Right person, wrong time

Publicly the Arizona native is saying he is in the final stage of making his decision and talking it over with his family. If that's the case, they should consider suggesting that he save the time and energy and take a family vacation instead.

On paper, John McCain seems to be a perfect fit for the Oval Office.

Born into a family with a prominent military background (his father and grandfather were both admirals), McCain himself established a prominent career in the U.S. Navy. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958, he would exhibit exemplary valor during service in Vietnam. In 1967, McCain was shot down over Hanoi and held as a prisoner of war for more than five years. He is the recipient of numerous military honors,

including the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The year after retiring with the rank of Captain in 1981, McCain was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and, four years later, to the Senate seat he now holds. He has since become a power player on Capitol Hill, named in 1997 by Time magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in America.

He now lives in sunny Phoenix with his wife. He is the father of seven. He is the grandfather of four.

His is a story only a fairy tale writer could imagine, with the final chapter being the highest office in the land.

Unfortunately for Sen. McCain, there are few in this town who believe in fairy tales.

Sen. McCain has fashioned a reputation for standing for what he believes in, which has meant often bucking his own party. Most glaring were the lead roles he took in the efforts to bring about "bi-partisan" campaign finance reform as well as his waging a war on Big Tobacco. He has irked many conservatives by so forcefully pursuing these progressive goals.

Receiving Bill Clinton's frequent praise (usually with the president's motives being to attack Republicans) hasn't exactly put McCain in a position to win most popular person in his party.

GOP primary voters are not charmed by McCain's cowboy style. Without the support of social conservatives, any dreams a Republican has of attaining the nomination will remain as such. Consequently, any dreams John McCain has will remain as such.

This may pose a serious problem for Republicans in their hopes to take the White House in 2000. While primary voters will insist on a conservative leader, general election realities demand someone who will reach out across ideological and party boundaries. The problem with Sen. McCain is the way he seems to inflame conservatives. It is one thing to disagree with those within this powerful faction of the party, it is another to do so publicly and thus adamantly challenge them.

McCain apparently realizes this, but simply wants what every other American hero seeking the story-book ending does: to be president of the United States.

"I am keenly aware that the odds are not in my favor," he has conceded. "My view is that I'm 62 years old, I am confident that a Republican would win the White House, and this is the only time the opportunity would come up."

Though this now-or-never attitude is understandable, in reality it means little.

In more ways than one, the snowy-haired senator may be what America now needs most: a leader who will put politics aside and stand on principle, and someone Americans will respect not just as a president, but as a person.

Jeanne Clarke, presidential scholar at the UA, feels that McCain could be the man for the job, but also has questions about the likelihood of his relocating from Arizona to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

"John McCain has many of the qualities we now need in a president - he is honest, direct, said Dr. Clarke. "Interestingly, McCain would be a great candidate as a Democrat. He is seen as too liberal to many Republicans. He would, though, be good for Republicans in a general election because he could reach across party lines and attract many Democrat-leaning voters like myself."

Clarke agrees that McCain faces an uphill battle.

John McCain has given so much to America, but there is a time for everything, and the time for President McCain has not yet arrived.

Perhaps another time, Senator. Perhaps another day.

Al Mollo is a political science senior serving an internship in the office of Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.