My Shifting Allegiances

I've been nobody's stalwart this political season, indeed I've followed a rather peripatetic route to my present position. I supported Giuliani early on, thinking that he had the best hope of becoming president. I switched my support to Thompson in the long run-up to his announcement, in hopes that he might be able to rally the conservative troops and peel enough independents away from Hillary or Obama to win. When, after finally announcing, Thompson proved a poor campaigner (one might almost say DOA), I returned to Giuliani. It's not that I don't like Fred, I think he's spot-on on many of the issues. My return to Giuliani was motivated by the belief that he might still be the best bet, which he was at the time. Finally, I think I've settled on John McCain. I supported McCain in 2000 (though I was all of 14 at the time), and am proud to support him again.

Why John McCain? First and foremost, his experience. He is the only candidate in either party with any substantive military service; he not only served, he suffered and sacrificed for this country. He's ornery and independent-minded, principled may be a better way to put it, on a whole range of issues. I don't agree with him on campaign finance, I wish he was a bit more conservative on immigration (though he's a border-stater with all that means), his comparing water-boarding (which does no permanent damage) to what the Vietnamese did to him (which has left him unable to raise his arms above his shoulders) irks me. But he understands the threat we're facing, he has a lifetime of public service, and he's a fundamentally good man. Here's to hoping he gets the nomination.