Why I am supporting John McCain for President

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, October 24, 2008

Well folks, we are almost there. After a long, long, long campaign, the final few days are upon the horizon. We are about to step into another page on our calendars and no matter which candidate wins, we will also be stepping into a new era of American history. We will either have our first African-American president or our first female vice-president.

At this stage of the process, it is hard for me to believe that there are those who still consider themselves “undecided” about our candidates, yet, according to the many published polls, that is the case. So, just in case there are any BVW readers out there who are looking for a reason to vote FOR someone rather than just voting AGAINST the other one, let me give you a couple reasons why I believe John McCain should get your vote.

First of all, I believe that the current climate of global terrorism, the resurgence of Russian Imperialism and the increasing nuclear noise from the rogue nations of North Korea and Iran require a strong military mind and a proven record of international expertise. Mr. McCain brings such a mind and such expertise. He was one of the leaders in the development of the 9/11 Commission and his voice of reason eventually led to the troop surge in Iraq that has finally brought success and victory into view.

I will concede that the current economical crisis may push national security to the back of the bus during this election. Because our wallets and savings accounts are close-up and tangible, we tend to give them more attention. However, it would be foolish to neglect the hurricane on the horizon while we try to fix the leaky faucets in the kitchen sink. Our economy will recover. The fundamentals of our economy are indeed strong. The latest numbers of inflation are near zero. The jobless numbers – even during this downturn - reflect an unemployment rate that is well below those of other developed countries. Instead of comparing this crisis to the Great Depression, we should go back to 1980 and compare it to the economical malaise brought to us by the policies of Jimmy Carter, when we had interest rates and inflation rates both in double digits. We recovered from that crisis with sound policies of giving money back to the people and reducing the top rate of taxation. Those same policies will work again.

John McCain represents a mature and rational approach to foreign policy. He understands that it would be irrational and naïve to believe we could negotiate with irrational leaders without first seeing some signs of rational behavior and compliance on their side. As we look across the waters in any direction, we see dangers lurking. To the south we have Venezuela, to the east – Iran, to our west we have China, Russia, and North Korea. Within each of these nations we have leaders that will test our resolve and/or seek to remove us from the role of sole superpower. If we fail to take these threats seriously the consequences will be much worse than a loss of our savings account.

Another reason why I will be voting for John McCain is because I believe he has the correct stance on the role of the judicial branch of our government. McCain believes that the judicial branch should restrict its powers to those clearly described in our Constitution. The next president will likely be faced with the task of appointing at least one or possibly even two new Supreme Court Justices. Many of the decisions handed down from the bench in the past have usurped the legislative powers of our representatives, thereby side-stepping the role of the people in determining legislation.