No Country For Old Men

I realize that it has been a while since I entertained the masses with a post, and I apologize for the delay. I have been waiting, like everyone else, to see what Hillary would do. Now that she's out of the race, I have decided to write about the upcoming general election.

I meet people every day who do not "like" Barack Obama. Some don't like him for specific reasons, others just harbor a suspicion about him that they cannot explain. I cannot, however, find a single person who is excited about McCain as a candidate. Even the conservative radio hosts don't have much love for him. Doesn't anyone see how preposterous it is to vote for a man that you do not like, based solely on the fact that he represents "your" party? For years now, McCain has been a thorn in the side of republicans. He has been a republican (in name only) who has espoused more liberal ideals than any other republican.

It is only now, because he is the republican candidate, that McCain is changing his stances on issues in order to appeal to voters. McCain voted against Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, saying "I cannot in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us at the expense of middle-class Americans who need tax relief."
Now, McCain wholeheartedly supports these tax cuts, saying that they help America.

Which is it? Are the Bush tax cuts good or bad? I guess it depends on whether or not you have to answer a constituency or are instead trying to appeal to a republican ideal. Along the same lines, McCain voted against repealing the estate tax, but now he wants to keep the elimination permanent. Again, how can you vote against something but then say that you support it?

Now, McCain is talking about cutting the corporate tax rate by 10%. I must be missing something here but, how can we continue to cut taxes and still be able to afford anything? I mean, taxes are not just to bloat government, they're to build schools, maintain roads, and support our military. It's funny that a man who is adamantly pro-war in Iraq and Iran wants to cut taxes, thereby reducing our tax revenue and, consequently, the amount of money we can use for national security.

Where does John McCain think that the $527 billion we have spent in Iraq comes from?

So, you have a man who doesn't understand economics, but purports to have a firm grasp on national security and foreign policy. Does being a prisoner of war somehow qualify you to be the commander in chief? Does being held captive translate into good foreign policy? The man is a powder keg, ready to explode into rage at any time. Do we as Americans really want a loose cannon in office AGAIN?

John McCain's understanding of foreign policy is apparently that we should joke around about bombing countries, or that we should be in Iraq for 100 years. Maybe that is the foreign policy of the republican party, but I doubt it. He criticizes Obama for proposing to meet with foreign leaders "without conditions," but what exactly is the problem with that? According to John McCain, we should continue to ignore the countries who don't like us, and be increasingly exclusionary. To me, that sounds like terrible foreign policy.

How many people really think that a 70 year old man can revitalize America's global image? It's time for us to wake up! This pattern of electing old cantankerous men needs to come to an end. People look at elderly people and they see wisdom, but anyone can tell you that elderly people also resist change, regardless of its potential benefit. Older people cling to old ideals, some of which are outdated and must change. Our ideals in America have been to do whatever we want and not face any consequences. We are reaping what we have sown. All it takes is the ability to say, "I will not vote a party line simply because my father does." It is time to critically analyze who can best reshape how the world views the US. It's time to say that it's ok to vote across party lines if that is what it takes to give us the much needed shot in the arm that we so desperately require.

I implore everyone to look closely at McCain and Obama. What will you see in McCain that you like? I can see nothing. Being a prisoner of war and an old man do not qualify you to run the country. It's time for radical change, not stagnant policies.