I'm not even certain I'm going to post this—it has more the character of a mental exercise than anything particularly useful to share. And I realize that by posting it I'm inviting the whirlwind onto my blog space.
But perhaps others can weigh in and sway me. Honestly, I'm in complete confusion when it comes to my vote for the presidency these days. I've been reading articles on the "undecided voter" which suggest that such folks are either (A) uneducated and therefore simply unable to process which way they ought to vote, or (B) secretly do know which way they will vote and just don't want to say. I don't think I'm uneducated, and I'm certainly not coy enough to play dumb. I just cannot make a decision that satisfies me.
For some folks, I know this choice is easy. The moral stance of McCain is, in many ways, a better fit for my own. But I do not know if I can, in good conscience, vote for a candidate whose morals match mine but whose leadership I doubt gravely, and whose choice of a running mate has continued to depress me more with each passing day. If Sarah Palin's style of "golly gee," simplistic, vitriolic, petty, and unprepared "from the cuff" leadership style is the future of the Republican party, I'm glad I abandoned ship for the independent label a long time ago. I am honestly scared about where our nation will head if the McCain/Palin ticket is sworn into office. I liked John McCain eight years ago—now he seems only a hollow simulacrum of that man, whose simplistic talking points, seeming inability to speak substantively, ineloquence, stubbornness, and short-sightedness frankly give me serious pause. I do not like the look of the world promised by McCain, and I have been sorely disappointed by the ugly tone of his campaign.
I do have concerns about Obama's inexperience, but after reading his book and listening to him, I think he is the far more reassuring leader. His stances on many social issues̶healthcare, taxation, the environment—match mine far better than McCain's. (And yes, I know that will come as a shock to many—or maybe not—but there it is.) And I admit that a spirit of optimism and bipartisanship appeals to me far more than McCain's brand of hard-edged fear. Obama's inspirational abilities, as well as his intelligent and thoughtful handling of issues, gives me far more confidence in his leadership abilities.
So why not just swing with Obama if he's so much more appealing? A couple of issues still nag. One is abortion. I am not a single-issue voter (obviously), but it is one of the more serious issues facing us, and McCain's stance is the right one. But, if Obama is to be believed, I am very impressed with his stance that, though abortion may be a woman's right in his opinion, he wants to work to reduce the number of abortions as far as possible. That stance seems more useful than absolute refusal to engage in the debate, leaving things just as they are now. (And I admit to being disappointed that social conservatives can tow the [again, correct] hard line against abortion, but do so little by way of assisting young mothers and children in difficulty.) Given that we are looking at an even more vast Democratic majority in the House and Senate, the president seems unlikely to have much chance to change abortion policy in any case.
The only other issue of note at the moment is the appointment of Supreme Court judges; I suspect I would approve more of McCain's appointments (assuming they made it to the bench through the tedious and partisan confirmation process) than Obama's. That is another serious consideration, but again, I am trying to balance that out against what I suspect would be a painful four years in which the discourse of the nation would become uglier and our nation's greatness lessened.
There's also this lingering suspicion that Obama might be the herald of the Antichrist, being so charismatic and all, but I don't know if that's a voting issue (and if it is, might as well usher in the End Times now, eh?).
I really ought to be writing for NaNoWriMo at the moment, but this has been bouncing about in my brain for too long, and I wanted to free it. I don't but doubt that my friends could have much to say on this subject, and there are far more detailed analyses to be made of the issues, but I solicit any (well reasoned and even-tempered) advice that anyone can offer before Tuesday. (Of course, given the poll numbers, it may not make much difference. But it just might...)
