so who are you voting for

[LESTERUS]

Dear Friends:

My name is Joe Porter. I live in Champaign, Illinois. I'm 46 years old, a born-again Christian, a husband, a father, a small business owner, a veteran, and a homeowner. I don't consider myself to be either conservative or liberal, and I vote for the person, not Republican or Democrat. I don't believe there are "two Americas" - but that every person in this country can be whomever and whatever they want to be if they'll just work to get there - and nowhere else on earth can they find such opportunities. I believe our government should help those who are legitimately downtrodden, and should always put the interests of America first.

The purpose of this message is that I'm concerned about the future of this great nation. I'm worried that the silent majority of honest, hard-working, tax-paying people in this country have been passive for too long. Most folks I know choose not to involve themselves in politics. They go about their daily lives, paying their bills, raising their kids, and doing what they can to maintain the good life. They vote and consider doing so to be a sacred trust. They shake their heads at the political pundits and so-called "news", thinking that what they hear is always spun by whomever is reporting it. They can't understand how elected officials can regularly violate the public trust with pork barrel spending. They don't want government handouts. They want the government to protect them, not raise their taxes for more government programs.

We are in the unique position in this country of electing our leaders. It's a privilege to do so. I've never found a candidate in any election with whom I agreed on everything. I'll wager that most of us don't even agree with our families or spouses 100% of the time. So when I step into that voting booth, I always try to look at the big picture and cast my vote for the man or woman who is best qualified for the job. I've hired a lot of people in my lifetime, and essentially that's what an election is - a hiring process. Who has the credentials? Whom do I want working for me? Whom can I trust to do the job right?

I'm concerned that a growing number of voters in this country simply don't get it. They are caught up in a fervor they can't explain, and calling it "change".

Change what?, I ask.

Well, we're going to change America, they say.

In what way?, I query.

We want someone new and fresh in the White House, they exclaim.

So, someone who's not a politician?, I press.

Uh, well, no, we just want a lot of stuff changed, so we're voting for Obama, they state.

So the current system, the system of freedom and democracy that has enabled a man to grow up in this great country, get a fine education, raise incredible amounts of money and dominate the news and win his party's nomination for the White House - that system's all wrong?

No, no, that part of the system's okay - we just need a lot of change.

And so it goes. "Change we can believe in." Quite frankly, I don't believe that vague proclamations of change hold any promise for me. In recent months, I've been asking virtually everyone I encounter how they're voting. I live in Illinois, so most folks tell me they're voting for Barack Obama. But no one can really tell me why - only that he's going to change a lot of stuff. Change, change, change. I have yet to find one single person who can tell me distinctly and convincingly why this man is qualified to be President and Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth
- other than the fact that he claims he's going to implement a lot of change.

We've all seen the emails about Obama's genealogy, his upbringing, his Muslim background, and his church affiliations. Let's ignore this for a moment. Put it all aside. Then ask yourself, what qualifies this man to be my president? That he's a brilliant orator and talks about change?

CHANGE WHAT?

Friends, I'll be forthright with you - I believe the American voters who are supporting Barack Obama don't have a clue what they're doing, as evidenced by the fact that not one of them - NOT ONE of them I've spoken to can spell out his qualifications. Not even the most liberal media can explain why he should be elected. Political experience? Negligible. Foreign relations? Non-existent. Achievements? Name one. Someone who wants to unite the country? If you haven't read his wife's thesis from Princeton, look it up on the web. This is who's lining up to be our next First Lady? The only thing I can glean from Obama's constant harping about change is that we're in for a lot of new taxes.

For me, the choice is clear. I've looked carefully at the two leading applicants for the job, and I've made my choice.

Here's a question - where were you five and a half years ago? Around Christmas, 2002. You've had five or six birthdays in that time. My son has grown from a sixth grade child to a high school graduate. Five and a half years is a good chunk of time. About 2,000 days. 2,000 nights of sleep. 6, 000 meals, give or take.

John McCain spent that amount of time, from 1967 to 1973, in a North Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp.

When offered early release, he refused it. He considered this offer to be a public relations stunt by his captors, and insisted that those held longer than he should be released first. Did you get that part? He was offered his freedom, and he turned it down. A regimen of beatings and torture began.

Do you possess such strength of character? Locked in a filthy cell in a foreign country, would you turn down your own freedom in favor of your fellow man? I submit that's a quality of character that is rarely found, and for me, this singular act defines John McCain.

Unlike several presidential candidates in recent years whose military service is questionable or non-existent, you will not find anyone to denigrate the integrity and moral courage of this man. A graduate of Annapolis, during his Naval service he received the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. His own son is now serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq. Barack Obama is fond of saying "We honor John McCain's service...BUT...", which to me is condescending and offensive - because what I hear is, "Let's forget this man's sacrifice for his country and his proven leadership abilities, and talk some more about change."

I don't agree with John McCain on everything - but I am utterly convinced that he is qualified to be our next President, and I trust him to do what's right. I know in my heart that he has the best interests of our country in mind. He doesn't simply want to be President - he wants to lead America, and there's a huge difference.

Factually, there is simply no comparison between the two candidates. A man of questionable background and motives who prattles on about change can't hold a candle to a man who has devoted his life in public service to this nation, retiring from the Navy in 1981 and elected to the Senate in 1982.

Perhaps Obama's supporters are taking a stance between old and new. Maybe they don't care about McCain's service or his strength of character, or his unblemished qualifications to be President. Maybe "likeability" is a higher priority for them than trust". Being a prisoner of war is not what qualifies John McCain to be President of the United States of America - but his demonstrated leadership certainly DOES.

Dear friends, it is time for us to stand. It is time for thinking Americans to say, "Enough." It is time for people of all parties to stop following the party line. It is time for anyone who wants to keep America first, who wants the right man leading their nation, to start a dialogue with all their
friends and neighbors and ask who they're voting for, and why.

There's a lot of evil in this world. That should be readily apparent to all of us by now. And when faced with that evil as we are now, I want a man who knows the cost of war on his troops and on his citizens. I want a man who puts my family's interests before any foreign country.

I want a President who's qualified to lead.

I want my country back, and I'm voting for John McCain.

[randlemanboater]

wow!

[bcmarinamanager]

I get a little choked up reading that. I absolutely, 100%, posetively agree. I don't particularly like Mccain, but he is, as stated, the best candidate for the job. Well said!!!!

Nicely put Lesterus.

[Mac_Attack]

Just because a man has spent time in a prisoner of war camp, doesn't make him qualified to run the US. Just because a man has 7 houses doesn't qualify him either. Just because a man has backed Bush on everything doesn't qualify him either. I don't like either candidate but we do need change not four more years of Bush! Obama is my choice of the two. What ever you do vote don't let the supreme court pick our leader again! Billy Mac

[nipper]

Mac, I am with you. Obama may be just a silk tongue to some, but he is incredibly smart, and will (and has) surrounded himself with some of the finest minds in the nation. Thank god we will soon be on our way to peace, prosperity and respect from the nations of the world.

[randlemanboater]

First of all, I am not bashing or stirring. I have not decided for who I will vote......not that it matters with the Electoral College anyway.

I was listening to an interview on the radio the other day, the lady asked Senator Obama about his economic stimulous plan, to give $1000 tax rebate to couples.

She asked him how it would be paid for, he basically said that it would pay for itself through taxes collected on the money handed out. (I think it was on NPR about a month ago)

I am not very astute in such dealings, but that plan seems a little flawed.......what do yall think?

[willy]

Mac and Nipper, with all respect to the opinions of others and especially to my friends here, I think you missed the point of that long post.
No one is saying being a POW qualifies someone to be president.
The point is that what you did, and how you lead up to that point, what you did and how you conduct yourself while you were a POW, under that incredibule, unbelievable stress and pain says a great deal about who you are and the incredible courage and compassion you have for your fellow man.
Also, McCain as a US. Senator for 23 years has been a royal pain in the *** for the republicans as a maverick, and your comment about being a 100% Bush supporter is way off the mark. Even the liberal media has stated that many times, grudgingly!
Change is being used as a marketing slogan and many are falling for it. As Lesterus post says most do not know why, just that they are disatisfied with the current situation.
Fine, me too. As a matter of fact I don't think you will find any one who is.
But the comment that Obama has surronded himself with the best minds is so far from the facts, so far from the truth that he has spent the past two years literally destroying records, secreting records and dodging questions and LYING about those he has surronded himself with all his adult life.
He is a standard chicago mob politico who is slickly packaged and lying thru his teeth with a big ear to ear smile and a great many good people are so upset with the current malaise they either don't care they are being duped or just don't know.
And the major media is trying to get him elected at all costs because they long for his socialist vision of America. They have lost all semblance of journalism they ever had and even half the leaders of the democratic party are infuriated with them, actually call it out right embarrassing.

Think hard this november when you pull the lever, if bend over and grab your anckles is the kind of change you want for yourself and your children go ahead and select the annointed one.
McCain is not perfect I agree, never found a perfect one. But he is an honorable man with good judgement, proven leadership and compassion and experience in the world that Obama cannot even pronounce, let alone claim to have. And please don't fall into the marketing trap that has been set up for everyone to believe that it will be four more years of Bush. Check his voting record, I have, he is called a maverick for a reason.

[LESTERUS]

Yes, Most Of Those "finnest" Minds Were Behind Jimmy Carter

[cterrebonne]

Originally Posted by nipper

respect from the nations of the world.

not always whats popular is right and gets respect. IMO the last thing i want to be a european, main reason why my ancestors fled europe.