One of the things I like in a presidential candidate is at least some experience living in the real world, that is, working for wages, paying rent, making payments on a used car and generally coping with the day to day problems that most of us face at some time in our adult lives. Such experience should prevent the candidate from thinking that the solution to every problem is a tax increase and more government intrusion into our lives.

 On TV a few months back, I watched the conclusion of an Obama rally. He turned to the group of fawning fans sitting behind him and said, “How many are you are in favor of a tax increase?”  His supporters all waved their hands and cheered wildly. Naturally I wondered whether he picked up these people at the nearest lunatic asylum or if they were those who themselves pay no taxes and assumed he meant a tax increase for everyone else.  Sane people with bills to pay and kids to raise aren’t in favor of federal tax increases.  Senator Obama later clarified his remarks, saying that he meant a tax increase for the rich. The bad news—people who work for more than minimum wage are, by his definition, rich.

 According to the Obama website, his proposed expansion of the existing the “Making Work Pay” tax credit will completely eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans.” Guess who’s going to make up the difference?  A person with real life experience should know that raising the taxes on working people and giving it to those who barely, if at all, contribute is socialism; that’s not the remedy to difficult economic times.

 It’s strange to me that so many people who have never slogged for an hourly wage or sweated a car payment often to drift toward a socialist ideology.

 Another thing I like in a presidential candidate is being resolute on the issues. Senator Obama has flip-flopped on most of the issues since wrapping up enough delegates to secure the Democrat nomination. As Charles Krauthammer wrote in the Washington Post this week, “Obama's seasonally adjusted principles are beginning to pile up: NAFTA, campaign finance reform, warrantless wiretaps, flag pins, gun control. What's left?”  I think the Iraq flip-flop is on the way.  Obama began his campaign as the left wing socialist that he is. Since becoming the nominee apparent, he has moved to the center, hoping to attract less radical Democrat voters and a few Hillary supporters. One would do well to remember that if he wins in November, he will flop-flip—reverting to his original socialist views. As it is now, we have no idea where he actually stands on the issues if we believe what he has said. He was lying then or he’s lying now. Which is it?

One thing he hasn’t flip-flopped on is his plan to institute a trillion dollars in new spending. To pay for it, everyone’s taxes will have to be raised. He’s still against drilling for our own oil and thinks raising taxes on the oil companies will somehow fix the energy crisis. Such an idiotic plan can only make things worse.

There are many people, myself included, who are afraid he’ll be elected and that congress will pick up a veto-proof and filibuster-proof majority of Democrats. If that happens there’ll be no way to stop this guy from bringing about a socialist regime that will wreck the economy of this country.

 While I’m not convinced that John McCain is the best the GOP can do, I know for a fact that he’s a saner choice for president.