What is most important to Americans? We'll see...

Almost two years ago, when many were predicting the Clinton machine triumphing over the upstart Barack Obama to capture the Democratic presidential nomination, I was pretty convinced the rookie senator from Illinois might well pull it off. A year later, before wrapping up his party's nomination, I said it again. These predictions were before the Republican's chose John McCain as their nominee. For a brief while McCain made things interesting, mostly due to the choice of Sarah Palin for Vice President nominee, not because of anything specifically profound about him and his record. For me, John McCain is a better choice than Obama, but that's not saying much. Let's face it, Obama's supporters are far more passionate than McCain's supporters. Many, if not most of Obama's supporters are under the mistaken impression that he will do all sorts of good as president. Many of McCain's supporters see the multiple concerning flaws in Obama, so would much rather McCain be president, it's not that McCain is such a tremendous choice.

Passionate, well-funded, media-promoted, and supremely organized support is hard to beat with a dull, ill-managed, relatively underfunded, and poorly communicated campaign.

If McCain wins, it will be one of the most amazing victories in the post-TV era we have ever seen. There is virtually nothing going for McCain at this moment except some breaches to Obama's experience and character which are not likely to impact any committed Obama voter.

All that analysis aside, the main issue that confronts McCain and bodes well for Obama is the state of the economy, because like I have said, Americans vote based on their wallets. Just a month ago, against the backdrop of gasoline approaching $4 per gallon, the selection of Palin looked like a real asset to McCain's campaign because she has a real connection to a short term energy solution. For all the Al Gore "green" talk and driving of hybrid vehicles, few Americans really believe we are anywhere close to seeing effective alternative energy sources impact their lives. We need more oil and we need it to be American, even the most common folk among us gets this. I really believe McCain would have won this election if the vote was taken 40 days ago. If the recent mass failings of several key financial institutions didn't happen, McCain's fiscal propositions would have appeared more viable, he could have toned down his attacks on Obama's character flaws (though not all together, many of these needed to be exposed), and he might not have appeared so angry. Chances for a McCain victory were high just over a month ago.

Then we had the "collapse". Years of joint financial mismanagement came to roost and the deck of cards came down. It seems clear there are several factors which have contributed to the current financial situation and outlook, both political parties can share blame, but it happened on Bush's watch and McCain has not done a good job separating himself from the policies of the White House, he just hasn't. He only made it worse when he did a most un-maverick-like thing and voted for the ridiculous bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I think McCain's populist decision to use tax-payers money for the bailout made him hard to distinguish from Obama, at least for us common folk. In the end, once again, I think Americans vote based on their wallet and the current crisis is largely seen in connection with George Bush, and so is John McCain. The people cry "change", regardless of reality Obama represents that change, plain and simple.

McCain's chance to clarify his supposed fiscal conservatism went down the toilet when he voted for the bailout.

His chance to become president has probably been flushed as well. Perception is reality as they say, and many Americans are simply fed up with the way they perceive things to be economically. McCain is too closely associated with the way things are economically.

In the end Obama will likely win the presidency due to the perception that he is better for our wallets. What a complete joke this perception is, yet I think that's why he will win. Obama won't win the presidency for his foreign-relations experience, he has none. Obama won't win the presidency because he is the right man to be the "Commander and Chief"- even the members of our military will tell you that. Obama won't win the presidency because of his tax and spend plan no matter how much he hearkens the romantic days of Bill Clinton. Clinton rode the Reagan-Bush I wave which meant no war (no slight meant to the Bosnia occupation), the "Dot Com" phenomenon, while ignoring Enron-like corporate growth and promoting mass lending to people who could not afford mortgages long term. If people think Obama is a return to the supposed economic growth under Bill Clinton,they need to take a remedial course in economics and history. Obama won't have the "Dot Com" tool and the lending sector is in total shambles. His energy-plan is a genuine farce (it really is) and he also has an ongoing military effort to fund. All of this is the back drop for a trillion dollars in new programs he wants to implement. An Obama presidency with a Democratic majority in the House and Senate? Wow. Can you say Jimmy Carter on steroids?

Unless something very profound happens in the next 10 days, Barack Hussein Obama will become America's next president. I think such a happening would be profoundly bad for America, but it's not because of my wallet. Even if I thought Obama could help boost the U.S. economy I would not vote for him. Even if I was O.K. with Obama's troubling ties to Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, the Fannie/Freddie debacle architects, and Acorn, I wouldn't vote for him. Even if I thought his Marxist, socialistic leanings weren't more radical than the current form of socialism we have (even in the White House), I wouldn't vote for him. You see, it's true that Americans vote based on their wallets. This is what's so wrong with us. It is God who gives wealth and prosperity.

Cultures which sacrifice moral purity for the chance at more wealth and material comfort eventually implode and are overcome. America is clearly on such a road.

Obama and McCain are not profoundly different on the matter of economics, they really aren't. I happen to think McCain's proposals and potential (due to the real possibility of a workable energy plan and solution) are more sound than Obama's, but not overwhelmingly so.

The fact is Barack Obama thinks it's OK to leave a baby to die if an initial attempt to abort it fails. There are politicians who are hesitatingly pro-abortion, Obama is not one. There are politicians who try to keep the matter of abortion out of sight so it's out of mind, Obama isn't scared to defend the radical practice of "partial birth" abortion. He can look an aborted fetus squarely in it's dismembered face. Obama is radically in favor of abortion, check the facts on his votes. He thinks a baby is punishment for woman having sex out of wedlock. I think God will judge America for it's moral decadency, Barack Obama as president will plunge us further in the downward direction we are heading. Obama as president, among other things, means another generation of Roe and the promotion of abortion in our country. But Tony, "why are you a one issue voter"? to which I reply- I am not a one issue voter, except when the issue is the governmental promotion of murder. Obama's moral bankruptcy on this issue says much about his worldview, and it's not one I share or think is good for the longevity of this country. Voting based on the perception that Obama will be good for our wallet but overlooking his radical promotion of killing unborn babies reveals how far America has fallen.

John McCain is no doctor of righteousness, neither am I. I do think McCain will uphold the sanctity of life in a much better way than Obama, simply compare their records. I honestly am not sure of McCain's spiritual state or doctrinal commitment, however Sarah Palin seems to be committed to Christ. This gives me further hope that a McCain presidency is more likely to make better moral decisions than an Obama administration. I can think no more important baseline question than how a candidate views Christ and subsequently the sanctity of human life. I do think McCain has better overall policy commitments than Obama, but consideration about my wallet is secondary to the fundamental question of respecting human life. God can give our nation prosperity, as he has for the better part of 200 years, but He won't continue to do so if we go on slouching toward Gomorrah.

Knowing Obama's seriously flawed worldview and still voting for him indicates very hard days ahead for America, even if our wallets are stuffed.