5 Things I wish YOU knew about John McCain

As we get this blog rolling, we will each examine 5 key points about the candidate that we support. As we continue we will expand the discussion wherever the conversation takes us but for now here is a broad look at 5 things you should know about John Mccain.

1. His Education policy – Sen. McCain supports school vouchers. If you are a product of public schools, like me, you know that there is a lot of room for improvement in our public school system. Vouchers would encourage competition between schools by allowing students and parents to decide where they go to school based on quality NOT based simply on where they live. Fundamental capitalism at its finest. By encouraging schools to compete for students, instead of taking students for granted, vouchers would create a huge improvement in education and a new approach to how our public school system works.

2. His Tax Policy- John McCain believes in basic “Trickle-Down” economics. This theory suggests that by allowing wealthy individuals to keep the wealth they have earned, and not heavily taxing them – their wealth will “Trickle-Down” to the middle class and the poor. This means less taxes as a general policy – not just income tax, but also, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, payroll taxes and corporate taxes. A practical example would be if you are employed by a small to mid-size company and they see any sort of tax relief- the likelihood of you getting a raise is much greater than if taxes on your employer are increased. Another example would be if a large corporation, such as Nordstrom is taxed less- Then they would get to keep a larger percentage of their earned profit and therefore can pass that savings along to its customers via lower prices on their products. Good news for me because my wife is unashamedly addicted to Nordstrom.

3. He is Realistic- Let’s face it, we all want the same things; we just disagree on how we are to get there. Sen. McCain doesn’t want to be at war, he doesn’t want people to struggle to pay bills or fill their gas tank, he doesn’t want people to be without healthcare; no decent human being wants any of that. But McCain understands from being around for so long (Yes, he is very old) that there are things that are attainable and there are things that are simply pipe dreams that would do more harm than good. So he has decided to run a campaign not promising things to you that he won’t be able to deliver on. So even if you do believe they are attainable you have to respect the man for not writing checks he doesn’t think he can cash.

4. He walks the walk- The presidency is a job that requires a lot of important decision making. It requires you to be committed to the principles that you were elected based on. It requires an enormous amount of integrity and character that not many people posses. Sen McCain has demonstrated all these things, not just through his unbelievable POW stories and the hurdles he has had to overcome to be where he is today, but the steps he took to get there reflect a great deal as to what he is willing to do for the country he loves. He has actually proven it in his actions, so we don’t have to just take his word for it when he says he is going to do something, bring reform and be transparent in the process.

5. He is a moderate Republican- many in the Republican base and the far right are not very excited about John McCains candidacy, which should cause independent voters and even democrats to ask “why not”? In fact, for many conservatives, before he tapped Palin as his Veep, there was a huge question mark as to whether or not he would have their support. That is what the whole “maverick” thing is all about and it is worth paying attention to if you are against extreme partisan politics.