This is an unusual election year. From the beginning there has been no one that I could get excited about and throw my energies behind, and by the time the primary date arrived in Texas, McCain was the obvious GOP candidate. There is certainly no candidate I feel inclined to send my hard earned dollars to. I am a conservative desiring less government, but have always voted on issues and platforms rather than by party.

John McCain has joined hands across the aisle on issues that caused me to doubt whether he is truly a Republican, and yet I have always admired his patriotism as a military man and a POW survivor. Others survived without making propaganda films for the enemy, but that is a position I never hope to be in. I have heard horror stories of oriental torture, therefore who am I to fault him for this. He returned home from war and has served this country well in Washington.

I am not concerned about his health, because campaigning is grueling, and he has fared well. He has been through a great deal physically, torture, cancer, serving in the U.S. Senate, and has come through well. He has the support of his family.

As for his age, I prefer experience to someone so green. Obama had a very privileged upbringing, and has little first hand knowledge about the real world. Surely it takes a certain amount of wisdom gained from experience to be the leader of the free world and to be the Commander in Chief of the world's largest military.

Though this may not matter to some, I admire Mrs. McCain. She has proved herself to be a woman with business savy; a woman with occasional ideas independant of her husband's, but at the same time supportive of him; and she has a compassionate heart and does what she can to make her corner of the world a better place. She has successfully reared a family, run a business and spreads kindness and compassion wherever she goes.

My vote will be as much against Senator Obama as for John McCain. Mr. Obama's senate voting record, when he bothered to choose a side rather than cast a no vote, has been the most liberal of all the Democrats. He blows with the wind. I have heard him contradict himself on so many issues, I cannot tell you what he stands for, if anything. All he keeps saying is that he wants change. Well, not all change is good. I want those changes to be identified clearly. It occurs to me that with all of the training he has had at the hand of Islamic teachers, though professing Christianity, he must surely be a sympathizer with a people classified as an enemy of the U.S. This concerns me. He has no knowledge of military strategy or spending. The fact that he is an eloquent speaker tells me nothing. I am a member of Toastmasters International, and people tell me I am a good speaker. That surely does not make me presidential material.

All I hear from Obama supporters is that we need change. This tells me nothing. The fact that he is young and black seems to be enough for some. I have heard some say that they would vote for him because they did not want to "appear" prejudiced. Isn't there a touch of "reverse prejudice" there - not voting for McCain because he has the misforune of being white. Where has all the logic gone?

Learn more about this author, Linda Burleson.
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