Jonah: I’m not sure whether we agree or not on Guantanamo Bay. All kinds of things we do in this country are p.r. problems. The war in Iraq is a p.r. problem. So what? Our national purpose isn’t to offend our European friends, human rights groups, the media, the terrorists, or whomever, but if the right policies offend them, too bad. And Guantanamo Bay is merely one aspect of McCain’s weakness on homeland security (and, by the way, once the detainees are brought to the United States, you will not be able to ship them off to prisons offshore as a legal matter). McCain repeats the false rhetoric of the anti-war movement in suggesting that our interrogation techniques, especially water-boarding, are equivalent to torture. They are not, and it diminishes what our soldiers and intelligence operatives are doing to say so. He has worked overtime to create, legislatively, rights for detainees that POWs, let alone unlawful enemy combatants, have never been granted when held overseas. This has a chilling effect on the ability of our military and intelligence agencies to secure information that has in the past saved American lives, as others testified to and written about at length. I think you attribute too little significance to border and internal security, which, after all, created the circumstances for 9/11 in the first place. And I believe it is difficult to defend McCain’s record in this regard. Yet, these are part of the responsibilities of the commander-in-chief.

As for beating up on generals, if McCain goes off the handle the way he has with numerous senators, I do not think that is productive at all. He disparages management in debates with Romney, but a good leader knows how to get people to do things without berating them.

Look, I will never be convinced that McCain is a traditional conservative. I think that’s clear. And most of his advocates don’t either. They point to the surge or claim he is the only candidate who can defeat the Democratic candidate. Others like David Brooks talk about a new way, or whatever. If I could find a way to support McCain I would have long ago. But my reasoning skills don’t get me there.

By the way, Jonah, you are much appreciated because your posts are reliably respectful and thoughtful.