John McCain - Simply the Least Rotten Apple in the Bunch?

I love politics and have since I was very young. I remember listening to President Reagan's speeches and watching "Meet the Press" before I was even seven years old. Shoot, I've been a full-out political junkie practically since I was born (Kinda goes well with my geek image, doesn't it?). I was even voted "Most Likely to be Politician" as a high school senior (along with "Miss Studious" - talk about a kiss of death!).

Well, during my five years at Michigan State, I had the opportunity to hear President Bush (43), President Clinton, and John McCain speak. As a freshman and sophomore (the 2000 election took place during my sophomore year), I was a big John McCain supporter and was disappointed when Bush got the nomination. Remember, this is before John McCain supported some of his more maverick pieces of legislation.

Today, as it becomes more and more certain that John McCain will be the Republican nominee for the 2008 election, I'm left conflicted. Am I disappointed that John McCain doesn't represent more of what I believe in as a conservative? Yes. Do I think that he'll be good for our country right now? Yes. What concerns me most is the reaction that extreme conservatives are having towards McCain. They would rather vote for the Democratic nominee (as long as it isn't Hillary Clinton, of course) than support McCain.

Recently, I've spent a lot of time reading the comments of conservatives regarding McCain's candidacy on Michelle Malkin's blog. Quite frankly, they are narrow-minded, self-serving, and inflexible. A lot of people are whining due to the fact that John McCain is so flexible in his beliefs. This is precisely whyI think he'll be good for the country. We've already seen what inflexibility can get us, it is time to come together. However, it takes two to tango. The whole thing will depend on the Democrats making the same jester. We'll see what happens, but we have to try.

Personally, I've lost a lot of respect for the ultra-conservative sector of the Republican Party (if you think that I'm going to support a Democrat, you're out of luck!). However, I have a feeling that if we elect a Democrat to the White House (whether Obama or Hillary), it will be a disaster for national security (I'll be the first to admit that it hasn't exactly been stellar under Bush 43). In that one area, John McCain has a decided advantage.

While there may have been better candidates out there (Fred Thompson comes to mind), I'll be proudly supporting John McCain. The Republican Party could have done a lot worse. My biggest fear is that the Democrats won't move to the center. If that's the case, we'll have more of the same.

So, Aunt Tara, now you know where I stand (my aunt recently ended a letter asking me how I felt about John McCain). I just feel fortunate to live in a country where I can freely discuss politics online, with my family, with my boyfriend's family (and we do discuss a lot of politics!), and in public. That is one piece of the American experiment that is very much alive and well.

Lindsey