McCain Calls Teddy Roosevelt His Conservative Role Model

The New York Times has an article based on an interview with Republican presidential candidate John McCain where he explains is conservative views.  The author points out that McCain is generally conservative, but not enough to satisfy the more ardent red-staters who are uncomfortable with his support for environmentalism and immigration reform.

From what I can tell, he’s working on his conservative credentials by falling in line on social issues such as “gay adoption.”

“I think that we’ve proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don’t believe in gay adoption,”

Because, no two (gay) parents could ever be as good as two straight parents.  Even all those kids who are in foster care or otherwise not being cared for by their straight parents.  One wonders whether we should also outlaw all other families that do not consist of a single woman and man as parents, since “we’ve proven” that only two straight parents can successfully raise a family.  Sigh.

The article then continues to discuss McCain’s inability to get online in the digital age.

“I am learning to get online myself, and I will have that down fairly soon, getting on myself. I don’t expect to be a great communicator, I don’t expect to set up my own blog, but I am becoming computer literate to the point where I can get the information that I need.”

This is just hilarious.  You could find very few non-construction or manufacturing jobs that you could get without being to adequately use a computer and get online these days, but I guess it’s OK for the potential president of the United States.  I guess if he won, he’d always have someone else to do it for him.  I’m surprised he’d say something like this though, because it makes him sound old and out of touch, which I’m sure is not the image he wants to give off, unless he’s appealing to similarly old and out of touch folks.

The article ends with his statements on the role of government, which clearly are an attempt to appeal to the widest group of people possible, and not take a stand:

“I believe less governance is the best governance, and that government should not do what the free enterprise and private enterprise and individual entrepreneurship and the states can do, but I also believe there is a role for government,” Mr. McCain said. He added: “Government should take care of those in America who can not take care of themselves.”

Naturally, this doesn’t tell us anything about how he would actually govern.  He wants less government, yes, but does believe the government should take care of the people.  I don’t think he actually believes that though.