Despite the impending Super Tuesday vote, in which a huge chunk
of delegates will be available to presidential hopefuls, I have
chosen not make a formal endorsement in these pages. This could be
disappointing to the dwindling pool of candidates, as I’m sure each
of them would like to note in their campaign literature that the
Hollister Free Lance’s Friday columnist supports him or her.
Despite the impending Super Tuesday vote, in which a huge chunk of delegates will be available to presidential hopefuls, I have chosen not make a formal endorsement in these pages. This could be disappointing to the dwindling pool of candidates, as I’m sure each of them would like to note in their campaign literature that the Hollister Free Lance’s Friday columnist supports him or her.
But I’m staying out of it.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani threw their support behind John McCain this week and Sen. Ted Kennedy gave a thumbs-up to Barack Obama. The bandwagons are rolling and politicians are piling on whichever one they feel will take them the furthest.
I haven’t been asked, but here are my suggestions for what each presidential hopeful can do in the next few days to secure votes in San Benito County:
First of all; how about a visit? Our county has been called a bellwether for the way the state votes, so if you can reach us with your message, you can reach anyone.
It’s a big deal when a celebrity comes to this area. Pam Anderson and Kid Rock were the talk of the town when they visited the Cantina in Tres Pinos. What if John McCain and his “Straight Talk Express” bus rolled down Airline Highway and stopped for nachos and a cold one?
Can’t Hillary swing through town with Bill and have a Big Vinny at Round Table? Hey Barack, Progresso’s makes the best tortilla soup. Gov. Romney, you can trust Dave at the Hollister Barber Shop to keep your hair looking scary-perfect.
There is a lot of talk about candidates reaching out to Middle America, but why not reach out to Middle California? This is God’s country, in my mind. We work hard, play hard, and are a melting pot of cultures. We have agricultural roots, yet we’re on the doorstep of Silicon Valley.
We have a bunch of churches, we love our Friday night football games, and our parades are as traditional as they come. Reach San Benito County; Reach America. (Just make sure you get out of town when you’re done – we don’t have room for more sewer hookups right now.)
Back to the candidates, I made a cursory glance at each of the top four candidate’s Web sites yesterday to check on their approach to “The Issues.” It’s interesting to see how they rank each topic.
McCain’s site told me that America “faces a dangerous, relentless enemy in the War against Islamic Extremists;” we are “at an Economic Crossroads;” we have “lost faith and trust in (our) government;” and we “want judges who will strictly interpret the law and not legislate from the bench.”
My response: We face a dangerous enemy in the “War Against Capitalizing Everything To Which We Want to Add Emphasis.” And, isn’t “Economic Crossroads” that new development near the Gilroy Outlets?
Obama’s site lists issues in alphabetical order, a clever – if sneaky – way to not turn off potential voters who may feel he too strongly supports one issue over another. He talks about his “bipartisan success” and efforts to “break partisan logjams.” One interesting thing about both his and McCain’s Web sites is that after I clicked into them from Google, I couldn’t use the “Back” button on my computer to get back to Google. They know how to capture voters.
Hillary Clinton’s issues, in order, are “Strengthen the middle class,” “Provide affordable and accessible healthcare,” and “End the war in Iraq.” I saw nothing about “Get out of my husband’s shadow.”
Whereas Hillary’s site talked about health and middle class and peace, Mitt Romney reminded me that We Are at War! His top issues, at least by their ranking on his site: “Keeping Americans Safe;” “Confronting Radical Jihad;” and “Combating Nuclear Terrorism.”
Thanks, governor, for the uplifting message. Why not, “A Bunker in Every Backyard;” “The Martians Are Coming!” or “Hey Extremists, You’ll Need Hillary’s Affordable Healthcare After America Gets Through With You!”
All candidates come with a bunch of bluster, so the best advice is to vote your conscience and pray that our country picks a leader – from whatever party – who keeps us safe, healthy, and happy and knows how to properly capitalize his or her words.
