Sunday, October 26, 2008

Welcome to the Lion's Den

My name is Darryl, and I’m voting Republican.

If this sounds like a 12-step program introduction, there is a reason for it. But for now, Redwing has graciously invited me to post to this blog and I am glad to do so.

I read the entry entitled “What made you a liberal or conservative?” and it made me think. Not many things really do that these days: I either get fed Anti-Obama news from Fox News or a Pro-Obama diet from CNN. You can read my response to the column under that entry.

McCain has been out of this race since Hillary conceded the Democratic nomination: he’s not really a factor. For the most part, you are either voting for Obama, or you are voting against him. And as much as I wanted to believe otherwise, I have concluded that I am among that group. Which means I don’t really give a damn about John McCain. Substitute in Donald Duck, and I’d vote for him. Because like millions of progressives, I’m voting against Barack Obama, not for John McCain.

Why? Because it comes down to a simple concept: character. I don’t think Senator Obama has it. I don’t think he can define it, and he may not even be able to spell it. Does he have the intelligence and vision to lead the country? Probably. But without character, it doesn’t matter. I don’t trust him, don’t believe what he says, and I believe that he’s a charismatic opportunist that has bamboozled an otherwise smart and well-read electorate. I can overlook an outlier, but Obama has too many of them: his associations with the likes of Ayers and Wright indicate a man willing to align himself with whoever can give him credibility. Ayers fit the bill for the ultra-liberal crowd, and Wright gave him that same credibility with the Black community. And now that he’s being called on it, he’s retreating like a coward from both of them. He’s less than truthful, and he’s gullible and malleable. And that, with his lack of character, makes him unfit to lead this great country.

So like I did in 2000 and 2004, I’ll hold my nose and pull the Republican lever. And in my heart, I know that the Democrats deserve to lose this election. While I am supporting John McCain for President and am proud that conservatives have finally nominated a moderate, I am not as excited about his candidacy as I am fearful of Obama’s. Another pompous, out of touch ultra-liberal that is less than truthful but full of empty bravado. It failed twice before, and is likely to fail again. And when it does, all of the crying and moaning about the “stolen” election won’t change the fact that they will have once again nominated the wrong man.

Another man lacking in substance. But most of all, lacking in character.

7 comments:

RedWing said...

Darryl,

I wanted to say welcome aboard our team and I look forward to all of your posts in the future. It will be nice to have a well written individual with another viewpoint that is quite contrary to ours. At least for now.

It is getting late and I have to work tomorrow so I will make my case on your post sometime tomorrow. However, in the meantime, please sign up at google so you can have a profile for the blog. I belivee you should have a Sign Up (or something like it) at the top right of our home page.

I will also DIGG this story, and recommend you and everyone else do the same! Just click the DIGG IT button at the top right of each post, sign up (it's free)and your post (and others if you DIGG them!) will reach THOUSANDS of other bloggers!

Thanks again Darryl. Now, the rest of you, let him have it!!! Game on!

Malibu Ken said...

Thanks, Redwing.

I'll treat everyone here with mutual respect, even if I think they're dead wrong! I expect the same courtesy in return.

Let me have it, I can take it! But I won't tolerate personal attacks, profanity, or rudeness.

Good night, and good luck with the workweek.

Jack said...

Darryl,
I appreciate your total honesty in the fact of why you are voting for McCain.
And while I respect your opinion I must ask; you state repeatedly that you don't like Obama's "character" or lack there of, yet you don't quite state why?
Other than his being on the same committee once as Ayers (which so was several republicans)and the fact he was a member of Wrights Church.
I just don't "get" what the whole problem is with the Ayers thing, as they weren't exactly buddies who hung out on a regular basis and seems to pale in comparison to Alaska's 'first dude' being an ACTIVE member in a major anti-American group.
I also don't really get all the hype about Wright, I get the man has issues, but condemning Obama for something someone ELSE said seems ridiculous to me. Especially given that McCain himself has resorted to twisted half-truths, lies and total scare tactics instead of actual policy.
I am pretty sure if one dug deep enough we would find 'shady' people attached to every politician in America, but to judge a man on someone else's beliefs seems a playground level of maturity.
I suppose for me my vote is FOR someone rather than AGAINST. Meaning I dont think McCain is as bad as he is behaving but I PREFER Obama's policies.
Welcome aboard and I very much look forward to your posts!!!

Anonymous said...

Probably for every person who is voting against Obama, there are two or three whose votes are as much against McCain as they are for Obama. In a close election, every vote counts.

McCain lost what little credibility and claim to character he had when he nominated Sarah Palin as running mate to pander to the lunatic fringe of the Republican party. Talk about using "fear and ignorance to create and maintain your base" (As you accuse the Democrats of doing)

Republicans would like to make this election a forum on Obama, after eight years of their failed policies, they have nothing else to run on. Both Rev. Wright and William Ayers are prime examples of manipulating the fearful and ignorant.

I could bring up just as many "outliers" in McCain's past, but I'd rather spend some time debunking the two Obama associates you specifically mentioned.

The link between Obama and Ayers is tenuous at best, they just weren't that close. They worked on the board of the same charitable organization, (along with many respected members of the Chicago community) and Ayers once had a get-together for him in his house a few years ago. Big deal. John McCain has some unsavory acquaintances in his past too. As Obama says, he was eight years old during the "Days of Rage," and has never advocated any of Ayers methods or philosophy. Like many Republican talking points, there is much less than meets the eye. A casual acquaintance doesn't make "palling around with terrorists."

The Reverend Wright brouhaha relies on the fact that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in America. Most white Americans have never set foot in a black church. It was like shooting fish in a barrel to turn Rev. Wrights rhetorical flourishes into white people's worst black nightmare.

They also knew they could bank on most people not bothering to listen to(or understand), the entire sermon. All they needed was the "God Damn America!" sound byte. What the "liberal" media failed to explain was the theme of the sermon was what Christians call "sins of presumption." You can not expect God to bless you if you are not following his will. He was warning Americans that God isn't necessarily on our side; if America doesn't turn back to God, they can't necessarily expect Him to bless, or continue to bless this land. Not unlike a sermon you would expect to hear in Sarah Palin's church.

Bottom line, the so-called "character" attacks are part of an increasingly desperate campaign to sling as much mud as possible, hoping some of it will stick.

Anonymous said...

Here is the link to the entire sermon:

http://dallassouthblog.com/2008/03/25/dr-jeremiah-wrights-god-damn-america-sermon-in-full-context/

I will admit that while the good reverend doesn't endorse any particular candidate in the sermon, his denouncement of Bush comes pretty close to losing his tax exempt status.

RedWing said...

Okay, so I do find it interesting that the same things you find about the democrats I find about the republicans.

Malibu Ken, can you describe to me what you mean when you say the Democrats are using fear tactics to win this election? Perhaps if I know your thinking I can better make my case.

Anonymous said...

Nothing was more disturbing to me than turning on the tv and seeing an ad by McCain saying that there will be a catastrophe if Obama won. I have heard a lot of negative ads from both sides, but this one takes the cake. That is sheer scare tactic if I ever heard one and I do not get where you feel the Democrats are the offenders. Obama and various other groups do put out just as much negative ads as McCain, but seeing and hearing it just made me mad. McCain has another scare tactic ad using a leather chair representing the President's chair in the White House where he asks if we could afford to have a major problem occur with Obama as President and new at handling a major problem like war. What makes McCain think he has any Presidential experience over Obama. Last time I checked he has never been President.