Why McCain Would Make a Better President

Why McCain Would Make a Better President by Aaron Goldstein

McCain knows what government can and cannot do. More importantly, he knows what government should and should not do.

Should Barack Obama be elected President of the United States this November his chances for a successful term in office are slim to none.

As the candidate who extols the virtue of hope and change and whose audience chants in unison, "Yes we can!," Obama has set expectations so high that he is bound to fall short of lofty expectations.

After all, Obama has said this election is not so much about winning as it is about transforming the nation. This transformation would consist of (but would not be limited to) ending the War in Iraq; giving every American government health care, stopping lobbyists from running Washington and ending tax breaks to American companies that ship job overseas. It would come as no surprise to me if Obama told his adoring audiences they could eat all the ice cream they wanted without getting indigestion.

Levity aside, it does beg two questions. Can Obama transform this nation? Should Obama transform this nation?

If Obama can’t transform America then he is going to have a lot of explaining to supporters who will find themselves disenchanted and disappointed. They will come to view Obama as just another politician, a mere mortal. On the other hand, Obama could very well transform America but that doesn’t mean he should.

Sure we can leave Iraq. But what if Iran takes over Iraq? Sure Obama could meet with Ahmadinejad and try to reason with him. But what if Ahmadinejad laughs at Obama and decides to take Americans hostage? What if withdrawal from Iraq emboldens Islamic fundamentalists to carry out another attack on American soil on the scale of 9/11 or perhaps greater?

Sure we can give every American government health care. But will Obama tell Americans that their health care will be rationed? Health care for every American is nice as long as Americans don’t mind waiting two years for an MRI exam or for surgery. Heaven help those who don’t have two years to wait.

Sure we can stop lobbyists from running Washington and curtail their power. But tell me how you go about it without violating the First Amendment? And are some lobbyists more equal than others? I have a friend who tells me that only people who lobby for “bad things” should be reigned in. So would Obama exempt unions, environmentalists and anti-poverty organizations from lobby reform and only target those organizations that support lower taxes, veterans and Israel?

Sure we can stop giving tax breaks to American companies that ship jobs overseas. But how does whooping companies upside the head for investing overseas encourage them to invest at home? Besides, does Obama really want to stop American entrepreneurs from investing in places dear to him, such as Indonesia or Kenya, even if those entrepreneurs could have created those jobs here?

There are two lessons here. Don’t make promises you can’t keep and don’t make promises that aren’t worth keeping.

Conversely, not much is expected of John McCain. While liberals have swooned over Obama, many conservatives view McCain with suspicion. In fact, one of the pledges McCain has made is downright unpopular – staying in Iraq to win. But, of course, it takes a man of courage to do the right thing even if it isn’t the popular thing at the time. McCain supported the surge in Iraq when nearly no one else in Washington would. Yet because of his political clout that accompanied the brilliant strategy of General David Petraeus, the surge has worked. Of course, there is more to be done in Iraq. But if anyone can see this nation through what has become a very complicated war it is McCain.

Make no mistake. McCain isn’t trying to win a high school popularity contest with his position on Iraq. Why would McCain stick his neck out for President Bush, a man with whom he has had substantive differences, if he did not truly believe in winning the War in Iraq, let alone the surge? McCain is dead serious when he says that he would rather lose an election than lose a war. The same cannot be said for Obama.

Of course, McCain wants to win this election. But he doesn’t want to do it by telling people what he thinks they want to hear. Nor does he want to do it by telling people he is going to transform this nation. To do so would be an act of outright dishonesty. Besides, no one person, no matter how attractive and charismatic, should delude himself and others into thinking he can transform the nation with the stroke of a pen. McCain knows what government can and cannot do. More importantly, he knows what government should and should not do.

McCain’s proposals are modest but practical. They include an annual holiday on the Federal Gas Tax and Diesel Tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day; a repeal of the alternate minimum tax, a reduction in corporate taxes from 35 to 25%; a direct refundable tax credit for individuals and families looking for alternatives to employer-based health insurance; providing families resources to move their children from failing schools and an opportunity for homeowners to trade an onerous variable rate mortgage for a long-term fixed rate mortgage that better reflects the market value of the home. These proposals aren’t spoken of in grandiose language nor will they transform America. But they will help Americans who are in genuine need of it and help make day-to day-living a little more manageable.

I am not suggesting for a minute that McCain will implement these things with ease. After all, McCain has said he will veto any legislation that contains earmarks. A Democrat-controlled Congress isn’t likely to be inclined to go along with McCain’s proposals if he chooses to carry a veto stamp in his pocket. But McCain has also made a career of working with Democrats and if there is any Republican President who could get things done with a Democrat Congress, it is McCain. That might be an anathema to some conservatives but it will be music to the ears of the majority of Americans, liberal and conservative, who just want their government to work.

There is nothing wrong with Americans who are filled with hope and want change. But there is a difference between optimism and wishful thinking. Some promises aren’t attainable while other promises would do more harm than good. Barack Obama’s rhetoric might soar to the highest sky but in the real world his words are out of reach. John McCain’s rhetoric might not stir our collective imagination but in the real world his words rest on a foundation of solid ground. This is why I believe John McCain would make a better President of the United States.

Aaron Goldstein writes about the things that pique his insatiable curiosity. In addition to politics, he is an aficionado of baseball, poetry, music and ketchup flavored potato chips. Aaron satiates his various appetites in Boston. aargold24@hotmail.com http://www.poetsforthewar.org

Leave nothing to chance, always vote no matter what the odds are.

Which is more likely: (1) Third-party conservatives gobble up a significant share of non-Obama votes in states like Illinois, or (2) Obama loses Illinois, but somehow gets 270 Electoral votes.

I want McCain to win, but with the closest thing possible to an unmistakable "You're too liberal" no-confidence vote. If Illinois were to e.g. go 80-10-10 for Obama/McCain/Barr that would pretty well discredit the notion that politicians need to run leftward to win close races.

If McCain wins without any evidence that his liberalism hurt, he's going to run well leftward of where he is now, but he'll ensure that conservatives get blamed for all his shortcomings.

I’d like to hope, with you, that we had a voice. I’d like to hope that there was a reason to pull that level come November.

I’d wish that Senator McCain would acknowledge and give his solemn word that he would first protect our borders and enforce the laws, to ensure our sovereignty. I’d wish that he would give explicit precedence to the Constitution as we all here would ourselves in the same position.

I’d like my vote to really count - to have a chance at stopping Obama with a candidate who I could definitely trust.

But you, and I, and the dog all know that isn’t the case. Not to shovel dirt or remind us about McCain’s flaws and mistakes. No, that isn’t it. We all know this election is already over.

Let’s all be honest - we’re all adults here - we don’t need to really beat around the bush anymore. We all know we’ve been had. We all know the election is and will be what the media has decided. If we had a compelling candidate, it would not have mattered at all. The election has been stolen, our franchise has been lost, our republic is captive to an unelected, radical media.

I’d love to hope, I’d love to think my vote was still a vote, but it isn’t. It’s a gesture, a ritual without meaning, a vote that will not be counted. The election is over, the media will not allow us to be counted as citizens any more. They have decided, they have taken over the public square and will do anything and everything to push their annointed tyrant to his throne.

Our votes will not count. Our campaign, no matter who runs, will be drowned. Our franchise is forfeit, and we all know it.

Arguing about McCain is like arguing about the hairstyle of your neighbor while you are being sold into slavery.

It isn’t the time for that. What it is, is the time to plan. How will we resist? How can we keep our children from having this horrible event happening again and again? How can we fight back? It is time to put aside funds for lawyers, so you can sue when the unConstitutional pronouncements come from the lips of the Tyrant Obama in the months to come. It is time to scrimp and save and ration - privately - because at this moment in time, we are at War here at Home, and must act accordingly.

We have an advantage - we know we are seeing the rise of despotism. We also know how the Left has abused our judicial system to gut the Constitution. We know how they did it - now, we do it to them. Every moment of every day, spend time researching, planning, saving, speaking. Be forthright, be truthful, gather facts and historical records before they fade behind the clouds of bull$#it that the left will use to obscure their guilt.

They have stolen this election. Now, it’s time to prepare to fight back.

This is such an important election. One would suppose that the GOP learned something from 2006, when we warned it that it was in serious trouble, and that the electorate was going left. The GOP knew better, dissed the conservatives once again,allowed the media to Foley it for three weeks, and the Dems had them for lunch—electing posers acting as conservatives!!!!

So now it is 2008, and the most disloyal, back stabbing Republican is anointed as our nominee. Having completely lost their collective mind, the GOP thinks that running an old war hero is even going to register with a left-leaning, change-demanding, sick-of-Iraq, dumbed-down electorate.

Besides, John McLame believes in the same policies as Obama and Clinton. Once you make 30 million Mexicans citizens and strangle the economy with cap’n’trade carbon credits, you don’t need a policy on terrorism. America is done, and the Islamics don’t even have to don their explosive vests.

McCain is not going to change his stripes. Lots of folks here are trying to come to grips with the fact that he’s our man and he’s better than Obama. Well, good luck with that, because Johnny boy will disappoint every time.Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

It is amusing that Obama and McCain, having not even gotten to the conventions, are about to embark on debates.

Well, allow me to torgue up the wrench and throw it into the works of the conventional wisdom: here’s my take on things:

McCain and Obama will knock themselves out in June, July, August. By August, enough will come out about Obama, that the Dems are going to have buyer’s remorse about him. But not to worry, Hillary! is waiting in the wings to be annointed the savior of the Dem Party.

And if that happens, no way the old fart beats the first woman candidate for the Presidency.

With any luck, by early September enough Republicans will have buyer’s remorse about McLoser, and change the horse in the race at the convention. The truth is—that is the only thing that will remotely help us win the Presidency. If that does not happen, prepare to watch a Democrat take the oath of office on 1/20/09.

2008 will make 2006 look like a walk in the park. The Dem tsunami is rolling, and no matter who their candidate is,Obama or Hillary!, they will win.

We can only hope that we get enough GOP Senators to make it tough for the Dems to steamroller their agenda through Congress. But then again, there’s a lot of Republicans in Congress who are downright useless and might as well be
Dems anyway.

The GOP needs to replace its elephant symbol with a giant screw, because that is what they excel in doing.

And I’m out of Vaseline.

“I thought you were just trying to be funny in the other post but now I realize you’re lefttard. As far as calling a war hero a POS, I suggest you look in the mirror POS.”

So do you consider asshats like Murtha to be war heroes? How about Kerry? They served. Have you any posts in your history about them? Using your “logic” would not those posts make you a “lefttard?” Juanito WAS/IS a war hero, AND a POS.

Just because he did something honorable 40 years ago, does not mean that the POS gets a pass for the HORRIBLE things that he has done in the meantime, nor is he owed the Presidency for having been a prisoner of war. The Presidency is about far more than war, military issues and what someone once did decades ago that was honorable.

I have said over and over on this forum that I will vote for Juanito conditional upon his VP choice. If it’s a conservative, I vote for the conservative....if that creep has to be on the ticket as well.....so be it. I don’t think it will come to that though, I believe that he will be picking a Liebermann, Light Loafers Lindsay, Closet Crist or some other such liberal. Hell, he could pick Hillary and your type will be slobbering and roaring at the rest of us to support that electoral abortion!

No you won’t, you want to be told that you should vote for McCain.

Obama is someone’s sock puppet, but if you don’t vote for McCain it is as good as a vote for Obama.

The reason so many conservatives hate John McCain is simple he is a leader not a follower and as a leader He follows what he believes in rather than the whim of the people. In difficult times we need leadership, we don’t want some reincarnation of JC (Jimmy Carter) at the helm trying to be all things to all people especially to our enemies.

Vote for John McCain if for no other reason then to piss off democrats who think of him as the second coming of Bob Dole.

You will vote for someone who, to carry out the specific wishes of financier, George Soros, will do everything he can to bring about a one-world government and a one-government world.

Let's call a spade a spade, shall we? No matter which of the annointed one votes for, this (one world government, AKA "New World Order", as 'daddy' Bush called it) is the agenda being served.

It is only a question of whether you want your Country served up medium rare or well done.

I am watching to see who/what McCain ends up with for a VPOTUS candidate, but the general unrepentant attitude of the RNC insofar as 'we have no other choice so we will take what they give us' does not sit well with me.

This entire primary season has reeked from the start of manipulation and subterfuge, and when the election is over, things will only get worse, no matter who wins.

Yes, I understand that some flavors of 'worse' are worse than others, in that they will take more to recover from (if we do), but unless we can either gather a third party which is viable, or get the RNC to at least GIVE A D@MN what Conservatives think, we will be flying headlong down the slippery slope to 'global order' or destruction from within. No enemy can beat us from the outside without suffering tremendous losses, subterfuge is the weapon of choice, and it is present on both sides of the aisle.

The reason so many conservatives hate John McCain is simple he is a leader not a follower and as a leader He follows what he believes in rather than the whim of the people. "

That's right--that's why he pushed unconditional amnesty on us, not once, but twice, in 2007, because he is aleader and doesn't follow the whim of the people, who overwhelmingly rejected his stupid, country-killing amnesty scheme. The whim of the people kicked him upside the head on that one.

And let's not forget that the whim of the people is that global warming is a hoax and that a $ 6.7 trillion tax in the form of a carbon cap and trade program, also a country killer, is overwhelmingly rejected by the people that McLoser wants to lead, but nevertheless McLame believes in this program with the fervor of an environmentalist nutjob.

And who can forget McQueeg's leadership on the POW/MIA issue when he shut down the Senate Select Committee in 1992 and told off the POW/MIA families of the 600 POWs that we KNOW didn't come back from SE Asia to get lost. Yeah, that sure is not "following the whims of the people".

McLame is a seriously flawed candidate who will not win in November. Like in 1992 and 1996, the GOP is running a very old mand against a young man, thinking that something the old man did 40 years ago is relevant today.

I guess the GOP is just a glutton for punishment.

We need a new horse in this race by the convention.

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