OPINION: Vote McCain

Submitted by Joshua St. Louis, 2nd Vice Chairman of the College Republicans

Never before has an election been so important. With a plethora of issues facing the American population, the decision that Americans will make on November 4 may be the most important decision of their lives. With issues such as the faltering economy, two wars being fought overseas, an energy crisis, and the sanctity of human life; the decision as to who should lead our country is at the utmost importance.

With the President’s approval rating at an all-time low, and the national mood changing to the left, I realize that it is an uphill battle for me to try to persuade you to vote for Senator John McCain, R–Ariz. But my friends, I will try my hardest to get you to stand with me. Thus I begin: McCain should be our next President of the United States.

With so many issues facing us, we need a Commander-in-Chief that is ready to lead on day one, that knows the issues, and that has the judgment and the wisdom to lead this country. Sen. Joe Biden, D–Del. has said that Sen. Barack Obama, D–Ill., “will be tested.” We don’t need a President that invites testing from the world. McCain has been tested and is ready to lead this country in a new direction. With such an important election ahead of us, why are Americans seriously considering the candidacy of the most inexperienced presidential nominee in U.S. history?

Obama has only three legislative accomplishments in his career, with two of them being in the Illinois State Senate. One of Obama’s major accomplishment as a state senator was a bill that required teaching sex-education to kindergartners.
Our country is deeply divided. This started in 2000, after the Clinton reign. Obama will do nothing to fix this problem. Time and time again, we have seen McCain go against his party and popular opinion, to do the right thing. Obama has never stood against his party on any issue and has earned the rank of “the most liberal Senator” from the National Journal. He has been ranked even more liberal than Senators Clinton, Biden, Kennedy, Congressman Kucinich and Speaker Pelosi.

Despite his extreme liberalness, Obama has done everything in his power to hide this from America, such as voting “Present” on over 100 bills, even bills that he proposed. He has proposed no bi-partisan solutions in the past, and lacks the credibility to propose any in the future.

On the issues, Obama could not be more wrong. With record debt facing us, Obama wishes to increase the debt by increasing spending. Families have seen prices go up everywhere, and yet Obama wants to tax those making more than $100,000. He has even voted to raise taxes on those making more than $42,000 a year. When confronted by someone who said Obama’s tax plan would hurt him, Obama responded with, “we must spread the wealth around.” Last I checked, we do not live in a socialist country.

We live in a free country where you are rewarded for being successful. That is the American Dream. I guess Obama doesn’t believe in it.

Obama’s judgment on Iraq could not be more wrong. To this day, the Senator refuses to admit that the surge was successful, and continues to claim that we need a complete withdrawal of the troops, something that General David Petraeus has constantly campaigned against. Obama has said that he will support a full re-deployment of troops into the region if necessary. Under a McCain Administration, the troops will not come home with the shadow of defeat, but rather, with honor and victory.

On the issue of energy, Obama has done nothing to promote any new alternative forms of energy. McCain is in favor of drilling off the coast, as well as nuclear, solar, coal, wind, and natural gas energies. McCain was also a leader in proposing a tax-relief holiday at the gas station, a move that could have saved taxpayers millions. Obama was opposed it, and brushed it off as a “stunt.”

Obama’s views on the issue of human life could not be more deplorable. Obama is an extreme pro-choice candidate, so much so that he could not tell us when life begins. At least some Democrats like Pelosi say that babies get human rights at three months, but Obama continues to advocate his extreme pro-choice agenda. As president, Obama has said that he will only nominate judges who agree with him on that matter and that he will immediately sign pro-choice legislation into law once he is elected. McCain believes that life begins at conception and that we have the responsibility to protect it from natural conception to natural death.

As you can see, McCain is the right choice for America. At this trying time in history, we must stand together and vote for a man who has always put his country before his party and polls. We must have a President ready to lead on day one, a President that understands the issues, and a President that can unify our country so that we can work together and fix our problems in a bi-partisan way. That is why the George Mason College Republicans are supporting the candidacy of McCain, and we ask you to stand with us, and vote for McCain–Palin on November 4.