I’m going to vote for McCain because of these issues:

Health

Moving towards government sponsored health care will not reduce paperwork or reduce the expense -- or make health care better overall.  In theory, one payer should reduce expenses, but as the defense industry if they find government contracting efficient!

“Spread the wealth”

The purpose of taxes is to share the expenses for things done better together than separately, like defense, schools, highways, infrastructure (not all federal, of course).  It is not to “spread the wealth” which means taking money from people who have worked hard to help those who haven’t.  Spreading the wealth has been tried in the Soviet Union and China.  It didn’t work either place; it will not work here either.  Helping the poor should be more about charity (yes, we do give).  Spreading the wealth kills initiative, productivity, and the economy.

Tax cuts

A tax cut on 95% of tax payers is not realistic.  First, 40% do not pay taxes, so they would get money thru a tax credit.  We cannot afford this; the numbers do not work.  It is the wrong time for tax increases.  Don’t vote for Obama because you want more money in your pocket; it might work for a year or so, but it can’t work for long at all.  When money comes back to people, the government keeps a percentage of it -- and that percentage increases as time goes by.  The people, as a whole, will not come close to breaking even; such things are better done locally.  McCain is known for hating pork and promises not to allow pork in the federal budget.  He will not raise taxes and will let people continue to profit from their own efforts.

Abortion

I am very pro-life; I have picketed abortion clinics and worked in a crisis pregnancy center.  McCain and Palin are pro-life.  Obama is very pro-abortion.  When Obama says he will not vote for an abortion restriction unless there is an exception for the health of the mother, it sounds reasonable.  Only a very few of the most ardent pro-life would argue that a abortion should not be allowed when a woman would die without one.  Not even many pro-life would say she should not be allowed one if she would become permanently disabled.  However, that’s not what “health of the mother” means in court.  The courts have defined “health of the mother” to mean even psychological health -- if the mother would be distressed by it.  So the health exception is a free pass for anyone to have an abortion.

Is Obama the intellectual?

No, he isn’t.  First, you should understand that world view will effect your perception of intelligence.  Second, he has said some things that are wrong and unwise, especially with foreign policy.  Until the first debate, I thought he was intelligent though with many wrong beliefs.  But in that debate, he talked about invading Pakistan (unwise to do -- even more unwise to say you’re going to do it).  He also kept referring to the country of Ukraine as “the Ukraine” which is very offensive to Ukrainians because it hearkens back to when “the Ukraine” was a region in the Soviet Union.  His first response to the Russian invasion of Georgia was to say that both sides should show restraint -- that astonished me.  How did he expect Georgia to show restraint?  They shouldn’t defend themselves?  My estimate of Obama’s intelligence dropped by 10-20 IQ points, I’m afraid; I’m guessing he’s above average, but nowhere near genius level.  Perhaps some of this is inexperience, but he shouldn’t be learning this much during the campaign and I worry about what he would need to learn in office!

McCain does have the experience to not make these kinds of mistakes, he has an incredible amount of experience and will put the country’s interests above hs own; he has in the past.  He and Palin have both the experience and the intelligence and flexibility to find solutions to problems.

Middle east polls

The Iraqis would vote for McCain; Palestinians terrorists would vote Obama.

Foreign policy

Obama’s already said dangerous things, as I mentioned above.  Note, too, that this is the wrong time to cut our defense budget -- we’re at war...  McCain knows how to run a war.  The surge worked, partly because we took our soldiers out of the camps and put the out in the towns and neighborhoods so the people go to know them and they got to know the people.  Then the Iraqis started to trust them and things began to turn around.  When McCain said we might be there 100 years, he didn’t mean in a hot war that long; he was referring to the fact that we might have some soldiers there for the long term, like we have had in Germany and Korea.  If McCain had been president the last few years, I believe Iraq would be at peace by now; thankfully, it is close now.

Obama is inexperienced

Obama is very inexperienced and it shows, especially in his foreign policy mistakes.  He does seem to have learned some things from McCain in this election, I hope.  Because if he does become president that will help him, I hope.  I am concerned, though, that in the places where he is echoing McCain that he is not sincere.

Is change always good?

Anyone who has read Harry Potter ought to know that change for change’s sake can be horrendous.  Need I say more?  I like our constitution and don’t want to lose more freedoms.

Financial crisis

It’s incredibly ironic that Bush and the Republicans are being blamed for the current financial crisis while the democrats appear innocent.  I’m not saying the Republicans are innocent here, but we had a financial house of cards built on “liar loans”, mortgages given to people who would not be able to pay for them.  ACORN was instrumental in getting these loan programs put in place, going so far as to force banks to make them.  Four years ago, Bush saw there were problems with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and tried to reign them in but was stopped by Democrats, led by Barnie Frank.  Two years ago, McCain tried to reign them in; he was also stopped by the Democrats -- this time led by Barnie Frank and Obama.  So who was right and who was wrong?

Race issues

Ok, this is really a non-issue for me, but a friend of mine who supports Obama was quick to point out to me that Obama doesn’t hate whites, as if that would be the main reason I wouldn’t vote for him.  I don’t really think he hates whites though I am concerned about his association with Reverend Wright; I don’t know how you can go to a church for 20 years and not be aware of Wright’s strongly held beliefs about America; the church’s response to Wright showed that these were not new ideas for them.

Records

McCain has a stellar record; his priority is keeping this country safe which I agree with.  Our liberty and free speech rights will be eroded if terrorists have their way.  Obama has almost no record at all, partly because he voted “present” so many times and partly because he hasn’t been in office very long (he is a freshman senator!).  So, we look at who he chooses to associate with and the names are not reassuring:  William Aker, Reverand Wright, Risko, etc.  I know he has disavowed most of these, but why did he choose them in the first place?  He either has very bad judgement or he agrees with many of their beliefs; either proposition is disturbing.

Country first

When a conservative says, “country first”, we mean country before self.  Words like duty and service come to mind.  Things like putting yourself between an enemy and your country, so that you’re the first one hurt instead of your neighbors.  Things that soldiers do.  Things McCain did and paid a heavy price for.

Family

Obama has close family, like his aunt and his half brother, who are very poor.  That he knows about them and yet doesn’t help them (surely, they would not be very poor if he did help them) does not bode well for how serious he is about helping the poor here; it makes me think he’s just using the poor to get votes.  McCain, on the other hand, comes from a family that has a long history of serving our country thru military service.  And when Cindy McCain brought home a baby for them to adopt, he took her in.  Somehow I think McCain’s heart is way bigger than Obama’s.

Last day

Obama’s speech today was all about how bad Bush was and was sprinkled with a lot of things that made no sense to me -- or just seemed like lies.  McCain’s was more specific and made more sense -- more about the future and more about contrasting his stands with Obama’s.  I’ve also been noticing the signs held by people in the crowd -- Obama’s are apparently all the same or perhaps with two variations.  If you look at McCain’s crowd, you see a lot of more variation - a lot of different signs.  Obama is apparently more controlling and McCain more supportive of freedom; interesting contrast.

I could go on, but this is already too long.

Please pray before you vote and vote what is best for our country.  Also pray that voter fraud will be caught and stopped.  Trust God, keep praying no matter the outcome.

If you are registered, do vote; please don’t forget!  Every vote will count; the polls are tightening.

God bless you and God bless the USA!  God has blessed us greatly, let us continue as one nation, under God.