AmericanPapist Comments
Hey now, Ron Paul is still running.
Politics is not about perfection (that is "Obamamania") but about what is possible, given the specific circumstances we face.
And so, while McCain was not even in my top 5 picks, I will vote for him because it's absolutely certain he won't damage the Republic as much as either Democrat will - and quite possibly will do alot of good they would never do.
I don't believe it's a given that if we sit out in 2008 that we'll for sure come back like a lion in 2010 and win the White House in 2012 with a "new Reagan". That's an assumption that I believe is fraught with danger. It's wishful thinking.
Had Ford not lost to Carter, Reagan might STILL have won in 1980. And it's likely we'd not have abandoned the Shah of Iran or allowed the Ayatollah to seize power there, thus we might have avoided "the current unpleasantness" altogether.
In domestic politics, does anyone seriously doubt that a Hillary or Obama will appoint good judges to benches across the nation including the Supreme Court? Or that McCain will appoint the same hard-left ones they would?
He wasn't my top choice, but now that he's the only Republican in the race, my choice comes down to either him or one of the other two, and since they are totally immoral...do I really "have a choice"? No. It's morally imperative to vote for McCain not because we like him, but because the real, 100% certain alternatives are worse. Not voting is to vote for a worst candidate.
Joe Schriner!
www.voteforjoe.com
I'm admittedly conflicted. I may not vote for McCain, but right now would. It would be a vote to keep Obama and his culture of death out of office.
That said, McCain isn't top flight on the life issue either... so it might be better vote for another party till the Reps get a serious candidate. We'll see.
Well at least the abortionist candidates received a tiny percentage of the votes of the folks commenting on this website. That's encouraging. Jim, although I can sympathize with you, the next appointment to the Supreme Court is critical. We can't just sit out the election and allow the abortionists to make that choice. Tom
I selected "3rd party/other".
Mainly because I am undecided about Sen. McCain. He is good (enough) on the life issues and would appoint solid SC justices, and he has a pragmatic approach to Iraq. It's other views, i.e., McCain-Feingold and McCain-Kennedy (and a third piece of legislation that escapes my memory at the moment), that cause concern.
Then add his less than informed statements on global warming and mercury-autism links, a big question mark arises.
Needless to say I will not be voting for a member of the party of death. I'll need some time to discern whether I'll vote for McCain or a third party.
And I'm no stranger to third parties: Peroutka in '04 and Buchanan in '00!
Supporting a war with Iran is not an option for any sensible president. Not McCain.
The best way to avoid a war with Iran or any other big nation is to play 'bad cop' not to play "eager to leave the kitchen cause we don't like the heat' cop". But that's hardly a reason to vote Hillary.
I know this sounds bad, but even another foreign war won't be as damaging to our Republic as a Democratic president and all the bad judicial and policy wonk decisions they'll make.
Far more damage is done to our economy by heavy handed government regulations and the tax code than anything we do abroad. Far more domestic damage is done by Democrat judges making law from the bench than so-called "militarism".
Apples to apples, far more US military personnel actually died during the Clinton years than during these last 6 years of actual warfare (DOD statistics) because Clinton's budget so slashed military procurement that far MORE helicopters, planes, and ships had deadly accidents than currently.
Given the realities of politics - voting for a 3rd party candidate is a vote for the democrats. Yes, I agree, McCain is NOT my best choice. But he's better than either Democrat, and so....we really have no choice but to vote for him.
At the very least though, if conscience demands you not vote in the Presidential race, you ought to work hard to vote for good House and Senate seats. If we re-take the House in 2008 that might just well be the only means to keep a President McCain conservative enough to do good and avoid evil, or keep a President Obama from doing evil...as much.
Anyone who thinks we're going to war with Iran isn't looking very hard at the issue. Saber-rattling isn't the same as actually doing it, and sources within the Pentagon have said that there has never been any planning for war in Iran. The idea of America waging war pretty much went out the window when the NIE came out in December. Essentially, the ball for keeping Iran from gaining nuclear weapons is now in Europe's court, and Sarkozy and Merkel and Brown are doing a good enough job of keeping the pressure on. McCain can talk about war with Iran, but he's not going to do it--especially with Afghanistan and Iraq already being in precarious positions.
while McCain was way down on my list, Hillary and Obama never even made it. Both are scary for more than just abortion and gay rights. They are both inexperienced, have never led anything of substantial size and Obama sounds like he will come after those who don't agree with him (like devout Catholics) with everything he's got. Neither one of them sound like they like this country all that much either.
Voting for a third party has never worked out well in all my life. Last one who even had a chance was Peroe and he only got 21 percent of the vote. No. I'm not going to vote 3rd party and hand the election to which ever the Democrats put up there.
I have no loyalty to either party. I was a Conservative Democrat, but now I'm just a Catholic. As such I can not see how if you accept all the teachings of the Church and the Holy Father how anyone can vote for either of the Democrats.
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