The Election Dilemma

This year's presidential race has brought a new dilemma to me. I have absolutely no idea who to vote for. I have never been in this position before. I have until recently voted Republican pretty consistently. This will be the first time I consider voting for a Democrat. I am not sure how I feel about that.

I can say without a doubt that I will NEVER vote for Hillary Clinton. I think 8 years of her reign were quite enough. This is not to say that I would not vote for a woman. The right woman would need to run, just as the right man would need to run to get my vote.

My turmoil lies in part in the fact that John McCain is not a real Republican. For that matter, I am not sure that I myself am a "real" Republican. I think back to Ronald Reagan discussing why he was no longer a Democrat. He said something along the lines of, "I didn't leave the Democrats, the Democrats left me." I feel that way about the Republicans right now. This is especially true of Bush. He has done quite a bit to earn my distrust.

So, not being a full Republican, yet still considering myself conservative, what am I to do? Do I vote across party lines for Obama? It is tempting. He seems very sure of himself, which is good, but I still don't know what he actually stands for. Today I heard him on the radio blasting his former pastor. I think he made his point very well. Obama's religious background is as disturbing to me as Romney's. Can a man of questionable religious upbringing be fit to run our "Christian" nation? Are we even a Christian nation anymore?

A well-known, outspoken Republican I have had the opportunity to become somewhat acquainted with recently has thrown his hat into Obama's corner. This man worked in the Reagan White House. I can only imagine how difficult it was to come to this decision. Can I make the same choice? I don't know.

I am indeed at a cross-roads. I feel that any decision I make (with the exception of saying no to Hillary) will be a bad one. I hope that our country is ready for what is to come. I am not sure that I am.