My headline says how I feel about this Presidential election. For Democrats it is as if we took a deep breath and made a choice based on our need to feel good about our country again. Only Sen. Barack Obama offered that condition. The other candidates, including the last one to drop out, were same old, same old. With Barack Obama we saw the opportunity to make a choice that would be a clear statement to the world that this nation was going to behave itself. No more saving the world from tyrants. A willingness to refine policies about the Iraq war and, by conjecture, other issues. No more torture. We would get to work on the environment issues. Find solutions for our problems at the end of a pencil. That we get to feel good about ourselves because we are no longer allowing the tyranny of racism to govern our choices is a double bonus. However, my mind isn't made up.
I am disappointed Sen. Obama did not accept Sen. McCain's Town Hall debate challenge. Instead we are stuck with 3 debates, same old, same old. I don't understand why the candidate of "Change" and "Yes we can" has nixed the opportunity to fundamentally change our election process.
But would Sen. McCain be President Same as?
Sen. John McCain seems to be taking the path of certainty and assurance. With McCain we know what he will do with Iraq. Stay. And MAYBE he won't start any more wars. I don't believe he would continue the policy of torture. I question what McCain will do about the environment, unless he is prodded by a Democratic Congress with enough votes to override his veto. McCain talks a good line about not doing anything vs. doing something and our grandchildren will benefit more from our doing something rather than nothing. When I heard him say that the first time it sounded like he meant it. Now, either I've heard it too often or he has said it too many times because he doesn't sound like he means it.
I liked his proposal concerning a 300 million dollar prize for the person who can improve car batteries. I liked it when he proposed the 10 Town Hall meetings between himself and Obama. McCain's maverick persona has always appealed to me which is why I was disappointed McCain has signed the ATR pledge since 2006. As I wrote in 2006 I believe 'America needs to raise money to pay for disasters, terrorism attacks, rebuild our airports and highways, the war in Iraq. America is in debt trillions of dollars because our legislators are honoring a pledge they signed with ATR. I wish McCain would have told this organization where they could stick that pledge because it undermines our elected representatives ability to carry out the duty of their office.
CQ Politics offers a table that shows how frequently House lawmakers supported their party's position in 2007. Looking for prudent candidates, I picked two possible VP choices for McCain: Dave Reichert WA-08 and Stephen LaTourette OH-14
Not so many for Obama. Gene Taylor MS-04 still looks like a good choice for Obama.
