Why You Should Vote For John McCain

It's pretty simple and it won't take me 30 minutes to tell you why you should vote for John McCain.

Many many years ago I first read about John McCain in the pages of The National Review. I wasn't aware of his history as a P.O.W, and I read with fascination about his courage and strength. One sentence always remained with me. The author of the article said, "We don't make men like him anymore."

During the primaries I felt pretty lonely here on the right side of the web. The very things that moderates or more conservative Democrats loved about McCain, the right hated. They hated that he co-sponsored an education bill with Edward Kennedy. They hated he co-sponsered his campaign finance reform with another Democrat, Russ Feingold. They hated his belief in a guest worker program for illegal immigrants. He would never tow the Republican line. He was conservative, but of his own brand.

Republicans didn't want him reaching across the aisle. They wanted a fierce fighter for our side only. No compromise.

But that isn't and wasn't McCain's style.

Which is why everyone, including Obama, Hillary, and Biden have praised McCain as a man of integrity and honor. Even McCain's enemies admire him.

McCain has never pretended to be something he is not. Which is rare in a politician. He knows where he came from. He knows what it is to lose that. He came back from Vietnam, which stole 5 1/2 years of his life from him, determined to serve the people of this wonderful country. He had fought for us in war, and now he would fight for us in peace.

From the beginning he has always had an open-mindedness that was not founded in determined ideological positions. He does this thing, very unusual in Washington, of doing what he thinks is right. He doesn't change when the political winds blow in a different direction.

McCain has served this country, not just by 22 years in military service and over 20 years in the Congress, but by loving it enough to work with Democrats and Republicans to move this country forward, even when it wasn't popular politically. No person in history running for President has been more qualified and ready to lead than John McCain.

Don't be fooled by the soaring rhetoric and pretty speeches of Obama. Any actor on a stage can give you that. But what McCain has given; his service, his sacrifice, and his honor cannot be imitated or scripted. No one has ever questioned his love for this country. No one has ever questioned his dedication to it's principles.

One thing we know for sure. If McCain promises to do something, he will do it. He always has. He is as blunt as he is honest. He doesn't have a past that contradicts what he says now. He is who is he is. We know him because he has never hidden anything from us.

McCain understands that this is not a play where we write our parts. This is the real world, in need of a real leader whose past we don't question, but honor.