And you, sir, are no John Connor

We saw it in Terminator: Judgment Day, and now we see it every week in the TV adaptation, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

That dumb kid just won't stop asking for it.

Again and again John Connor puts himself in harm's way. Can we blame him? He's just a kid. Oh, he knows all about the man, nay, the leader he will one day become. But today, he's a teenager. In Terminator: Judgment Day, he ignores old Arnie's advice and goes to rescue his mother, though doing so can and does put him in the path of the T-1000.

Now, in the TV show, he wants to rescue Skynet's next target himself, though he could (and, as every episode points out, probably will) die in the attempt. He wants to take this conspicuous blonde girl on a date, though it may blow his cover. Worse, that date could just be a Terminator in disguise. What does he do when he receives a new Terminator guardian, the dazzling Cameron played by Summer Glau? He finds ways to desert her so he can assert his right to be an impulsive asshole.

"It's not a good time," Sarah tells him.

"Well, mom, when is a good time? When is going to be a good time for me to live MY life?"

But the problem is John Connor can't be a hero. He must be a leader. And leaders, well, they don't fight on the field. They are the hand guiding the pieces on the RISK board.

However while his mother, Sarah Connor, chides him for being so heroic, there's no doubt each decision is just one more step toward becoming the leader we will one day need.

Without those experiences as a hero, John would never know about the sacrifices the men and women he commands make. He would never know the discipline necessary to endure torture, or to sacrifice a battle to win a war. Despite the warning that he should run from these fights, without that wisdom, he wouldn't later know who to send, who to trust. Part of what spurs OUR trust in HIM is that we know he's endured the same battles he's asked us to engage in.

And how does John McCain stand against this example?

He's asked to take on the most powerful leadership position in our country. He's insisted again and again he is a maverick reformed from a snot-nosed, arrogant brat into the man we see today espousing vague patriotism and purpose.

But while experiencing war firsthand may help you lead an army through a war, if you're going to declare yourself a seasoned veteran, at least mention when you had a chance to stand for your country, you decided otherwise. If you're going to lead us, I want to know that you broke down in captivity and signed a confession denouncing the United States. I want to know that while you gave in to pressure, other soldiers beside you endured torture without disavowing their country.

When you praise the bravery of men like Lt. Cmdr. Herb Hope for risking their lives to save a ship and the men it carried, including you, make sure to mention you admire them so much because you chose to jump ship instead of risk your life.

But what about John Connor? Doesn't he ignore his responsibilities? Doesn't he put the fate of the entire human race at stake, while John McCain merely threatens to wreck our country?

The difference, of course, is John Connor isn't real. In the fictional world, we know he is destined to be the leader we all need, and we can growl at his mistakes but move on. We know, in the end, he will become the leader we need.

If he can just live long enough.

Unfortunately, John McCain has no such assurances.