Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
The Indepublicrat Endorses McCain and Obama Today, the Indepublicrat is officially endorsing Barack Obama and John McCain for their respective party nominations. A high-minded and respectful campaign between the two would itself be a victory for our country, with an outcome we could support either way.by The Indepublicrat
(Centrist)
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
When Mitt Romney calls for change in the same breath he uses to praise the current administration, you know that the word "change" has lost its usual meaning and is now just being dangled before voters like a shiny object in front of a baby.
When Hillary Clinton touts herself as the candidate ready to be President on Day One, a day in which a new President makes speeches, attends parades, and throws wild parties, you know it's because she doesn't have a plan yet for Day Two and beyond.
And when Mike Huckabee isn't laughed off the stage for proposing to make the Constitution conform better to the Bible, the Indepublicrat worries about the condition of our country--which, if the latest State of the Union is to be believed, is worthy of a standing ovation every 90 seconds despite all real-world evidence to the contrary.
The campaign so far has been explosively contentious and fun to watch but disappointingly light on the substantive issues.
As a Centrist, the Indepublicrat believes in careful consideration of each candidate, and so has scrutinized the position statements of all candidates still actively in the race, combined with general impressions gleaned from debate appearances, interviews, and political ads. The Indepublicrat starts the analysis with an assumption that every candidate in the race is noble, intelligent, sane, well-informed, and well-qualified to be President until proven otherwise.
A number of candidates were eliminated because the Indepublicrat was put off by their mean-spirited and often inaccurate attacks on rival candidates. (Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney, the Indepublicrat is looking at you!) And although the Indepublicrat is supportive of third parties and the struggles they face, the entire slate of Green-Rainbow candidates was eliminated because their ideas seemed too half-formed, their websites too amateurish, and their budgets too shoestringy to get the word out effectively.
With candidate Mike Huckabee, it's not his policies that fall short as much as the fact that his approach to governing consists of imposing his own values and beliefs on other people. Okay, it's also that his policies fall short, but that's just a symptom of the larger problem.
If the Indepublicrat were drafting attendees for a Constitutional Convention to form an entirely new form of government, Ron Paul and Mike Gravel would be tops on the list. Without a doubt they'd come up with a system that features fair taxation, fosters a booming economy, lowers crime, raises educational standards, and earns us the respect of the entire international community. Unfortunately--or perhaps fortunately--our current system has been vibrant enough to get us through many changes and challenges over the past 200+ years and only needs a few timely tweaks at most to get us through the next four to eight years. The Indepublicrat hopes we never need the visionary skills of Paul and Gravel, but it's good to know they're available just in case.
Which leaves Barack Obama and John McCain as the Indepublicrat's top two.
Among Republicans, John McCain is a man of humor and principle, like Ronald Reagan but with a better memory. But better than Reagan, McCain is a fiscal conservative who believes in balanced budgets. Conservatives hate McCain because he's not cruel enough to condone torture, he's not irresponsible enough to support tax cuts subsidized by China and Saudi Arabia, and he's not enough of a bastard to immigrants--but these are precisely the reasons why Centrists like the Indepublicrat are all about the guy and why he can win in November.
Meanwhile on the Democratic side, Barack Obama is everything that George W. Bush isn't. Where Bush stumbles over his words, Obama is articulate and inspiring. Where Bush is polarizing and divisive, Obama is inclusive. And where Bush has mouthed empty promises about being a uniter rather than a divider, Obama offers a genuine respect for those on the other side of the political aisle and an acknowledgement that they too have ideas that should be listened to. Hillary Clinton has mocked him for even mentioning Republican ideas, but the Indepublicrat finds Obama's campaign so far to be a refreshing change--a real change--from politics as usual.
Today, the Indepublicrat is officially endorsing Barack Obama and John McCain for their respective party nominations. A high-minded and respectful campaign between the two would itself be a victory for our country, with an outcome we could support either way.
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2008 The Indepublicrat, all rights reserved.
Published: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Last modified: Tuesday, February 5, 2008
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Gravel and Paul would provide some great things, wouldn't they? SO WHY NOT ENDORSE THEM?! We definitely need a "timely tweak" of the Constitution right now, and who else will deliver it?
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2008 The Indepublicrat, all rights reserved.