[Ed Dantes]

Here's a discussion topic. At this writing, it appears as if RINO (Republican In Name Only) John McCain will win the nomination for the Republican Party. This has many prominent conservatives in a tizzy, with some saying that they'd rather vote for Hillary and let her screw things up.

So... Will you "sit this one out" if McCain is the nominee and let Hillary win? Or will you vote for the lesser of two evils?

[Ed Dantes]

I would rather vote for McCain, and my reason is simple: When the next President gets sworn in, six of the nine Supreme Court justices will be at least 70 years old. You will most likely see a vacancy, perhaps multiple vacancies, during the next term. Even more likely, those vacancies would come at the expense of two of the most liberal justices -- Stevens & Ginsburg.

John McCain, while he was a part of the Gang of 14, has shown that he'd put in strict constitutionalists. The "gang of 14" helped pave the way to get three strong justices on lower courts, and provided for a filibuster-free nomination of Alito. McCain also voted for Alito, Roberts, and back in the day, Robert Bork.

The ideological balance on the Court is 4 conservatives, 4 liberals, and 1 moderate (who leans conservative every now and then). If you want a reversal of these gawd-awful rulings (Planned Parenthood v. Casey; Lawrence v. Texas)... vote for the guy with (R) by his name. If not, we lose the battle for a generation. Maybe longer.

But that's just my opinion, anything else is equally valid.

[Fumblerooskies]

McCain is not a RINO...he was a foot soldier in the Regan Revolution...saw it with my own eyes.

I guess its a matter of preference...sort of like going home alone at 2 AM on a Saturday night...or taking a shot with the ugly chick at the other end of the dining establishment.

[LUconn]

Let a Democrat win. This country is set up so that there is a limited amount of good or damage a president can cause. The country will still be here in 4 years if a Dem wins. Let the pubs sit in the corner and think about what they've done.

[kel varson]

I will vote McCain.

[vastrightwinger]

That is exactly what everyone was saying after the Dems regained control of Congress in 2006 and there has been no lesson learning. While I agree that there is very little the president can do alone, with both houses of Congress in there corner, and potentially two Supreme Court seats coming vacant, there is a lot that can be done in the next 4-8 years. While McCain is not my first choice, I will vote for him because I do beleive he holds true to classic conservative principles.

[LUconn]

that's loco. He'll sign off on many of the same bills Hill or Barak will. Might as well send a message.

That was very Dr. Suess.

[Ed Dantes]

that's loco. He'll sign off on many of the same bills Hill or Barak will. Might as well send a message.

That was very Dr. Suess.

Yes, the country, from a legislative stand point won't be that different with President McCain than with President Obama. But the real fight is judicially, where conservatives still have a chance to win the battle.

(and for the record, McCain's conservative voting record is like 84%. 80% of which is stuff that I really don't care about, though...)

[Fumblerooskies]

LUconn...go ahead and not vote...or waste your vote on Ron Paul or Mitt Romney. Yeah...the republicans have screwed up by letting the PuppetMaster Cheany pull Dubya's strings for 8 years...

...but WE have the chance to correct it. McCain has the MILITARY experience to be CIC...which, after all, is his main title and responsibility. Why let a Clinton in...after all...it WAS a Clinton to refused to let the US have Bin Laden hand-delivered. It WAS a Clinton who pulled all those shady 11th hour pardons of his cronies. We do NOT need to repeat the same mistake...even if the alternative is not that attractive.

Bar tender...it's 2 AM and I'd like you to send that girl at the end of the bar a drink on me.

[whmatthews]

I didn't vote because I'm sitting on the fence... I'm not sure what to do...

Right now I'm leaning towards going with LUconn on this... just let checks and balances take it's place and send the GOP a message.

But I feel if I don't vote, I don't have the right to criticize the President... and I feel like I'd have a lot of criticizing to do with Obama or Hillary.

[4everfsu]

Well the way I see it if the Dem get the White House, what makes you think we will have a country after four years. With the Dem having the congress, maybe they will push back on our laws on listening to terrorists and other laws we have on the books. I am more afraid of our national security with a Dem in the White House unless his name would happen to be Zel Miller, ex-dem senator from Ga. You know with a Dem in the White House the Dem will let Bush's tax law expire in 2010 giving everyone a tax raise.

[kel varson]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8314.html

[thepostman]

I am not sure if I were to support McCain or not...but I do know if the republican that does get the nod is someone I can not vote for..I would vote for a third party candidate...the only way the republican party is going to change is if it gets kicked in the butt anyways....it would be all on them

[01LUGrad]

McCain v. Hillary= I vote for McCain.

McCain v. Obama= I'm not sure. (The dude is liberal as all get out, but he's no Hillary)

I just can't picture JM in the White House.

[belcherboy]

Well the way I see it if the Dem get the White House, what makes you think we will have a country after four years. With the Dem having the congress, maybe they will push back on our laws on listening to terrorists and other laws we have on the books. I am more afraid of our national security with a Dem in the White House unless his name would happen to be Zel Miller, ex-dem senator from Ga. You know with a Dem in the White House the Dem will let Bush's tax law expire in 2010 giving everyone a tax raise.

I think it will be just like 1992. The very next election the GOP stormed out and took over Congress. Unfortunately though, if a Democrat was elected they would have a window to do some damage. The Republicans have no one to blame but themselves though. They had about 4-6 years of real control and did not do what they were elected to do IMO.

This is all a big circle. It will come back around. I just don't want a moderate like McCain to push back the conservative agenda. I believe that would hurt worse than if a democrat pushed it back.

[bigsmooth]

I guess its a matter of preference...sort of like going home alone at 2 AM on a Saturday night...or taking a shot with the ugly chick at the other end of the dining establishment.

a third party vote is a vote for the dems. though im not a mc cain fan, i feel he would be better than billary or obama.

[ALUmnus]

I think a lot of it depends on where you want the damage done. If a Dem wins, the damage will be done in the SCOTUS. There's possible damage in terms of universal health care, but I don't think congress will let that happen. If McCain wins the nom and the presidency, the damage will be to the Republican party. Bush has already taken the party closer to the center, and I think that McCain will further the party closer to the left, making the US political parties more and more like those around the rest of the world, with no true conservative party. So pick your poison.

[LUconn]

it seems like every election is "THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION IN THIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY". I'm sick of the SCOTUS scare tactic. It's a long appointment but it's not like they're choosing immortals to be on the bench.

and I think that McCain will further the party closer to the left, making the US political parties more and more like those around the rest of the world, with no true conservative party.

That sounds like much longer term damage.

[thepostman]

a vote for a third party is not a vote for the dems...much like when a dem votes for a third party its not for the republicans...its a vote for that third party candidate...

that is the kind of attitude that has crippled this country into this horrible two party system...and the thing is I voted republican the past 2 presidential elections because of this kind thinking...I am done with it....if the republican candidate isn't somebody I am happy with I will find someone I won't feel guilty about voting for....and if that means Hillary or Obama...so be it...it would be more on the republican party then me or anybody else that feels the same way...

::rant over::

[cheerbren]

I personally think that it is a democrats year and other than voting for who I believe would do the best for the country I can not do much more. If there is more I can do, tell me.

[mrmacphisto]

I personally think that it is a democrats year and other than voting for who I believe would do the best for the country I can not do much more. If there is more I can do, tell me.

You could abolish the electoral college, for starters.

[belcherboy]

a vote for a third party is not a vote for the dems...much like when a dem votes for a third party its not for the republicans...its a vote for that third party candidate...

that is the kind of attitude that has crippled this country into this horrible two party system...and the thing is I voted republican the past 2 presidential elections because of this kind thinking...I am done with it....if the republican candidate isn't somebody I am happy with I will find someone I won't feel guilty about voting for....and if that means Hillary or Obama...so be it...it would be more on the republican party then me or anybody else that feels the same way...

::rant over::

I agree and disagree. A vote for Perot was a vote that helped the Democrats in '92, anyway you slice it. Same thing for the Repubs (to a MUCH lesser extent) with Nader in recent elections. If McCain gets the nomination, I will most likely vote third party, if I can find someone that I like. I hope a movement happens that draws a big third party candidate, but until you have a third party candidate that draws pretty evenly from both sides of the Dems and GOP, they will always hurt one more than the other and keep the system a two party one.

I wish the truly conservative candidates would split and form their own part, but it would be political suicide if the moderate Dems didn't split and join the moderate Repubs. I would love to see liberal, moderate, and conservative as the three parties. It would probably limit the backbiting in our political system (It would make it more difficult to make inaccurate blanket statements about the opposite party). If enough people feel the same way you and I feel, perhaps we could see a legit third party candidate in the next few elections. Of course I don't believe it will happen, it would be nice though.

[belcherboy]

I personally think that it is a democrats year and other than voting for who I believe would do the best for the country I can not do much more. If there is more I can do, tell me.

You could abolish the electoral college, for starters.

What is wrong with the electoral college?

[President Abe]

Its not as good as Liberty University. I think instead all Presidents should be elected based on their name. For instance, how could you elect a guy named President Barak? That's ridiculous. Now President Lincoln Abraham, that was a president, with a good name too.

[LUconn]

I'm more of a Van Buren fan myself.