Obama vs. McCain

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no big fan of Barak Obama. Rather, I wish there were two OTHER candidates for us to choose from in a few weeks. I don't like that both of them think you can war for peace. I don't like that both want to support Georgia even though it seems that Georgia initiated hostilities against two small sovereign nations that sit on the border between Georgia and Russia. I don't like that neither of them has mentioned, let alone promised, dismantling the Patriot Act or even its unConstitutional aspects. I don't care for any of those similarities... but those can't be helped, and this campaign is about the differences.

The differences are huge.

McCain says he's for alternative energy, but EIGHT TIMES in recent years he abstained from voting, even while in Senate at the time, rather than voting to re-fund alternative energy tax breaks. That's not an Oops or a coincidence. That's McCain betraying the many solar farms and wind turbine investors right there in his home state of Arizona. Why would he do that? Follow the money. Sure enough, McCain received 2 MILLION in campaign contributions from big oil. What a shock, huh?

McCain's talking out both sides of his mouth on health care reform as well. That rebate? It goes directly to health care providers, not to you. How's he going to fund it? He plans to TAX health care benefits! So when there's some trauma and a $200,000 hospital bill, I'm going to have to pay taxes on the part the insurance company pays for? Whose side are you on, McCain?!

Presidents fall into three categories: Standing Man, Walking Man, and Running Man. The standing man doesn't actually DO anything. He just stands around talking about it, pondering lint in his bellybutton. Then there's the Walking Man. He moves, but he's in no huge rush. Rather, he ponders and adjusts as is appropriate. The Running Man? He acts immediately, fully committed... all too often diving head-first into an empty pool. But in politics, they aren't the ones who get their skulls smashed and have to run to the emergency room. WE are. Save us from the Running Man! By now, we've seen that McCain is a Running Man, while Obama is a Walking Man. I'll take the Walking Man every time.

The final straw for my choice was McCain's choice of running mates. Caribou Barbie Palin? Millions of bright, capable women in this country and she was the best you could do? You'd actually leave this nation to her when/if you die? McCain's choice was highly irresponsible, an act of desperation by a man who -- despite rhetoric to the contrary -- would rather win this election than choose wisely for the sake of the nation. Sarah Palin is too dull a tool for any Federal office. Meanwhile, Barak Obama had the sense to pick a man with the experience he lacks, both in Federal politics and international affairs. It's rather difficult to make a comparison between Obama and McCain on this score. Obama's the clear winner.

In a perfect world, we'd have candidates that were bright, articulate, poised, well-versed, and agreed with all of our own choices in life. Such a world does not exist.

In this world, and in this year's presidential election, there's really only one candidate worthy of our votes. I hope you'll agree and join me in voting for Barak Obama to be the next President of the United States of America.