White Shogun said:
Very well thought out post Solomon.
As you may or may not be aware, I'm not a fan of John McCain. I disagree with any number of his policies and stance on various issues.
However, I don't see Obama as a peacenik. He has changed his stance on the war in Iraq and the war against Iran. Nor will he do anything to shut down the border. I haven't seen him make any negative remarks against Putin, but Putin's belief or lack thereof should have no bearing on the would-be president's political stance concerning Russia.
Believing that McCain will nominate conservative judges is indeed a gamble, a true roll of the dice. But there is no doubt that Obama will not appoint a conservative judge. No doubt.
Having asked this question, and engaging you on this topic, I now somehow find yself in the unenviable position of defending John McCain for President.
*sigh*
Shogun,
I realize that you're not a fan of McCain, and I appreciate your questions and the dilemmas which you raise.
My mentioning of Putin's Christianity was a dig at those who think that Bush and McCain's aggressiveness against Russia somehow represents a "noble Christian" stand against a resurgent crypto-communism. Putin seems to be more of a Christian than Bush or McCain.
Obama is currently (and foolishly, for him) running away from his peace record, particularly his opposition to the war in Iraq. But he does have a peace record--whereas McCain has none. Thus he is *less likely* at least to start WW3.
Palin also recently showed her neo-con hawkishness in the Gibson interview. So we can look for no relief from a neo-con foreign policy even if McCain dies.
Add these facts with the uncertain results of the aforementioned supreme court issuea, and you have a plausible case for voting for a third party (or not voting at all) even though this may result in an Obama presidency.
As a final point.
If we keep rewarding republicans with the presidency,despite their disastrous embrace of a down the line neo-con agenda, *what incentive do they have to change? If you constantly reward idiocy, idiots will continue to be nominated and elected.*
And isn't there a justice-value to simply punishing the republican neo-cons? Or at least not rewarding them?
These guys have got to be smirking and laughing over their martinis in Washington, DC and NYC. I can hear them now:
"Geez man, we must be gods,...we have started two disastrous wars, are moving towards a third war, we have intensified and expanded a national totalitarian security apparatus, have run unimaginable deficits, have revived the old monster "stagflation" (a recessionary economy and inflation], increased even more our aid and support for Israel, and...even...even after all this...
we have *still succeeded in nominating our favorite candidate, the man we wanted all along, the one we supported in 2000, John McCain!!!"*
"WE CAN'T LOSE!" "WE ARE THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE"!
"NOTHING CAN STOP US"! "NOTHING!" "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"