RedState Co-Founder Can't Bring Himself To Vote McCain

RedState co-founder Joshua Trevino writes on his blog that he can't bring himself to vote for the Republican ticket:

In the end, I couldn't do it. My California ballot arrived in the mail today, and I opened it fully intending to vote for John McCain. I filled out the state propositions first -- yes on 8, no on everything proposing a new bond or new spending -- then the local offices, straight Republican excepting Kevin Johnson for (nonpartisan) Sacramento mayor. Finally, the vote for President of the United States: an academic exercise in California, where Barack Obama will surely win by a crushing margin. But good citizenship demands voting as if it matters. Do I believe in John McCain? Not as much as I used to. Do I believe in Sarah Palin? Despite my early enthusiasm for her, now not at all. Do I believe in the national Republican Party? Not in the slightest -- even though I see no meaningful alternative to it. So, my choice for President in 2008, scrawled in my ballot as an act of futile protest, is Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. If nothing else, I am confident this is the first of several votes I will cast for him in years to come.

Comments

[UnhyphenatedAmerican]

This is the official beginning of the McCain effect - Republicans who cannot vote for McCain and Palin. Ultimately being an American supercedes being a Republican.

[ILikeH00ters]

I wonder...

Had Hillary been nominated for the POTUS and McCain chose Jindal for VP, do we. democrats, spread rumors on Jindal like republican's do on 0bama?

[SistaV]

Personally, Bobby Jindal reminds me of Obama.....­thoughtful­, insightful, charisma and intelligen­t... I was so glad he didn't want to run and McCain too dumb to realize his talent.

[AurigaRa]

right
Bobby "the Exorcist" Jindal
dream on

[dkuz09]

Same here.... it would've been a real election to see Jindal on McCain's ticket--now the election is laughable at best.

[BiGnBulKY]

I cannot stand how Jindal talks ..

[thebluecrayon]

Jindal talks like Obama but agrees with conservatives on almost every issue. He is a right-wing conservative, he just sounds like a Democrat.

[Sammy00400]

That's a good point. Dont count out Ron Paul taking away republican votes. In 2000 if ol whatshisname didnt run I think Gore would have one at least 3 more states. He certainly would have won Florida, even with the hanging chads and Pat.

[PJNoir]

Chuck Baldwin is big in my town among the working class Blue collar of south Jersey.

Fight uncomfortable Free Speech with more Free Speech NOT censorship!

[teapartydude]

Coward. Won't vote McCain in a blue state.

[ajax88]

Hello to all commentators,

All the commercials, pundits, gaffes, personal attacks, and the MSM will not dictate the outcome of this election. THE GROUND GAME IS WHERE ELECTIONS ARE WON, AND LOST!

Before you go to the next left leaning article to comment on, or right leaning article to start an argument with a repug (which will no doubt end with them calling you an unpatriotic socialist wimp) I suggest that you get in the game.

Please visit my personal fundraising page below:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/craigcubberly

If you cannot afford to donate money there are many other ways to help below :

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

Take a look. It is a lot of fun, and very satisfying to get involved. You will really feel as though you are making a difference.

Thanks Craig

[MIKEBC]

HOW CAN ANY TRUE CONSERVATIVE VOTE FOR THIS TICKET?

[ZimboChick]

Joe Biden and Bill Clinton in Scranton live

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/live-campaign-coverage

[Matt7]

Thanks for tips like this.

Hillary is ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorsing/­supporting "Barack Obama AND Joe Biden."

Thanks, Hillary!

[ZimboChick]

Yeah I think she is genuine today. Bill was also kinda genuine.

[Whinger]

True Republicans have a conscience, they don't want to be part of extremism or racism!

[sfpolarbear]

But he was willing to amend the state constitution to repeal the rights of people to marry the person they want to marry. I guess that conscience ends at peoples genitals.

[huffy2001]

True conservatism is all about racism and extremism. True conservatism means just that: conserve. Status quo. No changes. Everything just as it was in the beginning.

So true conservatives have fought against abolition of slavery, against voting rights for women and blacks, against representation of both in the military, against gay rights, against immigration (even though every single one of us...excep­t the Native Americans-whom true conservatives would have stay out of sight on their reservatio­ns...is descended from an immigrant) against science, against workers rights...a­gainst anything new or different.

Against. Conservatism = against.

[retspan11]

Right on the money!

[rpr]

>True conservatism means just that: conserve.
... except energy and the environment.

[barphyle]

Pithy and cogent - Very well said, huffy2001!

[AurigaRa]

the last true republican disappeared when Reagan got elected

[beden7068]

I think it's safe to say that most of us here will be voting for Obama. That's our right. Just as it was his right to vote for Jindal. An odd choice, but it was his to make.

[BluesDogLefty]

See, this stuff is way way under reported.

So, there might be people out there who say they will vote for Obama to a pollster but only because they are to embarrassed to say that they will not vote for a black person.

Okay----how many Republicans are there out there----?----who say that they will support McCain but in the end will not???

Maybe way more than people think.

[KathyinCT]

AMEN!! If there is a Bradley effect (whites saying they'll vote Obama b/c they don't want to sound racist) then I think in this election there will be a McCain effect -- lifelong Republicans who feel like they can't publicly say (esp to a pollster or reporter) that they're goin to vote Obama, but will go into the privacy of that booth, and make the right choice.

Most of my GOP friends abandoned McCain weeks ago. My sister, who is such a rabid Republican that she and my brother (in their 50s) almost came to blows one year, is now working phone banks for Obama. Why? She has a lot of money (hence the GOP allegiance) and is furious that the Republicans tanked the economy.

Whatever it takes.

[BluesDogLefty]

good to hear

[FACINGREALIT]

It would be wise not to fall for that MSM propaganda, as these people could just as easily say they were undecided. When the media has no news they create it and when there is news that needs reporting they still decide to create it. The Bradley effect was YEARS ago and it is unfortunate that the media chooses to MAKE news instead of reporting it. Times have changed and people are not as 'closeted' as the media would like you to believe, I mean come on a black guy beat the Clinton machine, what does that tell you about how advanced America is today. Barack was elected by the people to be the democratic nominee. Bradley did not have a previous barometer as to the true 'thinking' of the people. Plus the 'effect' was driven by polls. The same ones that had McCain behind and Clinton winning.

Accept it or not the economy is going to drive this election and even those who are 'racist' at heart still thinks that the color green trumps black every day of the week. As such, they will vote their wallets moreso than their hearts.

[BluesDogLefty]

Yes, and look at the Harold Ford race in Tenn in '06 for Senate.

Ford lost by only 3 points----and against some very racist ads.

BUT THE POLLS had Ford LOSING by more---

So---NO Bradley effect in Ford's bid for the senate---

Also--no Bradley effect in Dem primary where Obama usually did better than polling--

So, yes, I am as hopeful as you are.

[LAB11]

In most states it's a crime to identify your ballot as this guy just did. How strange. But then he is a R.

[beden7068]

Really? I really had no idea it was illegal to tell someone how you voted. Maybe, I've just never lived in one of those states

[LAB11]

Maybe you should try seeing Russia from someplace other than your porch.

[BertrandRussell]

I never heard of it either. If it is illegal then... heck with the law. It is MY vote and I will talk about it if I choose to, or not. Will declaring my vote in some way swing the election? I may have an ego but it is not THAT big.

Oh, and I used to smoke that weed too.

[ILikeH00ters]

Unless I accidentally push McCain's lever due an earthquake, I am going to pull the lever for 0bama / Biden. There!

[LAB11]

Most voters will. That's why Obama wins.

[emily00011]

Clearly there is more than one maverick in the Republican party doing mavericky things.

[TrooAmerican]

Mavericky! lol
I loved the piece on the family that is the actual Descendants of the Family Maverick that actually Coined the term due to great great grandparents that refused to ranch the same as the other ranchers..­. and that they hate Republicans and are voting Obama.
Its just as ironic as can be.

[grata2ude]

I hope alot of republicans write in other names. That would be a good thing for Obama.

[Twrexx]

Instead of berating this guy, we should be hoping people in other states follow his lead. The fewer people that vote for McCain, the better.

[beden7068]

I agree

[ruthinking]

Trevino...­. is he Hispanic? If he is, obviously he doesn't give a damn about our community, as he also cannot bring himself to vote for us, by voting for Obama.