In a few days, we will be making a most important decision. We will elect to public office those we trust to make choices on our behalf and in the best interest of our state and nation. It is time to turn off the TV and computer, stop listening to pollsters and political pundits. It is time to walk away from all the political chatter. It is time to sit back and reflect on our responsibility as Election Day approaches.

Last evening, I got back to basics and looked up the president’s job description in our Constitution. Simply stated under Article II, section 2, his first responsibility is that of Commander in Chief. The Founders believed this was to be his most important responsibility. The Founders then went on to delineate the president’s power to make treaties and appoint judges to the Supreme Court and make other public appointments with the advice and consent of the Senate. 

Reading the president’s job description helped me clarify a number of important issues. This election boils down to two interrelated issues, national security and the economy, but my final decision has little to do with either one. Our next president will have to live by Harry Truman’s famous words: “The buck stops here.” He will not share the office with anyone else. He will not have time for on-the-job training. He will not be able to make decisions while holding a rally with thousands of adoring fans. He will not be able to come to your neighborhood for a town hall meeting and ask for your advice when a crisis lands on his desk. He will have many advisors whispering in his ear, but he alone will have to make decisions. His character, judgment, and experience will determine how well he gets the job done.

In their infinite wisdom, our Founders assigned our Commander in Chief the job of preserving, protecting, and defending America against its enemies as a primary duty. Nowhere in our Constitution did I find a single mention of presidential powers to “spread the wealth around.” Without a strong national security, our economic problems will pale in comparison to the hardships we will endure.   The reason I bring this up has to do with Joe Biden’s latest “rhetorical flourish.” You see, Senator Obama’s running mate reminded us that the junior Senator from Illinois is a novice in foreign affairs, who will be vulnerable as president and who will be tested during a “world crisis” within his first six months in office. This is very unsettling.

I made my decision. We need a president who will inspire us through his courage and commitment to achieve greatness at home and abroad, a Commander in Chief who will defend America and lead her to a more secure and prosperous future. We need someone who believes that America’s best days are still ahead. I am voting for John McCain.