political confessions

I haven't made it a secret what my intentions were when voting this election season. Last time around i did not like Romney any more than i liked McCain, and i hated myself for voting against Obama rather than writing in Ron Paul or voting for another party's candidate.  Very soon thereafter Paul disappointed me in a way that made me decide that i cannot vote for him, and i have since decided that any candidate i support has to support a strong military, particularly because he's becoming the Commander in Chief.  Obama has had years to convince me to come over to his side, but all that he has done, everything he has said, has only hardened my resolve that i would do just about anything, vote for anyone, to get him out of office.

It's not that i hate him (which is what so many assume). I try to respect him even as he is thumbing his nose at everything that makes the position to which he aspired great, which makes America great. I haven no room in my heart for hate. But i do disagree with him with my heart and mind. I would never threaten his life, not be rude to his face were i to meet him, i would stand in deference to his position.  But i cannot vote for him. I am too wise to believe the lies.  It is shocking how many times he lies! At it seems as if there is intended to be this pedestal version of him that ignores those lies and pretends that he can do no wrong and as if half (at least) of what he has said is meaningless.  It is the ignored half that is most important to me, what do i care about the face he puts on when his real one is plain as day?  I have been watching him for five years now, i know him well.

When Romney started pulling ahead as the frontrunner of the GOP nominees i was more than a little upset.  In many ways Romney and Obama seem similar, so i find it amusing that the Left professes to hate him so much. For a long time i thought that i would just vote for a third party, but it gradually became clear to me that such an action would be the same thing as throwing my vote away.  This country is not ready to accept a third party candidate in a presidential race, i don't know why.

The irony is this...when this race began about a year ago, i was determined to hate Romney.  I didn't want him as the GOP candidate, i didn't like his tactics from four years earlier, i didn't think there was any way i could ever vote for him.  So i didn't like him on Facebook, i didn't put his sticker on the car i drive (one of which still has a W on the back of it), and i didn't immerse myself in the election as thoroughly as i might have. I still don't think he's as good of a debater as Newt or as passionate as Bachmann.  But i will say this: he has surprised me.  He has managed to make me like him more.  I don't like some of what he did in Massachusetts but he does understand that what he did should and did happen on the state level.  That at least is a step in the right direction.

The ultimate irony...his binders of women make me like him even more.  His wife stayed at home and did the things that a wife should from a conservative point of view.  But for the women who wanted or needed to have it both ways, to work and have a family, he supported them, too.

So to sum up, what it takes to earn my vote...

1. Pro-life
2. Weaker federal government
3. Strong military
4. Strong economy

And Mitt seems to have all of the above.  I have walked away from the poll feeling better about my vote than i did four years ago.  I don't feel like i sold out, the way i once assumed i would.  Would have i preferred another candidate? Originally i would have said yes.  But now? I think Romney is going to continue to surprise me.