Decision 2008

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've had a hard time feeling really enthusiastic about either choice we've been given for our next U.S. President. As the election draws nearer, it seems to get even harder to decide whose name to mark on the November 4th ballot. I still have no claims of knowing who is really the best man for the job. I don't know how anyone can decipher the facts, or know for sure what will really happen if either one gets elected. But, since I have to make a choice, and time is running short, I've decided I'd better choose a side, and cast my vote for John McCain. While a part of me is morbidly curious to see what would happen if Barack Obama were elected, and I certainly am less-than-enthused about the republican party's nominee, I do feel that Senator McCain's politics more closely fit my ideal for the next U.S. President. So, that being said, here are eight reasons why I've chosen to cast my vote for Senator John McCain in 2008:

Reason #1: Mitt told me to. While Mitt Romney was still in the presidential race, I was a big supporter. Since then, he has become the Honorary Chairman of "Free and Strong America", an organization that works to get conservative politicians elected for offices across the nation. Every week or so, I've been getting letters from Mitt Romney, asking me to support John McCain. I figure that if I was so ready to trust Mitt Romney with leading our nation as president, I can probably trust his judgment as to who the best remaining candidate is.

Reason #2: Bill Maher supports Obama. If the liberal, left-wing media supports Senator Obama so enthusiastically, there's probably a good reason why I shouldn't.

Reason #3: Barack Obama is smooth...too smooth in fact. I love hearing Senator Obama speak. He has such charisma, such charm. He's unruffled, calm, and poignant in all of his addresses. Someone who is that poised all the time leaves me wondering what he has to hide.

Reason #4: I really do like Sarah Palin. I loved her the first time I heard her speak. She's passionate, patriotic, witty, smart and conservative. She's also down-to-earth and vulnerable enough to be real. I know she's been criticized a lot by the media, and I think most of her criticism has to do with the fact that she's a woman...which makes me want to support her even more.

Reason #5: The "What-if" Factor: I'm not saying that I believe any of the vicious rumors found on YouTube about either candidate. I doubt most, if any of it is true at all. However, let's play "what if" for just a minute...what if the rumors really are true? While I've already conceded that John McCain is not my ideal candidate, I think I'd rather have a whiny-voiced, geriatric war veteran who cheated on his wife and then married his mistress and may have accepted some bribes at one time in his early political career, than an anti-American, foreign-born, friend of terrorists at the head of our country. But like I said, I'm 99.9% sure none of it's even true...

Reason #6: "Spreading the Wealth": While I certainly believe that it's important to help those that are less-fortunate, and in a sense "spread the wealth", I think that it is something that can be more efficiently accomplished by individual parties and private organizations, NOT THE GOVERNMENT!!

Reason #7: I've been on Medicaid...I know from experience how inefficient the system is, how poorly government employees handle customer service, and how hard it is to get an appointment with a Medicaid provider. While I was grateful for their assistance when we needed it, I NEVER want the government to take over my health coverage again!

Reason #8: Roe vs. Wade. Overturning this 1973 Supreme Court ruling is long overdue. Abortion is sickening. It should not be treated as a convenient and routine medical procedure. Perhaps more than anything, I support John McCain's cause in overturning Roe vs. Wade and allowing individual states to regulate abortion.

So, there are my 8 reasons to vote for John McCain. While I really wish that the list was more about things that I admire and respect about Senator McCain, rather than reasons why I can't support Senator Obama, either way, a decision must be made. There are only a few days left until election day. Who have you decided to support?