Five Obvious Reasons Not to Vote for John McCain

Reason #1: John McCain doesn't understand the economy. At all. Let's face it, America - John McCain just doesn't get it. As in elections past, when the rubber hits the road on Election Day, the economy is going to be the number one issue in voters' minds. John McCain has readily admitted that he doesn't have a solid grasp of economic principles or policies.

Take it right from the horse's mouth:

"The issue of economics is something that I've really never understood as well as I should." (Boston Globe, 12/18/07)

"I don't believe we're headed into a recession. I believe the fundamentals of this economy are strong, and I believe they will remain strong." (GOP Debate, Myrtle Beach, FNC, 1/10/08)

More recently, in the wake of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy and the impending failure of AIG, McCain made the monstrous gaffe of telling voters that "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," (Campaign Rally, Jacksonville, FL, 09/15/08)

His economic plan for the country includes cutting corporate taxes. This is standard GOP thinking - the Good Ol' Boys Trickle Down Theory - based on the premise that lower income people will eventually benefit as the tax cuts given to the rich "trickle down" to those below in the form of more jobs and income when the rich invest and spend all the extra money they make. Republicans call it "trickle down." I call it getting pissed on.

Ronald Reagan tried this in the 1980s. It didn't work back then and it certainly won't work now. Income inequality continued to grow throughout the 1980s and overall tax rates for the less affluent and poor actually went up in the 1980s.

Now John McCain wants to revert back to "trickle down" economics. Reminds me of Albert Einstein's definition of insanity: to do the same thing over and over again while expecting different results.

I'm sure that for someone like John McCain, who married a multi-millionaire heiress and owns more homes than he can count, the economy doesn't seem so bad. But for the rest of us -- who have to budget for basics like milk, bread, electricity and gasoline - the economy is in a very scary place.

We need a President who understands the economic situation from the perspective of working and middle class Americans. John McCain is obviously not the man for the job.

Reason #2: John McCain can't control his temper. We've all heard about John McCain's temper tantrums and how his nickname in school was McNasty. John McCain's temper demonstrates a serious lack of self-control.

If you do a Google search for "John McCain temper" you will find numerous video clips and written descriptions of his numerous public tirades and temper tantrums.

In October 1999, the Arizona Republic printed a front page story and a separate editorial about John McCain's temperament. His temper was described as "volcanic" and the editorial declared, "If McCain is truly a serious contender for the presidency, it is time the rest of the nation learned about the John McCain we know in Arizona. There is also reason to seriously question whether he has the temperament, and the political approach and skills, we want in the next president of the United States."

Is this the kind of person we want answering the phone in the White House at 3:00 a.m.?

Is it realistic to expect that a man with so little self-control will be able to effectively interact and negotiate with other international leaders?

Aren't you a little afraid that his "Bomb-Bomb-Bomb-Iran" joke (not funny) accurately represents how he would respond to conflicts with other countries?

With ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; with the threat of a Cold War resurgence; with the potential for nuclear warhead development in North Korea and Iran; with the global loss of respect and status for the United States resulting from George W. Bush's failed policies; with the continual threat of terrorism against Americans, the United States needs a leader who is not only knowledgeable about international politics but also has the interpersonal skills to effectively negotiate with other countries, to build partnerships and alliances. John McCain is obviously not the man for the job.

Reason #3: John McCain does not respect women. Men who respect women do not call their wives filthy names in public or behind closed doors. Back in 1992, about the same time McCain was in hot water for a little scandal known as the Keating Five, McCain lost his temper and called his wife a "trollop" and a "cunt" in front of Arizona reporters and campaign aides. Why wasn't this reported in the mainstream media? Presumably because reporters couldn't think of an acceptable way to report such unacceptable behavior in the mainstream media. Remember, this was 1992. The media has changed a lot since then.

In a book titled The Real McCain, author Cliff Schecter provides details of this McNasty exchange:

Three reporters from Arizona, on the condition of anonymity, also let me in on another incident involving McCain's intemperateness. In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." McCain's excuse was that it had been a long day. If elected president of the United States, McCain would have many long days.

Now, a sharp person might question the truthfulness of this passage seeing as how it is based on "anonymous" reports. But if it wasn't true, don't you think the McCain's would be suing the hell out of Cliff Schecter for libel?

At a town hall meeting earlier this year, a Baptist minister named Marty Parrish stood up and asked McCain if it was true that he'd called his wife these awful names. McCain's response was, "There's people here who don't respect that kind of language, so I'll move on to the next questioner in the back."

If this story wasn't true, don't you think John McCain would have said something more like this: "No, I have never directed that kind of disrespectful language towards my wife. Furthermore, that kind of language is inappropriate and offensive, so I'll move on to the next question." If this story wasn't true, straight talker John McCain would have said so in no uncertain terms.

John McCain (or at least his political advisers) obviously recognize the importance of the female vote in this election - they picked a woman, albeit a highly unqualified woman, to be his running mate. American women are smart, hardworking, and a powerful force to be reckoned with - politically, personally, economically, and socially. We must elect a President who will respect them as such. John MCain is obviously not the man for the job. Poor Cindy.

Reason #4: John McCain is a radical free trader. He has repeatedly and vehemently voiced his support for free trade without conditions or restrictions. In a National Political Awareness Test in 2004, McCain was asked if trade agreements should include provisions to address environmental concerns or protect workers' rights. McCain's response: No.

McCain's unlimited support for free trade is just further evidence that he really doesn't understand the economy. Free trade policies are largely responsible for the loss of good paying manufacturing jobs in the United States. The Economic Policy Institute reports that the United States has lost 1,015,290 jobs as a direct result of the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993. The same organization estimates that the displacement of manufacturing to China has cost Americans over two million jobs. Free trade permits large American corporations to move their factories, jobs and bank accounts to other countries - robbing the American people of not only jobs but also the tax revenue that these corporations should be paying to the U.S.

People seem stunned that the McCain/Palin campaign has pulled out of Michigan. It's really a no brainer. Laid off auto workers in Michigan are suffering - BIG time - as a direct result of shortsighted free trade policies. With McCain's history and continued support of free trade, he doesn't have a snow ball's chance in hell of winning the vote in Michigan. They might be factory workers but that doesn't mean they're stupid.

McCain's free trade support also applies to the outsourcing of major defense contracts, which leads me to question his understanding of homeland security and his concern for our military men and women. He has opposed "Buy American" requirements for government and military contracts. He voted for legislation that moved defense manufacturing operations to Japan and opposed an amendment that would require at least forty percent of the work be sub-contracted to U.S. businesses.

Earlier this year, McCain went so far as to intervene on behalf of European Aeronautic Defense and Space, Co. (EADS) to ensure that a federal contract worth $35 billion dollars was awarded to EADS instead of U.S.-based Boeing. Boeing argued that EADS was able to submit a lower bid because they receive subsidies from the European Union. Representative Norm Dicks (D-Washington) commented on McCain's involvement, saying "The only reason that (EADS/Airbus) could even bid a low price is because they receive a subsidy. Senator McCain jumped into this and said that they (the Air Force) could not look at the subsidy issue, which I think is a big mistake."

Aside from the obvious job losses and consequent economic impact of outsourcing a multi-billion dollar defense contract, one must also consider the potential risk to our homeland security and the safety of American soldiers whose very lives depend on the weapons and equipment that are now being manufactured by foreign countries.

Children have potentially been exposed to toys with lead paint and baby food with melamine because our government has failed miserably in its responsibility to monitor and regulate foreign manufacturing operations that export their goods to the U.S. Do you really believe they're going to do a better job of monitoring these defense contracts to ensure that the work isn't sub-contracted to our enemies who may intentionally produce dangerous, sub-standard parts and supplies that will put our soldiers at risk?

Free trade without restrictions and oversight is a major threat to our economy and our security. The United States needs a President who understands the complexities and implications of international trade. John McCain is obviously not the man for the job.

Reason #5: He is dumb enough to select Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. Good golly, Miss Molly, where do I even start with this one? This was an incredibly poor decision for so many reasons. Yes, I understand that McCain is trying to win over Hillary supporters. But the vast majority of women who supported Senator Clinton would rather chew off their French manicure than vote for a candidate who wants to see Roe vs. Wade overturned.

First and foremost, Sarah Palin lacks the political experience to be able to serve this country as President. With John McCain's age and health issues, we should all be able to agree that, if elected, there's a good chance Palin would have to step in to the President's shoes before the end of the term. She is NOT ready to do this. The McCain campaign has taken extraordinary steps to keep Palin cloistered from the media. That's because she is unable to answer the tough questions and they know it. If she's not ready for the media, how can she possibly be ready for the White House?

She has certainly stirred up the Republican base with a wink, a smile, and a good set of gams. But let's be clear, this is not a beauty pageant. I don't care how whose flute she's playing, she is NOT qualified to be President of the United States.

McCain touts her as the most popular governor in the country. Well, that's not hard to understand - she's been in office less than two years. She hasn't had to make a lot of unpopular decisions because Alaska does not face the same dire budget circumstances most Governors must deal with. Citizens of Alaska do not pay State income tax and each year the State sends them an oil dividend (worth $3,269 in 2008.) What's not to like?

Palin seems proud of her status as a Washington Outsider but she demonstrates many traits that seem to indicate she won't have any trouble fitting in:

~ She's less than honest. How many times have we heard her lie about the infamous Bridge to Nowhere and how she told Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks." This has been proven, over and over and over again, to be completely untrue. Not only that, she kept the money and wasted it on a Road to Nowhere instead.

~ She shows total disregard for the law. As the Mayor of Wasilla she ordered contractors to move forward with construction of an indoor hockey arena even though the City did not have clear title to the land. Her disregard for the law cost the City of Wasilla nearly $2 million dollars and several years in court, which taxpayers are still paying for.

~ She abuses the authority of her position. We've all heard about Troopergate by now and how a 12-member bi-partisan commission found Palin guilty of abusing her power as Governor of Alaska "in that her conduct violated AS 39.52.110(a) of the Ethics Act, which provides 'The legislature reaffirms that each public officer holds office as a public trust, and any effort to benefit a personal or financial interest through official action is a violation of that trust.'" Bottom line, she fired Public Safety Officer Walt Monegan because he refused to fire State Trooper Mike Wooten, the ex-husband of Palin's sister. So, how does she explain the fact that she wrote a letter of recommendation for Wooten back in 2000?

Does this sound like a person who will reform Washington?

John McCain seemed very pleased with himself at the Republican convention when he announced Palin as his running mate. But public affection for the moose-killin', oil-drillin' Governor has quickly waned along with McCain's chances of winning this election.

The President of the United States must have the wisdom, judgment and instincts to select a capable Vice President and assemble a Cabinet of experts who have proven themselves to be highly competent, law abiding, trustworthy Americans. For the fifth and final time . . . . John McCain is obviously not the man for the job.

Need more reasons not to vote for John McCain?

Take a look at this article written by one of John McCain's naval academy classmates and fellow POW:

Why I Won't Vote for John McCain by Philip Butler, PhD