As Election Day draws near we hear and see its approach, not so much like a sprinter rushing on, his feet pummeling the ground, driving on with his heart for a victory. No; more like a metaphorically angry locomotive; billowing toxic black coal smoke as it pounds away down the steel tracks; probably laid there by some underpaid slave of a relentless, unforgiving society. The train lumbers on, daring anyone or anything to stand in the way of its detrimental power.

Okay, as you think of the candidates, both local and national, that are running..err..lumbering for office, you probably do not see this metaphor in your mind. Never the less, just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist….. (Or something like that).

This election year, at least on the presidential front, has left many voters, myself included, feeling rather unconvinced and uncertain. Yes, perhaps one vote doesn’t count all that much and maybe won’t really be that important on deciding who will receive this honor of becoming the next person to blame for every problem and natural disaster in the world. And yes, maybe the only job your vote will do is to cancel out the vote of Mickey Mouse. However, the idea and ideology behind voting still stands strong, if the only thing your vote means is that you can stand tall, or maybe hang your head later on, and admit or proclaim that you helped put the candidate you supported into office, that is a good enough reason to vote, for yourself.

Who to vote for though? The person who will say whatever people want to hear, that will bend to the format his fans want him to be in at the time? The one who is also so determined to take this position of power and prestige simply to add it to his portfolio that he will claim anything and denounce anything as well? Or will you vote for the person who has always stood strong, throughout his entire campaign has relied on honesty, outstanding morals and life long beliefs to be his trademark. A person who you know for sure will stand up for what is right, even when people hate him for it, a person you can trust and someone you agree with all the time. ….umm…wait a minute…..I guess we don’t have one of those candidates this election.

I, and my meager blog, like the many newspapers and journalists around the country, will endorse a presidential candidate. In John McCain I find someone I can’t believe entirely in, someone who has been at this political game a long time, and while he is decided and dependable, it’s there, it is just not necessarily on the same side of the fence as I am on some issues. Sarah, his running mate is inexperienced, as she points out again and again, and maybe doesn’t think before she speaks enough, a good person mind you, just not someone I feel I know well enough or someone that knows her own mind well enough for me to want as president quite yet. Her biggest asset is that she is female, though it’s counterbalanced by the fact that she really doesn’t connect well with the undecided female voters. She is the only hard-core republican running in this presidential race though.
Barack Obama, on the other hand, is inexperienced as well, he takes stands on issues but is quick to change his mind if people don’t like what he’s saying, standing for or who he's standing with. He’s a people’s man, determined to make them happy, to make him self look good. He does a good job of it to, unlike former democrats he manages to say just little enough to keep from contradicting his views entirely with different groups that he’s trying to impress. His party’s platform is “Change”, a word and idea that strike a cord in this country that just woke up and discovered it is in a self made crisis. This change is obviously already happening and Barack isn’t going to actually be able to do much about it, he just picked a nifty word to use. Also, I fear, in this democratic “anti-bush” sentiment, Barack and his followers in Washington will, in an attempt to be non-bush-like, destroy all of the good things he has done and all the progress he has made. Yes, though all we hear about are the bad things people blame on Bush, he has done a lot of good as well, just read a history book in a few years.
Obama’s running mate, Joe bidden, is a man who’s biggest asset to Obama is his skin color (not being racist, it’s true though) age and history of liberal politics, though he may be a help to Obama in the campaign, he’s already promised to set quietly and do nothing if elected vice-president.

I was undecided as to which candidate to back, as you can see, but over the last few weeks I see that Obama’s ideas and ideals fall far from where I stand, his smugness and desire to please have also irritated me, I want a president who stands for something even if I can’t agree with him on everything, I want someone who isn’t bent on pleasing and trying to show off and impress people. We have enough celebrities.

McCain in the last few weeks has shown a gritty determination that I can appreciate, he’s stood firm on his decisions and brought forth issues about his opponent that, while one sided of course, are valid points that Obama refuses to address, he (Obama) says many of these points of deception, questionable dealings and instability are from the past and ignores them. To me is seems the past is very important, why should we not consider his past, the past always effects the future. McCain’s past is an open book, he’s stood for what he’s stood for, been a patriot of this country and proved himself. And no, as far as I know at least, McCain never got a medal for shooting himself in the rear like someone else who ran for office not all that long ago.

So, McCain is my man, he’s not perfect but you know where he stands, he has experience in a time when are country needs it and he’s not just about making everyone happy. He’ll do what he knows is right and he’s not a follower, he’s an achiever….a Maverick, if you will.

So go vote for the candidate you want to stand with…..and then vote again. ;)