Update: McCain Selects Gov. Sarah Palin as Running Mate

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by jsarno

I did the same, and for the same reasons. I still have no doubt that Bush was the better option than Gore and Kerry. (IMO the worst two democratic candidates ever back to back.)

Worse than Mondale and Dukakis?

I voted for Bush in 2000 because well he was a bit different then, and I understand significant events happened. I voted for him in 2004 because there was nothing compelling about Kerry in my opinion, and I believed (still do) another 4 years of Bush was better than potentially 8 years of Kerry.

Now? I like McCain (liked him in 2000 when he was still a candidate) and I want to vote for him. But I don't like the direction the Republican party is going in, a direction where the extreme right and its desire to "instill its values" on America is dictating the course of the party. I don't like that McCain seemingly felt forced to select Palin as his VP because the far right insisted upon it. It's not that I disagree with their beliefs necessarily, in many cases I agree, but who am I to say that you should too? And, in my case, what does it matter? I mean, look, I don't want to belittle gay marriage. But honestly, what do I care? What do many of us care? You're running for President, great, don't tell me about whether or not gays should be allowed to marry. I don't care what the party platform is on that. Tell me about things that matter to me, that matter to all of us-economy, foreign policy, health care, education. On these issues, I almost fully agree with the Republican party but increasingly it feels like those issues are afterhoughts when they are pushing their agenda. And it really disappoints me. To that end, a part of me strongly leans toward voting for Obama hoping that a significant setback for the GOP will better them down the line.