Replies

First, I appreciate that you are debating this in a civilized way. That is what politics should be - give and take & having mutual respect for the other side. Too many times, I have been personally insulted, called names, had dispersions cast on my IQ, told to go away, to just die - or that I’m going to hell because of the way I’m voting.

I am not a one issue voter, nor am I a “100 percenter”, I have compromised on candidates many times through the years. I know there will never be a perfect candidate, even Reagan made lots of mistakes. You start out researching each candidate, I started out supporting Duncan Hunter, I felt he was a good conservative. But he never gained any momentum or showed that he had what it took to win a national election. Then I felt Fred Thompson would be that person - he too, dropped out. Then I gave all my support to Mitt Romney (too late, I’m afraid - I wish I had gone with him earlier). I never liked Huckabee, Giuliani or McCain.

It was only last fall that most all Freepers (with the exception of about 2%) were saying they could never in a million years vote for John McCain. I felt that way & the same about Giuliani - the feeling being that they would take the party in a direction it shouldn’t be going. Last summer, when Bush and Congress tried to get amnesty passed - the American people voiced their strong disapproval & they backed down. Then they tried it again - knowing that about 80% of the people were violently against it. John McCain led the charge against the people. John McCain has proven himself to be a man that does not care what the people he represents want - he will do what he wants & damn all of us.

McCain has shown that he hates the conservatives as a group & now he is changing his tune to get our vote. He is an utter hypocrite and I believe, a danger to this nation.

I can play politics just fine, but not when I feel a candidate does not have the interests of the American people in his heart. In all my years of voting, I have never felt this way about a candidate. I’ve always been willing to say, well this is not who I wanted - but I will support him or her. I felt this way about both George Sr. & George W. Bush. Too liberal for my taste, but I thought they were sincere. McCain is the final straw.

Parties live and die, perhaps this is what we are witnessing. It’s not too late for the democrat party to implode too - especially if Hillary finds some way of forcing her way as their candidate. The dems are just a hair away from this happening to them as well.

Americans, the people that I talk to - are sick and tired of these politicians that have been there forever & at election time - start preaching to us how they are going to change things. What the crap have they been doing all this time? They are part of the problem. It’s Obama’s race to lose at this point - he represents CHANGE to a great many people, not to myself but to many others.

McCain is a sad sick maverick that reveled in sticking his thumbs in his party’s eyes and basked in the lovelight of the New York Times. I’m so cynical at this point - I’m thinking his slimy people probably had that story printed to help him raise money and support. This man has been politicking for so long - he knows every trick in the book. I do not trust him. He would say or do anything to become President - he is a frightening man.

At this point, I am praying that something will happen to him before the election. I know that is a horrible thing to say - but it is for the greater good. This is the only hope that someone else can step up for our party and lead us to victory. I hope a lot of us have learned by now, that we’re not going to get perfection - but for God’s sake - let’s get rid of McCain. The absolute worst candidate we could put up there. A divider, not a uniter. A spoiled scheming foul-tempered corrupt Ted Kennedy suck-up that has authored some of the worst bills ever to come out of Congress.

I thank God that there are still some people that have the courage & conviction to say, “ENOUGH!” This is the only thing that will reverse the course the GOP is taking. This is the only thing that will save the party in the long run. Until enough people are willing to do this, we will continue our downward spiral. History will not be kind to us if we don’t start taking a stand NOW. I hate to sound melodramatic, but people have to know in their hearts that this is true.

I could shut up & line up behind 90+% of who we could have nominated - but no way McCain. It stops here. I will still work hard for good candidates, and will still vote for Republicans down the ballot - but a message must be sent that we will not eat the slop that we have been thrown. MOST of the people have not chosen this man - this is a travesty. The party is supposed to be answering to it’s members - not the other way around. The GOP is totally out of touch with the average person, they are heading down a dangerous road & we don’t like it. They need to be taken down.

If the democrats win, it will be because the republicans didn’t put forth a good candidate - not because a lot of people decided to quit holding their noses and quit drinking the kool-aid. Many people will say, “but it wasn’t the party that voted for McCain, the people did”. Yes - the democrats, independents, and people that think FOX news represents a conservative viewpoint - in just a few states - were the ones that stuck us with this man. A great many of us are outraged by that & are angry that the party we have supported would turn on us as they have.

The GOP has lost this one - just like they did in 2006. Bush picked a Vice President that would not run after him to carry on the legacy. He did nothing to “groom” a successor. He, like McCain - was too busy “reaching across the aisle” and calling those of us who did not like amnesty, “vigilantes” and “nativists”. I am sickened by these people - I want nothing more to do with them. I understand the decision that you and others have made - I know it could not have been an easy one - but I implore you to rethink.

If the Dems win - it will be because the GOP lost.

Thank you as well for your civil manner. I respect your reasoning and your decision.

I simply disagree that the means you have chosen will do anything to effect your goals.

I have given much thought to the same arguments you make previously. And, yes, it is not easy. However, I felt like I had a near-death experience by considering voting for Perot, and I never want to make that mistake again. I don’t know how I would have stood the burden (in my view) of the ‘Toon years without knowing that at least I cast my vote AGAINST him.

So, I guess I’m asking you to keep your options open, too. It’s a long time ‘til Election Day. There may be things we all find out about the candidates that change the very ground on which we are standing.

I’ve posted elsewhere, but just want to mention this to you as well: As part of my grappling with this issue back in ‘92, I also went through an excruciating thought process re how to vote in my congressional elections.

Eventually, I held my nose big-time and voted for a total RINO. I did so because I wanted to do my part to help constitute a R majority in Congress, especially in the likely event that Bubba became the president.

You don’t know how I felt when later the impeachment came up and I realized I hadn’t even thought the half of it-—that by voting for that RINO, I HAD helped constitute a majority, and I HAD helped put people such as Gingrich and Henry Hyde (a terrific pro-life man) in positions of national and consequential leadership.

I vowed then and there that I would never again view my vote as only a vote “for” the person for whom I voted. Rather, I would view it as having comprehensive effects on our entire government.

Imagine if the reasoning people are using here to refuse to vote for McCain were applied across the board-—we would NEVER, EVER constitute a majority in Congress.

Again, I believe it is a moral imperative to do what one is able to do to STOP a greater evil. I voted for a RINO congresscritter so that Henry Hyde, not some pro-abortion hack, could become Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. I will do so again.