I hope we can try to overcome these differences that all families face, and try to grow with them and learn from each other, and face them with tolerance and perhaps a bit of humor (or my favorite: avoidance!). More important than anything is family, which as we are aging sometimes feels like it is slipping away, and I would surely hate for anything to compound that.Well said. And rather than overwhelm her with my long-winded arguments, maybe I'll just post my thoughts here...and leave it at that.
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I guess to me this is the classic case of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.” Those conservative columnists you mentioned who have expressed disappointment in the “changed” McCain, or those who have abandoned McCain to support Obama, often refer to “the McCain of 2000,” and how they would have voted for that McCain but not McCain 2008. Their reasons? He has abandoned his principles, principles they once admired. Oddly enough, they don’t seem to have any problems endorsing Obama who seems to have no scruples (Example: reneging on his promise to use public money for the general election. Another example: when he ran for the legislature in Chicago, he apparently won in a landslide. What people may not know, though, is that the reason he won in a landslide is because he ran unopposed, and the reason he ran unopposed is because he managed to get all his opponents’ names off the ballot for violating some minor signature-gathering rule. Another example: his use of negative ads and distortions of McCain’s record, his mockery of Palin. Another example: questionable and possibly illegal fund-raising). Here’s a politician’s politician in the worst sense of the word, yet John McCain gets chided by people of his own party for “playing politics” just to stay in the game. That’s the “damned if you do” part of the story. The “damned if you don’t” part is, if he hadn’t played by these rules (selection of Palin, his own use of negative ads) we wouldn’t even be having this discussion. It would be no contest.
The funny (ironic) thing is, most of these conservatives who have switched to Obama have trouble defending themselves. It’s like they can’t get beyond how much they admire McCain, and almost seem to feel remorse about their decision. There was one conservative author (I can’t remember her name) who recently hopped on the Obama bandwagon and wrote about her decision. She spends literally three quarters of her article itemizing why she respects McCain, but then she talks about how the Republican party has changed and that’s why she’s voting for Obama. I noticed the same thing in Chris Buckley’s meandering endorsement of Obama. He revered McCain. The best reason he could give for supporting Obama was because Obama is articulate, and he actually wrote his own books (he said that…it was bizarre). There was no clear, distinguishable, logical thread of argument for his support, no ideology or otherwise logical reason to justify why he was voting for Obama (other than Palin, perhaps, but I don’t buy into that logic). It was more like why he’s not voting for McCain. You read some of these writers’ reasons for why they’re supporting Obama and search for logic, yet their articles become more of an endorsement for McCain.
So in answer to your question, yes, maybe I do think even intelligent conservatives are confused. They praise Obama for his intellect but overlook his inexperience, excuse his obvious failings (those Chicago associations, his paper-thin resume as a legislator and Senator), and buy into his nebulous promise of change with no evidence to support their belief. If anything, there’s ample evidence to believe Barack Obama will renege on most of his campaign promises. He’s already proven to be a man who will back-peddle and break his promise (though he’s very smooth about explaining why).
Yes, I think people have been hoodwinked, and if Obama is elected, it will be, in my view, a very sad day. John McCain, as I said, is the better candidate, the better person, the more authentic and honest man, the more reliable Commander in Chief. Of the two candidates, McCain’s the one most likely to bring about actual change, including the very real possibility of narrowing the “divide” (at least, politically….I guess nothing will bridge the gap when it comes to certain social issues). With Obama, I can all but guarantee you that the divide will not only remain, but will very likely widen even more, especially if allegations about illegal fund-raising, voter registration fraud, anti-Semitic affiliations, media bias, violations of journalistic ethics, etc. are proven after the fact. McCain is a man who not only in word but in deed has literally walked across the “aisle.” Even David Brooks noted in one of his earlier columns that, despite the fact that McCain has “changed,” he still believes the “real McCain” would emerge as president, given the chance. Unfortunately, McCain doesn’t campaign well, or he took bad advice from his campaign managers and he bungled this whole thing badly. He was out-spent, out-manned and out-smarted politically, so he may not be given that chance.
And there’s another sad irony. The fact that he’s not as politically savvy as Obama actually speaks well of him in my view, and is one reason why I really like him. Give me an honest man any time even if he bungles a speech or makes a politically inept decision over a smooth talking politician any day. Being politically savvy is not necessarily a good thing. It just means you’ve learned how to work the system. That’s why I’m disappointed in (those) who have bought into the Obama mania. Can’t they discern between a man of character and a mere politician? There are so many red flags about Barack Obama, any one of which would have sunk another candidate. I guess it’s true, it’s hard to betray your partisan roots. He may be a scoundrel, but he’s my scoundrel, that sort of thing. I’m sure you all felt the same about those of us who voted for George Bush. He may be a cowboy, but he’s my cowboy…. I hate politics.
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For Further Reading
Obama’s Mediscare Tactics
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=M2ZlOTMzMWNjZmVhYzNjODcxOTRhZTk0YzA2NTNiMzQ=
Redistribution You Can Believe In
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTZjMTVkMzBkY2NhNzgwOWVhMzFlMmFjODE5N2I3ZTM=
The Choice
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=N2Q5YjJkNjVmZjc3NmI3MGQ0MzUzNTg1M2RiMzYxOTM=
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