I have a question rich. I just read the remainder of this thread after my last post.
What exactly would it take to make you vote for McCain?
I'm assuming you are a traditional conservative. You seem to think McCain isn't true to the conservative movement based on his past (He's not my first choice for POTUS - I was a Fred supporter). You also sound like you assume that a McCain Administration wouldn't, at minimum, keep us on the Bush Administration path (negatives aside - there are plenty - I'm talking the things he's done right like GWOT, etc..) or steer us even further back into conservative territory. And for the record, that would mean more fiscal sanity, less govt bloat, keeping our defense strong, reigning in entitlements, respecting state's rights (God Bless Oklahoma while we're here).
If you are taking a principled stance by not voting for McCain, are you prepared to live with the worst case scenario? I think it's fair to say that it could very well end up like described: bumbling Obama Administration, veto-proof Dem majority, SCOTUS retirements, bloated entitlements, higher taxes, etc...
What's your solution? McCain is the GOP nominee. Can he not be worked with? Would his VP choice make any difference? We all know politicians lies. McCain can wax philosophical all day long. So can Obama. That's the part that keeps me up at night.
I'm asking these things because I'm really interested.
You ask some good questions.
What would it take for me to vote for McCain (keep in mind that I haven't stated that I won't vote for him. I am merely leaning in that direction)?
I would be more inclined to vote for him if he did the following:
Change his stance on granting amnesty to illegal aliens. Oh I know he would prefer to call it by another name, but a turd is still a turd and it still stinks.
Publically state he will fight to keep the Bush tax cuts and make them permament. He was against them as I recall.
Retract his support of The Lieberman-McCain Climate Stewardship Act. This myth of global warming is going to bankrupt the country and McCain seems to want to help lead the way.
If I do decide to stand on principle and NOT vote for McCain, yes I am indeed prepared to live with the possible consequences of an Obama presidency. BTW... Where would we be as a country if our FF had failed to stand on their principles?
At what point does it become paramount to stand on principle and stop just opting to chose between the lessor of evils? The only way the so called conservative party is going to regain lost ground is by demanding conservative representation from it's candidates.
McCain is not a conservative IMO. He may be to the right of Obama, but that isn't saying much.
One last point.... If I knew for a fact that McCain would nominate true constructionist Justices for SCOTUS and keep fighting until he got them confirmed, I would be much more inclined to vote for him. But I fear that he will feel obligated to reach across the aisle and nominate left leaning moderates just to placate the Dems. He has shown that tendancy way to often IMO.