OK, what a day.  As a good friend of mine has put it, every time I get close to voting for McCain (rather than Donald Duck) he does something stupid.  Over the past few weeks I've been on the verge of committing to John McCain, but didn't want to make that choice until he picked a vice president.

Because he had the potential to put a really bad choice out there that would have chased folks like me away.  Last night there was a leak that it was Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota. Did a search on him and was not impressed.  Wasn't chased away, but wasn't chased to him either.  THEN this morning they started talking about some lady name Sarah Palin.  Did a search on her and loved what I read.  Then it was official.  The Republican ticket is McCain/Palin.

So regardless of the way this election falls, America will be on new ground come November 5th.  We will either have a black president, or a female vice president.  We are truly in amazing times.

Now this pick has two potentials.

1. Kick the snot out of Obama's campaign.

2. Kick the snot out of McCain's campaign.

Generally a Vice President pick means nothing.  However in this case that does not apply.  It meant everything.

Had McCain picked a pro-choice, gay loving running mate the game would have been over.  He was slowly winning over the base of his party, and the part of the base he didn't win yet (like me) are the far right religious crowd.  So this pick did two things for him.

1. Kept his reputation for being a maverick. Somebody that didn't always do the safe thing, if the better thing was unsafe.

2. Played to the base. While not doing it in a bland or over the top way (ie Pawlently or Huckabee). 

They say Palin is a fierce debater and I think that the debates will determine the effect she has on this run.  If she own Biden during the debates, this election is over.  If she makes  a huge misstep, this election is over.

The argument against Palin from the democrat camp?  No experience in national affairs.  This I find a riot.  She has MORE real experience than Obama (ie, the top of the ticket not the bottom).  What's Obama done?  He gave a speech and got elected in 2004, then basically started running for president.  So during the debates if she shows great wisdom and poise, this will be a landslide. 

This is what Obama doesn't understand.  The reason the inexperience line works on him is because he proves it over and over again. Even when this announcement was made, the Obama camp threw out a line about how bad this pick was.  Then they realized that wasn't going to fly, so they put out a new line congratulating her. 

So its official.  As of right now, I am voting John McCain 2008.

Can't add anymore to this.

Well I've been a bit to busy to really dig into this, but a brief rant.

How can the democrats put a guy up that is getting his behind handed to him?  Obama has not had a good run since he took a commanding lead.  That doesn't bode will for him come November. Especially with the polls that show that 20% of Hillary supporters will vote for McCain over Obama.  With the big exception...

McCain is not getting 25% of the Republican vote.  He has the nomination locked up, but he is consistently not getting 25% of the vote from the Republican side.  Now while all of that won't carry over to November, it doesn't take much to change an election.

Will really be the race to the bottom.

<Praying for my great country>

The more Barack Hussein Obama speaks the more I feel that I might HAVE to vote for John McCain.  Barack as president (and its clearly obvious that he will be the democratic candidate) is a dangerous place for the country to be at.  He is making claims that won't make this country more liked, but less liked.

He says that he will end NAFTA, but does he really think that will help us in relation to other countries? 

He says we are in Iraq 5 years to long.  That's just plain bad.  It was firmly believed by ALL (democrats and Republicans) that Iraq had WMD's, and he was ok with that?  2 years to long? Maybe I can see that (still don't agree with it, but at least its better).

Then there was his pastor.  Boy oh boy, what a lame way to try and weasel out of that.  So just because he wasn't there during the 'bad' sermons he didn't know his spiritual advisor felt that way?  GET REAL. He's not that dumb is he? 

But the truth is, I can't put it better then this video.

Barack, don't tell me words don't matter... they certainly do.  Just listen to YOUR words.

So when George Bush was appointing some supreme court judges the saying going around that elections have consequences (and Bush had just won re-election in a pretty demanding way) and that the democratic congress members should accept that.

Well elections have consequences...

Democrats won the congress and senate in 06, what has happened?

* Price of oil has doubled.
* Job growth has been cut in half.
* Past two months have had 80,000 job losses.
* Average family grocery bill has gone up $70
* Stock market has lost 10% of its value.
* Home prices have falling 8%
* Inflation has had its largest one year increase since the early 90's

But don't take my word for it, see the video linked at the bottom of this post.

Now, let me be fair; I don't think all of this is the fault of the democrats.  However I do think that some of it is.

The democrats ran on a ticket to raise taxes by an average of $2000 and their latest budget is much worse then that ($3000/year) over five years. This has a very bad affect on corporations because it affects their bottom line.  Many business are classified as 'small business' and the owner's tax rate directly impacts their employee's.  But it also scares business's into being afraid to invest money because it may not be there if their tax rate increases.  This directly effects four of the items above; job growth, job losses, stock market, and inflation.

Elections have consequences, unfortunately this affects me greatly; I have already lost money due to this congress. Government programs (universal health care, etc...) are not free, and we are already starting to pay for just the idea of them!

Well its a given that Obama is a supporter of abortion.  But he is even to the left of folks like Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton.  If you support Obama, you support a man who opposed a bill that forced doctors to try and save a baby that survived an abortion.  So he wants to allow a doctor to ignore a live baby.

This was an add put together by some anti-abortion folks.  A few graphic scenes in this video.

Oh boy, what a morning.  I go to my local voting area with full intention to vote for Billary. 

I step up to my table and the older ladies point out that I'm a registered Republican and ask me if I planned on voting that way.  I said no... now the look they gave me was very funny.  So they inform me that I need to change my registration to democrat.  Wasn't happy about that, asked if I could go to the board of elections and change it back tomorrow.  Was told that they THINK you have to wait until the next primary.  But was something I was willing to do to vote against Barack 'Don't say my middle name or you're a racist' Obama.  But then they give me the form that I have to fill out...

At the Primary Election held on the 4th day of March, 2008. I <insert name> of <insert address>, hereby state, under penalty of election falsification, that I desire to be affiliated with and that I support the principles of the democratic Party and wish to cast a ballot in the party's primary election this year.

Oh boy... I looked up after I read 'support the principles' and said, nevermind.  Give me the Republican ballot I can't sign this garbage.

So I voted Huckabee. 

On March 4th Ohio is having its presidential primaries.  I am voting for Hillary Clinton.

Yep, you didn't read that wrong.  That is who I am voting for.

Why?

Because if I voted for my candidate of choice, Huckabee, I'd be wasting my time.  So I figure I'll vote against another candidate.

Barack Hussein Obama

I don't like him at all, he stands for nothing.  He promises things that I think Jesus himself would have issues delivering.  He is going to end all war, provide insurance to all, increase manufacturing jobs, stop global warming... really and people are buying this garbage.

So I will be voting for Billary.

Come November though... its looking more and more likely that I'll be leaving my presidential ballot empty.  That may change, but that is where I'm leaning now.

Change, change, change.... that's all I'm hearing from the presidential candidates (and even then, primarily the democrats).

How about we do something odd and vote issues!  What good is change if the issues they support are bad?  One of the things that stunned me in the 06 elections is that people voted for change, but many of those same people didn't realize that one of the issues that the democrats ran on was raising taxes.  They ran on the ticket to eliminate GWB's tax cut.  That tax cut 'for the rich' has literally meant $2000 for me each year. 

So in 2008, as I did in 2006, as I did in 2004, I will be voting issues.

1. Abortion - Yes this is a primary issue for me.  Does the candidate support life?

2. War on Terror - Does the candidate understand that we are in a battle with radical Islamic's?  That we can't ignore them as we did in the 90's? 

3. Immigration - Does the candidate support enforcing our laws? 

4. Protection of Marriage - OOOOHHHH a touchy issue, but does the candidate support traditional marriage?  I could go into why I think this is important... but I won't. 

Or will we be voting on emotion and 'change'... awesome video... no substance and this candidate in particular is in complete opposite sides of the issues above from my point of few.

Now for my final Republican nominee review.  When I first started this I had no plan of reviewing John McCain, but since he has recently made a wave in the standings I will.  My initial thoughts on McCain are that if he won the nomination I wouldn't be voting for a Republican and will let the Democrats win the White House to send a message to the Republican party that sending liberals to the ballot will mean a perpetual loss in elections.  But I guess it is time to review the facts and see what I should really be thinking.

Lets look at the issues:

Taxes: I probably most relate to John McCain on taxes.  Supports reducing taxes for all, because he knows that by putting more money in the pockets of the people puts more money in the pockets of the government.  It is an effect of the trickle down effect.

Universal Health Care: Not for that, but for major health reform.

Abortion: In favor of abolishing Roe v. Wade and putting the issue back in the states hands.  Now one thing I really like about his stance is that he also offers a fix... promoting adoption.  Man I can't argue with that!

Traditional Marriage: Supports it.

War on Terrorism: Supports the war on terrorism and always has.

Illegal Immigration: Now this is interesting.  He has flip flopped... but to his credit I kind of buy his excuse.  He initially had a stance to secure the border and institute a temporary worker program AND make a path for illegal immigrants to become citizens.  I don't like that... I'd rather secure the border and make illegal immigrants go home and start the process then.  But now he is more on the side I stand on, and his reasoning for this was quoted as the following:

"I understand why you would call it a, quote, shift," McCain told reporters Saturday after voters questioned him on his position during back-to-back appearances in this early voting state. "I say it is a lesson learned about what the American people's priorities are. And their priority is to secure the borders."

He has shown a history of listening to the American people, and admitting when he is wrong... because in the end we are a democracy.  And he should represent the people, while sticking true to his own political party.

Gun Control: Pro-second amendment.

So in conclusion... I think I may have flip flopped on McCain.  I won't really know until he is the nominee and his record is torn apart, but I think at this point I'd at least listen.  He still remains behind my top three.