McCain’s war story political ad is interesting. It implicitly proclaims that a fighter pilot and war prisoner embodies relevancy for managing the world’s most powerful country. However, neither is relevant for leadership or management. The ad also revealed that given the opportunity to be freed, McCain refused.

Given the alternative to be freed or imprisoned, and choosing the latter is puzzling. Since, greater good could have been accomplished freed than imprisoned.

Some critics, conservatives and liberals, have accused McCain of participating in propaganda films while in captivity, others of inappropriate bombing targets in Hanoi during the 1960s.

McCain's  uses beaten and torture to justify participating in the enemy’s propaganda films while in captivity. He wrote that he learned that every man has his breaking point and he had reached his in captivity. However, if his coziness with the enemy was widely known, many staunch conservatives would argue that it precludes him from holding the highest office.

It is, therefore, fitting for the voters to ask if McCain is confronted with pressures in office would he reach another breaking point and what would be the consequences this time?

The country cannot afford a president with a low breaking point. Wesley Clark was correct in raising the issue of the irrelevance of a fighter pilot and prisoner of war being a qualifier for running the country.

Ben Smith of Politico noted that Obama and the Democrats have not exploited McCain’s military record.

Viewing his military record in totality, most voters would conclude that it is not stellar. However, by using portions of it in ads proclaiming that it is stellar, his military record becomes fair game. And, indeed, voters should know the complete story of his war record, the torture that he suffered, enemy’s films that he participated in, and any other available facts.

Fortunately, most Americans know that it is the Iraq war of choice that caused instability  in the Middle East and the potential for future supply disruption. Moreover, that it is this potential for crude oil supply disruption that causes traders to increase purchases of futures contracts for crude oil. Thus, increasing trade volumes for crude oil on the NYMEX and ICE; as trade volumes (demand for contracts) increases, traders bid crude oil prices upwards.

Thus, McCain’s ad implying that Obama is at fault for high crude oil prices may indicate some level of deception or naiveté. Either is unfortunate, the former validates McCain's tendency to cherry pick only beneficial portions of his military record and the latter validates his lack of economic understanding.

If McCain doesn’t understand the economy, his election would certainly be a continuation of the Bush administration mishandling of the economy.