Dear Editor,

Although it would be improper to say I represent all centrists, as founder of the Centrist Party, I wanted to share why I am voting for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).

I am a traditional conservative, — meaning conserve as much as possible, and don’t waste. I don’t believe in entitlement programs (rich or poor).

I believe if we don’t earn our money, we don’t own our money, and likely we won’t respect it. Ultimately, if you can’t respect something, you might waste it.

Our economic maelstrom is partly due to corporate entitlements and the leaders that bathed in them (including politicians that relied on their campaign contributions, creating a partnership between corporations and government, not the people). Some proclaim the “free market” silly because we have a federally regulated Keynesian market (“free market” isn’t possible). Corporations and pundits don’t want the government in business. But as soon as they’re in trouble, who is their daddy?

Corporations are wasting “our” resources to maintain a proclaimed higher standard of living, yet they don’t realize that quality of life will suffer due to their actions. Corporations promote that “standard” to uphold “their” profits at “our” expense. What is really valuable? Security, health, friends, family, and above all, honor.

I was fairly evenly split between Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Obama. I like McCain because he works across the aisle. I like Obama because he discusses unpopular issues, but I began favoring Obama due to the tone of his responses and campaign. This upheld the tradition of honor better than the McCain campaign. My tipping point occurred after examining the two vice presidential picks.

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) stood out; her interviews, beyond the talking points she had been briefed on, revealed she clearly is inexperienced, making this a high-risk bet.

With all due respect to McCain and his exceptional record, America cannot afford an inexperienced person in the White House. With all due respect to Palin, she has no foreign policy experience, and little understanding of the challenge global warming will place on our economy; and her energy policy is drill, drill, drill, above all other considerations.

We need a pragmatic centrist in the White House and Obama has held his ground well. Centrists right and left should carefully consider the short and long term: Think outside the box of right/left. Cast your vote for the most reasonable ticket. It’s not an easy choice, but it may be the most important choice in our lifetime, considering all that is on the table at this point in history.

— John P. Reisman
Chairman, Centrist Party