John McCain For President

Today I am officially supporting John McCain for president. I've waited a few weeks as I digest all the information I could. I've read stories pro and con, and taken in a healthy dose of talk radio to listen to what the Old Guard has to say and make their case. My decision to back McCain is, like many other Republicans, complicated. I have never been as big a McCain-hater as other conservatives, because it was McCain 2000 that got me interested in politics while I was at my freshamn (and only) year at Randolph-Macon College. I've always thought of him more conservative that he wanted people to think. In 2004, I don't think there was a Republican in the country who worked harder for George W. Bush's reelection. Yet still, much of McCain's actions in the Senate have concerned me.

And yet here we are. The most pivotal factor in my decision was really Mitt Romney. I couldn't help but chuckle listening to Mark Levin and Sean Hannity laud Romney and explain that his past statements on issues - some not that long ago - we now forgotten and that Romney is a true Reaganite. I respect Mitt Romney's career and accomplishmnets, but he is not the heir of Reagan as many of these gentleman along with the suddenly inconsequential National Review would have us believe. In 2000 John McCain lost because George W. Bush could point to his entire career and his governorship of Texas as proof of his conservative bonafides. Romney, on the other hand, has run campaigns as a liberal Republican . . . vowing in a 1994 Senate race to be better on abortion than Ted Kennedy! While McCain has had lapses from conservatism, he hasn't run away from them and pretend he is something he is not. Romney is transparent, a chameleon, ready to morph into what conservatives want without thinking. He is given to trends and that is not what I look for in leadership.

Senator McCain. Is he perfect? No. But I will argue this. McCain's recod is pro-life and pro-gun; and it very much mirrors the independent conservatism of post-1964 Barry Goldwater. Like McCain, Goldwater fought against the Religious Right from completely taking over the Republican Party. It is fitting that McCain succeeded Goldwater in the US Senate. While I believe relgious voters should vote Republican, I have never felt that the likes of Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell should have weilded the total power they did. It hurt relgious conservative Catholics and Jews from joing the Party - something I can see happening with McCain at the top of the ticket.

Am I compromising myself slightly voting for McCain? Indeed. In fact, there is not, nor has there been, one candidate who I felt entirely comfortable. But McCain is the closest. And above all else, the most important issue facing this country is the declared war on America perpitrated by the Islamo-Fascits across the Globe, and the Iraq War. John McCain has stayed strong, defied polls, and shown the backbone not only to support President Bush, but actively (with Joe Lieberman) give the President crucial political cover and use his own popularity to give Bush's Surge credibility. That is, what I maintain, is Senator McCain's most important achievement. Certainly it took guts for President Bush, in the face of disasterious elections and a lost mandate, to do the exact opposite of what the American people expressely wished in the 2006 elections. Bush has shown courage and greatness in this decision. But it was John McCain who gave it credibility. It was McCain - a constant critic of Secretary Rumsfeld and the policy of the administration - that gave President Bush the political credibility so badly needed. McCain has remained popular in this country, and media elites instinctively trust his opinions. So when McCain came out whole-heartidly endorsing the Bush-Patreaus Surge, suddenly things were different. McCain, an influential senator and popular figure, gave this plan the political credibility needed to survive the liberal onslaught of Congress and outside pressure groups. This dedication to fighting this Terror War is what has overwhelmingly swung me to McCain. Governor Romney I sure is a nice man, but in times like this he does not hold up.

I stand with John McCain.

Comments

[Virginian for McCain]

Great post Chris! Check out the new Johnny Mac for President Virginia-style at:

VA4McCain.blogspot.com

[D.J. McGuire]

Chris,

Nice to see you see the light. Welcome aboard.

Now, all I have to do is convince you to change your mind about that Senate race . . .

[Fleeting Thoughts]

I enjoyed your analysis; however, the greatest threat originally proposed by Osama Bin Laden was not related to the military – it was economic. Osama wants to drain the US of its economic power by engaging us in a protracted war where we will use billions of dollars and end up leaving much like Russia in Afghanistan.

With Bush in the White House, our generals have done a superb job fighting – Petraeus and the other generals have great ideas (not arm chair politicians like McCain who claim Petraeus’ ideas are his own). McCain has been in the Senate for 24 years – he is not a solution but part of the problem. McCain sitting on all those defense committees did not keep us safe! He was advising them when all of the junk occurred, he missed it just like everybody else. He will do just as much for America continuing as the arm chair warrior he has always been.

The future of warfare is not in McCain’s experience. We are talking technology and that requires a strong economy. We need unmanned planes, smart bombs, strategic missiles, robotic arms and satellites. The next generation of warfare is Asymmetric – McCain has no experience in it.

Mitt Romney understands economic incentives – both domestic and foreign. Whether it is aiding our allies, or hindering our enemies, economics is the key to the future. Economists estimates 80% of jobs in 20 years haven’t even been thought of yet. Mitt Romney knows how to incentivize research and development in new technologies. Only Mitt Romney has the experience to position America globally to take advantage of those opportunities.

It’s time to Rally to Romney for a truly strong America. A strong economy allows us to build the strong military – thus defending us both financially and militarily.

This is a great article on Asymmetric Warefare:
http://www.oft.osd.mil/library/library_files/article_385_Inside%20The%20Pentago1.doc

[Loudoun Insider]

I'm firmly behind McCain as well. I find it amusing that a former Governor of Massachusetts is suddenly the great heir to the conservative mantle. Romney is far too plastic for my tastes.

[Spank That Donkey]

Chris:
mcPain has earned a C+ during his tenure in the US Senate. Dude, you can't come up with a more devisive Republican than mcPain... you simply can not. I'd go for Guiliani over him.

The NYT must be wetting it's pants over the bloggers and other pols lining up to support their dream 2008 election. Hillary/Obama vs. mcpain...

They have won either way...

[Virginian for McCain]

Spank That Donkey:

So, I guess you are lining up behind Hillary and Obama? That doesn't sounds like someone who cares about conservative principles. I suppose if conservatives want to sabotage those of us who are pro-life, pro-second amendment, pro-economic growth, pro-national security and pro-military, go ahead hate on Senator McCain? But try to answer this honestly, do you relly think Hillary or Obama will be better than John McCain on any of these issues? I think not. Plus, the logic that 4 years of Hillary will wake up conservatives is an argument for losers, you know why? The S.Ct.! I would rather have McCain nominating than Obama, the most liberal Senator in the entire Senate. Oh, btw, like Duncan Hunter (your guy) and Fred Thompson (my original guy), Rudy is out of the race...

[brimur]

Hahahaha. Remember this gem? http://masonconservative.typepad.com/the_mason_conservative/2007/03/mccain_the_flat.html

Pay special attention to my comment on that post.

[Chris Beer]

What can I see, Brimur!

I. WAS. WRONG.

I honestly thought he was dead in the water. I really did. But luckily, I wasn't the only.

[Rob]

Honestly, McCain just makes me sick.. but he's preferable to that flip-flopping con artist Romney or noted "DC" bleeding-heart Bible-thumper Huckabee. If Ron Paul is still in it on the 12th, I'm going to support him. If not, I'm seriously contemplating voting in the DEM primary for Obama to stop the Hildabeast.

[steven limbaugh]

Let someone read, correct and edit your editorial comments. It would be much to your benefit to do so.