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Interesting. There's 3 main reasons that people tell me they want to vote for Ron Paul.
1. He wants to legalize marijuana.
2. People want to get his party 5% of the general vote so he can receive federal funds to campaign the next election.
3. They don't trust either major party, so he is the lesser of 3 evils.
Make sure you realize though that a vote for Ron Paul is essentially a vote for McCain this election. (Not saying that is a bad thing, just making the point.) Most red based voters aren't going to vote for him as he appeals more to the moderate/middle voters slightly on the left. He will draw a few votes from the moderate right who question McCain's loyalty to his party, but 80% or so will be a vote that would have otherwise gone for Obama.
That being said, here's my reasons for voting McCain. This will be the first time I have EVER voted for a republican. I usually vote because of reason #2 I stated above.
1. He was a POW for 5 1/2 years. This gives him more respect in my eyes than someone who has never personally experienced war. He knows it and the effects of it and the downsides to it. He was offered early release and refused it until all his fellow captives could go. That takes balls in my book. Like it or not, the USA is in a war it is going to be in for at least a little while longer. I want someone at the helm who understands war and won't sway with the media polls and public opinion. I know he is going to do what it takes to win.
2. Experience. The media likes throwing this around like it doesn't mean a whole lot. but I'm talking experience in lawmaking and being in a position of power. McCain has a track record of voting on various bills you can look at and see where he stands. Obama has a very limited history to look at. McCain has voted against republicans MANY times in his history, he is not afraid to cross party lines to do what he thinks is right. I like that.
3. Personality. This reason is more against Obama than for McCain, as McCain really doesn't come across as full of energy and doesn't really inspire me to be a better american. I started out really liking the idea of Obama, giving his whole "hope & change" message that is always used by some politician in every election. As each week passes though, more and more of Obama's arrogance comes out and it REALLY turns me off to him. Anyone who is going to run this country has to be confident, but Obama has a level of arrogance I haven't seen in a politician running for president, at least in my memory. The turning point for me was Obama refusing to admit he was wrong about the surge in Iraq. Even the most radical far-left democrat has conceded that it DID work and turned around a war that we were losing up to that point. I don't want a man in charge who is so conceited he is unable to admit when he made a mistake. McCain has admitted mistakes he made in voting and the reasons he has changed his mind on different issues over the years. It takes a man to admit when your wrong.
4. Foreign Policy. McCain's isn't perfect, but he isn't going to try to negotiate with someone who has only ONE demand. Israel must cease to exist. You can't negotiate with that and I think it is naive to even try to. What do you offer them? Partial annihilation?
All this doesn't mean I have rose-colored glasses about McCain. He's a republican still and I really don't like the economic policies of the right. I know he is probably going to do more than a few things I don't like. Being in war though, I have to base my decision on how their foreign policy is and how I think they are going to run the war. If we were at peace, Obama might get a little more consideration, but it would be really hard for me to get past his blatant arrogance. Also, being naturally distrustful of the mass media and seeing how much they are on his nuts, that's a big strike against him too. They should know better.
So there you have it, TD's politics 101.
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