Falling In Love With McCain

It's no secret, John McCain was not my first choice for President.  He wasn't my second choice and probably wasn't my third or fourth.  Senator McCain alienated me on two issues, campaign finance reform and his willingness to compromise with Democrats regarding the confirmation of originalist judges.  The First Amendment to the Constitution says "Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech."  Either the sentence means what it says or it doesn't, and I want judges who believe it means what it says. 

I knew John McCain's story and was thankful for his  service and heroism, but that wasn't enough.  I believe in limited government.  I mean really limited government, and while I was disappointed with President Bush for not fighting for limited government, I didn't and don't believe McCain truly understands the benefits of limited government.

Last night, though, as I listened to Senator McCain's acceptance speech, the contrasts in this election hit me like a sledgehammer.  "Country first".  "Service".  "This Country saved me".  "Stand up".  "Fight".  Those were the key phrases from a powerful speech by a remarkable man.  Hokey?  Perhaps.  Parochial?  Of course.  However, John McCain isn't running for President of the World.  He isn't trying to be the leader of a Gene Roddenberry dream world wide utopia.  He is running for President of what he believes is the greatest country on earth.

Unlike Michelle Obama, John McCain didn't have to wait until 2008 to be proud of his country.  Unlike Michelle Obama, John McCain doesn't believe this is a "downright mean country".  Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain doesn't believe that America isn't what it once was.  John McCain believes, "In America, we change things that need to be changed.  Each generation makes its contribution to our greatness."  That is a stark contrast.

Another stark contrast is the fact that John McCain showed himself as a man of principle who isn't afraid to take on the power.  Leftist Democrats like to use the phrase, "speak truth to power".  A confusing statement that implies that the powerful are lying to you and they must be confronted.  Senator Obama, though, got where is today, by being part of the most corrupt political machine in American history.  He has never challenged the Cook County Democratic party.  He has been a loyal lap dog of that party.  Senator Obama has never stood up to the Daily Kos, Moveon.org left wing kooks who want to see this country ruined. 

John McCain, though, does not owe his allegiance to party or machine.  His allegiance is to the country he fell in love with while in agony in a box in Hanoi.  Even when you disagree with him, you have acknowledge that John McCain is a man of principle who truly does love the United States of America.

John McCain is right when he says that when conservative Republicans took power in Washington since 1994,  they allowed Washington to change them instead of changing Washington.  They became addicted to the power and the pork and the parties and the compulsive need to spend the people's money.  At least, though, conservative Republicans never stopped being patriots.

Leftists deride those of us who bleed red, white and blue as fascists.  They take our love of country and make fun of it using phrases "my mother drunk or sober", implying that we conservatives are willfully blind to our country's faults.  They are the ones who are willfully blind.  We know the United States, through its citizens and its government, have made mistakes.  We also know, though, that no nation in the history of the earth has used its power for good like the United States.

Another thing the left doesn't understand is that a majority of Americans feel the way we do.  We aren't a nation of "bitter clingers".  We embrace our nation.  We embrace our God.  We embrace our freedoms.  I'm not saying that conservatives make up a majority on every issue.  I'm saying that a large majority of Americans believe this is the greatest country on earth.  Leftist elites, of which Obama is one, are uncomfortable with this belief.  John McCain shares our belief in the greatness of America.

Can you ever picture Barack Obama, the man who has made a career of associating with people who dislike this nation, ever talking about "falling in love with my country"?  No way.

I still don't agree with John McCain on every policy point.  Last night, though, it became obviously clear.  Barack Obama isn't worthy to be mentioned in the same sentence with John McCain.  This election shouldn't even be close.  Only one candidate for President is in love with his country.  Why would we even consider the other one?

 

Tags: country first, service, politics, election, obama, mccain