My son came home yesterday, ranting and raving about Obama.  Yes, you read me right.  A 10 year-old 5th grader was spewing political jargon all over my kitchen floor.   When asked how his day was, this was his response:  “Awesome!  We get to vote for the presidential election, and everyone is against Obama!”  He then goes on to mimic the many rumors that have surfaced about Obama, specifically the one where Obama ‘refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance.”

Oh, my gosh, did I come unglued.  Not so much outside of my body as inside my head, but unglued I was.  I told him those are only rumors, he shouldn’t believe everything he hears, we shouldn’t be voting against someone, but for someone…blah, blah, blah.

Then it hit me.  Hard.  We’re talking running-full-force-into-a-screen-door hard.  Of course Jonathan is thrilled ‘everyone’s against Obama’!  I tote around my NOBAMA opinion as though he has no opponent!  Just NO to Obama…that’s all I’ve got!   I disagree with his stance on abortion, energy relief and socialist-like economics.   I know 144 days in the senate doesn’t give him near enough know-how to run our country.

But what about McCanhe?  McCain?  Can he? Run our country, that is?  I must say, before Palin came along, I had my serious doubts.  My future vote for McCain was a vote against Obama.  The lesser of two evils.  (Not that I think either of them are evil, mind you).  The best of the worst.  Pretty much, the only vote that might count, being that writing in someone is essentially a wasted ballot.

Now, I’ve been paying more attention to what McCain stands for, what he believes and what he can do for OUR country.  The country he fought for.  The men and women he served.  The country he stayed true to, through beatings and torture and near-starvation.  He believes in the this country.  He believes in us.  He trusts us with our own decisions.  He wants to keep the power here in the United States, instead of creating some sort of Global Alliance, making us equal and dependent to Europe and China.  He wants to use our own energy sources – and now!  Not 10-20 years from now, after we figure out we can’t power our cars on extension cords and corn for any substantial amount of time.

And Palin?  She’s just flat out true to God, her country, her family and herself.  She doesn’t take crap from anyone, and she’s willing to fight for a worthy cause.  She’s not about talking, she likes to walk – power walk.  Effective and active management is what she’s given Alaska, and I believe if need be, she can give it to America as well.  Will it be easy?  Of course not.  Will she mess up?  Of course she will.  Is she ready?  Doubtful.   Were you ready to be a mom?  A wife?  A husband?  Were you ready to support your family through rising energy and grocery and insurance costs?  Were you ready to take on a small business and allow it to grow, through thick and thin, and make it a success?  Were you ready when your child, parent or friend died unexpectedly?  You weren’t even ready when you had warning!  Are we ready for anything?  Of course not, because we do not have the power to be ready.  We can only be.  As much as we like to believe we have control of our future, we don’t even know if we will breathe another breath in this heartbeat.

So, McCain/Palin, I’m voting for you.  Not because I don’t want to vote for Obama, but because I believe in what you stand for, and I admire the guts and determination that go along with your values.

And Jonathan, you and I are going to talk politics tonight…real, true honest politics – no rhetoric, no partisanship, no bull.  We need to discuss what’s important to our family, our country and eventually, every individual we have the opportunity to interact with.