

Obama? In a couple instances even just recently, he (who's been in Washington for less than four years) was present for key votes that McCain's skipped.

One of the candidates is clearly "out of touch" -- but it's not Obama.

[caledesi]

1. Well said! NT