When it comes to politics, I do not vote along party lines. I am an Independent who takes voting very seriously. As I look at the presidential candidates, both Democrat and Republican, there is only one candidate that I can support with any enthusiasm. That candidate is Senator John McCain, a genuine American war hero who continues to stick by his principles even though some of his positions are quite unpopular within his own party.
First, let me tell you how I feel about some of the other candidates, starting with Mitt Romney. This candidate has flip-flopped on almost every issue he supported as governor of Massachusetts. And, when questioned as to why none of his five grown sons had ever served in the military, he had the audacity to claim they were serving their country by campaigning in his behalf. The only way Romney would ever get my vote is if it came down to a choice between him and Hillary Clinton.
Then there is Fred Thompson, the former senator and Hollywood actor. This guy is a pretty good actor, but he is no Ronald Reagan. As a candidate, he has been a big dissapointment. He is not going to get the Republican nomination unless all the other candidates, including Ron Paul, drop dead.
Rudy Giuliani was a great U.S. Attorney. His office successfully prosecuted the bosses of several Mafia families. As mayor of New York, he brought law and order back to a lawless city. His leadership during the 9/11 calamity was inspiring, despite strong criticism by the firefighters union bosses, perennial backers of Democrats. Although Giuliani carries some baggage concerning his personal life and some of his associates, I could vote for him.
Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and former governor of Arkansas, is probably the most likeable of all the canditates. He has a good sense of humor. The fact that he is catering to the Evangelical Christians does not bother me. All the Republican candidates are doing that, including Giuliani with his pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-illegal immigrant and anti-gun positions. Even though, in 10 1/2 years as governor, he granted over 1,000 pardons, including one of a castrated rapist who later murdered a woman, I could still vote for Huckabee. Besides, he's got Walker, Texas Ranger (Chuck Norris) in his corner, and that ought to count for something.
Ron Paul, a Texas congressman and a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, is a Libertarian running in the Republican primaries who is another likeable candidate. As a Libertarian he would eliminate much of the government bureaucracy, starting with the Internal Revenue Service. He really has no chance of getting the nomination, but if by some miracle he did, I could vote for him.
Barack Obama is the first black American to have a real shot at the Presidency. If elected, the young Illinois Democrat could bring about real change because he has not been in the Senate long enough to become entrenched as a "Washington insider." With Hillary Clinton and most of the other candidates it will be business as usual at the White House.
Obama's inexperience is no big deal since he would almost certainly appoint well-qualified men and women to be his aides and Cabinet members. He has tripped over his tongue on several foreign policy statements. But it's his sucking up to Jessee Jackson and Al Sharpton that has just about eliminated any chance I would vote for him.
John Edwards, running on the far-left, is blaming everyone's problems on the evil power of those big bad greedy corporations. Dennis Kucinich is the "peace candidate." Edwards is not likely to, and Kucinich will not get the Democratic nomination, but if they somehow did, they would not get my vote. Senators Joe Biden and Chris Dodd will not get the nomination either and, by now, are really aiming for the vice-presidency.
With his foreign relations experience as ambassador to the United Nations and with his executive experience as governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson appears to be the most qualified of all the cadidates in the race for President of the United States. However, his call for the immediate withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq puts him in the same boat with Kucinich. His holier-than-though declarations against negative campaigning does not impress me and he would not get my vote.
Now to Senator Hillary Clinton, whose real claim to fame is her marriage to former President Bill Clinton. Since Hillary's husband is campaigning so hard in her behalf, you cannot separate one from the other when judging her candidacy. Good old Bill, a Vietnam wartime draft dodger, is a congenital liar. There was his ridiculous "but I did not inhale" statement when he first ran for President. There were all the denials of his extra-marital affairs. And then there is his latest big lie that he opposed President Bush's invasion of Iraq. Bill and Hillary are notorious for playing both ends against the middle.
Hillary has always been uber-politically ambitious. She is a very shrewd cold calculating candidate who, before taking any position, moistens her finger and holds it up to see which way the wind of public opinion is blowing. You cannot put any weight in the sincerity of her statements. Furthermore, she is definitely not likeable, projecting a condescending and self-righteous image. And, Hillary is totally devoid of self-respect because if she had any, she would have thrown Bill out on his ass, her presidential ambitions not withstanding, for cheating on her time and time again. For her lack of self-respect and because she keeps sucking up to Jessee Jackson and Al Sharpton, I could never, ever vote for her.
This brings me back to John McCain. His campaign got off to an awful start. His staff blew most of the money raised by his campaign. He has never been liked by the Evangelicals. His stand on illegal immigration cost him a lot of support. To his credit though, he is a man of principle who, unlike Hillary, does not stick a moistened finger in the air. He often takes unpopular independent positions because he believes them to be right. You've got to love a maverick like that.
John McCain served his country in combat as a naval aviator and, after having been shot down, he endured six years of torture and solitary confinement at the hands of his North Vietnamese captors. With his long and outstanding record of military and public service, he is the most deserving of all the presidential cadidates. In a race between Hillary Clinton and Johm McCain, she's the contrived robotic candidate, he's the real deal. His foreign policy will protect the interests of the United States. His domestic policy will be based on principle and not on partisanship.
I am asking all of you to join me in supporting Senator McCain's bid for the presidency and, if the opportunity arises, to cast your vote for this principled genuine American hero.
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