McCain "trusted his life to adolescents"

This is a pretty thought-provoking piece by PJ O’ Rourke on John McCain. O’ Rourke spends time on a carrier, getting to know the naval aviators and what they do:

Some say John McCain’s character was formed in a North Vietnamese prison. I say those people should take a gander at what John chose to do–voluntarily. Being a carrier pilot requires aptitude, intelligence, skill, knowledge, discernment, and courage of a kind rarely found anywhere but in a poem of Homer’s or a half gallon of Dewar’s.
[…]
Some people say John McCain isn’t conservative enough. But there’s more to conservatism than low taxes, Jesus, and waterboarding at Gitmo. Conservatism is also a matter of honor, duty, valor, patriotism, self-discipline, responsibility, good order, respect for our national institutions, reverence for the traditions of civilization, and adherence to the political honesty upon which all principles of democracy are based…
[…]
These are supremely dangerous jobs. And most of the flight deck crew members are only 19 or 20. Indeed the whole ship is run by youngsters. The average age, officers and all, is about 24. “These are the same kids,” a chief petty officer said, “who, back on land, have their hats bumped to one side and their pants around their knees, hanging out on corners. And here they’re in charge of $35 million airplanes.”
[…]
Supposedly the “youth vote” is all for Obama. But it’s John McCain who actually has put his life in the hands of adolescents on a carrier deck….
[….] [Hillary and Obama] are not just running against the hero John McCain, they’re running against heroism itself and against almost everything about America that ought to be conserved.

I don’t know that I agree that 20 year olds are “adolescents” but do read the whole thing.

I’m not a “McCainiac” (is anyone?) but for a while now, if I happen to be driving and have Limbaugh on, and he does his nasty, ugly McCain voice, I shut him off. It’s petty and small and McCain deserves better.