Dear Readers,
Straight Guy is off on a well-deserved vacation. Our guest straight guy columnist is Straight in Upstate, a frequent commenter on posts here. If you want to join in on the conversation --and we hope you will--just hit the comments link.
"I had my annual accidental conversation with a true Conservative last week in the Raleigh, NC, airport on my way home from vacation. I know a few Republicans and some small “c” conservatives, but I rarely run into a hard-core capital “C”. Okay, so I live in a bubble - I think it’s called “freedom of association.” Anyway, this gentleman brought up the presidential campaign and his disgust that the best this great nation could offer in presidential candidates is Obama and McCain. He said he’ll think long and hard before voting for McCain; he’s not just handing in a blank check, so to speak, to the Republican party.
--Straight in Upstate
It raised a number of questions for me (a lapsed political science major): Is there a third-party Conservative, oiling the hinges on a campaign war chest, whom we haven’t heard about yet? How will this mood play out in McCain’s pick for vice-president? When is McCain going to start “butching up” for conservatives who don’t like him?
While I don’t have the answers (even if they’ve already appeared in Time and Newsweek - I haven’t been to my physician’s waiting room lately), I’m thinking it won’t bode well for GLBT folks and those who don’t think they’re evil incarnate. “Pander” isn’t just the Long Island name for a black and white Asian bear, it’s a ticket to the White House.
By September at the latest, and maybe early as July, we’ll hear a lot more about how gay marriage is destroying the fabric of the American family. Guess I’m just stupid - I thought it was screwing around on your spouse that did it.
Buckle up friends, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
3 comments:
Another blog commenter put it this way:
"They say McCain reads the blogs, so here goes --
Senator McCain- Don't let the campaign kibbitzers muddle things up.
First and foremost, Sarah Palin shares your values. She killed the bridge to nowhere. Need we say more?
As for the politics, Sarah Palin transcends geography. Her constituency, like yours, goes beyond state lines.
She will get your ticket access to voters all over the country based on who she is and what she stands for. Because she's young, a woman, a mother with young kids, she will grab media attention more than any other potential candidate.
Gov. Palin also has a son in the active duty military. You have very wisely taken your son's service in Iraq off the table as a campaign talking point. That is and should be respected. But others can talk about it and reflect on what it means.
A McCain-Palin administration would be the first in memory which has family members in uniform during wartime from both the President and Vice President. That would be a powerful statement as to the importance of national service, especially in uniform.
Most importantly, any Vice President should be ready to step up and serve in the event she is needed. Frankly, who is really ever ready? Gov. Palin is as ready as anybody, she is a quick learner, and in her public career has exhibited the courage and decisiveness needed for a great leader.
Godspeed to you in your campaign and in making this important decision."
I never heard of Sarah Palin but now have looked her up - very interesting! Definitely seems like someone to watch.
Upstate, thanks for keeping the blog active... and with actual substance, too.
My gut is telling me that things are sure to go downhill from here. The campaign process will only damage both candidates and further divide the nation. The big issues will fade week by week. I feel educated enough to vote right now. Let's figure out the VP stuff, along with other appointments, after the fact. In fact, let's minimize the damage by handling the VP scenario like a student-council election... 2nd place is automatically made vice-president. I can actually live with that.
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