I promised myself that I would never write about politics in this blog. I'm breaking that promise. I'm going back on my word to myself because there is a great lesson in the campaign-suspension gymnastics of the past 36 hours. The lesson is a simple one: if you're in a fight, particularly one that you've chosen to be in, keep fighting. No timeouts. No give-me-a-minutes. No mulligans. Keep fighting.
A scene from Top Gun, the 1986 American cinematic classic, has run itself through my mind time after time during the past day and a half. It's the scene in which Maverick (Tom Cruise) is sent back up to fly for the first time after his friend and co-pilot Goose is killed as he ejects from an F-14. Any American male now between the ages of 35 and 50 will remember the scene; for those who don't, I've embedded a copy of it below.
At the sign of the first Soviet MiG, Maverick, still smarting from the loss of his friend, will not engage the enemy. The pilots of the other U.S. F-14s in what has become a full-blown aerial dogfight exhort Maverick to "...get in the fight!"It is only after Maverick, cupping the dog tags of his dead friend, calls on the fallen Goose to "...talk to me..." that he reengages and, ultimately, becomes the day's hero.
With all due respect, Sen. McCain: get in the fight. Reengage.
We are counting on you, like Maverick's squadron-mates were depending on him. Yes, there are serious economic problems that need to be addressed. But we need you to keep after it, to stay with the fight. The MiGs continue to come. Rejoin the dogfight.
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