Now that I’ve decided to support the McCain/Palin ticket, I’ve decided to make it official by slapping a “McCain 08” bumper sticker on my vehicle. Plus, I spent two hours volunteering at my local McCain HQ. I stuffed plastic bags with literature that will be distributed by a team going door-to-door. My task felt a bit pointless. I know where most of those brochures are gonna end up; I just hope they choose the recycling bin over the trash can.
One of the other main jobs at the center is to “telemarket” for McCain. I’m dead serious! I can call people up, ask them who they’re voting for, and then feed them a line. No wonder McCain is lagging behind in Pennsylvania with this “strategy.” But it’s people wiser than me who call the shots, so I’ll just do what I can to “get out the vote.” I think the guy who runs the center almost swallowed his tongue when I told him that I didn’t care who people voted for as long as they vote intelligently, even if that means voting for Obama. I want to see democracy in action, and yes, I think McCain is the best leader for our country. However, if the population of this great nation would rather see Obama as President, then the republic has spoken.
After leaving the Republican Party in April and deciding to become an Independent (“I Went Indie“), I have felt the freedom in this election to ignore party lines and look at the candidates with fresh eyes. I believe in this blog you have been able to see that process from when I was unsure who I liked (“Super Tuesday: All the Hype Money Can Buy,” “The ‘Christian’ Way to Vote“, “Faith Beyond Politics“), to when I decided that I didn’t like Obama (“Obama Drama Makes Me Go Bye Bye“), and until recently when I embraced McCain as my candidate. I appreciate all of you taking the time to consider these matters for yourselves and thank you for continuing to follow my journey through the wild world of politics (and life).
This afternoon I decided to show my support for McCain/Palin on Facebook by officially becoming a supporter of the campaign. This evening I received this message on my “friend wall” from a guy I knew in high school:
“im sure you have a very good personal reason for supporting mccain/palin, but i can no longer be friends with you. Im sorry but mccain is a dishonorable man who will only further the failed policies of the bush administration and sarah palin is a fraud, supporting the bridge to nowhere before being against it, requesting 27million in earmarks for a town of 9,000 that she was mayor of and now claiming to be against earmarks, alaska also was the state with the most requested earmarks per capita of any state, she fired a state trooper for breaking up with her sister, claims the war in iraq is a ‘mission from god’, cut funding for special needs education and opposes abortion even in cases of rape. Best of luck in the future.”
Besides the italics, the message is exactly as it was left on my public Facebook wall; therefore, I figure it’s fair game for my blog, right? Since this guy “defriended” me, I couldn’t write on his wall, so I wrote on my wall. This is what I said:
“So instead of finding out my “good personal reason” you’re not going be my friend? Don’t you think it would better for Obama if you intelligently explained your point of view instead of leaving a final post and taking off? It’s garbage like this that shows why Democrats and Republicans can’t play nicely. Of course, I’m an Independent.”
I could just say this guy is a jerk and leave it there. Unfortunately, there are jerks working on McCain’s side, too. What makes me sad about the whole thing isn’t that our superficial Facebook friendship has come to an end (I haven’t even seen the kid since graduation), but that it shows the ignorance and arrogance of “our little parties.” We get so into “our group” and “our candidate” and “our this” and “our that,” we can’t tolerate those who think differently or even pause to ask the questions, “Why? Why do you support McCain anyway? What is it about Sarah Palin that you like?” Don’t assume you know the answer!
In the next few weeks, I’ll tell you exactly why I chose McCain and why I like Palin. I’ll even tell you where I don’t agree with them. I’m not a machine who votes the party line, then again, neither are McCain and Palin. Perhaps that’s what really likes me–I find the idea of a Maverick and a Barracuda taking over Washington a true idea of change.
She is Beloved 
Unfortunate news for your former friend, most of what he is spouting is false.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986
Information provided by factcheck.org.
Okay Amy, I tried to let this one go, but alas I cant. Please feel free to delete this comment from your blog, you will not hurt my feelings, but I feel the need to attempt to uh, enlighten, your so called former friend.
Former friend person, please allow me to address your copy and paste democratic talking point comment one small piece at a time.
1)reason for supporting mccain/palin, but i can no longer be friends with you.
1A) I guess you can only be friends with people who think like you, agree with you, and I assume dress like you, are in the same socioeconomic class as you, and look like you. Hmm, sounds like a very vanilla world you seek, step out of you box my brother and enjoy the rainbow. Amy is a great lady, your loss, she could add a lot of color to your drab existance.
2)Im sorry but mccain is a dishonorable man who will only further the failed policies of the bush administration and sarah palin is a fraud
2A) a dishonorable man you say, I am no fan of John McCain, mostly because I am idealogically conservative, but he is an honorable man, unless of course if one disagrees with you they have no honor. His honor to his own beliefs is what makes him so popular with some, and not so much with others like me who would like to see a more conservative candidate. He is a man of conviction and a desperate love of what he believes is best for his country, that is not dishonorable. As for Palin being a fraud, I think your just afraid of a strong women accending to a position of power, or at least one who is not named Hillary. Check out the article I listed for you above, most of what your paroting has already been debunked as a false information and political slanting of statistics to misrepresent facts. Take the truth back to the source you gleened your false infomation from and learn a lesson not to ever trust that source again because they led you astray, on purpose, your just an ignorant pawn to them.
3)supporting the bridge to nowhere before being against it
3A) This is called learning. It might have sounded something like this, “oh, your going to give Alaska millions of dollars to improve our infrastructure and build a bridge, great we need more roads and bridges up here. Oh, wait, you want us to build a bridge from here to that island? why? cant we build one over there where it would help get the truckers in and out better? Okay then, thanks, but no thanks” My words not hers, but its easy to see the ability to have a learning curve. Incoming money is always great but if the project turns out to not be helpful then you can change your mind and its just called learning. (PS yes I give ‘others’ the same latitude with being for the war, but then against it, they learned as well)
4)requesting 27 million in earmarks for a town of 9,000 that she was mayor of and now claiming to be against earmarks,
4A) Again my brother, your being led astray on purpose by Howard Dean this time. Earmarks are defined as monetary appropriations attached to other bills to fund special interest projects back home in one’s own congressional district. Mrs. Palin was a mayor, not a congresswomen, she can’t write legislation or attach things to a bill. She can, however, request funds for projects in her city and in her state, as long as they benefit her community. Things like roads and sewers were built with that money she got. Yes she had to hire lobbyists to get it, but those are the rules of the game. Who can blame her for wanting to get to Washington and change the rules so other mayors won’t have to waist money on lobbyists in order to get something done in Washington?
5)alaska also was the state with the most requested earmarks per capita of any state
5A) Already defined ‘earmarks’ for you so I will let that rest, but now I need to explain Alaska to you. Largest landmass of any state, ranks 47th in population, Seems easy to me to understand why it asks for a lot of money to get things done. Population of Alaska is 683,478 in 2007, salute.
6)she fired a state trooper for breaking up with her sister
6A) First they were married, so the term is divorce. The trooper was to be let go for his persistent problems like drinking in his squad car, destroying public property and 16 other warnings and disciplinary actions taken against him. He was not even the one who Palin fired; she fired his boss for not firing him sooner.
7) claims the war in iraq is a ‘mission from god’
7A) total misrepresentation of what she said. She asked for prayer in her own church that “God’s will be done” in Iraq. This does not say that going to war is God’s will, just that He can use anything man does to produce a greater good.
8)cut funding for special needs education
8A) Actually she tripled the funding for special needs education, and increased dramatically funding for all education, check that source of yours again; they are lying to you.
9)opposes abortion even in cases of rape
9A) Not unusual in the Pro Life arena. Those of us who believe life begins at conception have no issue with this. Once two distinct sets of DNA become a new distinct DNA, you have created a new individual. Again, I don’t expect you to agree, but her stance is true to her beliefs. It doesn’t matter if the new life is created from love, lust, or even from violence, it’s still a new life that deserves a shot.
I shall part with this, my brother, its time to open your mind and your world to the diversity that surrounds you. Its okay to have friends who are different than you, everyone has something to bring to the table. I fear for you, I fear you will end up a bitter lonely old man whose been divorced several times and your kids don’t want to come around, all because they are not enough like you to make you happy. God provided the rainbow as a promise, and as a lesson, there are many beautiful things in this world, open your heart to the possibilities of many different shades, not just black and white.
Wait……..I thought it was conservatives/right-leaners/Republicans and their supporters who had cornered the market on intolerance and having a close-minded view of the world?
“I can’t be your friend anymore”? That is utterly laughable. I would respond point-by-point, but Chris already did, and I’d (a) end up repeating information, and (b) only further disproving the false allegations being spread by the mainstream media–allegations this “former friend” has accepted as truth.