In exactly six days from now, millions of American voters will troop to the polls to elect their next president. Never in their over 200-year history have Americans been presented with a choice that significantly touch not only on ideological and political factors but also on racial, age, and gender considerations. Recent events that necessitated a massive government bailout of failed institutions, and threatens a world-wide recession, make the coming election largely an emotionally-driven exercise.
Polls show that the economy, more than the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the lingering questions about the character, integrity and experience of the candidates, is foremost in the mind of the voting public. It appears that concerns about the economy and the perceived faults of George W. Bush’s policies act as blinders for the voters that render other important issues for or against each candidate largely unexplored. The partisan media, obviously supportive of Obama, is of no help.
As a registered American voter with Philippine connection, I am deeply concerned about the possible outcome of this election. Opinion polls have been proven wrong a number of times in the past but the almost unanimous results of such surveys at this time (Gallup, Rasmussen, Zogby, etc.) point to a significant, albeit not insurmountable, lead for Senator Barack Obama. Conventional prognostications also predict that both the Congress and the Senate led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate President Harry Reid, respectively, will gain super majority to make both houses “filibuster-proof”. This will create an unprecedented political re-alignment that doesn’t augur well for America and will effectively emasculate, if not eliminate, check and balance.
The Democratic liberal agenda is no secret to every thoughtful American. The pro-abortion (euphemistically called “pro-choice”); same-sex marriage; judicial activism; big government; are among the Democratic Party’s offerings. In contrast, anti-abortion; traditional family values including marriage between a man and a woman only; less taxes (particularly on job-creating businesses); less government; strict constitutional interpretations by the judiciary; and free enterprise among other things, constitute the Republican Party’s conservative platform.
The Democratic Party’s liberalism has assumed a new dimension with Obama’s admitted intent to “spread the wealth around”, by way of justifying his tax proposals. Critics are quick to point out that the idea is actually for “wealth transfer” or re-distribution of income which is socialist, if not downright Marxist.
I, for one, don’t know much about Senator Obama. What little I know of him that I consider relevant to his fitness for the U.S. Presidency does not give me a lot of comfort. His documented connections with anti-American extremists and radicals from the Left, his socialist vision for America, his history of inconsistent pronouncements, actions and avowals, all lead me to view his possible victory with extreme trepidation.
I am for a strong, prosperous, and free America. I want it to remain the brightest beacon of democracy, freedom, justice, faith, and hope for the rest of the world as it is, and has always been. As a born Filipino, I appreciate the extreme importance of this election’s outcome to the Philippines and the free world. An ideological shift in America will have serious repercussion for the Philippines, in particular, and the world, in general.
A socialist America could lead to America in poverty and a poor America could help usher in a “new world order” that is too frightening to contemplate. I, therefore, will cast my vote for Senator John McCain for President and Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President.
Popularity: 1% [?]
abe, given, as you say, that he/she doesn’t like to vote for obama because he’s black, why would obama be a “logical choice” for him/her? another one of your illogical logic?
re palin, being “confused” after a “gotcha” question ( she was apparently trying to figure out in what assignment a president mccain would put her as vice president (other than sitting as presiding officer of the senate, which she mentioned), is, i think, much better by far than biden treating a tv journalist’s legitimate question about obama’s alleged marxist’s leanings a “joke”.
ABE,
it is only the mainstream media that is making the unsubstantial claim that Ms. Palin is unsure of what she is doing. If you watch her townhall meetings during these past weeks you will see a very eloquent and forceful stateswoman that connects to her crowd/audience. Even if Ms. Palin did some slip ups, such only highlight her humanity and not her “superhuman quality” as the other candidate would like to portray to the gullible American electorate.
about mccain’s pro Wade position and the CBCP’s pro life position.
mccain is comfortable with Roe v. Wade or for that matter the newer case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey because there is some pro-life posture in these two cases.
Wade and Casey are singular in their position that the right of the woman to abort her baby is absolute within the first trimester, seeks approval from the court during secondsemister and absolutely not allowed during trimester except when the health of a mother is at stake. this is how I parsed the said decisions… i may lost some of the nuances, but I think my parsing is still within the correct parameters.
the interpretation of the ACLU and the democrats about Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey is that the decisions is an on demand abortion because everytime a mother is pregnant and about to deliver a baby it always involves her health.
If you heard about “post-exclampsia”, you can understand the position of the ACLU-Democrats much better.
But the conservative Republicans see the Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey as a softening of the stand of the Supreme Court on “abortion on demand”.
So I can understand McCain’s comfort with Roe v. Wade.
Now you cannot transport the position of the CBCP being pro-life as inclusive of the right of the convict from the lethal injection to the position of Mccain as being pro-life as regards innocent babies but pro-death in case of criminals.
McCain does not even know CBCP, nor would he be bound by the CBCP’s position of pro-life as inclusive of the right of the criminal who was sentenced for lethal injection for his act.
Bencard, you seriously think that a question to a vice presidential candidate about the role of a USA vice president a “”gotcha’ question” whereas a partisan tv anchor’s question suggesting that a duly elected US Senator and one of the two US presidential contenders (who could very well be the president-elect in a couple of days) a Marxist, a serious one?
And did you expect Palin to answer a question about the role of the office she is seeking, “Is that a joke?” (in her famous Alaskan accent) ?
Also, if you care to read carefully my posts, you really don’t have to ask some of your questions anymore.
abe,
the so-called bright boys of washington politics only trashed the country into an economic meltdown. time to go to the ordinary folks who understand basic family values and understand family budgetting, or knows her limitation and would ask for “divine guidance”.
put than argument on the face of obama who thinks he is the “messiah”, and you will be in big trouble.
abe, every thoughtful american (perhaps including you), let alone a sitting governor of a state who is journalism graduate, knows that a vice president has NO active role in governance unless and until given a portfolio by the president. until then, her only participation is the ceremonial presidency of the senate. of course, if you consider it a “role”, he/she also waits for the president to die or be removed from office.
not ask questions? you’re learning a lot from your idol. you don’t have to answer, you know.
jcc, sorry for the confusion but Bishop Zavala is a member of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
btw, just like you I’m very much a pro-lifer but I do think we need a real change agent (yes, a maverick) to turn things around in the most powerful country in the world. I also hope and pray that great leaders of the Christian faith like Obama will do his very best and in every way to continue promoting the sanctity of life.
Bencard, that’s a better answer from you. Unfortunately for the journalism graduate, you were not within her earshot when she was asked the question.
abe, that’s a better answer because that is the only answer, not because you agree with it. what has my being “not within her earshot” got to do with the price of oil? she corectly answered what role she would SURELY have as vice president, did she not? any other would have been pure speculation.