I wish this were just another April Fool's joke, but it is not.
I got one of those forwarded emails about McCain and Obama. As usual, I said to myself, "yeah, right. Let's check it out on Snopes."
To my shock and disgust, the story, both parts of it, checked out as true.
No way would I vote for Obama now, not that I was planning to anyway.
First story:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp
Second story:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/soapbox/mccain.asp
Holy crap. How did Obama get this far? He will almost certainly be the next Democratic nominee.
The reason he has gotten this far is that he is new, different, and offers "hope" and "change." I've got no use for the hope he offers, as it will come on the backs of the average working American. Ditto for his change.
Any man or woman seeking the highest office in the U.S. should be scrutinized to the ultimate degree. Human frailties? Sure. But major character flaws and/or lack of good judgment need to come under the microscope. And when it comes to the presidency, a lack of dedication to and fondness of this great country is, IMHO, a serious lack of character.
John McCain would not be my first choice in the Republican party. But from cradle to his eventual grave there can be no doubt that he is a person who deeply loves this country. I'm not talking nationalism, or even patriotism. I'm talking a deep love, convinced of it's greatness and potential.
Despite my differences with some of his actions in the Senate and his positions at times, there is no denying that his primary motive for running is that he feels that he can do something positive for the country, while respecting the essence of what the country is and what makes it great.
Purely from the Libertarian perspective, no person should be required to sing the national anthem, salute the flag or cover their heart with their hand. But for goodness' sake, this is a candidate for
President! An oversight by him in one circumstance? Possibly. And refusing to wear a flag lapel pin? But when it's a pattern of questionable practices or disrespect for the principals, the foundation of this country it should give one pause. Senator Obama shows this tendency. For an average citizen, or even a Senator? Fine. But NOT for the President. The bar needs to be higher.
