Around the world in a day

On the Google Maps website there were two maps created by a user that show the geographic lifejourneys of each of this year's presidential candidates. Each geographic place is accompanied by a description of people and dates. One thing that is cool was how each candidate has been around the world in their individual life journeys. (Quite different from the Republican's vice presidential candidate who only received her passport a couple years ago, and then just for the purpose of photo ops in Iraq for political gain.)

But the narratives created for Obama and McCain are quite different. Obama's is rather matter of fact while McCain's had this sense of breathless drama. "On the USS Forestall McCain nearly lost his life when a missile accidently exploded" and describes in graphic detail what the VC had done to his body during his 5+ years of captivity.

The narratives starkly reveal how biography is often conflated with character, and how biography substituted for character development in the packaging of John McCain. Yes, McCain's journey included Panama, the waters off Cuba, and Vietnam. But the true consideration is: how did each place impact him, to shape him as THE one to address the serious issues that the country is facing?

His years of captivity are supposed to imply that he is a tough son-of-a-gun who will sacrifice everything for his country. That no doubt could be true, but it also had the impact that decades later he still harbored anger against his captors and felt entitled to label them as "gooks."

On the whole, I see that Obama's world journey had the effect of making him more inclusive and compassionate for others who didn't share the same viewpoints, abilities, social and economic standing as he, while McCain's worldview narrowed and became a reflexively bellicose.