Why I can't vote for Obama

I distrust Obama.

I distrust him because he has very little experience.
I distrust him because he voted "present" repeatedly, rarely taking a stand on any issue of significance.
I distrust him because the media loves him, and they haven't dared attack on him much of anything.
I distrust him because in his history he has associated with socialists and anarchists, and it is impossible to tell whether his current policy ideas are truly his own or whether he is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
I distrust him because most of his speeches are filled with hope-laced platitudes, and when you actually dissect his oratory, there generally isn't much substance.
I distrust him because of trivial but telling details like this.
I distrust him because he believes government involvement is the answer to almost every problem, and I believe government involvement often creates, and almost always, intensifies problems.
I distrust him because he seems like the perfect TV candidate - handsome, great speaker, cool -and using TV as a decision-making medium almost always leads to bad decisions (the corollary being that if this decision was based on written ideas rather than TV, I think Obama's weaknesses would be much more glaring).
I distrust him because people LOVE him, and cults of personality scare me.

To be fair, Obama might be a great president. His intelligence and communication skills are stellar, and he can inspire like few other leaders. I often find his speeches mesmerizing. But when I force myself to look past his charm and facade, the lack of substance and experience concerns me.

Am I thrilled about a McCain presidency? Not really, but McCain is a known quantity, and while I disagree with some of his policy ideas, I know he will be a relatively steady hand. We are facing the most treacherous period for America in at least 25 years, possibly 100, a period where I fear the nature of the American republic as we know it could be challenged. It is not a time for experimentation. Change will not require the initiative of the president; it will be forced upon us. And since that change will almost assuredly displace the best-laid plans, my gut tells me to go with the tested if unimaginative veteran over the imaginative but untested rookie.