Up until just before the GOP national convention, I was torn between Obama and McCain. I honestly didn’t know who I was voting for, although I was leaning towards Obama because he went with Joe Biden as his VP (Bill Richardson was my other hopeful). But if McCain made the right pick, and it appeared he would govern to the center, then he still had a chance to get my vote. Why? Because there was a time when John McCain truly was the “Maverick” that most of us agree at some point we’re going to need to get this ship righted. I didn’t see Barack as all that much of a “maverick”, and I still don’t think he is. But what he IS is tremendously intelligent, tremendously persuasive, and appears to be everything this country needs to at least get our spirit back, even if he’s unable to garner enough support to truly fix Washington.
That all being said, the pick of Sarah Palin by the McCain campaign sealed the deal for me. Instantly. I know the one thing we DON’T need that close to the top, and that is another Neo-con religious zealot fundie from another past century. We need people with an open mind, people with the ability to see where the country is going, and not try to take away every good and just thing we’ve achieved and send us back to the Stone Age on social issues (Stone Age = 1950’s and back).
So that was the gun-toting, redneck straw that broke McCain’s camel’s back for me.
It has me thinking…what would it take for others to change their vote?
So I put this little mini-survey out to my blogging community cohorts.
Democrats/lefties, what would Barack Obama have to do or say to make you vote the other way? Claim to be a Muslim, and that all the rumors are true? Appoint Bill Kristol and Dick Cheney to his cabinet? What would it take?
Again, for the lefties out there in the Peoria area (again, this is for people who have already made up their mind): What would Colleen Callahan have to do to lose your vote? Second part of that, what would Aaron Schock have to do to GET your vote, if you’re not sold on Colleen?
Now, for my righty friends: What would McCain/Palin have to do to get you to vote for Barack Obama? No “third party” or “Bob Baar” excuses here. Say you’ve got TWO choices: McCain or Obama, and you’re 100% voting for McCain right now. What would it take for you to switch?
Again, for the righties: What would Aaron Schock have to do or say to cost him your vote? Admit he’s gay? Introduce a boyfriend at a debate? Say he’s taking away all guns? What would it take for you to change your already-made up mind? And likewise, what would Colleen Callahan have to do to GET your vote right now?
I would really like it if someone would give an honest answer to these questions…you can be funny, or outrageous, as long as it’s an honest answer.
For instance, John McCain could still get my vote. How? Dump Palin and name a true centrist/moderate as his running mate, acknowledge that he’s been running a dirty campaign and apologize for it, stop the lies and go back to the campaign he said he’d run, talk about the issues that are important to me, and tell me which moderate Democrats he’d add to his cabinet. If he’d do that, I’d seriously look at him again, not because Barack has done anything wrong, not because Biden has done anything wrong, but because then I’d have a choice of “the best of these two” rather than “the lesser of two evils”. I personally hate that attitude when I hear it.
We’ve got two good men (the old McCain was indeed a good man, I cannot believe that man just disappeared overnight since the Palin coronation, but he has and it’s sad) to vote for this year. Either is a VAST improvement over what we have right now. But Sarah Palin is a link to that current attitude, and John McCain picked her…or at least allowed her to be picked when he sold his soul to Karl Rove.
Again, if were just Barack vs. John, we’d have two men I would not be ashamed to vote for. Same goes for the second half of the Dems’ ticket. But Palin? I don’t care WHO the VP nominee is, as long as it’s a Neo-con fundie, I’m not voting for it. Man or woman. That’s the faction of this country that needs to be put down while the other 85% of us go about the business of fixing what’s wrong with this country, fixing the ailments given to us by eight years of Neo-con control.
14 responses so far ↓
1
ollie
// Sep 23, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Obama would have to do something grossly immoral. Reason: he, IMHO, is much smarter and more capable than John McCain.
Now, if there were a race between, say, John Sununu (R-NH) and Dennis Kucinich, I’d be tempted to vote R, even though Kucinich’s policies are more similar to mine. Sununu is the much smarter candidate.
2
vonster
// Sep 24, 2008 at 7:17 am
If only your “center” weren’t so far left.
3
postsimian
// Sep 24, 2008 at 8:48 am
Vonster – Being a moron must be hard work. Do you ever stop for a breath of fresh air?
If you’re so far right that the center seems “far left,” doesn’t that tell you anything? Like, gee, I dunno, maybe you’re a fucking wacko extremist? I mean, are we witnessing a case study in how crazy people don’t realize they’re crazy? Does it ever occur to you when you realize you actually believe the bullshit you write,”I wonder if I’m batshit-fricken insane?”
—–
To get me to vote for him, Aaron Schock would have to drop his ideology, which also means he’d have to drop his big-money sponsorship and essentially become an independent or a RINO. If he represented from a non-partisan, consituency-based, beneficial-to-the-friggin-area way, he’d get my vote.
Frankly, the Bush fund raiser has convinced me otherwise. That, and his 2-minute blurb at the RNC was embarrassing to watch.
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Obama would have to do something pretty shitty to lose my vote, whether it be downright shady or overtly bad, or make some exceedingly bad judgments. Compared to McCain, he has a lot of catching up to do. Remember, “good McCain” went out the window when it looked like he won the primaries and had to adopt the Right’s fascist rhetoric to get the support of all the hardline nationalists who make up the base of the Republican party. Case in point, Vonster.
Even if Schock and McCain changed right this minute, I’d still have precedent whispering in my ear.
4
BJ Stone
// Sep 24, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Ollie, Postsim, that’s what I’m looking for…honest answers and discussion.
I remember a lot of talk back in ‘05 or so about Schock being gay, some anonymous posts on a couple of blogs about how they had proof, but so far, nothing has been proven that I know of. But if something like that came out a couple of weeks before the election, I wonder how much support something like that would cost him?
Same for Obama…if he was found to have done something really, as Ollie says, “immoral”, I wonder how much that would change things. I suspect in both cases it would be “plenty”.
5
Ramble On
// Sep 26, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Obama would have to do something very immoral (a la John Edwards) or dump Biden for Hillary in order to lose my vote. John McCain would then have to Ms. Palin for any “normal” human being and then have to sign in blood to guarantee that he would not appoint 3 more wildly conservatives to the Supreme Court.
Schock, I could care less if he is gay or straight. In order to get my vote in the future, he would have to get and hold a real job to learn about the real world. His campaign would also have to repay the City of Peoria for the expenses incurred with the GWB visit at the fund raising event. He would also have to convince me he does not plan on retiring from the Senate at the age of 72 to run for president.
Sorry, I grew up on a farm and frankly, as long as she continues to breathe, I will vote for Colleen Callahan. I tried to figure out what she could do that would cause me to change my mind, but couldn’t come up with anything.
Very interesting concept with this post.
6
Ramble On
// Sep 26, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Sorry, meant to say McCain would have to DUMP Ms. Palin.
7
Bungholio
// Sep 30, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Well dickweed, you need to have some ideology and faith to even consider something immoral…….jeez, lefty Jesus haters, lets just hope come your last breath, you’re right……….if not have fun programming Radio WHEl………How about them Cubbies btw Fireball…….
8
postsimian
// Oct 1, 2008 at 7:29 am
Morality is not about faith at all, and little to do with ideology. Dang, BJ, not even I get right-wing fundie psychos like this.
9
BJ Stone
// Oct 1, 2008 at 8:04 am
No kidding. I think I know this guy, and he knows me, but I’m not sure exactly who it is. Either way, the namecalling on his part is kind of ridiculous.
10
Bungholio
// Oct 1, 2008 at 6:12 pm
The name wasn’t intended for you BJ/FB, you know who it is. Sorry to hear about your dad, remember, you have friends, even conservative ones, on another(race) site. Looks like your hate for the Cubbies should end soon, lets see if they hit the WS or find a way to Bartman it again……………..
11
C. J. Summers
// Oct 4, 2008 at 6:27 pm
B. J. says:
And then, later, referencing one of his commenters:
You do realize that calling Palin, et. al., a “neo-con religious zealot fundie” is name-calling, right?
But anyway, in response to your question, McCain would have to do something grossly immoral, AND Obama would have to move pretty far to his right (meaning closer to the center) to get me to change my vote to Obama. Just McCain doing something grossly immoral would make me vote for someone else — but not Obama.
As for Schock, he’s already given me enough reason to vote against him. The only problem is, there aren’t any good alternative candidates either. I honestly do not know what I’m going to when I get in the voting booth; I may just not vote in that race at all. I really wish there were a “none of the above” option.
12
postsimian
// Oct 4, 2008 at 6:32 pm
[quote]AND Obama would have to move pretty far to his right (meaning closer to the center)[/quote]
http://politicalcompass.org/uselection2008
One side is indeed on the fringe.
13
BJ Stone
// Oct 4, 2008 at 11:06 pm
C.J., calling someone a “dickweed” is quite a bit different than an accurate description of a neo-con religious zealot fundie, of which there is documented print, video and audio proof proving that’s exactly what she is, and pretty much what she herself wants to be known as.
One is namecalling, the other is a description. I’d say there’s quite a bit of difference.
14
BJ Stone
// Oct 4, 2008 at 11:17 pm
But, C.J., thanks for your honest response. I disagree that Barack Obama is way left of center…he’d actually BE the center if our country thought like we thought from about 1968-1980, but starting with the Reagan years, the GOP has moved the perception of what is “the center” is very, very, very far to the right.
I am hoping, btw, that there are many more conservatives like you who will NOT vote for Aaron Schock. Your best bet, then, is, instead of “not voting”, is to pull the lever for one of his opponents so he doesn’t get in. Any time someone pulls a “did not vote”, it helps the “favorite” in a given race. I’d beg you to consider that.
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