Shannon KeoughObama-fever. It has struck the United States, and has swept up even the most proper, blue collared American workers. I never thought too much of it, until a group of Sarah Palin protesters dented the hood of the limousine I drive at work.
I remember I was turning down Broad Street when the sirens started. I turned onto Walnut to avoid the police cruisers but they still sped around me. Two blocks later, and it was all too clear why: stretched across the intersection of 16th and Walnut, armed with picket signs and megaphones, close to a hundred people forced the traffic to a standstill.
To make a long story short, police attempted to persuade the protesters to allow traffic to pass. Halfway down the street, a wooden sign hit the hood of my Mercedes. A young man, no older than me proceeded to yell about how McCain only cared about “people like me.” I leaned on the horn and sped down the street, leaving behind me similar chants: “Bush-McCain the same,” “Obama-Obama.”
Although the experience was unnerving, it forced me to abandon my non-involvement in the election as a whole. I started watching the campaign trail and quickly realized Philadelphia wasn’t the only city experiencing Obama-frenzy. His supporters cried at rallies, held their hands in the air and called to him. It was almost eerie how his status became god-like. People regarded him as a savior, the answer to their problems.
As a history buff, I’m automatically skeptical of all “saviors.” And after some basic research, I’ve found that just as all the political leaders before him, Obama is just a man. Obama-fever, just a trend. And while I find his fine-tuned speeches pleasing to the ear, I refuse to allow pretty talk and a bright smile to pull the wool over my eyes.
McCain is not a savior, he too is human. But McCain is focused on the issues that will determine America’s future. McCain’s economic policies are derived from years of experience in the Senate. His strategies revolve around the working-class, around families and young people.
Obama spends so much time explaining how he relates to us, the working class, that he never fully explains his policies. He calls for healthcare reforms, wants to mandate employer-provided health insurance, regardless of cost- often nine to 12,000 per employee.
McCain wants to make healthcare more readily available to the public, but understands the financial burden health insurance places on small businesses. He wants to offer every family a $5,000 health insurance credit in order for plans to be purchased.
McCain wants to devote more money into developing cleaner sources of energy and work to free the United States of its dependence on foreign oil. He supports offshore drilling and is leading a campaign to build 45 nuclear power plants by 2030. Not only would these create over 700,000 new jobs, but they would allow for America to produce its own oil and clean, inexpensive electricity.
The war in Iraq, Obama was opposed to it from the beginning, and if elected will withdrawal the troops within 16 months. Obama disregards how this will make America look to the rest of the world.
McCain also wishes to end the war, but doesn’t want to set a timeline. He wants America to withdraw once Iraq is a functioning democratic power. McCain cares about and has fought to uphold the American image.
McCain has repeatedly voted against his party, and protested the corruption in Washington. America doesn’t need a celebrity with the ability to make promises. If we are going to move forward as a country and heal the wounds of the past eight years, we need a proven leader. We need John McCain.
