Here it is!  Having been asked by a friend [now so far away] to explain why I'm supporting John McCain and Sarah Palin, I've provided this answer.  [Please read this through before you attack me.]

Please note the following:  I'm a college graduate having studied economics, statistics, and accounting.  I'm a CPA with experience in numerous industries, especially small businesses.  I've even worked in manufacturing as Controller.  I was a Supply Officer in the US Navy, having gone through boot camp and Officer's Training.  Now, I'm a writer.  I've had a lot of business and personnel experience and the ability to see through bullsh1t.

Military

John McCain graduated from the US Naval Academy at Annapolis in 1958.  As a flyer, he survived the devastating fire on the USS Forrestal in 1967.  Later that year he was shot down over Hanoi, breaking bones when he landed in a lake.  The North Vietnamese [NV] promptly treated his breaks poorly and sent him to the Hanoi Hilton.  Later he went to a political prison where they broke more of his bones and tortured him trying to get military secrets from him.  He didn't give anything more than the names of a football team's front line, so they gave him more torture.

In 1968, his father was given command of the US forces in and around Vietnam, so the NV offered him an early release as a propaganda move.  He refused.  He was further tortured.  According to the Military Code of Conduct, prisoners should be released in order of capture, so he painfully saw it through to the end his POW prison term for his comrades.  He was finally released in 1973.

After rehabilitation, he commanded a squadron out of Florida, and he retired as a Naval Captain in 1981.  He was in prison at the same time I was in the Navy.  I call my time 'endurance' because, although a Lieutenant, I thought I had been going through misery with necessary military restrictions in job and personal life.  Little did I understand what misery really was.  John McCain went through the real deal of misery and survived and succeeded.  There's no need for anymore testing.

His actions putting Country first are hard---if not impossible---to top.

John McCain has never shirked from admitting his mistakes, taking the heat, and going on.  He blamed himself for his failed first marriage, and he took the heat for his connection to the 'Keating Five' scandal.  He was fully exonerated of any wrong doing for the latter---as repeated by Democrat counsel Bob Bennett---and only given the equivalent of 'naughty! naughty!  He has nothing to be ashamed of there or anywhere.

Barack Obama has no military or command experience.  [Heading his own campaign committee over the years is hardly valuable experience.]  Nor has he ever been tested to prove his mettle at anything!  I firmly believe that in the same situation that McCain faced, Obama would have capitulated early and begged for his release.

Further, Obama will not tell his whole history or take responsibility for his own actions.  His past is shady with ongoing relationships with terrorists Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn, radical Father Phleger, and convicted Tony Rezco.  He spent 20 years attending a church and listening to his mentor Reverend Jeremiah Wright spout his racist and anti American venom.  Twenty years?  And he only repudiated his latter relationship recently when it became politically expedient?

Washington

In 1977, while still in the Navy, McCain was given the position of Naval liaison to the Senate.  In 1981, after retirement, McCain moved to Arizona with his family.  In 1982, McCain ran for and was elected to the US House of Representatives, where he served two terms getting his political act in gear.  He did not jump-start his campaign in the home of two terrorists.

At one point during his campaign, many questioners derided him as a 'carpetbagger' to Arizona.  His answer to one of these chargers at a candidates' forum was swift and to the point.

'Listen, pal. I spent 22 years in the Navy. My father was in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy. We in the military service tend to move a lot. We have to live in all parts of the country, all parts of the world. I wish I could have had the luxury, like you, of growing up and living and spending my entire life in a nice place like the First District of Arizona, but I was doing other things. As a matter of fact, when I think about it now, the place I lived longest in my life was Hanoi.'

I like that answer and what it tells me about the man.

In 1986, he was elected to the Senate.  All his re-elections came with 60% or more of the votes.  As noted above, he was involved on the peripheral of the 'Keating Five' scandal, ultimately being CLEARED OF ALL WRONGDOING, though you'd never know it by the Obama campaign claims.

Among his later Senate accomplishments were bills to: announce to OPEC, oil produces, and oil speculators, that the US will be energy independent in the near future; a summer federal gas tax holiday from Memorial Day to Labor Day; move to repeal the 54 cent per gallon tax on imported sugar-based ethanol, thus reducing the need for corn and reducing food costs; roll back corn-based ethanol mandates to reduce the cost of food.  Most of these and others died in the Democrat-run Senate.  But his votes on conservative legislation were on target.

On the other hand, Obama's Senate record is certainly unimpressive.  In his 143 days of actual service as a Senator, he sponsored or co-sponsored bills: to honor Pierre Julian [chemist], Rosa Parks [black], sickle cell research, Irene Sendler [albeit a strong social worker during the holocaust], Gilbert Patterson [black bishop], Carl Stokes [black mayor of Cleveland]; resolution for no use of force in Iran; designate National Learning Day and a Disability Pride Day; to suspend the duty on gibberillic acid---a potent plant hormone [found in most plants] that is normally used to promote early flowering and plant germination; to suspend duty on triphenyltin hydroxide---a substance used to control potato blight etc.; suspend duty on sebacic acid---a derivative of castor oil used in candle making; suspend duty on bromoxynil octonoate---toxic, imported from China, and I can't find anyplace willing to identify it's use; suspend the duty for RSD 1235---a drug under current study; suspend duty on N6 Benzyladenine, MCPB acid, MCPB sodium salt, 2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacitic, metsulfluron-methyl, dichlorprop-p acid, and dichlorprop-p demethlyamine salt.

None of these sponsored bills made it into law.

I emphasize 143 days, because he was hardly ensconced at his Senate desk before he started running for President.  Obama does this regularly.  He goes for one position, then when in the new position he spends his time seeking a higher office.  Do over 130 votes 'present' tell you about the decision-making ability of the candidate?  And you can't deal with Iran, Russia, or Pakistan with a 'present' vote.  And if he succeeds in his run for President, what job will he immediately seek after?  Will he appoint himself to the Supreme Court?  How about Secretary General of the UN.  Obama certainly believes he has international appeal.  Pope?  A Demi-God?  Zeus, call your office.

Tell me Rich, friends, have you ever come across a Presidential candidate with less experience or more socialist leanings or one who has little other than oratory to speak for him?  [And those socialists like Eugene Debs never had a chance of winning an election.]

As a matter of fact, Obama sponsored a bill to congratulate the Chicago White Sox for the 2005 World Series victory, and he couldn't even get that through the process to the President.

When the economy was sending warning signals, McCain was in the forefront, along with the administration, in trying to raise the alarm to Congress and take action to correct the process and forestall problems.  All attempts were rebuffed by Democrats Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and even Obama himself---top recipients of campaign contributions from Fannie and Freddie.

When the dam broke, McCain suspended his campaign and returned to Washington to work with Republicans on getting an emergency bill passed.  Obama stayed on his campaign trail, making snide remarks from afar.  They both signed on to the bill, something I would not have.  So there's no difference there, except that McCain signed onto an emergency bill, and Obama signed on to a socialist leaning bill.  It's all in the mind, n'est pas?  At least McCain and the Republicans prevented Congress from sending millions to Acorn as part of the Democrats' proposed bill.

Campaign

McCain has stuck to his promise to accept taxpayer money for the campaign.  Obama reneged on his written promise and declined taxpayer money, thus being able to raise some $600 million dollars [I admit he's a great orator, especially when you understand that he doesn't give any details when he talks] in an attempt to seal the Presidency by overwhelming his opponent.  Can you imagine that?  Huge sums to socialize the Country?  How much of that is foreign or duplicate, no one will tell.  And such an amount is only the tip of the iceberg [among billionaires] of efforts to fund the complete socializing of the Country---bit by bit.

John McCain has spent four years in the US House of Representatives and 22 years in the US Senate.  He has worked hard all these years for the people he represented, and he was not called a 'maverick' for nothing as he bucked the Republicans many times.  His attitude has always been Country first.  He sponsored or cosponsored numerous bills making it past the President's signature, lately including the federal partial birth abortion ban, more penalties for purveyors of obscene and indecent broadcasts; to enhance the FTC enforcement in re cyber spam, spyware, and fraud; and other bi-partisan bills/laws.

McCain has potential programs and ideas that I like: his tax credit for individual medical policies so people can travel and change jobs without changing policies; his desire to reduce the estate tax rate to 15% with a $10 million exemption; his desire to work on increasing World markets with efforts to reduce trade barriers, multilaterally, bilaterally, and regional; to enforce existing global trading rules; he wants continued and increased tax credits for wind, solar, and hydro power; he'd like to offer a $300 million dollar prize [it has to be big enough to warrant large research expenditures and be an incentive] for new battery technology for hybrid vehicles; green building and refitting US Government buildings throughout the World.

He wants to keep the maximum tax rate at 35%; a 15% tax rate for dividends and capital gains; a phasing out of the alternative minimum tax; to reduce the corporate tax rate of 35% to 25%.  Our current corporate tax is the second highest in the World, thus leading to corporate shenanigans and reduced World presence; he wants more first year expensing of equipment and investment in technology; he wants a tax credit of 10% of labor costs for R & D.  The US needs more research and development to better compete in the modern World.

These things help increase business opportunities and employment.  The economy is best fueled by individual success.  The American Dream.  It is not served well with wealth distribution and high taxes on productivity.

As a small business owner [professional practice] I spent years working with average and wealthy people and businesses dealing with their accounting, investment, payroll and income tax returns, loans and varied business problems.  We had to work with the complicated IRS code.  I understand how these people will be affected or hurt by the various policies of McCain or Obama.  None of my over 500 clients would want this 'socialism.'  And I'm just one professional.

And I wish that you Liberals would get off the tired old mantra of Republican tax cuts for the rich.  When the Republicans offer tax cuts, they offer them to all taxpayers.  The top five percent of earners in the US already pay most of the taxes collected.  So naturally, according to simple arithmetic, more of a tax cut goes to the person paying most of the taxes.

The second part of this essay is directly below in another blog post.  I had to enter it first so the continuity of the essay wouldn't be damaged.

I'm particularly worried about this constant Obama wish to 'spread the wealth' by taking from one group to give it to another.  Socialism and class warfare is un-American.  He should be taken to the woodshed.

'Democracy is the road to socialism.'  This quote would easily fit into Obama's view of the Country and what he and his Democrat cohorts want to accomplish in it: an increased 'nanny state', government run and heavily regulated businesses [that stifle growth], more handouts for those who don't work, loss of free speech on radio, loss of the secret ballot in union votes, and so forth ad infinitum.

'From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.'  This quote fits Obama's 'spread the wealth' philosophy' along with his idea of a tax cut for 95% of Americans---including the 40% of Americans who don't pay taxes.  Why would anyone want to send government checks to one group of people who don't contribute to the tax base, taking it from another group who contribute the most?  Tax cuts should be assigned to those who actually pay tax.  And success should come to those who work hard and earn it.

'The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.' Change 'socialism' to 'democrat-ism' [only a tiny difference] and that's what Obama and the Democrats want for this Country.  Free speech disappears from talk radio; loss of secret ballots in union votes; sending money to Acorn to spread the vote to dead people, Disney characters, those who want to vote in two different states, and those who simply want to vote many times.  The opposition will be vilified for any reason [something currently happening.]  The defense budget will be cut by a quarter [per Barney Frank].  And any Democrats responsible in part for the current economic mess [notably Chris Dodd and Barney Frank] won't be investigated or punished for their parts. 

These are all quotes from the works of Karl Marx.  I hope you think about them.

Now, John McCain will do none of these in particular or promote any of these practices by acquiescence.  He has strength of character and a firm belief in Country first.  We can be sure that his term in office will shake up the 'good old boys' and root out corruption and greed.  And he won't allow our military budget to be cut by a quarter---or anything for that matter.  Nor will he permit cuts in Border Control or Homeland Security.  These are all too important in protecting our freedoms and way of life.

McCain wants to leave Iraq and Afghanistan in victory with positive support for the troops; he wants to start paying off the deficit; he'll provide a one year spending freeze of the budget until we catch our collective breath; he'll knock down programs not working.

McCain wants to reform social security before it collapses.  Is this another warning that will be rebuffed by Democrats in Congress?  He'll investigate and punish those responsible for the collapse of our markets, to include Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, other Congressman, Senators, and highly paid executives former and present of the collapsed companies.  Does anyone naively expect an Obama administration to investigate and punish Chris Dodd and Barney Frank and other Democrats involved with the crisis?

I think Social Security programs deserve and demand a carefully considered reformation.  If you think the current financial crisis is huge, wait until Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid fail.  [Personally, if I'm still around---well, I don't want to see this happen.]

McCain wants to reform Medicare and Medicaid, increase accountability, and reduce payments for preventable medical errors and mismanagement, with a zero tolerance toward fraud.  He wants medical liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits that increase the cost of health care [and reduce the billable hours of trial lawyers.]

What he won't promote is the type of failed socialized medicine seen in Canada, England and other Countries.  They don't work.  Ask the people from those Countries, especially those who come to the US for their care.

McCain wants to increase domestic exploration for oil and gas, even closely offshore.  Sarah Palin is still working on him about ANWR; he wants to encourage the development of clean coal.  He wants to more quickly situate and build at least 45 nuclear plants, with a goal of 100.  These are absolutely necessary in the American effort to achieve energy independence.

With what McCain wants to do, I expect he can meet his promise of a balanced budget within four years.  These crazy, socialistic bailouts are not within the regular budget--nor are War expenditures.  By the way, I'm very uncomfortable with government ownership or investment in free market companies.  Our country grew strong and financially successful through the free market system, and I think the free market system should be protecting us now.  Though I must admit, there's been a lot of fraud and greed out there in these past years, I think oversight should be swift and effective but short in duration.  [Though I do worry about any swift and effective parts if Congress is involved.]  The free market system will rebound and grow stronger if we let it.

Wall Street has been a national bugaboo for decades, and I think the free market will make the needed corrections---all in the activities for profits as usual.  Trading practices have to be reformed.  Remember, where companies fail, there's usually another one to step into the void.  As in 1987, this current crisis will be an opportunity for the people, media, and government to work together to cut out the fraudulent executives and companies and force restructuring and reformation in the large companies.

But, don't take my word about it.  McCain's economic policies have been supported by numerous economists:  Paul Evans, Ohio State University; E Philip Howry, University of Michigan; George Schultz, Hoover Institute; Michael Porter, Harvard Business School; Michael Boskin, Stanford University; Barry Poulson, University of Colorado; and many others.  He also has the support of many of our former Secretaries of State and over 60% of the current military.  Ask Drs Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell.  These black economists have been supportive of John McCain all through the campaign.

Remember the NY Times and its recent hit pieces on McCain and Palin?  This is what happened in January of 2008, when the paper endorsed McCain in the primaries.

'...Senator John McCain of Arizona is the only Republican who promises to end the George Bush style of governing from and on behalf of a small, angry fringe. With a record of working across the aisle to develop sound bipartisan legislation, he would offer a choice to a broader range of Americans than the rest of the Republican field...

...We have shuddered at Mr. McCain's occasional, tactical pander to the right because he has demonstrated that he has the character to stand on principle. He was an early advocate for battling global warming and risked his presidential bid to uphold fundamental American values in the immigration debate. A genuine war hero among Republicans who proclaim their zeal to be commander in chief, Mr. McCain argues passionately that a country's treatment of prisoners in the worst of times says a great deal about its character...

...In 2006, however, Mr. McCain stood up for the humane treatment of prisoners and for a ban on torture. We said then that he was being conned by Mr. Bush, who had no intention of following the rules. But Mr. McCain took a stand, just as he did in recognizing the threat of global warming early. He has been a staunch advocate of campaign finance reform, working with Senator Russ Feingold, among the most liberal of Democrats, on groundbreaking legislation, just as he worked with Senator Edward Kennedy on immigration reform...

...That doesn't make him a moderate, but it makes him the best choice for the party's presidential nomination...'

Of course, the NY Times---which is posting bigger losses every quarter---changed its tune in October 2008, and it endorsed the socialist-leaning Obama.  [Is the paper looking for a handout too?]  Add to this all the 'Republican' hit and hate pieces it has published recently as well.  Disgusting!

Going on, John McCain wants to appoint a National Commission on Workplace Flexibility and Choice.  This would involve bipartisan leaders representing small and large businesses, labor, and academics.  This commission will report to the President on how modernizing our nation's labor laws and training programs to help workers better balance the demands and requirements of job and family.

He wants to modernize labor laws to allow for more flexible scheduling arrangements; he wants to insure labor laws don't interfere with those who work at home; he wants to promote more teleworking to reduce commuting congestion; as noted above, he wants to promote more portable healthcare; he wants more worker choice in retirement plans and job training.

On the other hand again, Barack Obama has no military experience as noted above.  He spent his early years in Indonesia in Catholic and Muslim schools.  [He had to be a citizen of Indonesia for that.]  Such was arranged by stepdad Soeruto.

He has failed to supply a signed and certified birth certificate to prove his date of birth and location.  [The document on his website is not a birth certificate, nor is it signed or sealed.] There are valid arguments that he was born in Kenya, and his mother did not pass the US citizenship test.  He claims that his ailing grandmother in Hawaii is his last living relative, yet he ignores his paternal grandmother [who claims she was there in Kenya when he was born], half brother, and half sister in Kenya, all living below the poverty level.

He won't release his college transcripts, it is said, because they would indicate his foreign birth and citizenship for his financial help during law school, especially.

These are all legitimate questions for someone seeking the highest office in the Country.

According to an October 1996 page from the New Party [a now defunct, leftist alternative; self described as socialist democratic] ---it was involved with Acorn, which Obama later represented in court for one of its actions to force banks to give out bad loans [also training a number of leaders---in what it isn't clear], there were successful elections in the year.

'...Illinois: Three NP-members won Democratic primaries last Spring and face off against Republican opponents on Election Day: Danny Davis (U.S. House), Barack Obama (State Senate) and Patricia Martin (Cook County Judiciary)...'

We know when and where John McCain was born.  His was [and is] a military family, and he was born where his father was stationed.  He attended the US Naval Academy, and we have records of all that.

Whatever happened to honest, political openness?

All in all, I'm supporting John McCain for his belief in free markets, his honesty with the American people, his support of the US citizen's freedom, and the Constitution.  I don't agree with everything he does, but then if I did than he would be me---and I don't want to be President.

Barack Obama is a believer in socialism, as his past history and present proposals indicate.  He and a Democrat majority in Congress would run socialist roughshod over the American citizen, the Constitution, and our free market system.  They will reduce our freedoms [consider the Union non-secret 'votes' and the un 'fairness' doctrine trying to get more Liberal voices on the airwaves---even though it's been proven that nobody wants to listen to them], raise our taxes [there's at least a $trillion dollars of spending to finance], and reduce the opportunities for businesses in the US.

Doesn't this ring a warning bell for you?  You must know and understand these things.

As to the Vice Presidential portion of the ticket, we have proven facts and understanding of both candidates.  Governor Sarah Palin is a proven executive who dealt with corruption and reform of her own state party, negotiated difficult gas leases and pipe-lines to the lower forty-eight, is well spoken, has conservative family values, opposes abortion and gay marriages, and has policies that are compatible with those of John McCain---except drilling in ANWR, which I believe she'll successfully negotiate with him.  She is well spoken, intelligent, and a shrewd politician.  She has had successful executive experience as a mayor and Governor of the Country's largest state.  Some may say that being a mayor of a small city or governor of a low-population state doesn't mean much.  But remember, Obama and Biden don't even have that much experience necessary for an executive position in the government. 

Obama served as a community organizer in an area of Illinois known for corruption.  In his capacity as organizer, he was setting the wheels of radical agitation in motion.  He worked with Acorn is putting pressure on banks to make sub-prime loans.  And he trained the Acorn workers---to do what?  Phony up registrations and votes for the Democrats?

And yes, Palin did waver a little with her first interviews, but she was still new to the National scene.  Check her out now.  I suggest you doubters listen more closely to her speeches, especially those on policy.  She's nowhere near the idiot the Obama supporters are trying to make her out to be, and despite the continued efforts of the press to 'sandbag' here with erroneous quotes and 'facts' during interviews.

On the other side we have Joe Biden.  This is the well known gaffe-a-minute, foot-in-the-mouth good old Joe.  His record in foreign affairs is filled with mistakes and wrong sides of reality.  His Botox and hair plugs are ignored, but Sarah Palin's clothing [purchased by the RNC for her to borrow only since she came down to the lower forty-eight rather quickly] is played up as a scandal.  He's a laugh a minute.

The media fears that Sarah Palin will be a heartbeat away from the Presidency [a good spot for her, by the way], but they don't fear the alarming specter of Joe Biden.  Again, Palin has the only executive experience among the four candidates, having done things that Obama and Biden could only dream about.

The media has pounded on Sarah Palin while giving Joe Biden a pretty free ride.  We've been inundated with stories on her daughter's pregnancy [no one's business], claims that her son Trig really belonged to her daughter [ridiculous], claims that she was secessionist [also ridiculous], claims that she tried to fire a trooper because of a nasty divorce with her sister [simply not true, although it should have been, considering how that trooper was acting] ; claims that she supported Pat Buchanan [she wore a pin as mayor of the little city he was visiting while it was happening]; and other inanities.

And Joe?  Oh, we're told about his long term in the Senate [36 years; hardly a change for the ticket], but we're not told about how Liberal he is [I consider modern Liberals to be a heartbeat away from Socialist] or how he's been on the wrong side of numerous foreign policy decisions and votes.  We're not told of all the gaffes he's spoken, though when he does on the campaign trail he illuminates the stupidity of him and unpreparedness of Obama.  Can you imagine Joe the Gaffe representing the US to foreign power brokers?  Who can tell what he'd say?

So, is there any choice other than John McCain and Sarah Palin?  I think not.  I believe they will bring to Washington freshness and their positive experiences and abilities to see this Country through difficult times, maintain an honorable military, and insure our freedoms.

The mainstream media is in the tank for Obama.  No question about it.  All their Obama interviews are complete with softball questions, never questioning anything 'detrimental' about the anointed one.  Just listen to Keith Olbermann on MSNBC if you have a strong stomach. Ask a candidate a tough question and your station/channel will be stricken from the 'Friends of Obama' list [check out You Tube], and any future interviews scheduled won't happen.

Do I adore John McCain or Sarah Palin?  Of course not.  But I do support them.

And the opposition?  The supporters of Obama are disgustingly trying to 'deify' him and carry on a religious campaign to lead the 'Obamessiah' and the Liberal/Socialists into power over the average Americans.  Obama does nothing to dissuade such efforts.  In fact he's preparing in Chicago for a huge election party.  He probably has Greek columns again.

But don't cross the 'one!'  Even a simple plumber can't ask the 'anointed one' a question without backlash.  Obama supporters have tried to find all sorts of dirt on this poor man, just because he elicited an answer from Obama that confirmed his socialism.

So, I was asked, and I answered.  A little lengthy perhaps, but I wanted to get a lot into it.  Our Country is facing a difficult time, and I'm very concerned about potentials.  I fear the Democrat/Liberal/Socialist takeover of Congress and the Presidency.  The inmates will be running the institution as it were, and we'll all suffer from it.  And we'll all suffer from it because these inmates are not anxious to protect freedom and free markets.

We are living in troubled times.  If it isn't the current financial crisis [due in part to Democrat recalcitrance], then it's the coming disaster about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  That disaster was set in motion by both parties over the years.  When it hits, we'll be in much more sh1t than we are now.  Only John McCain wants Congress to sit with his leadership to correct the problems before they hatch.  Barack Obama and the Democrats are content to continue raising taxes and promote more governmental control.

Only John McCain can be trusted to oversee the Country, push for needed laws and cuts in programs, and appoint Supreme Court Justices who will actually base their decisions on the Constitution instead of legislating from the bench.  And if it were necessary for Sarah Palin to become President, I'm perfectly happy with her there.

And now you know much about why I'm supporting John McCain.