Was McCain A POW?

Now there's a silly question, right? It would be silly if it weren't for the McCain campaign's activities. All the McCain campaigns.

Gen Wes Clark makes a point that being shot down isn't a qualification for CiC and the stuff hits the fan. According to the McCain campaign he's being attacked on his service, which isn't an issue. If it is not an issue, then why does it feature so prominently in McCain commercials? Why bother to beat the POW drum if it doesn't pay off for McCain? It does pay off is why. It pays off because a bunch of people will look no farther than Hero V Hussein. (and all the associated stuff)

If this model takes a hit, McCain has to be taken on issues and not image. Image is important in any campaign but McCain's is based almost entirely around it. Straight Talk Express and POW Hero keep the ship afloat. Without that the Flip Flop Express runs off the rails. Audie Murphy's extraordinary bravery under fire in WWII garnered him some Hollywood success, he wasn't really a good actor, but he was a heroic image. Was he CiC material?

Was Dwight D Eisenhower a hero in the personal danger sense or was he a hero for his ability to manage warfare and the people involved? It isn't a matter of of getting shot at or held POW or even being in the military. It is a matter of two things, first is judgement and the second is policy. (I really think we can take patriotism off the table with anyone with a serious shot at the Presidency) Whatever personal bravery a person may have committed makes not one statement about their judgement or policy.

Now go back to all those McCain ads and news stories and find how many times POW appears. The acronym POW has now almost come to mean McCain before it means anyone else and there are quite a few of them still around. Now, back to issues...