Dissenting Opinion -No, Not All Gun-Rights Advocates Voted For Palin/MCain

Deep breath….

Well, I had the temerity to (again) admit that I campaigned and voted for Barack Obama in November – Something I’ve never been in the slightest bit bashful about.  But when you admit these things on a decidedly right-wing gun forum, you’d better get ready for the fireworks. I admit I didn’t expect the animosity I received.

A few comments resulting from that post: (all anonymous by the way):

• obama? thanks a fuckin lot
• You Socialist scumbag.
• A socalist is a socalist, they are all bad. You’re no [sic] excemption.
• Burn those flags, brother!

These were actually, some of the tamest things said.

So how can someone who loves their guns, is an absolutist on the Human Right of self-defense (and the means to that defense) vote for a guy like Barack Obama? Easy enough to answer.

First and foremost, the country faces enormous challenges, politically, internationally and of course economically. The McCain/Palin ticket seemed to me to have virtually no answers on any of those issues. They promised what was, in all substance, a third Bush term.

Second, John McCain did two things for which I will forgive no politician, ever.

One: He voted against making the CIA hold itself to the same standards as the U.S. military’s Field Manual on Interrogations. In other words, torture is fine as long as the CIA does it.

Two: His pick of Sarah Palin, the buffoon from Wasilla, with major ties to a secessionist movement, not a shred of understanding of ANY issue of national importance and a religious fanatic to boot, was frankly the most horrendously cynical and irresponsible move by a major party presidential candidate in history. As I said at the time, Palin makes Dan Quayle look like Winston Churchill. -And I wasn’t alone. Many Republicans came to the same conclusion.

Finally, I liked lots of what Barack Obama was talking about.

Anyone who thinks the current healthcare system is actually working is not aware of the facts of the matter -it’s plain willful ignorance.

The notion that zero government intervention or yet MORE tax breaks for the already wealthy is the proper response when the market has imploded in an unprecedented way is a position firmly opposed to reality.

And finally, anyone who thinks more bellicose language and a refusal to deal with Realpolitik is a good idea hasn’t paid attention for the last 8 years. This is not even mentioning the Republicans’ complete capitulation on any semblance of fiscal discipline or intellectual honesty since 2001.

All that having been said, there was one guy with whom I agreed on lots of things and bitterly opposed on a few others (mostly guns and the sheer level of government growth) The other person running stood for absolutely nothing I believed in, had not a shred of credibility and had chosen someone as a running-mate who wasn’t qualified to be a decent mayor a a mid-sized town, much less Vice President of the United States.The ONLY thing I liked about the McCain/Palin ticket was their stance on gun control.

Given those choices, it was obvious to me who the right man was among the two serious candidates. I thought at the time and still believe that a McCain/Palin administration would have been utter disaster for this country. I think Obama will, overall, do a vastly better job. Gun control is ONE issue. A very important one, but not the ONLY one.

For those who can’t figure this out, let me ask you to join me in a quick thought experiment.

Suppose Ted Kennedy were running for office vs. an Anti-gun Republican with otherwise solid “conservative” credentials.

Now pretend for a moment that Kennedy had been an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment for his entire career, but that all his other positions were identical to what we all know and despise.

By you’re logic, given the above facts, you’d all vote for TED KENNEDY based on guns alone? -Gimme a Freakin break.

That’s the same choice you’d have me make in voting for the McCain Palin ticket. I won’t do it, I didn’t do it, and no, I don’t regret it for a second.