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Leaving The Presidential Bubble Blank Empty

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

Republicans do need to unite against the national party. Rush Limbaugh will make money regardless of who wins the presidency. After all, there are still senators and representatives putting bills on the table for the yet-to-be-named president to sign.

I wouldn't be so sure that Sen. John McCain "is no Hillary Clinton." After perusing the bills McCain has sponsored and after perusing his voting record, I would have to say that I am relatively unsure of exactly what his position is. As far as I can tell, his position is whatever he thinks is going to vault him in to the Oval Office. I cannot see much different between McCain and Hillary on that.

They both pursue an agenda that is far left of what the conservative base of the Republican Party would like to see. Yet, they both have ventured partially right since the primary season began. I imagine when the primaries are over, if Hillary Clinton should receive the nod of her party, she will move as right as she can possibly go without losing her liberal base.

I cannot with good conscience cast my vote for McCain. After researching his positions, finding that the bills he sponsors are primarily co-sponsored by Democrats such as Barbara Boxer and Ted Kennedy, I simply cannot gravitate towards him as a candidate.

On immigration, I highly encourage Mr. Boyle to read in its entirety the McCain-Kennedy Immigration Reform Bill. I think you might be surprised to find that there was a reason this bill was so highly polarizing to the country and to the Republican base.

You may just see why it was so strongly defeated. The situation Mr. Boyle described concerning his wife's immigration status would not have necessarily been remedied by this bogus bill. There are laws on the books concerning securing the border. However, like so many other laws on the books, they are seldom enforced for one reason or another.

Realistically, if McCain wins the nomination, it does not matter who wins - McCain, Hillary or Obama. The only difference between McCain and the two Democrat candidates is that McCain is willing to capitulate on his positions in the pursuit of power. I am not willing to vote for a candidate who is so wiling to abandon the principles he claims to have, principles that he peddles as conservative and then votes the other way, principles that I cannot be sure of.

I am not willing to surrender to the assumption of the national GOP that we will vote for a candidate simply because he is running against a Clinton and has an R after his name. The national GOP should remember what happens when you assume.

Quite frankly, I am all in favor of either taking the GOP back to the conservative base or supporting a third-party candidate. That or for the first time in my eligible voting years, I will leave the presidential bubble blank - just like the candidates who are listed.

Serena Seifried

Brooksville

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