Friday, June 27, 2008

HOLD YOUR NOSE

The recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the Second Amendment emphazises the crucial need to put another Republican president in the White House.The narrow 5 to 4decision in favor of gun rights was due in large part because President Bush had appointed Chief Justice Roberts to the Supreme Court. Now just imagine if Al Gore had won the 2000 election. Rather than a conservative like Roberts, no doubt Gore would have nominated a liberal judge, someone more in line with Gore's own political viewpoint. Had that occurred, it is very possible that the Supreme Court decision might have gone 5 to 4 against the Second Amendment. Consider what a crucial blow to individual liberty that would have been.

There are many Republican/conservatives who are disenchanted with John McCain and are considering either sitting out this election, or voting for Obama or a third party candidate. I can sympathize because I have very little enthusiasm for McCain's candidacy. Yes, there are a number of issues where his position, either for or against, go against the grain of a substantial number of conservatives; however, it may behoove those of us who dislike McCain to put aside these differences for one specific reason. There are 2 or 3 Justices on the Supreme Court who are long in the tooth, and at least one of these may be replaced in the next 4 years. For this reason alone it is incumbent upon Republicans to support their candidate, like him or not. There have been numerous Supreme Court decisions in recent years that have been favorable to the conservative philosophy, gun rights being the most important of these.More often than not, these rulings have been 5 to 4 decisions. All it takes is one more liberal judge to completely alter the political slant of the Court.

If Republicans lose the White House this November, it is all but guarenteed that they will also lose the Supreme Court. For that reason alone, I will hold my nose, swallow hard, and cast my vote for John McCain.

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