Dear Senator McCain,

My friend, we are friends aren’t we? You’ve used the phrase “my friends” again and again during your recent Presidential campaign. Since we’re friends, I’ll just call you John. Please let me start again, taking our friendship into consideration.

Dear John,

Thank you for your service to our country. I could never truly fathom the depths of hell you went through during your time as a P.O.W. Your story of perseverance in the face of adversity is compelling.

Following your return to civilian life, I’ve had my differences with your positions on quite a few matters. I’ve had my differences with others too, including the New York Times’ assertion that you are the Maverick ™ Senator from Arizona, as well as the belief held by some, that you are uniquely more qualified to make my decisions than I am.

Dear John, as a candidate for President, you refused to run negative ads about your Democratic opponents. Strangely, your campaign staff had no problem running a negative whisper campaign against your own running mate, Governor Sarah Palin. I know I was slow to get in line behind you until Governor Palin was selected, but I was thoroughly flummoxed by a campaign strategy that had your staff trashing your running mate. Perhaps, someday, you can help me understand the brilliance of this strategy.

Strangely, you’ve had no qualms about running attack ads against fellow Republicans. In fact, you’ve run attack ads against Republicans who aren’t even running for office. Just the other day, one of your commercials claimed that local radio personality and former Arizona Representative J.D. Hayworth wasn’t a “real conservative”, while noting how much government overspending occurred under his watch. Unfortunately, that spending was under your watch too, and even larger amounts have been spent after Mr. Hayworth returned to Arizona, while you’ve remained in D.C.

Dear John, while we’re talking about negative campaigns, I see that you’ve developed a set of … radio ads that declare you are leading the fight against a President on a “far left crusade” out to destroy the United States of America. One could assume that this fight would be against; big spending bailouts, damaging reforms done in the name of health care, illegal immigration to insure the safety and job security of Americans, dependence on foreign oil, and a crippling Cap-and-Trade tax scheme to “solve” Global Warming. Unfortunately, these left-of-center positions are actually your Presidential campaign planks, positions you just happen share with President Obama. It is difficult for a mere citizen to see how you could possibly win this fight against your own positions.

Dear John, your stance on border enforcement issues highlights your representation of Arizona. Your prior amnesty based stance included a distasteful belief that those who want effective immigration enforcement reform and detest living with the devastating consequences of a porous, insecure, open border, aren’t as enlightened you are. Your aristocratic view shows just how Maverick ™ you really are. While you’ve lived in Washington, my hometown of Phoenix has become the second most likely place in the world to be kidnapped. I know you don’t want your constituents to appear xenophobic or receive special earmarks recovering the costs of an ineffective Federal border policy, but people are still suffering due to D.C. inaction.

Dear John, you’ve talked about how you were, “elected to change Washington” and “let Washington change” you. Admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, my friend. You have had over 25 years to change Washington. The “change” thing hasn’t worked out so well. I believe it’s time for you to take a term off from office, relax and spend some quality time in Arizona while you try to undo the changes Washington has made to you. I think a long vacation in Arizona is a change that would do you well.

Respectfully,
An Average Arizona Voter