Country First: Vote McCain Palin

Guest post by Mark Pruner, YoloGOP Chairman.

Whatever our political stripes may be, we can all agree that the next president will face more than a few difficult choices and challenging circumstances. Rightly so, both here at home and around the world this election and our choice for president are the subject of intense interest and lively discussion.

What is it about Republican candidates and the Republican Party that is so appealing?
History. The Republican Party formed on July 6, 1854 to oppose the evil of slavery. The Democrats took the opposite view. During the Civil War, under the leadership of Abraham Lincoln, the Republicans passed the 13th Amendment (outlawing slavery), the 14th Amendment (guaranteeing equal protection under the laws), and the 15th Amendment (securing voting rights for African Americans). Freedom was the theme.

When it came time to stand up for securing the right of women to vote, the Republican Party was the first major party to endorse women’s suffrage. Republicans, controlling Congress, passed the 19th Amendment. Members of the Democratic Party fueled the opposition. In 1917 Jeanette Rankin of Montana was the first woman elected to the Congress. Freedom was still the theme.
Through the corridors of time down to today the Republican Party remains the stalwart champion of freedom and individual rights, limited government and the unwavering belief that the individual, not the government, is best suited to make decisions about family and family income. We are boldly confident about California's future and hold dearly all that is good about California's people.

The Republican Party believes government’s role is to empower every person to reach his or her full potential. The Democratic Party believes that government has a much larger role in making decisions for people and their families – telling them what to do, even if it means limitation of personal liberties.

John McCain and Sarah Palin. It makes sense then that John McCain and Sarah Palin stand for individual freedoms and will not back down when it comes to protecting America from her enemies.

Foreign Affairs. The radicals dedicated to killing Americans are committed because we stand for freedom and in opposition to their desire to force individuals and nations to believe as they do. Mr. Obama’s clear inexperience in representing America’s interests abroad was summed up when he flatly stated he would meet with heads of state opposed to us, thereby elevating their stature, without precondition. Although he later “clarified” his position to add he would be prepared for such a meeting, he never withdrew his declared willingness to strengthen our opponents by meeting them without precondition.

The War. Senator McCain and Governor Palin stand by the mission of our troops: fight terrorism and support freedom abroad. Standing against terrorists overseas reduces the risk of attack at home. Who of us on September 12, 2001 really thought we would not suffer another attack. We have been kept safe at home by strength and vigilance. On the other hand Mr. Obama, during the primary, adamantly stated America should retreat on a fixed 16-month timetable. After the primaries were over the Democratic nominee talked of being flexible. Now, Mr. Obama states “we’ve got to look at” ending the war. He appears ready to say what he thinks needs to be said to win an election. This kind of waffling confuses our allies and gives strength to our enemies.

The Economy. It is no over simplification to say that a McCain Palin administration will grow the economy by giving all Americans the tools and opportunity to reach their dreams. When the economy grows we all do well. Senators Obama and Biden give us a completely different perspective: they want to redistribute the wealth – imposing their value judgments on who “should” and who “should not” own a piece of the American Dream. The Democratic plan might work in a soviet-style economy, but not here. The trouble is, economic vitality does not occur when you just reshuffle money. A mature economic perspective understands that actually growing the economy, not taking from some to hand out to others, is what has made American an economic success.

Health Care. Senator McCain and Governor Palin stand committed to a Guaranteed Access Plan for health care, forged from the best of what actually works. The proposals of Senator Obama borrow from the old-time tool kit of government programs. Rather than allow American ingenuity and energy to deliver reliable health care, Senators Obama and Biden want to take us back to high cost and low delivery outcomes. Please take a look at the detailed analysis of a major nonpartisan study by the Lewin Group (Lewin.com). Under the McCain Palin plan only 12.6% of American families would experience an increase in family health costs. Quite the opposite is true under the Obama Biden plan where 29.0% of families would experience increased health costs. More dramatically, the point is driven home for families making less than $20,000 in income: under McCain Palin 7.5% of these families would experience higher family health costs. Under Obama Biden 24.0% of the poorest families would pay more for their health costs. These facts explode the myth that the Democrats look after the interests of the poor. The opposite is true.

Tax Cuts. A lot has been said about tax cuts. We know that more money consistently in the hands of wage earners creates good jobs. We know that good jobs grow the economy and lift everyone up. The Obama Biden tax plan starts with a shifting definition of who is rich and should be taxed more: first $250,000, then $200,000, then most recently according to Senator Biden $150,000. The Democrats call one-time rebates tax relief. Senator McCain looks at the long term: holding the line at the tax rates, allowing people to plan and create good jobs through spending their own money.

Conclusion. Throughout its history as the leader in the cry for freedom, the Republican Party and its candidates have consistently stood for individual liberty and limited government. A president who forces upon us his personal idea of who should have and who should not have would do injury to us all. I urge you to vote for Republicans this Tuesday, November 4th.