"He'll Keep Things the Same"

One of my young piano students has been spending some time at our house this summer, as my daughter was hired to babysit her one day per week. The young lady in question is 7 years old and entering the second grade. Today as we were in the car returning from an outing, my student suddenly asked me, "So who are you rooting for?"

I wasn't sure what she meant and said so.

"For president. I like John McCain. If I could vote, I would vote for him. Who do you like?"

I told her that I, too, liked John McCain and was planning on voting for him, and I went on to ask why he was her favorite.

"Because he will keep things the same. And I like the way things are. I don't want them to change. Also, he looks kind of like President Bush, and I like President Bush."

It would seem that--at least with this young future voter--two of Barack Obama's primary themes are actually reasons to vote against him: namely, that he wants to change what America is all about and that he would repudiate the policies of President Bush while John McCain would sustain and continue them.

Now, I understand that my piano student is probably reflecting the views of her parents. But I think her 7-year-old spin on the election is also profoundly revealing, distilling the choice before us quite effectively. At his core, Barack Obama wants to remake America, finding little to love about it, whereas McCain as a conservative (and yes, I believe he is one) finds much worth preserving. It is for this reason that I think my husband hit the nail on the head when he told me, some months ago, that if the United States elects Barack Obama we will have our first European president. The Anchoress argues similarly in this post (if you have time, follow her link to the Gateway Pundit for some additional perspective).

So I'm with you, Evelyn. I like our country, too, and concur that change is overrated. Let's hope the majority of Americans agree with us.