Opinion: Letter
Catch McCain fever
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I caught McCain fever in the fall of 2007. A
conservative-turned-moderate by liberal
I was excited about Mac before February of this year, but it wasn’t until just a week or two ago that I got excited about his campaign. I know John McCain to be a maverick:, a politician who stands up to his party for what he thinks is the best solution to a problem. I know John McCain to be a man who can recognize when something is broken and needs desperately to be fixed. Most importantly, McCain is a man who looks for the most innovative and efficient way to fix our problems.
But this past spring and summer, McCain was anything but a
maverick. We saw more obsession[AD1] with
his status as a POW and anti-Obama ranting. Having read about McCain’s
innovative ideas for reform on his website and heard of similar ideas from
other sources, it was beyond frustrating to see this reforming maverick
behaving like
an old Washingtonian[AD2] .
But now we are finally starting to see the genuine McCain — and Obama better watch out! Obama keeps asking McCain to talk about the issues — but does Obama know that McCain already is? And is he ready to author a response? I think not.
John McCain will reform healthcare by completely revamping the whole system. Of course, we have all heard about tax credits, but do you know how they work? McCain’s system takes power away from the employer and puts it in the hands of the employee. This is done by having the employer pay the employee the amount spent on their healthcare plan as part of their salary. The employee is then taxed on the extra money just like the rest of their salary, but the tax credits will completely cover, sometimes in excess, the extra taxes the employee must pay. The employees are then free to buy the same plan for the same price and come out even, or are able to choose a plan best suited to them that may cost much less. Giving the consumer the power will result in lower prices as insurance companies compete for your business. And this is just the beginning. Interstate competition will drive prices even lower, and McCain will ensure that the “uninsurable” are covered as well. What does Obama propose? The same old thing — more government control, more government spending and higher taxes.
McCain believes we need to drastically reduce our dependence
on foreign oil, but that this must be done with the environment in mind.
Offshore drilling will reduce the current prices of gas, because the prices we
pay at the pump are based on speculation of future supply. Natural gas is
extremely clean, and we have an abundance of it here, in our own backyard. Wind
and solar power are both components of John McCain’s answer to the energy
crisis. To advance clean energy, McCain offers a $300 million reward to the
first individual or company to come up with an efficient and affordable
renewable source. This prize will act as
an incentive for
McCain will privatize social security, which will benefit all. How is this so? Those whose assets do not achieve the amount they would receive under normal social security will be reimbursed by the government. Employees will have the ability to choose how much of their paycheck goes into their private accounts, and if they choose to simply stick with the current system, they can; however, benefits of going private will, in the vast majority of cases, outweigh the benefits of the current social security system.
McCain will also keep our country safe. Other countries will know not to mess with us, but we can also be sure that McCain will employ the wisdom he accumulated as a veteran and POW to keep us out of unnecessary conflict.
McCain will be tough on corrupt government spending, as he always has been. He will keep taxes low, and he will go after special interests. A little help from Palin on this probably won’t hurt — she’s gone after corruption on both sides of the aisle, and her state currently has not only a balanced budget, but also has a surplus.
As voters turn to the issues and as McCain begins to shine, the Obama campaign is doing everything they can to link McCain to George W. Bush. Have you noticed? Every time you hear a response from the Obama campaign, the term “Bush-McCain” will be uttered. In all honesty, I don’t think the two men really even like each other that much — and their political styles couldn’t be more different. One example: Bush’s spending policies have been anything but conservative and anything but good for our country. McCain’s strongest conviction is to stop excessive spending.
McCain’s
campaign is finally going in the right direction, and the polls and the tone,
even in
Katie Nix (nix@wisc.edu) is the statewide chair of Students for McCain.
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This is by far the greatest article ever published by the Badger Herald. EVER. - Germain Q. Stemme
Keating Five
I had tepid McCain fever too, or atleast i was considering him.
Up until he chose that ideaological freak-show Sara Palin.
Talk about pandering. No maverick there.
Yeah, after this week’s wall street fiasco, why in the world would you guys be campaigning on privatizing social security?!!?
Wow, this is a poorly written regurgitation of the McCain campaign’s talking points.
I don’t think a “Maverick” is what we need right now; someone who THINKS before shooting off his damn mouth would be appreciated after 8 years of the WORST presidency in modern history.
Yeah, fixing social security through privitization sounds like a great idea, as long as government is willing to bail out the financial sector everytime gamblers lose their shirts.
Fixing health care via tax credits sounds like an awesome idea… that is until your remember that the average tax payer is a complete, irresponsible moron. You’ll end up socializing health care when Billy-Bob invests his tax credit into sweet tailpipes for his Mustang.
Finally, do you really think the best way to wean from a petroleum-based economy is by drilling for more? Of course you don’t, because “conservatives” can’t think of anyone but themselves and how expensive it is to fill their Chevy Suburban.
Amazing how a letter of this length managed to convey so little actual information. Congratulations, Katie Nix…you’re well on your way to being a REAL politician!
Oh shit. I hope there’s a vaccine.
See, all liberals are the same. They go right to the finger pointing, and dodge the issues themselves. Aint that the pot calling the kettle black.
How does an incentive program guarantee results on clean energy any more than putting the money up for development from the start?
Does soldiering give you an expanse of worldly wisdom, or does it teach you how to be a good soldier?
Why do we need health care reform? It is already privatized. Isn’t that the solution to struggling government programs, such as social security?
McCain and Bush don’t have to be jogging buddies to see the world through similar eyes.
This feels like it was written by a 5th grader.
“McCain will also keep our country safe. Other countries will know not to mess with us”
I truly LOL’D when I read that. This article managed to defy the laws of physics by sucking and blowing at the same time.
McCain supporters may in fact be out-doing Bush supporters.
Katie, I think you need to do some actual research on John McCain, and you’ll find that most of the information you just regurgitated was already known or false.
Oh, and Bush and McCain are good friends, and you seem to be the only person alive unable to see how close Bush and McCain truly are.
Here is one of the real problems I have with McCain: his healthcare proposal. Yes, the tax credits idea you outlined above sounds good in theory. But in practice? Many economists agree it would be a nightmare. Consider this op-ed from Bob Herbert: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16herbert.htmlNow, I know the NYT’s op-eds are traditionally left-leaning, and so the inherent bias should be remembered, but he really raises some important questions about and problems with McCain’s proposal. What do you think, Ms. Nix?
why was my comment not posted?
Lady, if you have McCain fever, you need a massive dose of penicillin.
this piece reflects poorly on the writing skills of uw-madison students
I love how liberals know how to do nothing but be nasty. Not one moron who posted on here has offered up any of their own “solutions” that would do a better job. They could not defend Obama’s policies, simply make rabid personal attacks on a fellow student. What a sad species. Of course there are pro’s and con’s to every fix we need. Nothing will be perfect. It comes down to picking the proposals that have the least amount of negative results. Or, if you’re liberal, choosing the candidate that requires you to use what scant brain power you have as little as possible. How cute that you can all recite “change”, “yes we can!”, and “bush is evil” so well.
I stood on the walking bridge above univ. ave today waving mccain signs. about 50% of the people who flicked me off were driving SUVs. so why are you accusing a person you don’t even know of driving a suburban simply because she’s republican? democrats are the biggest hypocrites alive.
Okay, let’s begin.
Healthcare: so the money that the employer spends on health care insurance will go to the employee, who will be able to make their own choices. So people will most likely choose the cheapest to save money, which may be worse insurance, or better insurance, that costs the same or more, and won’t do much to drive down prices. And what makes you think that employers are so horrible at choosing health insurance? They want to save money as well while providing decent health insurance. And you can’t forsee all the troubles that would come of everyone being given the this money to be expected to purchase their own health insurance? Why do you think that the majority of economists and doctors support Obama’s plan over McCains’s?
Reducing dependence on foreign oil: It has been said over and over, offshore drilling will do little to nothing for reducing prices. It will be at least 10 years before new oil rigs can start drilling offshore, and we can only expect to save less than a few cents at the pump over the next 20 years by doing so. And speculators aren’t dumb, they know we don’t have much oil out there. Plus, our oil goes into the global oil market, so it’s not like it directly benefits us. We have several kinds of renewable resources already created. Research would work on improving them, and getting them more widespread. By supporting research it also speeds up this process. Finally, this isn’t a gameshow.
Social Security: Wow… you really want privatized social security when people’s fears of what could happen manifested this past week? Okay, I’ll decide to invest my own social security savings, and put it into AAA rated companies, such as AIG and Fannie Mae. Now I just have to hope they don’t go under and I lose everthing. But what are the odds of that :/ And that’s if I invest it “responsibly”. Yeah, social security needs to be fixed, but this is not the way.
Keeping Our Country Safe: How? By pissing on all the others? How will McCain show that we shouldn’t be messed with? Who is he going to verbally or militarily attack to show this? Why do people this is a smart way to deal with problems or countries we disagree with? Imagine you are having an argument with a friend. Which is the more intelligent way to win: debate and compromise, or threaten or beat them up? Why don’t you people still not understand why we were attacked on 9/11? This bullying and messing in other country’s political affairs pisses people off. And how does being a POW qualify someone to be president? No one has explained this. You honestly think anyone veteran is qualified? (What about John Kerry?)
Corrupt government: Keating Five, S&L collapse of ‘89, lobbyist campaign team and advisors, all his proven lies, etc, etc. This is simply McCain’s talking point. If he says it, it must be true, whether his record shows it to be or not.
You need to do more research and critical thinking on these things rather than just checking out his website (and what honestly feels like copying and pasting) and regurgitating his talking points. Fact is, more economists support Obama’s plans for health care and the economy. I don’t suppose you even checked out Obama’s website?
I suppose you will now call me a hypocrite now for some unfounded reason, and that all I can do is point a finger. But I don’t have time to present the other sides solutions, and even if they other side didn’t detail their solutions, to say “well at least have a plan”, like I hear so often as an argument is a little ridiculous. I would rather time be taken devising decent plans than jumping on board with the first plan that comes along, no matter how bad we know it to be.
I like the people who assume that everyone who opposes McCain is a liberal/Democrat.
Stop thinking along party lines. Not all Democrats hate McCain, just like not all Republicans support him.
Fucking idiots.
“i love how liberals know how to do nothing but be nasty” Continues on to call opponents: morons, rabid attackers, sad, having scant brain power, condescendly “cute”. Out of 9 sentences, 3 did not contain insults.
Almost a decade ago I got a fungus on my toenails. It was irritating, but I tried not to let it bother me. But as the years progressed, it got worse and worse. It started to affect a wide range of my life in a negative way, the examples of which are too hard to fit into this metaphor. I tried a cream, but it didn’t do anything to make my fungus go away. But recently, two new topical creams have entered the market. One has almost the same ingredients as the first cream I tried, the one that did nothing to stop the spread of my increasingly horrible toenail fungus. Not identical ingredients, mind you, but very close in their active ingredients. The second cream comes in a really cool, original bottle, and has different ingredients. There is the chance that the second cream will also do nothing to alleviate my fungus, at least not in a dramatic way. But given the choice, I will take a chance on the different cream and remain optimistic rather than chosing a cream that seems to be an awful lot like the original cream. I just hope the cool, hip, exciting cream doesn’t turn out to be dangerous, since it was rushed through FDA testing by the manufactures.
Excessive and out of the context of the original article? Yes. Completely devoid of information and research? Yes. Overly impressed with my own mild cleverness? Yes. Sloppy metaphor? Yes.
Oh well.