Sen. John McCain. The Unluckiest Lucky B*****d I Know

[Ishmael]

When I was in Evansville, watching the Kentucky primary returns on Faux News with a disgruntled Republican at the hotel,
I had a moment of clarity about John McCain. He is the unluckiest lucky bastard I know. Consider the following:

1.In 1967, he is involved in the USS Forrestal fire when a Zuni missle inadvertently launched from another plane hits his plane's fuel tank. In the flight deck video of the incident, you can see McCain climb out of his cockpit, slide down the nose of the plane and run out of camera range about 5 seconds before the ordnance ignites. He escapes safely, but 167 of his shipmates die in the ensuing conflagration.

2.A couple of months later, his plane is shot down over North Vietnam. He parachutes safely away, but is captured by the NVA and held prisoner and tortured over the next 7 years. He survives his captivity, unlike many MIA/POWs.

3.After election to the Senate, he becomes embroiled in the Lincoln Savings and Loan Scandal. He survives the controversy, but thousands lose their life savings as a result of the failure.

I realize these are all coincidences, but it seems that every time he gets in a scrape, he comes out smelling like a rose while others pay a price for his involvement, however peripheral. so my question becomes,

Do we really want the unluckiest Lucky Bastard in the Oval Office? If past history is any indication, he would survive, but how many of us would have to pay the price for the unlucky side of his nature?

Just a thought. He reminds me a lot of this guy from Li'l Abner:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Btfsplk

[AVGWarhawk]

Ummm...just how is someone paying the price for his involvement concerning Forrestal or being a POW? Was it his fault that 167 crewmen were injured or killed as a result of that? Did he do something in particular as a POW to save his skin while others were not so lucky?

Others have paid the price with the Clintons. They not only come out smelling like a rose, they smell like the whole darn garden of them. We can start with White Water if you like.


The Forrestal...my heating and air condition repairman was aboard that day. He knew of John back then but not a a friend. Just a crewmate. It was the nastiest thing he ever witnessed. The burning flesh was incredible. So much so, when they did get underway and back to port, their first meal was steaks. He did not eat any because the smell was the same as the burnt flesh experienced. As far as John POW experience. No way in would anyone want to go through that. He was lucky he survived.

[Platapus]

John McCain actually lost five aircraft. I personally don't believe in luck.

The first was in 1958 when he plunged into Corpus Christi Bay while practicing landings. He was knocked unconscious by the impact coming to as the plane settled to the bottom.

McCain's second crash occurred while he was deployed in the Mediterranean. Flying too low over the Iberian Peninsula, he took out some power lines.

McCain's third crash three occurred when he was returning from flying a Navy trainer solo to Philadelphia for an Army-Navy football game.

McCain's fourth aircraft loss occurred July 29, 1967, soon after he was assigned to the USS Forrestal as an A-4 Skyhawk pilot. While seated in the cockpit of his aircraft waiting his turn for takeoff, an accidently fired rocket slammed into McCain's plane. He escaped from the burning aircraft, but the explosions that followed killed 134 sailors, destroyed at least 20 aircraft, and threatened to sink the ship.

McCain's fifth loss happened during his 23rd mission over North Vietnam on Oct. 26, 1967, when McCain's A-4 Skyhawk was shot down by a surface-to-air missile. McCain ejected from the plane breaking both arms and a leg in the process and subsequently parachuted into Truc Bach Lake near Hanoi.

I always wondered why a cadet with such a low standing in his class (894/899) could get fighter school. I know that in the Navy your family counts for a lot, but fifth from the bottom and he gets fighters?

Of course none of this really should influence how well he may do as POTUS.

[Tchocky]

I constantly remind myself of Platapus' last sentence whenever McCain's service is mentioned

However, I can't help but think of the rest of your post :p

Like Shackleton in a way. His main acheivement is that nobody died under his command, so all I can conclude is that he was not a very good explorer.

Cynical, I know. Welcome to me.

[RickC Sniper]

Since he has survived all that one might consider him lucky.

[Ishmael]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Ummm...just how is someone paying the price for his involvement concerning Forrestal or being a POW? Was it his fault that 167 crewmen were injured or killed as a result of that? Did he do something in particular as a POW to save his skin while others were not so lucky?

Others have paid the price with the Clintons. They not only come out smelling like a rose, they smell like the whole darn garden of them. We can start with White Water if you like.


The Forrestal...my heating and air condition repairman was aboard that day. He knew of John back then but not a a friend. Just a crewmate. It was the nastiest thing he ever witnessed. The burning flesh was incredible. So much so, when they did get underway and back to port, their first meal was steaks. He did not eat any because the smell was the same as the burnt flesh experienced. As far as John POW experience. No way in would anyone want to go through that. He was lucky he survived.

I never said he bore any responsibility for any of these episodes, But we seafaring types are a superstitious lot. It's hard for me to escape the feeling that he's a Jonah and like the Li'l Abner character, jinxes follow him wherever he goes.

[AVGWarhawk]

I do not know abou jinx's but Platapus pointed out something.....McCain knows how to crash airplanes.:rotfl:

[PeriscopeDepth]

I guess we should all be glad he didn't end up working for an airline after the Navy.

McCain 08
Down in Flames



PD

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I do not know abou jinx's but Platapus pointed out something.....McCain knows how to crash airplanes.:rotfl:

:rotfl: Yes he does! I do not know of anyone that has an Ace's record for plane crashes that is alive!

-S

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

I guess we should all be glad he didn't end up working for an airline after the Navy.

McCain 08
Down in Flames



PD

Down in flames.

I've thought of the perfect picture to describe his situation:

[Iceman]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Down in flames.

I've thought of the perfect picture to describe his situation:

A man who continued to campaign even when he was in todays terms was broke and the longest longshot sure has made alot of people think twice...Lucky?...think again..one tough SOB and show some respect at least for the life spent in the service of my country....A holes.

[AntEater]

While I'm a closet leftie and of course root for Obama, I really respect McCain.
I would've preferred him over Hillary any day.
Getting wounded and imprisoned in his service is not bad luck, while the rest of the things are just the usual stepping stones of a GOP political career.
Actually just ONE affair in over 20 years of parliamentary service is quite a clean record for a republican, and this allegations were "only" financial, not the usual paramilitary/CIA/torture/Iran-Contra/whatever stuff Republicans normally do.

:rotfl:

[August]

Originally Posted by AntEater

Getting wounded and imprisoned in his service is not bad luck, while the rest of the things are just the usual stepping stones of a GOP political career.
Actually just ONE affair in over 20 years of parliamentary service is quite a clean record for a republican, and this allegations were "only" financial, not the usual paramilitary/CIA/torture/Iran-Contra/whatever stuff Republicans normally do.

So what do you know of Republicans or Democrats Herr German? You people have just barely left your dictators and monarchs and you presume to lecture us, a 200+ year old functioning republic, on what is "usual"?

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

:rotfl: Yes he does! I do not know of anyone that has an Ace's record for plane crashes that is alive!

-S

Yeah, he considered an Ace at all the foreign air forces. At the rate he is going with our own aircraft he can become a double ace. :rotfl:

[August]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Yeah, he considered an Ace at all the foreign air forces. At the rate he is going with our own aircraft he can become a double ace. :rotfl:

Any landing you can walk away from...