Many of the voters are evidently unable to focus on a particular candidate’s entire set of relevant characteristics, they are continuously distracting themselves with “but he has a lot of foreign policy experience” or “but he is not afraid to be a Christian”, which are often true but constitute just a small percentage of what it takes to be President. It’s inconceivable to me that McCain can be surging in Iowa as if his so recent fight to impose Shamnesty never happened. I just saw a supposed episode on CNN where a woman who had pledged to be for Fred was saying after a McCain event that she has to write a letter to Fred that she “can’t be with him”. What the hell can McCain say to erase her memory? Evidently something. And evidently Bhutto’s murder can “remind” people of his “foreign policy credentials”. Well we can complain about this all we want, but imperfect people will make their imperfect choice soon. In the real world it IS unfortunately necessary to be a good campaigner. Hopefully Fred can break through the noise.

I want someone who will not raise his arms like a marianette whenever the mass media, the political bloggers and the political action groups try to pull his strings. I want him to stand up to lies and attacks and defend himself and not put up with BS. And I want him to stay true to his principles and be proud to be an American and to be himself and proud for those principles and values for which he stands.

The only person I see who matches this description is Fred Thompson. And I’m really getting tired of people attacking him, not on policy, not on values and principles, but on “laziness”. If it was the mass media or the Left attacking him in this manner, I would ignore it. But it is coming from our own damn side (*cough* HotAir *cough*).

I just have to hope that there are enough people out there who are going to ignore the primary coverage and are going to go to the polls on their primary day and vote, on principles, values and policy, for whom they want… not for whom is the most “electable”. I’m tired of that.

If Republican voters are going to vote based on “Anyone Who Can Beat Hillary”, then they are no better than the “Anybody But Bush” Democrats whom these same Republican voters derided all during the 2004 campaign. I lost all respect for Democrat voters back then, but I see myself losing respect for so called Conservative Republican voters who are now campaigning for their candidates, not based on policy, values and principle, but on the “he can beat Hillary” mantra. As well as trying to redefine Conservatism to make their candidate seem ‘conservative’.

The ends (the Presidency) does not justify the means (redefining conservatism and voting for someone solely because they are “electable” and “can beat Hillary”).

I have lost a LOT of respect for political bloggers within the past few months over their political coverage and choosing to vote based on “the ends justify the means” instead of on principle. And certain people trying to redefine Conservatism in order to make their candidate appear “conservative”.

The sad thing is I am already utterly sick of this campaign and it has not even started yet. Come my primary here in Michigan, I am going to cast my vote for Thompson and, if he is the nominee, happily campaign for him, as he represents my principles and values… and if he is not the nominee, whoever it is I will be ignoring until November and will have to think about whether or not I will trash my principles and vote for someone in whom I don’t have any faith or belief or respect.

I have been involved in politics for a whole 6+ years, and I have been sick of it since after the 2004 election. I now understand why 50% of Americans don’t bother to vote. There is really nothing to vote FOR, but plenty to vote against. And voting against something is not inspiring to most people, including me.