2008 Presidential Election: This PUMA “Proudly” Endorses the McCain/Palin Ticket…

From P.U.M.A. by PUMA Pundit

Ever since Hillary Clinton was thrown out of the race, I have been an undecided voter. I wasn't going to reward Barack Obama and the DNC with my vote, so I had a few other choices:
1) Simply not cast a vote for President
2) Write Hillary Clinton in
3) Vote for a third party candidate, Cynthia McKinney/Rosa Clemente of the Green Party came to mind
4) Vote for McCain/Palin

Ultimately, after months of deliberation and careful consideration, I decided to use my vote in the best way possible, and that is to vote for the McCain/Palin ticket.

Why did I choose McCain/Palin?

Well, here's why:

In John McCain we have a true patriot. A man who has time and time again put service to his country ahead of any personal considerations. Whether it was continuing in active duty despite nearly losing his life in the USS Foresstal fire, or refusing an early release from Vietnamese POW camp as a result of his father's high position in the Navy, John McCain served our country proudly, faithfully and unwaveringly.

Despite what were obvious opportunities to enter the private sector and engage in self service after leaving the Navy in 1981, John McCain chose to dedicate his time and energy to public service.

Even though he has always served as a Republican, John McCain has a track record of being one of the most moderate members of Congress, first as a member of the House, and later on as a member of the US Senate.

Time and time again, when forced to choose between the public good and party interest, John McCain had no qualms in standing with the people, challenging both the GOP Caucus in Congress and a GOP controlled White House in the process if the occasion demanded it.

He did this on the issue of Campaign Finance Reform, Immigration Reform and even in his support of President Clinton's nominees for the US Supreme Court, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg .

If he brings his life experience with him to the White House, I am sure he will make a fantastic President.

Of course supporting McCain for President also means supporting Sarah Palin for VIce-President. This I gladly do for a few reasons, the least of which is that in close to two decades of public service, Sarah has never shied away from taking positions which might not be deemed popular, but which she personally believed in.

While entrenched politicians served their personal interests, Sarah always put accountability, fiscal discipline and the needs of her constituents first. Whether it was cutting down wasteful spending, approving the Alaska Gas Pipeline, or decreasing reliance on earmarks while simultaneously increasing state revenue to $10 billion in 2008, it is no surprise that she has the highest approval rating of any of the nation's 50 governors.

Lastly, I know that a McCain/Palin administration shall preserve the American way of life, one where the individual and not the government is the fundamental force which drives all endeavor. An administration where wealth is not "spread" around by the state, but given voluntarily by those who have acquired it legally. They shall have an administration where people are not afraid to speak out for fear of being considered "enemies of the President", and most importantly an administration which respects the most fundamental characteristic of US Democracy, our right to vote, and actually have our votes counted. A McCain/Palin administration shall NOT view elections as commercial affairs where votes can not only be bought, but also manufactured at will, something that Barack Obama and Joe Biden obviously have no qualms with.