As I have previously discussed, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about which candidate to support in the upcoming Republican Presidential Primary. At various times I have leaned towards supporting John McCain, Fred Thompson and Mike Huckabee. I have also given great consideration to Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Before going into the reasons behind my decision, I want to reiterate my belief that this is the most impressive and accomplished field of GOP Presidential candidates that we have ever had. While each of them have flaws that have made it difficult to crown a consensus choice, their resumes are nonetheless impressive when viewed objectively. I am confident that whichever of these five men ends up as the Republican nominee would certainly do our Party and our Nation proud and would be well qualified for the job of President of the United States.

However, I believe that one candidate stands above the rest as the most qualified, the most prepared, and the most capable. That man is John McCain. As I have explained before, my choice is based on three factors: 1) A commitment to protecting and defending the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, 2) A consistent record of adherence to conservative principles and the ability to hold together the Republican coalition of economic and social conservatives, and 3) A willingness and capability to take on and defeat the Democratic Party’s nominee in November 2008. I believe that John McCain is the best suited of all the Republican nominees to meet these three tests, and that is why I am supporting his candidacy for President of the United States.

First, on national security and foreign policy. I feel strongly that John McCain has the best record and most experience of any candidate in either party on issues of national security. McCain’s years of experience as an officer in the United States Navy set him apart from all the other candidates. While others tout their executive political or business experience, it is the executive experience on the field of battle which impresses me most of all. No other candidate has exhibited the personal courage and heroism under fire that has John McCain. Further, McCain’s compelling personal story, including the more than five years he spent as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison, make him uniquely situated to understand the horrors of war and what is necessary to defeat a ruthless enemy.

To me, national security is the overriding issue of the 2008 campaign. While the war in Iraq has receded somewhat from the headlines, that battle, and its place in the larger war against radical Islamic terrorism, should not be forgotten in this election. John McCain understands the threat we face and what it will take to defeat it. Indeed, it is the very strategy that McCain has been championing since 2004 that has finally brought us a measure of hope for the situation in Iraq. I believe that the way in which the conflict in Iraq is conducted over the next few years will have far-reaching impacts on the ability of the United States to protect itself in the future. If we are forced to tuck tail and run from Iraq, it will be a victory for all enemies of the United States and will force our nation to be on defense against terrorism going forward. However, if we are able to exit Iraq in an honorable way that allows the US military to preserve it's dignity and permits the Iraqi people to have some semblance of stability, it will enable the United States to continue to be on offense against terrorism wherever it may threaten us. Frankly, of all the candidates on either side, I believe it is John McCain who can do the most to prevent a permanent US presence in Iraq. I believe the Democrat strategy of immediate withdrawal would only result in US forces returning to Iraq in subsequent years, only this time under the direction of UN Peacekeepers rather than US Military Commanders. That would be a tragic mistake.

In the last Presidential debate, Fred Thompson stated that voters should ask themselves which candidate they would want sitting at the negotiating table across from Americas greatest enemies and vote for that person. For me, that person is John McCain. I have no doubt that to hear the words “President John McCain” would strike nothing but fear into the hearts of the Putins, Ahmadinejads, and Kim Jong Ils of the world. I believe that it is that respect and fear that will be a great asset to the United States in our foreign relations with both our friends and our enemies.

Next, on consistent conservatism. While John McCain has earned a reputation as a political maverick over the years, a look at his record also shows him to be among the most consistently conservative candidates in the Republican field. He has always been pro-life. He has always fought vigorously against government waste and runaway spending. He has always supported the individual right to bear arms. He has always supported a free-market economy and strongly supports choice and competition in fields such as education and health care. To put it simply, John McCain has a long and consistent record on most of the key issues to Republican voters.

Granted, John McCain has also sometimes made a habit of sticking his finger in the eye of the Republican establishment. That much can not be ignored and is certainly the reason why so many loyal Republicans like me have been slow to fully embrace McCain. Still, I think that even looking at the areas where McCain has diverged from GOP orthodoxy should not disqualify him.

First, his opposition to the Bush tax cuts. McCain acknowledges that the tax cuts have helped the economy and has pledged not to repeal them. In fact, I think his opposition to them was based on sound conservative philosophy in that they were not tied to any reductions in spending. Unfortunately, McCain’s fears about spending have proven true as the Bush administration has done little to reign in Congressional largesse. While the tax cuts have been good for our economy, one wonders how much stronger a position we would be in economically if conservative spending cuts had accompanied them as McCain desired.

Second, McCain’s support for campaign finance reform laws. This is certainly an area of concern and it is hard to look at the present campaign and think that these laws have been anything but a dismal failure. However, it is equally hard to think that these laws have really done any long-term damage to the Republic or that they will remain unchanged as voter frustration with political campaigns seems as reliable as their hatred of the IRS. On this issue again, I believe that, although I disagree with his flawed choice of methods, McCain’s heart was in the right place as a conservative in attempting to remove special interest money and influence from the election process and return it more to the people. Unfortunately, I think that the actual effect of McCain-Feingold has largely been the opposite of its intent. I am hopeful that McCain himself can be persuaded to reform his reforms.

Third, is McCain’s role in the Gang of 14 compromise on Judicial nominations. While it is unfortunate that good Judges were kept from getting a fair hearing on the floor of the Senate, I think that the deal ultimately worked largely in the GOPs favor and preserved a legislative maneuver that the now GOP minority will probably be grateful for. Personally, as a former Senate staffer, I think the Gang of 14 criticism is overblown and that these types of issues are really too much “inside-baseball” for most voters to care about. I also think it says more about the ineptitude of Bill Frist and the Bush administration that such a compromise was necessary than it does about the Senators who actually reached across the aisle to get something done.

Fourth, is McCain’s role in the immigration debate of this past summer. While it is certainly disconcerting to many Republicans to see McCain constantly having his name attached to names like “Kennedy” and “Feingold” I must say that the ability to find common ground with even the most liberal members of the Senate speaks to McCain’s personal credibility and character. While McCain may be more moderate on immigration than I, I respect the fact that he has acknowledged that the public will does not exist to reform our immigration practices until the government proves to the American people that it can control the border effectively. This is an important acknowledgement given the fact that so many Americans on both sides are frustrated with the perceived lack of competence in the present administration. The idea that we must restore American confidence in government to do anything before attempting any grandiose reform projects is an important one for our next President to comprehend and address.

Again, while I disagree with McCain on this and other matters of policy, what I respect about him is his willingness to tell us what we don’t want to hear. Even if we disagree with him, we will always know where he stands. Further, McCain’s variations from GOP orthodoxy seem, in comparison, much less severe than those of either Giuliani (who would alienate social conservatives) and Huckabee (who would alienate economic conservatives). I believe that McCain would do a much better job than either of those two in holding together the Reagan Republican coalition. I also believe that Republicans will agree with a President John McCain much more than they will disagree with him.

Finally, on the issue of electability. I feel strongly that John McCain is the one candidate no Democrat wants to face in November. His status as a war hero, his right of center views that align favorably with the majority of the American electorate, his history of bipartisanship, and his favorable relations with the media all make him a very formidable candidate in the general election. The recent endorsement he received from Senator Joe Lieberman underscores the Democrats’ problems running against McCain. Indeed, all the available polling thus far indicates that McCain usually runs the strongest of any Republican against the Democratic candidates. While this is somewhat affected by the fact that McCain is more of a known quantity among voters at this point than some other Republicans, it cannot be completely overlooked.

2006 was undoubtedly a difficult year for Republicans and 2008 is unlikely to be much easier given the approval ratings of the current administration. Looking at the electoral map, it is imperative that the GOP have a Presidential candidate who can hold the Republican base in the South and also appeal to moderate GOP and independent voters in the Mountain West and Midwest states. Unfortunately, recent trends in states like Colorado, Ohio and even Virginia make them likely targets for Democratic efforts to turn a red state blue. The loss of these states won by Bush in 2004 could throw the White House to the Democrats in 2008. I am confident that John McCain is best positioned to keep these states in the GOP column and to force the Democrats to contest this election on their turf in states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.

Finally I want to say a brief word about the other to candidates who had my strong consideration, Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney. I had high hopes for Fred Thompson before he came into the race for President. He has a strong record of standing up for conservative principles throughout his career in the US Senate. When I worked in the Senate, Thompson was one of the Senators I routinely watched to see where he stood on an issue I was unfamiliar with. I have no doubt that his philosophy of government is quite close to my own. Indeed the fact that both George Allen and Bob McDonnell have endorsed him is a signal to me that he is right on the issues.

However, two things influenced my decision not to support Fred Thompson. First is his lack of executive experience. While not the ultimate arbiter of what makes a good President, the American people have shown time and again that they value such experience in their Presidents. While McCain has never been a Governor, I believe that his service in the military gives him the type of executive experience needed to understand when strong leadership is called for, and when negotiation and compromise are the better tools in one’s diplomatic arsenal. Fred Thompson’s lack of executive experience is a drawback in my mind.

Second is Fred’s lack of effort in the campaign. While Senator Thompson has said many tings that I agree with, and while I admire his resistance to jumping through media-imposed hoops in his campaign, I have yet to hear him articulate any compelling rationale for his candidacy over those of the men he is challenging for the nomination. McCain has stated time and again that he needs no on the job training and that he is ready to lead from day one. While these may be mere political soundbites, I find they do summarize the compelling reasons I’ve outlined above to choose him over his opponents. Fred Thompson has yet to offer such compelling reasons.

Mitt Romney currently stands as my second choice for the Republican nomination. This fact, in and of itself, is a testament to how impressed I have been by his campaign. I had started out generally opposed to supporting Mitt Romney, but I now find myself believing that he is most likely to win the GOP nomination and that he would be a very formidable candidate in the general election. The National Review’s endorsement of Romney lays out a compelling case for his candidacy. Indeed, his success at virtually every public and private venture he has undertaken in his life is a testament to his skill and competency.

However, I ultimately settled on McCain over Romney for a couple of reasons. First, as I explained above, McCain’s background and experience I think uniquely qualify him to face down and defeat the threats to our national security that we currently face. While I believe that Romney would probably be a competent and capable leader, there is no doubt that, as a member of the United States military, I would have the utmost confidence in John McCain as our Commander-in-Chief.

Further, I have trouble shaking the notion that Mitt Romney simply tells me what I want to hear. Again, I have no doubt, based on his record, that Mitt Romney would be a capable manager of the United States. However, at times the President is called to be more than just a manager. At times, the President of the United States must make difficult decisions for which there is no clear guidance. In those situations, I am simply more comfortable having someone with the experience and consistency of John McCain than I am with Mitt Romney who remains, to some extent, an unknown quantity.

Finally, I will say that whoever the Republican voters ultimately choose, I will support them wholeheartedly. I am excited to see what happens over the next few weeks and months as we choose our nominee. I am also confident that if we are able to articulate the Republican message of protecting our nation, reducing the size and inefficiency of our government, and preserving our traditional American values we will be able to win in 2008. I believe that John McCain is the right person at this unique time in history to carry that message and I hope that by reading my thoughts, others will join me in supporting and voting for him.