William Kristol in his new column in the New York Times in today's column analyses in a persuasive way that John McCain is a throwback to the Victorian age. As support for this proposition Kristol quotes from a poem written by William Ernest Henley in 1875. The poet is titled "Invictus" and was memorised by John McCain as a school boy and was a poem that sustained him the years he was tortured and held captive in North Vietnam. It came up because McCain used a small portion of it in his victory speech in South Carolina Saturday night. The following is the poem as quoted by Kristol:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud,
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbow’d.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
I find Kristol's column interesting because I have always been drawn to Victorian heroes. Winston Churchill was also a throw back to the Victorian age and maybe so was John Ford. I am supporting Mitt Romney for President but I admire and respect John McCain. He reminds me of another Victorian.... Teddy Roosevelt.
(To read Kristols's column click on the title for a link.)
Three generations of McCains have defended this country at great sacrifice. Today on "This Week with George Stephanolos" on ABC during the "round table" discussion one of the "liberal" commentators called McCain a "warmonger" and no one challenged her slur on this hero.She was able to speak today because of men like John McCain.Also today I saw a television ad for the United States Marine Corps that was broadcast during the NFC Football Championship. This was the one the "liberals" in San Francisco would not allow to be filmed in that City. Thus the Marines used a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge from the others side. Fortunately these people are a minority and lets us hope there always be men willing to answer the call of duty. We are the Captains of our fate.
