College Republicans | Strong leadership in troubled times

For years, John McCain has proven that he is a different kind of politician - one who puts his country first, before his party, himself or any other consideration.

He's not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, even if it means going against his own party or even a popular president. He's proven this time and again with his actions - not just his words - from his refusal to support sending troops into Lebanon in 1983 to his open rebuff of Bush's failed Iraq strategy more than 20 years later.

It's all too easy to forget that the world is still an awfully dangerous place. We simply can't afford to have an inexperienced, naive leader who requires on-the-job training. John McCain has proven time and again that he has the judgment and experience necessary to guide our country safely through these difficult challenges.

Through good times and bad, Senator McCain has maintained his faith in the things that have made our country grow and prosper: a free market, low taxes and controlled government. The government has grown more than 40 percent over the past eight years; John McCain knows how to clean it up and bring it down to size.

Throughout his career in the Senate he has fought against wasteful pork barrel spending and corrupt lobbying deals, such as the crooked Air Force tanker deal with Boeing. Furthermore, McCain knows that raising taxes on either individuals or companies will be the surest way to finish off our already wounded economy.

Unlike Senator Obama, McCain will be able to successfully offset the tax breaks our country's families and businesses need with the spending cuts necessary to pay for them. In these tough economic times, it's easy to blame the same policies that have helped our economy to flourish in the past.

John McCain will focus on long-run economic success for our country, rather than short-term market jitters and reactionary politics. As we maneuver our way into an ever-uncertain world, we need someone who will forge a truly new path for our nation. Barack Obama claims to be this candidate.

But change will not come from someone who votes with the party line 97 percent of the time, as Senator Obama has done. Change will not come from reverting to outmoded and failed redistributive economic policies in times of economic uncertainty, and it will not come from a West Wing run by a leftist incarnation of Karl Rove.

Change will not come from the election of Obama, someone who is as stubborn in his support of failed policies as President Bush has been of his own. Certainly, an aggressive reimplementation of the Carter administration's disastrous policies represents a change, but really now, what kind of change is that?

Be forward-thinking in your choice, and choose someone who will truly guide our country down a new path. Regardless of your party affiliation - or lack thereof - I encourage you to vote for someone who will bring a real change to American politics.

Take it from me - I wasn't even a registered Republican until this election.

Vote for someone who will stand with his principles through thick and thin, even when it means bucking his own party. Vote for someone who will refuse to have a Karl Rove-style political office in his White House. Vote for someone who will put honor and duty before left or right. Vote for someone who knows how to stand up and fight in the best interests of our country.

On Nov. 4, put your country first and cast your vote for Senator John McCain.

Harry Jarin is a sophomore in Wharton, co-president of Penn for McCain, and member of the College Republicans. His email is harjarin@wharton.upenn.edu.

This is the third part in a three part series. Click here to see the second part in the series, which covers health care reform, or click here to see the first part in the series, which discusses education policy. Don't forget to check back tomorrow for our Presidential endorsement!

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