By now, it should be evident to anyone who follows my Twitter stream that just about the only thing that Barack Obama and I have in common is our birthplace (yes, i was born in Hawaii too) :-)

Since I just voted, I thought that I would explain my vote for John McCain. During McCain's "performance" in the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency, I agreed with his pro-life position and I was disturbed by Obama's ambivalence as expressed by his "above my pay grade" response. I have since learned that Obama supports the Freedom of Choice Act which actually makes his position on abortion very clear! Although Obama stated his opposition to same-sex marriage during the forum, I have since learned of his opposition to Proposition 8 in California. Whether or not you agree with Obama, don't you see the inconsistency in his positions?

That inconsistency is what most disturbs me about Obama! It just seems that his scripted presentations are just telling us what he thinks that we want to hear and it's only unscripted comments such as his reply to Joe the Plumber (I personally don't care about Joe himself!) that reveal what he really believes. When he made that off-hand remark, I was already aware of his plan for refundable tax credits but hardly anyone was talking about it until Obama's encounter with Joe the Plumber.

Equally disturbing is the suspension of reason that has accompanied the branding and selling of Obama! Although I applaud the involvement of voters who should be engaged, I am disturbed by the misinformation that is fueling the cult of personality (my original posting included this phrase withOUT the hypertext because the link was published later) swirling around Obama. Later, I couldn't believe it when I learned of another example that topped this earlier one! I can appreciate the enthusiasm that many have for Obama, but I am worried that this demonstrates the failure of the American educational system to teach critical thinking that could have also saved us from the Community Reinvestment Act which likely caused many to buy houses that they couldn't afford as well as from the efforts of Madison Avenue to lure so many Americans into the burden of punishing debt.

I recognize that some McCain supporters are equally susceptible to fear tactics so there's plenty to indict the absence of critical thinking skills in this as well as any other American election.

Another reason why I voted for McCain is the people, especially Supreme Court Justices, who he would bring into government. He even voted for confirmation of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she was qualified although he disagreed with her positions. On the other hand, Obama voted against Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito although they were qualified.

As a matter of fact, I am very concerned that IF Obama were to be elected, he would be "beholden" to far-left organizations who supported his candidacy so he would be obligated to appoint people who support their positions.

If Obama is elected, I will take heart in the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune which ought to know him as well as anyone. I would want him to govern as a centrist and NOT be the "socialist" that I fear that he could be!

I haven't yet decided if I'm going to stay up to watch the results (yes, I DO expect the election to be closer than many believe!) so I might just watch James Dobson's webcast tonight at 9 pm EST. This thread has convinced me why we need Christian men like Dr. Dobson more than ever!