I've Been Tagged

My intent in writing about the New Hampshire Primaries was that, as I normally do, I would stay undecided until time to vote. However, I've been converted. As much as I try to deny it, I have become a supporter of Senator McCain. I’ve gone to a number of primary events, and have resisted wearing any stickers or signing any cards swearing my loyalty to a particular candidate. When I went to the last John McCain town hall meeting a young man asked me if I’d like a McCain sticker. I took the sticker put it on my shirt and thought, ‘Dang, I’ve been tagged.’

The major reason I am a supporter of Senator McCain is his position on Iraq. I’ve seen a number of candidates from both parties, and he’s the only one giving details about the situation on the ground and how U.S. presence is keeping the region from erupting into chaos. While I’m not thrilled about how the U.S. got into Iraq or how the war has been run, the reality is that we’re there, and that withdrawal could have serious long reaching consequences. Senator McCain seems to be the only one addressing this.

His stance against torture is also why I am able to support him. While there were other Republicans that I was interested in, I was extremely disappointed that he was the only Republican to definitively oppose torture. I don’t see how in good conscience I could vote for someone who is ambivalent about torture.