Frank, the main reason that I have been a McCain supporter all these years is because he is one of the few big-name conservatives who has effectively distanced himself from the religious right. He is a noted moderate on many issues and has never mixed his faith with his political ambitions. Quite the contrary; one of the biggest complaints that traditional conservatives have about Senator McCain is that he seldom speaks about his "relationship with God" and politicizes it even less. Unless you're actually hoping to get an atheist president, I don't see how you could ask for much better.

What has McCain done or said that makes you believe he'll be beholden to the religious right? I understand that's he's not your ideal candidate, especially given his long-standing opposition to abortion. But are those few issues that you disagree with him on actually enough of a reason to make you vote for a far-left liberal like Senator Obama? I still find that surprising. Shocking, to be honest.

McCain is without question the best candidate that nonreligious conservatives are going to get from the Repulican party for the forseeable future. We'd be foolish to not do everything we can to get him elected.

One other idea just occured to me regarding the 2008 presidential election: If Chris or Frank (or any other American) is having a hard time deciding between Senators McCain and Obama, there are two other candidates you might want to consider:

Bob Barr (Libertarian Party)

Ralph Nader (Green Party)

I know that many people feel like they're wasting their vote if they give it to a third (or fourth) party candidate, because such candidates have essentially no chance of winning. But my philosophy has always been that an honest vote is more important than a strategic vote; I went for the Libertarians in 1996 because I believed that Harry Browne was a better choice than either Clinton or Dole, and I don't feel like I wasted my vote at all.

Anyway, just something to consider.

But my philosophy has always been that an honest vote is more important than a strategic vote.

But why? Why is it important to vote for the person you actually want to win if casting that vote will lead to the election of someone you definitely do not want to win?

Take this to the extreme with a few scenarios.

Sometimes being honest causes more pain than gain. I agree that honesty is usually the best policy and that being honest usually makes the honest person feel warm and fuzzy, but what if that same honest gesture causes tremendous pain to other people?

- Your overweight wife asks you, "Honey, am I fat?"

- The Columbine killers ask you, as they point an AK-47 at your head, "Do you believe in God?"

- Your monster of daughter asks you, "Daddy, am I as pretty as Sarah?" ROFL Yea, that is such a mean scenario it makes me laugh.

What if you want McCain to win, but voting for McCain will fire an automatic bullet into the head of a random Croatian Airline stewardess?

The point, and believe you me there is one, is that sometimes the ends justify the means. Sometimes a little bullshit makes things smell better in the long run.

If one of the alternate candidates had a snowballs chance in hell of actually winning I might suggest throwing your vote that way, but the reality is a vote for Nader is the same as not even going to the polls. It is the same as telling your ugly little daughter that she is indeed ugly, just because it is the truth. It is like telling the Columbine killers that you love Jesus and then taking a bullet to the head.

The only two candidates that have a chance are Obama and McCain and I want my vote to make a difference. Yes, voting for an obscure candidate might feel good for those few seconds of popping out the chads, but in the end I have been selfish and placed my egotistical needs ahead of the nation's best interest.

Chris, the reason that I said "an honest vote is more important than a strategic vote" is because I'm talking about voting. In an extreme social situation like you've described - or one in which my life was threatened, like you've also described - of course I wouldn't be honest just for the sake of being honest. To insinuate otherwise is absurd. If the truth is going to do absolutely nothing but hurt someone's feelings (or cost me my life) I'm not opposed to telling a lie.

In an election, however, there are very real benefits to voting for who you honestly feel is the best person for the job:

1) Federal Matching Funds. Elections are expensive, and one of the reasons that the Democrats and Republicans are so dominant is because no third party can afford to spend what they do. However, the federal government will help smaller political parties fund their campaign if they recieved a certain portion of the popular vote in the previous election. Therefore, if you honestly feel that a third-party candidate is the best person for the job, voting for him can positively affect his chances in the next election even if he has no chance of winning this one.

2) The lesser of "who cares?". Many voters who support a third party prefer neither major-party candidate over the other. In such as case there's no motivation to not cast an honest vote. Or to extend your analogy, what if the guy asking "Do you believe in God?" has an ice-cream cone instead of an AK-47? If there are no downside consequences to being honest - or if the downside consequences aren't severe enough to force you to act against your ethics - then why lie?

This was my situation in 1996; I disliked Clinton and Dole equally. Given that they were my only choices, I didn't care who won. So I cast an honest vote for Harry Browne with absolutely no regret. There are many Americans who feel this way in every election.

3) The system has changed in the past, and will again in the future. During America's early years, it was the Democratic-Republican Party vs. the Federalist Party. Then it was the Democratic Party vs. the Whig Party for most of the 19th Century. Since the end of the Civil War it's been Democrats against Republicans.

One day it will change again, and the cause will be millions of voters choosing a candidate from a party that might not even exist right now. This is the precise long-term goal of many third-party loyalists, and history demonstrates with absolute certainty that such a goal is achievable. Who are you or I to tell someone they're stupid for trying?

Thanks for the reply, Greg. I'm really torn on this one. When I weigh the pros and cons of each candidate I can't help but lean towards McCain.

Here is something that has impacted me over the past few days.

Matthews: You're a big Barack supporter, right, Senator?

Watson: I am, yes, I am.

Matthews: Well, name some of his legislative accomplishments.

Watson: We, uh ...

Matthews: No, Senator, I want you to name some of Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments tonight, if you can.

Watson: Well, I, you know, what I will talk about is more about what he's offering the American people.

Matthews: No, no, what has he accomplished, sir? You say you support him, sir, you have to give me his accomplishments. You've supported him for president, you're on national television. Name his legislative accomplishments. Barack Obama, sir.

Watson: Well, I'm not going to be able to name specifics.

Matthews: Can you name any? Can you name anything he's accomplished as a congressman?

Watson: No, I'm not going to be able to do that tonight.

Matthews: Well, that's a problem, isn't it?

Watch this, please:

On a side note it is sad to know that this Ohio Representative (Tubbs) died of a brain aneurysm while driving her car yesterday. She actually died later, I believe, but she was driving while it happened.

From what I heard a police officer pulled next to her while her car was driving and he saw her slumped over. He used his car to guide her to a stop. How horrible. Life is precious. She was 58 years old. This could happen to any of us at any time.

Chris OConnor wrote:Thanks for the reply, Greg. I'm really torn on this one. When I weigh the pros and cons of each candidate I can't help but lean towards McCain.

Here is something that has impacted me over the past few days.

Matthews: You're a big Barack supporter, right, Senator?

Watson: I am, yes, I am.

Matthews: Well, name some of his legislative accomplishments.

Watson: We, uh ...

Matthews: No, Senator, I want you to name some of Barack Obama's legislative accomplishments tonight, if you can.

Watson: Well, I, you know, what I will talk about is more about what he's offering the American people.

Matthews: No, no, what has he accomplished, sir? You say you support him, sir, you have to give me his accomplishments. You've supported him for president, you're on national television. Name his legislative accomplishments. Barack Obama, sir.

Watson: Well, I'm not going to be able to name specifics.

Matthews: Can you name any? Can you name anything he's accomplished as a congressman?

Watson: No, I'm not going to be able to do that tonight.

Matthews: Well, that's a problem, isn't it?

Watch this, please:

I really do not like Chris Matthews too much. He pretty much sets only one possible track and then cuts people off when he does not get what he wants. Kinda like Christians framing an evolution debate and refusing to hear anything other than what they want to focus on.

Another comment...

Very few people could answer Chris Mathhew's question. Ask me about McCain's legislative accomplishments and I can't name a single one. Most people don't follow politics that closely. We form our opinions about the candidates from their campaign talks and we know very little else about their backgrounds and track records.

And YOU stop right there. I see you Googling for an answer. I felt a little bad for Kirk Watson. Chris Matthews was really playing Hardball.

You may be right about Matthews. I don't watch him. This shows you the power of the media. This video is circulating on the web on Blogs right now and is definitely influencing many people....one way or the other.

Greg,

I think you might be mistaking my fairness to both candidates as support for Obama.

As an independent voter I feel it is my duty to consider both candidates fairly and give them both an equal chance to win my vote. (I am however leaning towards McCain already; the Obama pacifism thing weighs too heavily on my mind to let it slide)

As far as McCain and his religious views, I read somewhere that his views towards atheists and other non Christians was very poor; I cannot remember where I read it though.

I do want to mention two things for the record;

First, I would never condone silencing a group (even a religious one ) because their ideals differed from mine.

I do however hope for a candidate that recognizes how delusional their beliefs are, how those beliefs are an affront to democracy and how they conflict with the constitution, and that that candidate treats them accordingly.

Second, yes I do hope for an atheist president... but no I do not expect to see one in my lifetime.

Later