Conditional Support of McCain
So much to the chagrin of my more conservative friends and acquaintances, I have relucantly decided to support Yon McCain. You'll notice I say "Yon" McCain, because I believe McCain will capture an even larger slice of the crucial Latino vote than President Bush (who I think got about 40-44% in 2004), and will henceforth be called "Yon"; I asked my Aunt to say "John McCain" this weekend and she said "Yon McCain", so I said, hell, I'm going to call him "Yon" McCain from now on. Anyway...
You see, most Latinos frankly don't trust blacks (just ask one of the gangs in Los Angeles) and they don't totally trust women in positions of power (despite the so called "love" for the Clinton machine, and they're aren't many deep South American Latinos in the US), so the only real choice for a good number of Latinos will be the immigration friendly McCain. It's not to say Latinos are bad or to blame for this, as it's an intensely cultural and inherent thing (especially to not see these groups in positions of power), but to not risk offending Latinos, this is what the news media and political analysts are too afraid to say aloud, and what the politicially correct pigeonholers do not want to acknowledge. I'm Latino (okay, half, whatever), so I should know.
To reiterate, I support John McCain not because I have any racial or gender concerns of Obama or Clinton - I simply like his politics better. And I bring up the Latino and politics issue to highlight why I think McCain will get more Latino votes and win the presidency. Conservatives loathe McCain mostly for his immigration policies - it's not because their racist (as they're lambasted by the hard left), but they can't fathom our country not being a sovereign country (like nearly every other country on Earth) and folks with illegal status crowding US hospitals and overloading schools funded with their taxpayer dollars. It has nothing to do with race - if Mexicans looked like Swedes or Gingers, the same people up here would still be pissed.
However, I believe McCain will take measures to fully secure the Southern United States border, but will take a rational (and not necessarily conservative) approach to amnesty that's not quite as liberal as his previous foray that was supported by President Bush. Too many conservatives whine about paths to citizenship and what not, but something reasonable has to be done. And too many liberals are overzealous for open borders and amnesty because they think they'll add to their voting base and exploit Latinos more than they already have. Liberals would turn on minorities so quick if they stopped voting for them - they like to dole out gratuitous handouts to secure loyalty among these groups. Conservatives would give these groups the independence they deserve and would refuse to patronize them, infantilize them, and buy their loyalty as liberals do; it's also imperative to note that most minority groups are extremely socially conservative.
I also believe McCain would do an "okay" job at implimenting conservative economic principles. Firstly, McCain would hopefully as he's said keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, putting money back into the hands of people who willingly spend in all branches of our economy and grow it through entrepreneurship. As much as the concept of low taxes actually bringing in more revenue to the government is so spellbinding for liberals, the leftist associated press admittedly recently that government revenue is at an absolutely all time high (high taxes stifle business, spending, and growth therefore shrinking the economy, and thus the government brings in less revenue); despite the gloriousness of Reaganomics, I'll save that for another blog. Secondly, McCain would hopefully stick to his anti-pork barrel pledges, and unlike President Bush, not be afraid to whip out the veto pen so our taxpayer dollars aren't spent on multi-$100M bridges to nowhere. And if you shrink spending on ridiculous things, you can keep taxes low and shrink the deficits (whose magnitudes are exaggerated, btw). Thirdly, as a Republican, I instinctively think Maverick McCain will tone down the "class-warfare" rhetoric.
His anti-torture and Guantanamo positions aren't too troubling for me, and he'll do a good job in terms of national security and the geo-political arena. As for McCain-Feingold, there's simply no excuse for that.
McCain was not anybody's first choice, but the consequences of not fully backing him and possibly conceding the US to Barack, whose been rated as one of the most liberal Senators in the Senate, are horrifying.
However - the condition - if McCain picks that horrific goon Mike Huckabee of Arkansas to be vice-president, I will refuse to support his campaign at any level as well as during the presidency.
B. Obama's record is absolutely troubling, and the nature of his endorsements is terrifying. I will give him credit for a couple more conservative positions (but not conservative enough) on teacher merit pay and healthcare, though. I will also give him credit for being brilliant and "with it". However, the combination of dangerous record and inexperience make him an absolutely unacceptable candidate that must be defeated.
• Endorsed by the dangerous ultra-left and Anti-American "MoveOn.org", which he readily accepted and bestowed praise upon the dangerous group.
• Endorsed by murderer, slanderer, and drunkard Teddy Kennedy (just look up Mary Jo Kopechne on google).
• Refused to say Pledge Of Allegiance as vulgar symbolic gesture.
• Refused to say Pledge Of Allegiance as vulgar symbolic gesture.
• Barack Obama's 2006 rating by the Almanac of American Politics describes him as 87% economically liberal and 12% economically conservative.
• Not open to private social security accounts.
• Opposes vouchers or any kind of school choice, however is fine with a type of choice in which a woman chooses to impale the skull of her fetus.
• Socialized health insurance.
• Opposes estate tax cuts, despite those monies already having been taxed.
• His 2006 rating by the Almanac of American Politics (2008) on Foreign Policy is 85% liberal, 12% conservative.
• Irresponsible withdrawal from Iraq.
• Drivers licenses to illegal immigrants.
• Willing to speak to rogue/terrorist states (criticized by H. Clinton)
• Early opponent of Iraq, before it was questionable, showing a far-left Code Pink view of using military force.
• 100% rating from far-left Planned Parenthood and NARAL.
• Hypocritical association with anti-gay pastors in his "40 Days of Faith and Family".
• Rated "F" by NRA.
• Unacceptable levels of disrespect shown to current Commander and Chief President Bush.
• One of the ten ultra-left Democrats to vote NO for Vote 181 to authorize $120M for the funding of the Iraq War and the troops.
• Ultra-partisan in senate: voted 96% with Democrats.
• Voted against bill to prevent desecration of the American flag.
• Voted NO against extension of the Bush tax-cuts.
• Voted NO on confirmation of brilliant and superbly qualified John Roberts to be Chief Supreme Court Justice.
• Polarizing class and race warfare rhetoric.
