… and I’m already tired of this election year. Tired because I find myself defending John McCain, and I don’t even really like the guy. McCain is pretty far from being a classical liberal I could really get behind, and tends to fall more into the category of “National Greatness” conservative, who are open to a lot more state meddling in things the state ought not meddle in than I’m comfortable with.
But there are more crazy claims about McCain circulating out there than I can shake a stick at. The first is that he’s anti-gun, and no better than Hilly or Obama. Brady gives McCain a career rating of 17%. Obama and Hillary both have 100% ratings, as did John Kerry. The other is that McCain is a socialist. Other than Ron Paul, McCain’s federal budget is the lowest of any remaining Republican candidate. McCain is not in favor of socializing 7% of the US economy in the same manner Obama would. I think McCain on fiscal matters will be a significant improvement over Bush, let alone Obama or Hillary.
To my mind, campaign finance reform is his biggest sin, and there were a lot of other folks, including Fred Thompson and President Bush, and five members of the Supreme Court, who all took their turn to drop their dookie into the constitutional swimming pool.
But given that I’m the only person in the gun blogosphere who is thinking, “McCain! Why did it have to be McCain!?!?” but still planning to vote for him regardless, and encouraging others to do so as well, I find myself wondering if the more apt analogy is Han Solo telling Chewbacca, “Get in there, you big furry oaf! I don’t care what you smell!”
Oddly, I find myself in a different situation than I expected.
I actually could withstand Hillary! as president. Everyone hates her and she’d get little done. But Obama… that’s starting to scare me. It’s a religious revival, not a presidential election with that jackass.
Hillary! wants power at any cost. Obama strikes me as someone who seriously thinks he can do things for the greater good. Infinitely worse.
Like Kim DuToit said, I love my country more than I hate McCain. I might have to break down and vote the cranky bastard in, but it depends heavily on who he chooses as a running mate. If it’s Huckabee, I hope you like hiding your guns cuz I wouldn’t do it.
I thought it was more like Lando Calrissian saying “It’s not my fault! They told me they fixed it, I trusted them!”.
Or maybe that’s what Hilary is saying…
You’re not the only gun blogger. Rachel Lucas (http://rachellucas.com) and Kim du Toit (http://www.theothersideofkim.com) both came to the same conclusion and have blogged extensively on the subject.
McCain is not exactly who I wanted either, but I’d rather vote for him than someone who has his own religious following.
I’m for McCain in a “better then the alternatives” way, too. This idea that if Conservatives “let” a Dem in it will fix the Republican Party is a big dose of the “the cure is worse than the disease,” and I don’t even think the cure will work.
Thanks Melody. I haven’t been getting over into that neck of the woods as much lately. Too many blogs… too many blogs.
I dislike John McCain and I will hate myself for voting for him*… but a little less than I’d hate myself if Oblahblah or the Wicked Witch won by one vote.
(*Unless a VIABLE alternative pops up, which I doubt. I will not vote for McCain if he tries to merge the two main parties with his VP pick.)