EPOCH REFLECTIONS

WHY I AM NOT VOTING FOR SENATOR OBAMA

On November 4, I will cast my vote for John McCain. McCain was not my choice as a candidate to oppose the Democratic nominee but he is the only viable choice that I have. Senator Barak Hussein Obama is a gifted speaker and possesses the necessary traits to be a memorable politician. He has a bright future if he is as real as we would like him to be. I simply need to know a great deal more about him and see a lot more of his “good works” before I can vote for him to be President of this country that I love. Without a significant level of performance to back him up, he exhibits a demeanor of intellect but "where's the beef?" He is full of theory but will it work? I, for one, do not wish my country to be a global “guinea pig”. Senator O’bama has the idealism of youth, the arrogance of intellect and the elitism of inexperience. I am skeptical, a trait gained from having lived through a lifetime of unfulfilled promises from politicians.

The news media and those who support Senator Obama remind me of a story from my youth about the “EMPERORS NEW CLOTHES”. Like the little girl from that tale, I feel like I am alone in crying out that "the emperor has no clothes". The current hoopla suggests that there is no more to say or do. Our fate is sealed and Senator O'bama has closed the sale. The recent endorsement of Senator Obama from General Colin Powell seemed to suggest that the "crown" had been placed on the head. Unfortunately, many Americans will join this stampede and rush to judgment. I will NOT be voting for Senator Barak Hussein O’bama for the following reasons.

1. Patriotism. Simply, I doubt his patriotism. I remember the flag missing from his suit lapel and his failure to hold his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance to the flag during the earlydays in his campaign. I doubt his commitment to the freedoms that I value. In my opinion, he has not had enough time in office for me to conclude that he is what he would like us to think he is. I believe that Senator O’bama sees himself as a savior of the world, and not as a visionary for our great country. His aspirations may be good but are they good for us? I disagree with John McCain but I do not doubt his patriotism.

2. Wealth redistribution. I fear Senator O’bama’s stated commitment to “redistributing the wealth”. I know that 5% of the people now pay 40% of the taxes; that 40% of the 95% who he says will receive a tax refund under his plan now pay no taxes at all and thus, they will in effect receive a handout. I do not want my grandchildren to be forever doomed to a middle class status. If they work hard and excel, they should reap the rewards of their efforts. I feel that in our rush to make life “better” for the less productive among us, we destroy the opportunities to achieve for others. I believe that John McCain is committed to our free enterprise system and I fear that Senator O’bama has a hidden agenda that I do not share.

3. Energy Independence . Senator O’bama and his Democratic colleagues have been verbal in their expectation that we should all “suffer” in the current energy crises. His attitude and that of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reed encompasses a grand commitment to renewable energy, a goal that we all share. However, in the interim, we need and must develop our available energy resources until alternative sources can replace them. We need to develop nuclear energy, wind, solar, etc --all of the above as John McCain so aptly puts it. I fear that Senator O’bama and a Democratic controlled congress will fail us in this pursuit. I believe that Senator McCain will step up to the plate and do what is necessary to make us independent of foreign oil.

4. Taxation. Senator O’bama and his Democratic colleagues are on record as favoring higher income taxes, though they would have us believe they would tax the rich and give to the poor. This is a Robinhood approach and simply speaking, I am not a Robinhood fan. It seems to me that there is credibility in the axiom that people who have plenty feel guilty for their good fortune and therefore demand that the government do more to take care of those less fortunate. By demanding that the government (you and I) take more responsibility, they have soothed their own guilt with little personal sacrifice. In truth, does it not make you feel wonderful to sacrifice in order that the Warren Buffets and Bill Gates of the world can feel good about keeping their own wealth to distribute as they see fit? I believe that Senator McCain will move cautiously on the taxation scene and most of all I believe that he will do his utmost to curtail spending and actively work to balance our budget.

5. Healthcare. Certainly our health care is in a quandary. Our health costs are too high and I understand that there are millions of people who have no health care coverage. However, as I understand the program “touted” by Senator O’bama, those of us who have insurance could keep their own insurance but those who do not, could receive the same insurance as he and Senator McCain. Who among us would not prefer to have the insurance plan that the government employees enjoy? However, can we really afford it? It would seem to me that this is a fast track to socialized medicine. I cannot imagine that many people would be willing to sacrifice the good benefits that the government insured enjoy for the benefits of a privately insured “lean” policy. Further, what company is going to continue to provide insurance if the government offers a better program and administer the paperwork. I am not ready for socialized medicine. In my opinion, it is another step in the socialization of the American dream. In my view, Senator O’bama’s programs are a socialized nightmare. I believe that Senator McCain will make a good effort to improve healthcare without further socializing our way of life.

6. Friends and affiliations. I am sorry but I cannot be other than skeptical that Senator Obama could sit through 20 years of the ranting, raving, Bible thumping tirades of Jeremiah Wright without hearing his condemnation of our country and its people. I do not believe that Senator Obama who I believe to be bright, articulate and well read did not know the history of Bill Ayers or his wife, Bernadine Dorn or their weatherman affiliation. Senator Obama had to know that the actions and association with Tony Reznik were suspect and yet, he casts his action as a “lapse” in judgment. Senator Obama's affiliation with ACORN, an organization whose broad variety of enterprises seems to skirt the ethics of good business practice. causes me to wonder about his truthfulness. Senator O’bama’s association with former heads of Fanny May and Freddie Mac, the entity responsible for the “prime mortgage” meltdown further indicates a strong lapse in good judgment. Sadly, Senator O’bama has conducted his affairs in a naïve manner that suggests flaws in his judgment and I find his character model suspect. Senator McCain, though imperfect in many ways has a record of being “who he says he is”. I like that though I may not always agree with him.

7. THE CONGRESS. At a time when the Congress has an approval rating lower than that of the President, my greatest fear is that in electing Senator Obama we will be adding insult to injury by energizing an incompetent Congress to further incompetence. We will, in my opinion be electing a President whose beliefs, concepts and social views coincides with a Congress that has already proven itself to be inept, incompetent and socialistic in concept and deed. If I had my way about it, every sitting politician now up for reelection, Democrat or Republican, would be turned out and a new group elected. In my opinion, this is the only way the American people could be certain of change. Inasmuch as I can only vote in California, I cannot control the representatives that others “less enlightened” may choose to send to Washington. By voting for Senator McCain, I can vote for someone who can make an “out of control congress” have to work a little harder and perhaps, affect the socialistic direction that seems to be the major priority of too many politicians.

8. CHANGE. We can all agree that change is desirable but who is most likely to implement change and what kind of change? So far there has been a lot of talk about change but the only significant change that I have heard from Senator Obama is a redistribution of wealth. He talks a good talk but his actions thus far have not reflected any commitment to a change that I want to support. He has not participated in any landmark legislation that seems to suggest a commitment to change. He has voted the party line, stayed within his own realm of influence. His change, as I see it, makes good rhetoric but lacks real meritt. He will tax the rich and presumably, give to the poor; he believes that Americans must change their lifestyle and feel the “pain at the pump”; he has a world vision for peace that seems to suggest that he will use the Presidency of the United States to establish a new world order that will provide a stepping stone more clearly aligned to the views and aspirations of the United Nations charter. He does not represent the change that I want to see. John McCain has a history of “fighting for change”. I believe he will achieve real “change” and his years of “experience” will have a better chance of achieving success and change.

9. Judges. I am very much for fair and impartial judges. I do not like the “litmus” test that Democrats seem to want to apply to Judges. I believe in Constitutional Judges, not judges who make law from the bench. I believe that the framers of the Constitution meant to have 3 distinct and separate powers of government. The Presidency who implements, the Congress who creates and the Judges who interpret. Although Senator Obama has stated that he does not believe in a “litmus” test, he does believe that Judges should support his predetermined views and concepts of right and wrong. He seems to believes in Judges who believe it is their duty to nterpret the law in accordance with their personal preconceived ideas. I want to feel that the law has been applied with fairness and without prejudice. I do not believe that Senator Obama will select people who will fairly and indiscriminately render judgments that are based on Constitutional law. I find Senator McCain's judgments in these matters more enlightened, fair and sincere.

10. Education. I agree with Senator Obama that we need to enhance our educational system. We need to fine tune it, improve it and perhaps this would be a good place for him to use his scalpel. I do not believe that money is the answer. I believe in vouchers and I believe in competition in the educational process. I believe that politics in the schools has destroyed our educational system but no one seems to want to correct this – only to make it worse. I do not believe that we need any more educated people whose educational mainstay is to usurp the laws of our land. We need education that teaches our children to think, to rationalize, to employ logic, to negotiate and to explore ideas and research concepts with honesty, in fairness and ethically without malice. Senator Obama seems to believe that education should reflect more taxpayer money dispensed by the government without proper oversight. His educational goals seem to me to be remiss, in view of the fact that we already spend more on education than any country in this world and have fewer intellects. Something is wrong somewhere. John McCain supports vouchers and that is a step forward without unbearable additional costs. I like the voucher concept as a starting point to putting us on "track".

I am concerned that Senator Obama has not released his college grades, that his medical history consists of a one page letter from his physican who states that he is in good health and I am concerned that there are so many lapses in his background. This is his right but until he feels comfortable in opening his life to a public from whom he seeks support, he must do without my vote.

Do I believe that Sarah Palin is ready to be President? -- I believe that Sarah Palin is as ready to be President now as Barak Hussein Obama was when he announced his candidacy for Presidency some nineteen months ago. He has come a long way and he makes a good presentation. However, I believe that Sarah Palin is just as smart, competent and certainly, more committed to the values that I want to preserve as an example of who we are in this country. She is not the candidate for President and thus, she will not be responsible for the “life or death” decisions affecting our country unless John McCain’s service is cut short. I have absolutely no doubt that Governor Palin will be ready to assume the role of president should it become necessary. In fact, I am convinced that she would make a better President than Senator Biden. Senator Biden provides all of us reasons to doubt his “readiness” on a daily basis but the news media simply does not report his “lapses in judgment” beyond a mere cursory casual report that is never repeated.

There you have it – at least I know why I am not voting for Senator O’bama. Do you know why you are voting for him?