The Case for McCain

I know many people associate the Republican party with uber-Christian Bible bangers who adhere to hyperconservative morals and ideas. This could not be further from the case. Coast-liberals, and I refer to them that way because they are most prolific on the coasts' megalopolises of BosWash and San-San view conservatives as backwater hicks who live in the Sunbelt or the "flyover States." The Republican party, let's remember, was progressive enough to produce visionaries like Abraham Lincoln who issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and Reagan, who brought the economy and America's greatness back into prominence. Please hold off on any comments lambasting me for using the two men in the same sentence - I know Reagan had a couple of detractors. I don't want to get away from my point anyways.

Many people ask me how I can be gay and vote for a Republican. In this election, however, I personally feel McCain has more to offer to GLBT rights than Obama. Months ago, Obama promised to support GLBT marriage initiatives and rights, but now as we are in the final stretch, he says he would not support gay marriage amendments. McCain's top advisor is an openly gay man. He gave a heartfelt outpouring of his appreciation and thanks to GLBT supporters and Log Cabin Republicans. Even without that, his patriotism and dedication to preserving the American way of life - the way of life that allows GLBT individuals to pursue their dreams and live lives free to realize their potential without persecution and is evidenced by his war history and the fact he was p.o.w. for the better part of a decade - is more than enough to make me respect, admire and support the man. Even if he is against a gay marriage amendment, he never once promised me one thing and changed his mind to appease the lowest common denominator and say whatever it was to make the statistically largest number of people happy. He is a man of conviction who believes in something with enough integrity that he defends his beliefs rather than changes them to accommodate people.