Obama, Clinton Supporters Should Stick to their Party

I've seen the polls saying that many Democrats will vote for John McCain if the candidate of their choice is not the Democratic nominee. And I'm appalled.

Admittedly, neither Hillary Rodham Clinton nor Barack Obama was my first choice for the Democratic nomination. But by the time of my state's primary, they were the only two remaining in the field. I voted for one of them then, and in November I will vote for either one as Democratic nominee without hesitation, albeit without much enthusiasm.

Why? Because McCain--even leaving aside his "straight talk" reputation, which I believe to be without basis--remains a hard-right Republican, with plans for our nation that have much less in common with Obama's or Clinton's goals than the two of them have in common with each other. It's that simple.

Some examples:

- McCain was and is pro-war www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/11/AR2007041100203.html. He continues to support the war in Iraq after the death of 4000 or more Americans serving in the military, after the death of thousands of Iraqi civilians, after the destruction of our economy caused in part by spending trillions of dollars--much of which has gone to bribes and payoffs and inferior-quality materials for the troops; NONE of which has made us any safer from terrorists.

The Democrats, especially Clinton, have gone along with the war far more than I like, but I believe that both Clinton and Obama will work to end the conflict and bring troops home safely; both have suggested timetables for withdrawal and have named this as a priority. I hope that they will also try to ameliorate America's current reputation as a global bully. McCain still talks blithely about continuing the war for "100 years."

- McCain's views on sexual and reproductive health are straight from retrogressive Republican dogma: He supports the "abstinence-only" sex education that has been proven useless for decreasing teen sexual activity, STDs, and pregnancy, and has opposed measures even to ensure that such education is scientifically based; wants to see Roe v. Wade overturned (and has said that ending abortion is one of his top priorities); will not even admit that use of condoms can help prevent HIV and other STD infection.

Obama and Clinton have both worked to ensure access to contraception, abortion, and other reproductive health measures and information, including reality-based education as well as insurance coverage of women's health.

- Yes, to his credit, McCain has spoken out against some forms of torture--but he still supported the Bush veto of bans on CIA torture of prisoners. This is abhorrent in anyone; in someone who himself heroically survived imprisonment and torture, it is both morally bankrupt and simply incomprehensible. (Just a reminder: the problem is not merely that torture is wrong and illegal, but also that it does not produce useful information. It may feed the revenge fantasies of the torturers and those who support them, but according to security experts it simply does not deter or catch terrorists, or further any other security goals.

Clinton has, to my distress, not been unequivocal in condemning current government practices and "harsh interrogation," but she has made clear statements against the use of torture. Obama has called these practices "wrongheaded, as well as immoral."

These aren't all the issues; for me, they're some of the major ones. What I would like to say to other voters is this. If you agree with McCain's positions, yes, vote for him. (But in that case I really don't understand: why were you planning to vote for either Obama or Clinton before?) If, on the other hand, your views are in accord with Clinton's or Obama's: shouldn't their (our) common goals for the country take precedence over the personality contest? Remember: the Presidential election isn't only, or even primarily, about which candidate you find personally appealing; it's about who sets the national agenda, who determines policy and law and Constitutional interpretation and how all of that is translated into action.

Many people tend to prefer ideological purity (or at least, a lot closer to that than the current options provide) and/or an appealing candidate; some will abstain, or vote for McCain, as a protest against being refused that choice. That sort of thinking, in the 2000 election, was one of the factors leading to two terms of Republican government. Those of us who feel that the past eight years have been disastrous for America can't afford to make that mistake again. Refusing to support the possible candidate, because we want perfection instead of compromise, will ensure the victory of a candidate (and a Party) whose goals and ideals are antithetical to those claimed by both Obama's and Clinton's supporters. Think about that, and vote thoughtfully. Please.