...or is a prison camp not the best training ground for a President?

Somebody has to say it so it might as well be me: getting shot down by the North Vietnamese and tossed into a prison camp for 5+ years may be an excellent qualification for a technical advisor on a Chuck Norris film but not to be President of the United States. Now, I feel much better.

There is a difference between admiration and credentials. It took balls for John McCain to refuse a pardon from the Vietnamese when they offered to let him out because he was the son of an Admiral. Unfortunately, if balls were (or was) the only criterion to be president, we would have elected Evel Knievel. The people at General Motors or IBM might admire Senator McCain but they aren't likely to ask him to take command of their companies. A man who has only recently made the acquaintance of the Internet is barely qualified to replace Michael Scott at Dunder Mifflin let alone take command of America. (Although we could replace the caliber of the current Chief Executive from any bowling alley in Mississippi).

This whole "Hogan's Heroes for President" issue wouldn't be as big a factor except that McCain and his posse drag his POW clothes out of the closet at every possible opportunity. They wave it like a flag in front of every gaffe that their candidate makes. McCain actually told Jay Leno on Monday that the reason he couldn't remember how many houses he owns is because, as a prisoner of war, he didn't own a house, or a table or a chair. How is that a response to the contention that, as the husband of a rich wife, he is out of touch with the people whose vote he's seeking? McCain is the August reincarnation of Rudy Giuliani's "a noun, a verb and 9/11".

McCain's time as a guest in the Hanoi Hilton can be effectively trotted out by the campaign to indignantly parry any attack on the candidate's character or courage. Unfortunately for them, the Democrats under Barak Obama aren't craven enough or dumb enough to denigrate McCain's service. They leave that bit of mud-slinging to the Republicans.

America has been nominating and electing military heroes since G. Washington. We have not, however, turned over the reins of government to a man whose primary contribution to the war effort was to be held captive. By continuing to trumpet his POW credentials as proof positive of his ability to lead, he invites his critics to ask, exactly what aspect of captivity provided the slightest training for a President in 2008? Have your staff get back to us.