The election dilemma for conservatives—and the need not to be consumed by it

Jason F. writes:

I have a huge dilemma. I originally had said that I would not vote for McCain under any circumstances, and since a liberal president now being a lock, it might as a well be a Democrat. But as more comes out about Barak Obama I am not sure I can keep that promise.

Here is the problem, I am not sure we can survive an Obama presidency. He scares me I am sorry to say. As a Jew, I see in him a danger that maybe some do not. A danger I do not see in McCain or even Hillary Clinton. Clinton can be defeated if she gets power, we have proven that. The fact that Jeremy G. is reporting that he has Jewish family that is still supporting Obama despite his association with anti-Semitic black nationalism just goes further into my opinion that we as a people appear to be suicidal.

Here is my problem, I cannot allow someone like Obama to become president, so do I swallow their my pride (again) and vote for a third term of Bush, or do I stick to my original idea and abstain from the presidential election?

I welcome a response.

LA replies:

I don’t have an answer to your problem, except for this: I would strongly recommend not spending the next seven months consuming yourself with this decision, which one could very easily do.

Look at it this way. How many conservatives are there in the country who lean toward not voting for McCain? Let’s say, for the sake of discussion, five million. There are seven months until election day, or about 210 days. If those five million people spend the next 210 days thinking about whether they should vote for McCain or not (and based on VFR’s little slice of the conservatives universe many people do consume themselves with it), that’s 1,050,000,000 conservative man-days that will be spent worrying this issue to death over the next seven months. Let’s round it off to one billion days. That’s a lot of time that could be spent thinking about more useful and enjoyable subjects.

So I would suggest not worrying this issue into the ground. Instead, let it be filtered through your mind at its own speed, and at a certain point a decision about what is the right thing for you to do will be reached.

For example, I personally have no intention to vote for McCain. But as I’ve said, If I became convinced that Obama posed an existential threat to the country, or perhaps that he would appease our enemies in ways that would greatly and permanently damage our country, then I might vote for McCain. So there’s a possibility that I’ll change my mind before election day (though the chances are very small). But I’m not going to keep thinking incessantly about that possibility. For myself, my mind is made up. If new information or insights emerge that dramatically shift my view, then I would deal with it when it happened. But there is no need for me to think about it now.

So, if you’re thinking now that you would have to vote for McCain to stop Obama, then make that your provisional decision and stay with it for the time being, leaving open the possibility that you may change your mind at some point in the future.

Jeff S. writes:

Shouldn’t anyone in this position (like me) wait until seeing who McCain chooses as his running mate? Looking at the guy (McCain) I make it roughly 50-50 he plows in before the end of a 1st term. And I’m not kidding either. The man does not look well. If the VP candidate is somewhat palatable I’d vote for the ticket. That’s my present thinking.

LA repllies:

Also, one could hold off on one’s decision about whether or not to vote for McCain against Obama until Obama actually clinches the nomination, which may not happen (if it happens) for months, with the Democratic convention not taking place (unbelievably) until the last week of August.

By the way the Republicans will not have their convention until the first week of September—the latest ever. I don’t know why.

Jason F. writes:

Just to expand a bit as to why I am dwelling on this a bit more then most should or will. As a conservative activist, Republican board member on a few organizations, and former point person for Congressman Tancredo (for which in many circles I am still not forgiven not like I asked for an apology anyway.) I need to decide in the next few weeks believe it or not exactly how involved I want to be, if at all.

I actually have a few conservative organizations and people who value my opinion, scary a thought as that is.

LA replies:

Oh, yes, you live in New Jersey, right? And are politically active there?

Deciding whether to be involved is a lot bigger than deciding how to vote.

Jason replies:

Yes, that would be the People’s Republic of New Jersey.

LA replies:

My native state. As left as any state in the Union.

LA continues:

The decision whether or not to participate actively with the Republicans in promoting the McCain candidacy is a lot bigger than just the decision whether or not to vote for him.

Obviously I would not do anything to help the McCain Republican party. But we’re speaking here about your decision, not mine. Though you don’t mention Israel, that seems to be what you are talking about when you say: “As a Jew, I see in him a danger that maybe some do not. A danger I do not see in McCain or even Hillary Clinton.” If you are convinced that Obama would be a particular disaster for Israel, threatening Israel’s very ability to survive (as though Bush isn’t?), and if this is a top consideration for you, then it would make sense for you to work for the McCain Republican party to defeat Obama.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 04, 2008 04:24 PM | Send