I Feel Like I Shouldn't Be Saying This...

...but I've been thinking about it all week. I am a conservative and have been all my life. Born and bred. And honestly, right up until this whole economy debacle I was set and excited to vote McCain/Palin. Hell, I was set and excited to vote for McCain way back in 2000. Well, if I had been old enough to vote in 2000, anyway. But, I digress. I have just been utterly unable to get fired up for McCain in recent weeks. I'm thoroughly disappointed in his most recent policy ideas.

At the beginning of this election cycle, I was so excited; at last, we would have an election with two opposing candidates who were so completely opposed on the issues as to make it quite an easy decision. But the rhetoric on both sides has been creeping more and more to the middle ground. Which is great -- I want a President who knows how to cooperate. But really, I think this cooperation should come after the election has taken place, not before. It just feels a bit too convenient.

I'm very much a "small government" kind of gal -- so much so that I really fit more into the Libertarian mold than anything else. Up until recently, I believed McCain shared those views. His response to the economic crisis, his health care plans, his response to the last debate's abortion question. None of these positions really screams "small government," and more often than not they seem very similar to Obama's views.

So concludes another election cycle. I'm still frustrated, still wish there was another candidate who better represented my personal beliefs. I've even considered voting for the Libertarian candidate, Bob Barr, but that seems like an excellent way to waste my vote in a very important state. Besides, he doesn't even mention his stance on abortion on his campain website. How's that for evading a question?

I guess there really isn't much point to this post, other than to vent my frustrations and misgivings. I will almost certainly be voting for John McCain this November. Maybe if I focus on the positives, I can even get excited about his candidacy again.