A theme for McCain. . .

. . .seems to be the order of the day among the conservative blogosphere. Via Jim Geraghty, I came across Jennifer Rubin's post on the subject at Commentary's blog, Contentions. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, I've been mulling this over for the past couple of days, trying to come up with the one thing that John McCain symbolizes that Barack Obama simply cannot, and it was relatively easy for me.

While Obama symbolizes (for some, anyway) the sense of hope and the opportunity for change, John McCain embodies something that is far more deeply ingrained in the American experience. After all, no one in this country, and very few on earth, have ever been in a more hopeless situation than the one John McCain found himself in during his days as a POW in Vietnam. He is living proof of the importance of hope.

But, beyond hope, there is perseverance. Because, even in times when there is no hope, the defiance and perseverance of the human spirit can carry the day. Again, no one embodies that part of the American spirit more than John McCain. Ask his captors. Ask anyone who knew him as a POW, and you'll find no one who was more defiant in the face of a more hopeless situation.

And, to go one point further, there is in the American character the ability to thrive in adversity. And, from McCain's days as a POW, all the way through the darkest days of his campaign for the Republican nomination, John McCain has exemplified the American ability to thrive in adversity.

John McCain's theme for this election should be: In tough times, Americans rely not only on hope, but on their unique ability to persevere, and even thrive under adversity. John McCain has proven at every turn that he is the man to guide America through these tough times, because he embodies the American character.