Why I'm Not Voting For John McCain

1. The John McCain of 2008 is not the John McCain of 2000. I liked the John McCain of 2000, and I remember around the 2004 election thinking how much I would be extremely tempted to vote for John McCain if he were the Republican presidential nominee. Times have changed. John McCain has since turned into everything that he once spoke out against. From accepting "agents of intolerance" to suddenly deciding that tax cuts during wartime is smart policy and beyond, John McCain has chosen to re-mold himself into the shape of those from which he once stood so strongly apart.

2. Sarah Palin. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska is not ready to be president of the United States of America. I would refer you to my September 15, 2008, post, but suffice to say that John McCain vice-presidential pick shows a blatant disrespect for the breadth and importance of the office of president of the United States. President of the United States takes a certain...gravitas, and you know it when you see it. Sarah Palin doesn't have it, at least not yet. And as for the argument that she's the "hockey mom," and that she stands up for "Joe Six-Pack," I, for one, do not want "Joe Six-Pack" in charge of my country.

3. William Ayers/"Paling around with terrorists"/Rashid Khalidi. This is the classic Republican tactic of trying to divide the country, and now if Obama wins, half of the nation will actually believe that Obama is a terrorist (as evidenced by occurances at McCain rallies). From the stump to the robocalls, the McCain campaign and many Republicans continue to throw around these througholy debunked lies. If this weren't professional politics, it would be called "slander." In fact, I hope that if Obama wins, he sues the McCain campaign. Just once, I would like the winner who had been the victim of such vicious lies to sue the opponent who spread those lies. It might seem like adding insult to injury to the loser, but I also think that it would send such a clear message that that style of politics is not going to be tolerated anymore. I'll keep dreaming.

4. Joe the Plumber. Please, stop talking to me like I am a kindergartener. Joe the Plumber. Joe Six-Pack. Rob the Teacher. Obama the redistributor. I am an adult, so please speak to me that way. And now the McCain campaign is choosing to use the real Joe as one of it's public surrogates, allowing him to officially particiapte at campaign events. Joe is also giving his advice and views on a range of issues, such as the United States' foreign policy toward Israel. Oh, give me a break. The McCain campaign has turned into a joke.

5. The Haphazard Campaign. The McCain/Palin campaign has been extremely poorly run. Everyday it's trying something new, with no consistency. All of the pundits talk about how the campaign is all tactics and no strategy, and it's true. There is no wide-angle lens with the McCain campaign. And that whole campaign suspension episode was a complete debacle. So my point is this: if McCain wins, who do you think will have high-profile, influencial positions in the new administration? Exactly -- the same campaign workers, organizers, and advisors, and I'm positive that they would run a McCain administration just as smoothly.

6. The Third Debate. John McCain was incredibly disrepectful to Barack Obama in the third presidential debate -- sighing, rolling his eyes, staring in disbelief. Is this the way that he would act while meeting with a foreign leader that he disagrees with? I'm sure that will do wonders for America's image.

7. Maverick. Oh, get over yourself.