The Law of McCain
By Daniel F. Keys
During this campaign season I took the pleasure of reading Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success”. It is a masterful work that Hill spent over twenty years perfecting. Inspired by a challenge from Andrew Carnegie, Hill analyzed the life work of American icons trying to deduce a foundation of principles that if applied, would lead anyone to success. Naturally, being caught up in the most important election of my lifetime, I noticed a trend in John McCain’s quest to become president. His campaign seemed to be in stark contrast to the principles of success Hill noted.
Law 1: The Master Mind
The Master mind principle consists of the cooperation of multiple minds for a common purpose. The most notorious example of the McCain Master Mind at work came when it was time to choose a vice president candidate.
The two most important people in the McCain campaign are Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt. With names like Tim Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman and Michael Bloomberg being thrown around, Davis and Schmidt couldn’t get over their infatuation with relatively unknown Sarah Palin. In a campaign struggling to ignite the passion of its base Davis saw Palin as a “mavericky” pick, someone that would not only get the Republican faithful excited but capitalize on jaded Hilary Clinton supporters.
The two aides then watched video footage of Palin. Despite her obvious lack of knowledge regarding anything outside of the state of Alaska, the two decided Palin would be the best pick for vice president.
The logic applied behind that decision? As Robert Draper from the New York Times reports on some advice a “friend” (it’s not clear in the story if the “friend” is one of Rick Davis or Barack Obama) gave to Davis: “The way you pick a vice president is, you get a frame of Time magazine, and you put the pictures of the people in that frame. You look at who fits that frame best – that’s your V.P.”
I don’t believe that a pitbull in lipstick were the results Napoleon Hill envisioned when he imagined the benefits of using the Master Mind principle.
Law 2: Definite Chief Aim
The law of a Definite Chief Aim identifies that one must establish a singleness of purpose. This fact is essential to success.
After spending the last few months trying to convince the country not to vote for Barack Obama, McCain has yet to give the American public any reason to vote for…well, John McCain. Yes, McCain’s objective is to win the White House. He seems hell bent on that purpose, but his plan to get there is erratic at best.
The emphasis of the McCain campaign has gone from war hero, deregulator, reformer, maverick, drill baby drill, William Ayers, Joe the Plumber to Reverend Wright. McCain even literally stole a page from the Obama set, “change”. After his defeat to George W. Bush in the 2000 election, 2008 set up McCain for a shot at redemption. Too bad the real John McCain didn’t show up. The former Navy pilot has used this campaign to fly in the face of everything he’s ever stood for. Dubious claims of guilt by association, race-baiting, fear mongering and Orwellian propaganda are tactics McCain has resorted to in a desperate effort to remain relevant to voters. McCain must have been wearing flip-flops when he opposed the Bush tax cuts and has alienated everyone when it comes to taking a stance on illegal immigration. McCain who supports stem cell research, used to be the sole voice of reason behind the Republican stronghold against abortion, but it took no context to find his mocking of the health of the mother completely disgusting.
Add further the fact that all reports indicate the entire McCain campaign doesn’t seem to be on the same page. Sarah Palin seems to be outside the loop when it comes to policy. She recently lashed out at the Democratic Party for wanting to cut defense spending when John McCain had promised to do the same thing. McCain’s only two attempts to actually explain his plans for the future of America have been awkward. His plan to buy back mortgages turned out to place the burden on the same tax payers he was trying to relieve. Also, his health-care plan was lambasted by his top aide, Doug Holtz-Eakin, who conceded it was a terrible idea.
The American people are standing in line electing the next President of the United States. I don’t know what’s scarier, the fact that McCain has yet to roll out his platform for the next four years, or that people are willing to vote for him despite this glaring omission.
Law 3: Self-Confidence
Self-Confidence is when one holds faith that they can achieve the object of their Definite Chief Aim.
John McCain may lack vision, good vetting skills and other things, but one thing he sure doesn’t lack is self-confidence. The man has promised to chase Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell. Apparently, there’s a secret passageway that can only be accessed through the Oval Office (perfectly logical considering the last eight years).
In response to NBC news anchor Brian Williams’ question about the prospects of facing an international crisis within his first six months of office, McCain replied, “I’ve been tested. They know me. They know me very well.” Who doesn’t find that reassuring?
Then there’s the time he said “We got them right were we want them”, when generally every poll showed Obama with a large lead. Luckily for McCain, today is Election Day because the further this thing goes the more his self-confidence looks like delusion.
Law 4: The Habit of Saving
How one spends their money goes a long way in showing that person’s character. Considering the financial crisis America and the world is enduring, the economic habits of the potential president should be a matter of close scrutiny.
It’s not a good sign when a little over a year ago your campaign was on the verge of collapsing due to financial woes. It’s even worse when you were an important figure in the last savings and loans scandal. It’s terrible that after 26 years of being in Washington; to admit you’re not very knowledgeable about the economy. It’s damaging to author an article in a magazine arguing the merits of de-regulation when it’s clear the lack of regulation got us into said crisis. It’s suicidal to have your campaign state that you are no longer going to talk about the economy in the midst of a financial crisis. It’s irresponsible to allow your running mate to spend $150,000 on their wardrobe. It’s insane and an implication of your entire campaign when it is leaked a makeup artist was your highest paid employee at the start of the last month of the election. It’s also not a good idea to choose a vice president candidate, who amongst her own party, has developed an excessive shopping reputation and who used tax-payer dollars to pay for her children’s travel and lodge, charge her state a per diem to live in her “mansion” and spent $50,000 in city funds to redecorate her office without authorization.
When the country is at its worst economic period since the great depression, the last thing America needs is a ticket that will need “on the job training” when it comes to financial matters.
Law 5: Initiative and Leadership
From the decision of his running mate to the tone of his campaign, John McCain seems to be lost. By his own measures, McCain has failed at nearly all his campaign objectives.
Take his dramatics regarding the bailout. McCain said he was going to suspend his campaign and rush to Washington while delaying to participate in any debate until the crisis was solved. The country and Letterman viewers watched him continue his campaign, do the furthest thing but rush to Washington and participate in the first debate despite the fact that his mere appearance in Washington made matters worse. After urging the House to push through a plan, his own Republican comrades defeated the bill, a precursor to the divisiveness that would come to define McCain’s presidential bid.
The headliner of the GOP once vowed to run an honorable campaign. Doing the honorable thing, McCain pledged not to exploit Barack Obama’s connection to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. And just like he did as POW, McCain folded when things got hot, showcasing a disturbing habit of bypassing his “Country First” motto for the sake of his personal interests.
One value that the American people are definitely not looking for out of their next Commander in Chief is hypocrisy. During his failed 2000 election bid, McCain renounced negative ads and stated there was a special place in hell for campaigns that used classless robocall tactics. Time heals all wounds however and McCain’s entire strategy is negative campaigning. He has a laundry list of reasons why people shouldn’t vote for Obama, but has not given anyone a single glimpse into how a McCain/Palin ticket will institute positive change. As a mayor in Alaska, Palin once let the following fly loose, “I’m the mayor; I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can’t”. A lot of Americans felt George W. Bush held that same attitude for the last eight years.
There are two types of leadership. One grows out of hope and cooperation. The other stalks out of fear and division. McCain’s made the moral decision to follow the latter. His entire campaign has been dedicated to impregnating voters with fear of Obama in hopes they would abort any inclination to vote for the Democrat. The use of Cold War terms such as Socialist and Marxist act as sick rallying cries for an uninformed base with a blind allegiance to all things Republican. The negative strategy has back fired on McCain. Lifelong Republicans, Independents and just about every other voter can’t help but compare McCain’s fear mongering to dictators and the same hypothetical Socialist, Marxist, terrorist sympathizers he has tried to smear Obama with. In trying to link Obama to these dark figures, McCain has only succeeded in linking himself to them.
McCain has been accused of wanting to continue the failed policies of the last administration. He has done nothing to refute these claims besides offer hollow rhetoric. An indication he lacks imagination, the next Law of Success.
Law 6: Imagination
Sadly, the Palin pick is the prime example of John McCain’s imagination. The person he chose to be one heartbeat away from the President has been referred to as an incompetent whack job that isn’t ready for the national stage. That’s just from the people working to get her elected as Vice President!
It’s also disturbing how John McCain, based on the conduct of his campaign, seems to imagine the people of America. There’s the snide way speakers at McCain events bring up Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein. The name has purposely been used in a sarcastic manner because of the primitive association it has with Saddam Hussein. The fervor with which it has been thrown around in conservative circles really insults the intelligence of the American people.
Then there’s the fact that the McCain campaign and his supporters are banking their election hopes on the fact that America is not ready to elect a black man as president. In the spirit of “Country First”, you would hope McCain would regret winning an election based on closet racism and misplaced religious intolerance. Sadly, McCain and Palin have been stirring the few fires still burning on the dark side of American history.
Despite her marriage to a secessionist, Sarah Palin decided to point out that Barack Obama has some shady ties to few a characters. Besides the fact that every news outlet worth a deflated cent has proved those allegations to be completely dubious, McCain and Palin continue to parade those associations around.
If any of McCain’s allegations were remotely true, does he really think that Obama would currently be a legitimate candidate? Let’s say McCain was right and Obama does pal around with terrorists and doesn’t have a valid birth certificate, wouldn’t the fact that he is possibly a couple hours from being elected President of the United States a damning indictment on the Bush administration, the same administration that has voted for and endorsed McCain, the same administration that recently invited Obama to the White House to help with bailout package? Does McCain really think the American people are that stupid?
Law 7: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm creates action, spurring one toward accomplishing their Definite Chief Aim.
John McCain has ignited the passion of his supporters. The pick of Sarah Palin definitely inspired the Republican base and filled this race with a level of excitement unknown to previous elections. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm McCain has created can only by described as the “mob mentality”.
Treason, terrorist and Kill him are just a few of the things shouted out at McCain/Palin rallies at the mention of Barack Obama. McCain rallies remind one of the civil rights era. It’s not unity, racial equality or the dream of Martin Luther King that comes to mind, but intolerance, hatred and the laws of Jim Crow. It can only be seen as an omen when the ugly face of racism removes its mask at McCain gatherings.
By no means do I think all McCain supporters are racists or bad people, but it’s hard to ignore that many people with archaic ideologies of hate gather at McCain/Palin rallies. It’s also hard to ignore that McCain appreciates the support of these people.
Law 8: Self-Control
McCain is known for his temper. Even before the election he had a reputation for being easily irritated and explosively crude. His own campaign manager describes him as a risk taker or, a “great poker player”. John McCain and Sarah Palin pride themselves on being mavericks that are willing to ruffle a few feathers. Unfortunately for them this campaign has highlighted those qualities in a dark light. Both candidates seem angry, erratic and self-absorbed. I’ve never known a business, country or elementary school student council that looked for leaders with the aforementioned qualities. It’s scary to imagine a person that can give the orders to use nuclear weapons possessing that type of demeanor.
One of McCain’s famous outbursts was his interaction with the Des Moines Register. At rather simple questions McCain got visibly irritated and began responding to questions in a biting and sarcastic manner. The episode painted McCain as far from diplomatic.
Then there are the stories you hear about John McCain. A particular disturbing one took place at a conference in a Puerto Rico hotel and casino. Never mind the reports that McCain gambled late into the night, his behavior was arrogant and crude. According to a report by Michael Kinsley at The Daily Beast:
McCain’s game is craps. So is Jeff Dearth’s. Jeff was at the table when McCain showed up and happily made room for him. Apparently there is some kind of rule or tradition in craps that everyone’s hands are supposed to be above the table when the dice are about to be thrown. McCain—“very likely distracted by one of the many people who approached him that evening,” Jeff says charitably—apparently was violating this rule. A small middle-aged woman at the table, apparently a “regular,” reached out and pulled McCain’s arm away. I’ll let Jeff take over the story:
“McCain immediately turned to the woman and said between clenched teeth: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME.’ The woman started to explain...McCain interrupted her: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME,’ he repeated viciously. The woman again tried to explain. ‘DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO?’ McCain continued, his voice rising and his hands now raised in the ‘bring it on’ position. He was red-faced. By this time all the action at the table had stopped. I was completely shocked. McCain had totally lost it, and in the space of about ten seconds. ‘Sir, you must be courteous to the other players at the table,’ the pit boss said to McCain. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? ASK ANYBODY AROUND HERE WHO I AM.”
This being Puerto Rico, the pit boss might not have known McCain. But the senator continued in full fury—“DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”—and crisis was avoided only when Jeff offered to change places and stand between McCain and the woman who had touched his arm.
Now, that’s Presidential material my friends!
Law 9: The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For
McCain’s tax plan sums this one up. Scam the American people, keep your profits private and your losses public, ship jobs overseas raising the unemployment rate, and enjoy the benefits of being an American citizen while paying the least amount of taxes possible. God Bless America!
Law 10: A Pleasing Personality
Who doesn’t like old guys in slippers yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off his lawn and pitbulls in lipstick? Un-Americans?
Law 11: Accurate Thinking
What do you expect when your campaign’s chief strategist publicly admits the smartest bit of political wisdom he ever heard came from George W. Bush? That pretty much sums up McCain’s bid for presidency.
In some rather short-sighted moments, McCain has unsuccessful tried to link Barack Obama to an axis of evil involving William Ayers and Rashid Khalidi. Apparently, McCain lacked any foresight in this matter. In an attempt to paint Obama as a terrorist sympathizer, McCain supporter Rudolph Giuliani ended up exposing McCain’s own connection to each shady character.
Despite being advised not to, McCain decided to attend a function with Maylin Shannon, a McCain delegate and former vice chair of the Oregon Republican Party. Shannon went on to shower praises on a women accused of shooting an abortion doctor as McCain sat quietly and offered no repudiation when he took the podium after her.
There might be a reason McCain didn’t object to Shannon’s outrageous comments.
How about taking some of McCain’s advice and checking his record? McCain has a history of voting against protecting Americans from domestic terrorists. He opposed stiffer penalties for violent agents of the anti-choice movement. In the light of 36 bombings, 81 arsons, 84 assaults and two kidnappings McCain didn’t deem it necessary to support the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. He also opposed the “Bubble Law” which prohibited abortion protesters from getting within eight feet of women entering clinics. McCain also took a puzzling stance and decided not support making anti-choice violence a federal crime. In what can only be seen as sympathy for domestic terrorists, McCain also voted to allow those convicted of violent acts against health clinics to avoid paying fines by filing bankruptcy. It’s difficult to not see the trend. McCain seems to be sympathetic to the violent aspects of the anti-choice movement.
Sarah Palin has also continued to showcase an ineptitude that is great for Saturday Night fodder but bad for America. Not knowing the Bush Doctrine is one thing. Not knowing the job of the Vice President of the United States (they job you’re trying to get) even after two tries is another thing. Completely misunderstanding the first amendment of the United States Constitution is just, dare I say it, un-American.
There’s also McCain’s demonstration of support for G. Gordon Liddy. McCain has called Liddy’s political philosophies ideas that keep our nation great. It’s hard to imagine how breaking into the Democratic National Committee, proposing to kidnap anti-war activists, conspiring to kill a newspaper columnist and telling citizens to go for head shots on ATF agents makes our country great.
Law 12: Concentration
McCain still hasn’t decided what will be his platform for this election. The election is today!
Instead of concentrating on the issues that affect the daily lives of Americans, John McCain has decided to focus all his attention on some washed up terrorist he doesn’t even care about.
Law 13: Cooperation
John McCain once proudly boosted about his cooperation with the Bush Administration. He voted with the worst president in modern history 90% of the time. He also received the endorsement of Dick Cheney, probably the shadiest political figure since Nixon and the biggest abuser of authority since J. Edgar Hoover.
Also, in the spirit of cooperation, Sarah Palin decided to go off script much to the displeasure of McCain aides to salvage her sullen reputation.
Another awkward moment came when Palin condemned the use of robocalls as the McCain camp argued their legitimacy. Ever the team player, Palin did give in and ended up starring in a few robocalls herself.
Starring is the key word. McCain aides have referred to the potential vice president as a diva. As rumors began to swirl of a Palin bid for office in 2012, it leaked that she did not trust any of her handlers inside the McCain team and seemed more interested in her own career.
As McCain slipped in the polls there’s was one consistency: finger pointing. Yes, the only thing the McCain camp and the GOP seems to agree on is issuing blame for what will be remembered as one of the worst campaigns in history. Not only are resumes and rumors thrown around, apparently aides are even getting tossed under buses. Although McCain supporters call scrutiny of Palin’s clothing expenses sexist, her own campaign apparently finds it embarrassing enough to pawn off the whole mess onto a scapegoat, Nicolle Wallace. It’s interesting to note that Wallace seemed eager to lie under the bus rather than fighting for a campaign that had halted dead in its tracks.
Law 14: Profiting By Failure
McCain spent the early part of the election season stating that Obama lacked experience. The Illinois Senator had just reached the White House and needed on the job training according to McCain. Then he chose Sarah Palin and the entire campaign had to re-arrange its entire narrative. They could no longer afford to bring up Obama’s inexperience when their big number two’s foreign policy experience amounted to seeing Russia from her front porch. Did the McCain camp learn from this experience, that they couldn’t use talking points in arguments against their rival that could be easily applied to their own candidates? Did Sara Palin grant interviews without pre-conditions? The answer is a resounding no.
Once again aligning himself with the failed policies of George W. Bush, McCain lambasted Obama during the first presidential debate about meeting with aggressive world leaders without pre-conditions. McCain acted disgusted with the premise and was condescending toward Obama. “Pre-conditions” became the buzz word of the election. Palin even referenced it during the vice president debate. McCain drilled home his objection to Obama’s idea on various interviews. The whole time no one in the campaign (most notable John McCain!) thought it would be a media train wreck if it ever got out that McCain had a history of sitting down with violent dictators without “pre-conditions”. When the story broke of McCain meeting with Pinochet, the oppressive dictator of Chile without pre-conditions, McCain’s only response was to ignore the issue. The McCain tactic backfired.
Then Sarah Palin, despite her “Palin” around with a secessionist, decided to call out Barack Obama for his ties to William Ayers, the radical founder of an organization that bombed and killed American citizens some forty years ago. Obama’s connection to Ayers was dubious from the beginning. Obama was eight years old at the time Ayers was involved in his despicable acts. Apparently, McCain expected the American public to believe that for the past forty years Ayers, now a professor at the University of Illinois, was still a threat. Once again, refusing to have a broad vision for the campaign, the McCain camp floundered. After the Oklahoma City bombings and both WTC bombings, McCain and his cronies in Washington did nothing while a known domestic terrorist molded the political ideas of our nation’s youth at one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the land? Even though our country was in the middle of a war on terror, nobody bothered to check out this radical bomber in Chicago? Once again putting his “Country First”, McCain ignored the washed up terrorist for forty years until the issue served his own personal interest.
Complaining that Obama was getting a free ride from the media, McCain sat on his high horse smearing the blood of innocent Americans on Obama’s clean hands with robocalls implying Obama was a terrorist sympathizer. Failing to learn from previous lessons, McCain forgot he had his own skeleton in his closet. Enter G. Gordon Liddy, yes the same guy that wanted Americans to kill ATF agents and who unlike Ayers, actually served prison time for his crimes.
The latest in all of McCain’s oversights, the Khalidi connection. After painfully realizing that voters weren’t biting on the Ayers bit, McCain decided to paint Rashid Khalidi a well-respected scholar and moderator in Palestinian/Israeli peace talks, as a terrorist. Once again McCain decided not to cover his bases. Not more than a couple hours later stories surfaced that McCain headed a board that contributed half a million dollars to Khalidi’s cause. McCain’s past haunted him again.
Law 15: Tolerance
Sarah Palin alluded that some parts of this great nation of ours are un-American. The pro-American locales tended to be the locales that showed McCain up in the polls. The best way to see how tolerant the McCain and his running mate are, we once again took a look at his record.
Its 2008 and John McCain still does not support laws that prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, a stance that must make his daughter proud.
McCain did show an open mind when he stated he was against a Constitutional ban on gay marriages, but then interestingly enough, supported an amendment to Arizona’s constitution that would ban gay marriages.
McCain also does not want gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. In a strange line of logic he does believe that charity pillaging, pill-popping junkies are suited to adopt children.
John McCain is also against gays and lesbians serving in the military. In embracing Jerry Falwell, someone McCain termed an “agent of tolerance”; McCain seems to agree that 9/11 was carried out by pagans, abortionists, feminists (Sarah Palin?) gays and lesbians.
While Barack Obama was racking up endorsements from Warren Buffet, Colin Powell and Ronald Regan’s son, McCain accepted endorsements from guys that called Islam a “false religion” and the Catholic Church “The Great Whore”.
Law 16: The Golden Rule
Life According to John:
1. John criticized Barack Obama and called him naïve for wanting to sit down with dictators without pre-conditions. In 1985, McCain stopped in Chile and sat down with the world’s most notorious violator of human rights, General Pinochet, without pre-conditions.
2. John concluded Barack Obama’s limited association with an unrepentant domestic terrorist was due to a lack of judgment. Meanwhile, McCain didn’t feel the need to explain why he maintains not a mere association, but a strong friendship with another unrepentant domestic terrorist.
3. John stated that it was irresponsible for Obama to sit on a bi-partisan board for education reform and donate money to the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, because it was founded by “terrorist” Rashid Khalidi. In an odd twist, ten years ago, McCain chaired the International Republican Institute and awarded Khalidi and his “terrorist” front $448,873.
What a classic example of do as I say, not as I do. That’s the type of leadership we need in Washington folks!
After putting McCain’s campaign through the Law of Success analysis, it’s painfully evident that it has been unsuccessful in capitalizing on the principles that lead to success.
McCain used the Master Mind principle to choose the most unqualified vice-president candidate in history. It’s the day of the election and he has yet to unveil any plan for the next four years, at a time when America is in a financial crisis and two wars. His self-confidence blurs the line between arrogance and delusion. His campaign has been in financial woes and controversy, and McCain admitted he is not well coursed on the economy. Over the course of the last two months, McCain has cemented his reputation of being an impulsive and erratic leader. Under his leadership his campaign has also reduced itself to in-fighting. McCain has repeatedly shown how he imagines the American people, as an uninformed, unintelligent herd gullible to lies and smear tactics. Not to mention the fact that McCain is banking his election on the hopes that most Americans are closet racists and religiously intolerant. McCain does inspire a lot of enthusiasm, but it’s the wrong kind. McCain has spent most of the time at his rallies fanning the flames of fear, intolerance and racism. In the self-control department we know McCain is prone to angry outbursts and enjoys gambling late into the night. His dramatics over the bailout show the guy is a big risk taker, unfortunately for him, risks don’t always pay off. When it comes to doing more than paid for, McCain supports giving tax breaks to corporations that ship American jobs overseas and wants to protect the income brackets of America’s wealthiest people. In short, McCain wants the people that benefit the most from his policies, to contribute the least in taxes. After three Presidential debates, the lasting impression voters got of John McCain was how angry he was. McCain on his own admissions embraces the values of domestic terrorists. Showcasing his concentration, McCain has ignored the issues facing Americans in favor of obsessing over some washed up terrorist he doesn’t care about. In the spirit of cooperation McCain’s own advisors have pointed out that Sarah Palin is looking ahead to her own campaign in 2012. In attempts to paint Barack Obama as a risky candidate, McCain failed to avoid falling into the “I’m rubber you’re glue” trap. His running mate also implied that Obama supporters were un-American while McCain accepted endorsements from people he once called “agents of intolerance”. Last but not least, McCain also failed to follow the golden rule by meeting dictators without pre-conditions, carrying on friendships with terrorists and by funneling money through “terrorist” fronts.
It is clear that the GOP nominee has lost himself in a presidential bid that lacks any direction. Amidst all the Chaos that is the McCain campaign one thing is clear. The straight talking senator from Arizona is heading straight to failure. Hopefully, he doesn’t end up taking his country first.
Buy the Law of Success at: http://www.amazon.com/Success-Sixteen-Napoleon-Complete-Unabridged/dp/9562915921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225810463&sr=1-1
By Daniel F. Keys
During this campaign season I took the pleasure of reading Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success”. It is a masterful work that Hill spent over twenty years perfecting. Inspired by a challenge from Andrew Carnegie, Hill analyzed the life work of American icons trying to deduce a foundation of principles that if applied, would lead anyone to success. Naturally, being caught up in the most important election of my lifetime, I noticed a trend in John McCain’s quest to become president. His campaign seemed to be in stark contrast to the principles of success Hill noted.
Law 1: The Master Mind
The Master mind principle consists of the cooperation of multiple minds for a common purpose. The most notorious example of the McCain Master Mind at work came when it was time to choose a vice president candidate.
The two most important people in the McCain campaign are Rick Davis and Steve Schmidt. With names like Tim Pawlenty, Charlie Crist, Tom Ridge, Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman and Michael Bloomberg being thrown around, Davis and Schmidt couldn’t get over their infatuation with relatively unknown Sarah Palin. In a campaign struggling to ignite the passion of its base Davis saw Palin as a “mavericky” pick, someone that would not only get the Republican faithful excited but capitalize on jaded Hilary Clinton supporters.
The two aides then watched video footage of Palin. Despite her obvious lack of knowledge regarding anything outside of the state of Alaska, the two decided Palin would be the best pick for vice president.
The logic applied behind that decision? As Robert Draper from the New York Times reports on some advice a “friend” (it’s not clear in the story if the “friend” is one of Rick Davis or Barack Obama) gave to Davis: “The way you pick a vice president is, you get a frame of Time magazine, and you put the pictures of the people in that frame. You look at who fits that frame best – that’s your V.P.”
I don’t believe that a pitbull in lipstick were the results Napoleon Hill envisioned when he imagined the benefits of using the Master Mind principle.
Law 2: Definite Chief Aim
The law of a Definite Chief Aim identifies that one must establish a singleness of purpose. This fact is essential to success.
After spending the last few months trying to convince the country not to vote for Barack Obama, McCain has yet to give the American public any reason to vote for…well, John McCain. Yes, McCain’s objective is to win the White House. He seems hell bent on that purpose, but his plan to get there is erratic at best.
The emphasis of the McCain campaign has gone from war hero, deregulator, reformer, maverick, drill baby drill, William Ayers, Joe the Plumber to Reverend Wright. McCain even literally stole a page from the Obama set, “change”. After his defeat to George W. Bush in the 2000 election, 2008 set up McCain for a shot at redemption. Too bad the real John McCain didn’t show up. The former Navy pilot has used this campaign to fly in the face of everything he’s ever stood for. Dubious claims of guilt by association, race-baiting, fear mongering and Orwellian propaganda are tactics McCain has resorted to in a desperate effort to remain relevant to voters. McCain must have been wearing flip-flops when he opposed the Bush tax cuts and has alienated everyone when it comes to taking a stance on illegal immigration. McCain who supports stem cell research, used to be the sole voice of reason behind the Republican stronghold against abortion, but it took no context to find his mocking of the health of the mother completely disgusting.
Add further the fact that all reports indicate the entire McCain campaign doesn’t seem to be on the same page. Sarah Palin seems to be outside the loop when it comes to policy. She recently lashed out at the Democratic Party for wanting to cut defense spending when John McCain had promised to do the same thing. McCain’s only two attempts to actually explain his plans for the future of America have been awkward. His plan to buy back mortgages turned out to place the burden on the same tax payers he was trying to relieve. Also, his health-care plan was lambasted by his top aide, Doug Holtz-Eakin, who conceded it was a terrible idea.
The American people are standing in line electing the next President of the United States. I don’t know what’s scarier, the fact that McCain has yet to roll out his platform for the next four years, or that people are willing to vote for him despite this glaring omission.
Law 3: Self-Confidence
Self-Confidence is when one holds faith that they can achieve the object of their Definite Chief Aim.
John McCain may lack vision, good vetting skills and other things, but one thing he sure doesn’t lack is self-confidence. The man has promised to chase Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell. Apparently, there’s a secret passageway that can only be accessed through the Oval Office (perfectly logical considering the last eight years).
In response to NBC news anchor Brian Williams’ question about the prospects of facing an international crisis within his first six months of office, McCain replied, “I’ve been tested. They know me. They know me very well.” Who doesn’t find that reassuring?
Then there’s the time he said “We got them right were we want them”, when generally every poll showed Obama with a large lead. Luckily for McCain, today is Election Day because the further this thing goes the more his self-confidence looks like delusion.
Law 4: The Habit of Saving
How one spends their money goes a long way in showing that person’s character. Considering the financial crisis America and the world is enduring, the economic habits of the potential president should be a matter of close scrutiny.
It’s not a good sign when a little over a year ago your campaign was on the verge of collapsing due to financial woes. It’s even worse when you were an important figure in the last savings and loans scandal. It’s terrible that after 26 years of being in Washington; to admit you’re not very knowledgeable about the economy. It’s damaging to author an article in a magazine arguing the merits of de-regulation when it’s clear the lack of regulation got us into said crisis. It’s suicidal to have your campaign state that you are no longer going to talk about the economy in the midst of a financial crisis. It’s irresponsible to allow your running mate to spend $150,000 on their wardrobe. It’s insane and an implication of your entire campaign when it is leaked a makeup artist was your highest paid employee at the start of the last month of the election. It’s also not a good idea to choose a vice president candidate, who amongst her own party, has developed an excessive shopping reputation and who used tax-payer dollars to pay for her children’s travel and lodge, charge her state a per diem to live in her “mansion” and spent $50,000 in city funds to redecorate her office without authorization.
When the country is at its worst economic period since the great depression, the last thing America needs is a ticket that will need “on the job training” when it comes to financial matters.
Law 5: Initiative and Leadership
From the decision of his running mate to the tone of his campaign, John McCain seems to be lost. By his own measures, McCain has failed at nearly all his campaign objectives.
Take his dramatics regarding the bailout. McCain said he was going to suspend his campaign and rush to Washington while delaying to participate in any debate until the crisis was solved. The country and Letterman viewers watched him continue his campaign, do the furthest thing but rush to Washington and participate in the first debate despite the fact that his mere appearance in Washington made matters worse. After urging the House to push through a plan, his own Republican comrades defeated the bill, a precursor to the divisiveness that would come to define McCain’s presidential bid.
The headliner of the GOP once vowed to run an honorable campaign. Doing the honorable thing, McCain pledged not to exploit Barack Obama’s connection to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. And just like he did as POW, McCain folded when things got hot, showcasing a disturbing habit of bypassing his “Country First” motto for the sake of his personal interests.
One value that the American people are definitely not looking for out of their next Commander in Chief is hypocrisy. During his failed 2000 election bid, McCain renounced negative ads and stated there was a special place in hell for campaigns that used classless robocall tactics. Time heals all wounds however and McCain’s entire strategy is negative campaigning. He has a laundry list of reasons why people shouldn’t vote for Obama, but has not given anyone a single glimpse into how a McCain/Palin ticket will institute positive change. As a mayor in Alaska, Palin once let the following fly loose, “I’m the mayor; I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can’t”. A lot of Americans felt George W. Bush held that same attitude for the last eight years.
There are two types of leadership. One grows out of hope and cooperation. The other stalks out of fear and division. McCain’s made the moral decision to follow the latter. His entire campaign has been dedicated to impregnating voters with fear of Obama in hopes they would abort any inclination to vote for the Democrat. The use of Cold War terms such as Socialist and Marxist act as sick rallying cries for an uninformed base with a blind allegiance to all things Republican. The negative strategy has back fired on McCain. Lifelong Republicans, Independents and just about every other voter can’t help but compare McCain’s fear mongering to dictators and the same hypothetical Socialist, Marxist, terrorist sympathizers he has tried to smear Obama with. In trying to link Obama to these dark figures, McCain has only succeeded in linking himself to them.
McCain has been accused of wanting to continue the failed policies of the last administration. He has done nothing to refute these claims besides offer hollow rhetoric. An indication he lacks imagination, the next Law of Success.
Law 6: Imagination
Sadly, the Palin pick is the prime example of John McCain’s imagination. The person he chose to be one heartbeat away from the President has been referred to as an incompetent whack job that isn’t ready for the national stage. That’s just from the people working to get her elected as Vice President!
It’s also disturbing how John McCain, based on the conduct of his campaign, seems to imagine the people of America. There’s the snide way speakers at McCain events bring up Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein. The name has purposely been used in a sarcastic manner because of the primitive association it has with Saddam Hussein. The fervor with which it has been thrown around in conservative circles really insults the intelligence of the American people.
Then there’s the fact that the McCain campaign and his supporters are banking their election hopes on the fact that America is not ready to elect a black man as president. In the spirit of “Country First”, you would hope McCain would regret winning an election based on closet racism and misplaced religious intolerance. Sadly, McCain and Palin have been stirring the few fires still burning on the dark side of American history.
Despite her marriage to a secessionist, Sarah Palin decided to point out that Barack Obama has some shady ties to few a characters. Besides the fact that every news outlet worth a deflated cent has proved those allegations to be completely dubious, McCain and Palin continue to parade those associations around.
If any of McCain’s allegations were remotely true, does he really think that Obama would currently be a legitimate candidate? Let’s say McCain was right and Obama does pal around with terrorists and doesn’t have a valid birth certificate, wouldn’t the fact that he is possibly a couple hours from being elected President of the United States a damning indictment on the Bush administration, the same administration that has voted for and endorsed McCain, the same administration that recently invited Obama to the White House to help with bailout package? Does McCain really think the American people are that stupid?
Law 7: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm creates action, spurring one toward accomplishing their Definite Chief Aim.
John McCain has ignited the passion of his supporters. The pick of Sarah Palin definitely inspired the Republican base and filled this race with a level of excitement unknown to previous elections. Unfortunately, the enthusiasm McCain has created can only by described as the “mob mentality”.
Treason, terrorist and Kill him are just a few of the things shouted out at McCain/Palin rallies at the mention of Barack Obama. McCain rallies remind one of the civil rights era. It’s not unity, racial equality or the dream of Martin Luther King that comes to mind, but intolerance, hatred and the laws of Jim Crow. It can only be seen as an omen when the ugly face of racism removes its mask at McCain gatherings.
By no means do I think all McCain supporters are racists or bad people, but it’s hard to ignore that many people with archaic ideologies of hate gather at McCain/Palin rallies. It’s also hard to ignore that McCain appreciates the support of these people.
Law 8: Self-Control
McCain is known for his temper. Even before the election he had a reputation for being easily irritated and explosively crude. His own campaign manager describes him as a risk taker or, a “great poker player”. John McCain and Sarah Palin pride themselves on being mavericks that are willing to ruffle a few feathers. Unfortunately for them this campaign has highlighted those qualities in a dark light. Both candidates seem angry, erratic and self-absorbed. I’ve never known a business, country or elementary school student council that looked for leaders with the aforementioned qualities. It’s scary to imagine a person that can give the orders to use nuclear weapons possessing that type of demeanor.
One of McCain’s famous outbursts was his interaction with the Des Moines Register. At rather simple questions McCain got visibly irritated and began responding to questions in a biting and sarcastic manner. The episode painted McCain as far from diplomatic.
Then there are the stories you hear about John McCain. A particular disturbing one took place at a conference in a Puerto Rico hotel and casino. Never mind the reports that McCain gambled late into the night, his behavior was arrogant and crude. According to a report by Michael Kinsley at The Daily Beast:
McCain’s game is craps. So is Jeff Dearth’s. Jeff was at the table when McCain showed up and happily made room for him. Apparently there is some kind of rule or tradition in craps that everyone’s hands are supposed to be above the table when the dice are about to be thrown. McCain—“very likely distracted by one of the many people who approached him that evening,” Jeff says charitably—apparently was violating this rule. A small middle-aged woman at the table, apparently a “regular,” reached out and pulled McCain’s arm away. I’ll let Jeff take over the story:
“McCain immediately turned to the woman and said between clenched teeth: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME.’ The woman started to explain...McCain interrupted her: ‘DON’T TOUCH ME,’ he repeated viciously. The woman again tried to explain. ‘DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO?’ McCain continued, his voice rising and his hands now raised in the ‘bring it on’ position. He was red-faced. By this time all the action at the table had stopped. I was completely shocked. McCain had totally lost it, and in the space of about ten seconds. ‘Sir, you must be courteous to the other players at the table,’ the pit boss said to McCain. “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? ASK ANYBODY AROUND HERE WHO I AM.”
This being Puerto Rico, the pit boss might not have known McCain. But the senator continued in full fury—“DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO? DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?”—and crisis was avoided only when Jeff offered to change places and stand between McCain and the woman who had touched his arm.
Now, that’s Presidential material my friends!
Law 9: The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For
McCain’s tax plan sums this one up. Scam the American people, keep your profits private and your losses public, ship jobs overseas raising the unemployment rate, and enjoy the benefits of being an American citizen while paying the least amount of taxes possible. God Bless America!
Law 10: A Pleasing Personality
Who doesn’t like old guys in slippers yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off his lawn and pitbulls in lipstick? Un-Americans?
Law 11: Accurate Thinking
What do you expect when your campaign’s chief strategist publicly admits the smartest bit of political wisdom he ever heard came from George W. Bush? That pretty much sums up McCain’s bid for presidency.
In some rather short-sighted moments, McCain has unsuccessful tried to link Barack Obama to an axis of evil involving William Ayers and Rashid Khalidi. Apparently, McCain lacked any foresight in this matter. In an attempt to paint Obama as a terrorist sympathizer, McCain supporter Rudolph Giuliani ended up exposing McCain’s own connection to each shady character.
Despite being advised not to, McCain decided to attend a function with Maylin Shannon, a McCain delegate and former vice chair of the Oregon Republican Party. Shannon went on to shower praises on a women accused of shooting an abortion doctor as McCain sat quietly and offered no repudiation when he took the podium after her.
There might be a reason McCain didn’t object to Shannon’s outrageous comments.
How about taking some of McCain’s advice and checking his record? McCain has a history of voting against protecting Americans from domestic terrorists. He opposed stiffer penalties for violent agents of the anti-choice movement. In the light of 36 bombings, 81 arsons, 84 assaults and two kidnappings McCain didn’t deem it necessary to support the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. He also opposed the “Bubble Law” which prohibited abortion protesters from getting within eight feet of women entering clinics. McCain also took a puzzling stance and decided not support making anti-choice violence a federal crime. In what can only be seen as sympathy for domestic terrorists, McCain also voted to allow those convicted of violent acts against health clinics to avoid paying fines by filing bankruptcy. It’s difficult to not see the trend. McCain seems to be sympathetic to the violent aspects of the anti-choice movement.
Sarah Palin has also continued to showcase an ineptitude that is great for Saturday Night fodder but bad for America. Not knowing the Bush Doctrine is one thing. Not knowing the job of the Vice President of the United States (they job you’re trying to get) even after two tries is another thing. Completely misunderstanding the first amendment of the United States Constitution is just, dare I say it, un-American.
There’s also McCain’s demonstration of support for G. Gordon Liddy. McCain has called Liddy’s political philosophies ideas that keep our nation great. It’s hard to imagine how breaking into the Democratic National Committee, proposing to kidnap anti-war activists, conspiring to kill a newspaper columnist and telling citizens to go for head shots on ATF agents makes our country great.
Law 12: Concentration
McCain still hasn’t decided what will be his platform for this election. The election is today!
Instead of concentrating on the issues that affect the daily lives of Americans, John McCain has decided to focus all his attention on some washed up terrorist he doesn’t even care about.
Law 13: Cooperation
John McCain once proudly boosted about his cooperation with the Bush Administration. He voted with the worst president in modern history 90% of the time. He also received the endorsement of Dick Cheney, probably the shadiest political figure since Nixon and the biggest abuser of authority since J. Edgar Hoover.
Also, in the spirit of cooperation, Sarah Palin decided to go off script much to the displeasure of McCain aides to salvage her sullen reputation.
Another awkward moment came when Palin condemned the use of robocalls as the McCain camp argued their legitimacy. Ever the team player, Palin did give in and ended up starring in a few robocalls herself.
Starring is the key word. McCain aides have referred to the potential vice president as a diva. As rumors began to swirl of a Palin bid for office in 2012, it leaked that she did not trust any of her handlers inside the McCain team and seemed more interested in her own career.
As McCain slipped in the polls there’s was one consistency: finger pointing. Yes, the only thing the McCain camp and the GOP seems to agree on is issuing blame for what will be remembered as one of the worst campaigns in history. Not only are resumes and rumors thrown around, apparently aides are even getting tossed under buses. Although McCain supporters call scrutiny of Palin’s clothing expenses sexist, her own campaign apparently finds it embarrassing enough to pawn off the whole mess onto a scapegoat, Nicolle Wallace. It’s interesting to note that Wallace seemed eager to lie under the bus rather than fighting for a campaign that had halted dead in its tracks.
Law 14: Profiting By Failure
McCain spent the early part of the election season stating that Obama lacked experience. The Illinois Senator had just reached the White House and needed on the job training according to McCain. Then he chose Sarah Palin and the entire campaign had to re-arrange its entire narrative. They could no longer afford to bring up Obama’s inexperience when their big number two’s foreign policy experience amounted to seeing Russia from her front porch. Did the McCain camp learn from this experience, that they couldn’t use talking points in arguments against their rival that could be easily applied to their own candidates? Did Sara Palin grant interviews without pre-conditions? The answer is a resounding no.
Once again aligning himself with the failed policies of George W. Bush, McCain lambasted Obama during the first presidential debate about meeting with aggressive world leaders without pre-conditions. McCain acted disgusted with the premise and was condescending toward Obama. “Pre-conditions” became the buzz word of the election. Palin even referenced it during the vice president debate. McCain drilled home his objection to Obama’s idea on various interviews. The whole time no one in the campaign (most notable John McCain!) thought it would be a media train wreck if it ever got out that McCain had a history of sitting down with violent dictators without “pre-conditions”. When the story broke of McCain meeting with Pinochet, the oppressive dictator of Chile without pre-conditions, McCain’s only response was to ignore the issue. The McCain tactic backfired.
Then Sarah Palin, despite her “Palin” around with a secessionist, decided to call out Barack Obama for his ties to William Ayers, the radical founder of an organization that bombed and killed American citizens some forty years ago. Obama’s connection to Ayers was dubious from the beginning. Obama was eight years old at the time Ayers was involved in his despicable acts. Apparently, McCain expected the American public to believe that for the past forty years Ayers, now a professor at the University of Illinois, was still a threat. Once again, refusing to have a broad vision for the campaign, the McCain camp floundered. After the Oklahoma City bombings and both WTC bombings, McCain and his cronies in Washington did nothing while a known domestic terrorist molded the political ideas of our nation’s youth at one of the most prestigious educational institutes in the land? Even though our country was in the middle of a war on terror, nobody bothered to check out this radical bomber in Chicago? Once again putting his “Country First”, McCain ignored the washed up terrorist for forty years until the issue served his own personal interest.
Complaining that Obama was getting a free ride from the media, McCain sat on his high horse smearing the blood of innocent Americans on Obama’s clean hands with robocalls implying Obama was a terrorist sympathizer. Failing to learn from previous lessons, McCain forgot he had his own skeleton in his closet. Enter G. Gordon Liddy, yes the same guy that wanted Americans to kill ATF agents and who unlike Ayers, actually served prison time for his crimes.
The latest in all of McCain’s oversights, the Khalidi connection. After painfully realizing that voters weren’t biting on the Ayers bit, McCain decided to paint Rashid Khalidi a well-respected scholar and moderator in Palestinian/Israeli peace talks, as a terrorist. Once again McCain decided not to cover his bases. Not more than a couple hours later stories surfaced that McCain headed a board that contributed half a million dollars to Khalidi’s cause. McCain’s past haunted him again.
Law 15: Tolerance
Sarah Palin alluded that some parts of this great nation of ours are un-American. The pro-American locales tended to be the locales that showed McCain up in the polls. The best way to see how tolerant the McCain and his running mate are, we once again took a look at his record.
Its 2008 and John McCain still does not support laws that prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, a stance that must make his daughter proud.
McCain did show an open mind when he stated he was against a Constitutional ban on gay marriages, but then interestingly enough, supported an amendment to Arizona’s constitution that would ban gay marriages.
McCain also does not want gay and lesbian couples to adopt children. In a strange line of logic he does believe that charity pillaging, pill-popping junkies are suited to adopt children.
John McCain is also against gays and lesbians serving in the military. In embracing Jerry Falwell, someone McCain termed an “agent of tolerance”; McCain seems to agree that 9/11 was carried out by pagans, abortionists, feminists (Sarah Palin?) gays and lesbians.
While Barack Obama was racking up endorsements from Warren Buffet, Colin Powell and Ronald Regan’s son, McCain accepted endorsements from guys that called Islam a “false religion” and the Catholic Church “The Great Whore”.
Law 16: The Golden Rule
Life According to John:
1. John criticized Barack Obama and called him naïve for wanting to sit down with dictators without pre-conditions. In 1985, McCain stopped in Chile and sat down with the world’s most notorious violator of human rights, General Pinochet, without pre-conditions.
2. John concluded Barack Obama’s limited association with an unrepentant domestic terrorist was due to a lack of judgment. Meanwhile, McCain didn’t feel the need to explain why he maintains not a mere association, but a strong friendship with another unrepentant domestic terrorist.
3. John stated that it was irresponsible for Obama to sit on a bi-partisan board for education reform and donate money to the Center for Palestine Research and Studies, because it was founded by “terrorist” Rashid Khalidi. In an odd twist, ten years ago, McCain chaired the International Republican Institute and awarded Khalidi and his “terrorist” front $448,873.
What a classic example of do as I say, not as I do. That’s the type of leadership we need in Washington folks!
After putting McCain’s campaign through the Law of Success analysis, it’s painfully evident that it has been unsuccessful in capitalizing on the principles that lead to success.
McCain used the Master Mind principle to choose the most unqualified vice-president candidate in history. It’s the day of the election and he has yet to unveil any plan for the next four years, at a time when America is in a financial crisis and two wars. His self-confidence blurs the line between arrogance and delusion. His campaign has been in financial woes and controversy, and McCain admitted he is not well coursed on the economy. Over the course of the last two months, McCain has cemented his reputation of being an impulsive and erratic leader. Under his leadership his campaign has also reduced itself to in-fighting. McCain has repeatedly shown how he imagines the American people, as an uninformed, unintelligent herd gullible to lies and smear tactics. Not to mention the fact that McCain is banking his election on the hopes that most Americans are closet racists and religiously intolerant. McCain does inspire a lot of enthusiasm, but it’s the wrong kind. McCain has spent most of the time at his rallies fanning the flames of fear, intolerance and racism. In the self-control department we know McCain is prone to angry outbursts and enjoys gambling late into the night. His dramatics over the bailout show the guy is a big risk taker, unfortunately for him, risks don’t always pay off. When it comes to doing more than paid for, McCain supports giving tax breaks to corporations that ship American jobs overseas and wants to protect the income brackets of America’s wealthiest people. In short, McCain wants the people that benefit the most from his policies, to contribute the least in taxes. After three Presidential debates, the lasting impression voters got of John McCain was how angry he was. McCain on his own admissions embraces the values of domestic terrorists. Showcasing his concentration, McCain has ignored the issues facing Americans in favor of obsessing over some washed up terrorist he doesn’t care about. In the spirit of cooperation McCain’s own advisors have pointed out that Sarah Palin is looking ahead to her own campaign in 2012. In attempts to paint Barack Obama as a risky candidate, McCain failed to avoid falling into the “I’m rubber you’re glue” trap. His running mate also implied that Obama supporters were un-American while McCain accepted endorsements from people he once called “agents of intolerance”. Last but not least, McCain also failed to follow the golden rule by meeting dictators without pre-conditions, carrying on friendships with terrorists and by funneling money through “terrorist” fronts.
It is clear that the GOP nominee has lost himself in a presidential bid that lacks any direction. Amidst all the Chaos that is the McCain campaign one thing is clear. The straight talking senator from Arizona is heading straight to failure. Hopefully, he doesn’t end up taking his country first.
Buy the Law of Success at: http://www.amazon.com/Success-Sixteen-Napoleon-Complete-Unabridged/dp/9562915921/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225810463&sr=1-1
