For several months, I've been solicited for donations by the RNC and Senator
McCain's presidential campaign. Though I've sent contributions to several
Texas Republican candidates, I've hesitated to send any money to Senator
McCain. As I've stated in past articles, I've had my reservations about
Senator McCain for several years. He's gotten under my skin, and I assume
under other conservatives many times with his maverick tendencies to sponsor
bills and side with Democrats on issues that fluster conservatives. For
years he's been the darling of the liberal media for antagonizing
Republicans. But have ya'll notice lately how the liberal media has turned
on him? However, I've maintained all along that I would unenthusiastically
vote for him this November.

Ever since the 1960s when I started to vote, I've had this gut feeling about
politicians who have the ability to energize the electorate to get them
elected to whatever office they seek. And to be honest about it, I've been
right more times than wrong. I could even tell which politicians would not
make it even though I supported them wholeheartedly. Here's an example and
explanation of what I'm talking about. Do ya'll remember when oilman
Clayton Williams ran against State Treasurer Ann Richards in 1990 for the
Texas Governorship? Clayton Williams had the Texas Governorship almost
handed to him. However, his legendary gaffes, especially one about rape,
cost him the governorship of Texas. I vividly remember calling Steve
Hollern, the Republican Chairman here in Tarrant County and telling him,
"Steve, why in the heck won't you call Clayton Williams' campaign
headquarters and see if they can't ship this guy out of Texas until the
election if over. My God, he's got it in the bag, but if he doesn't shut up
he"s going to lose!" Well folks, by a very small margin, Mr. "Big Mouth"

Clayton Wheat Williams, Jr. lost. Interestingly, Governor Ann Richards, a
slick talker, four years later found an inexperienced Republican candidate,
George W. Bush challenging her. Seems that her anti gun legislation here in
Texas didn't sit well with most Texans. I remember saying to my self, ³"this
lady is toast?" when a TV political ad ran depicting: "Don't Let Annie Get
Your Gun." Governor Richards was unexpectedly defeated in 1994 by George W.
Bush, winning 46 percent of the vote to Bush's 53 percent, despite spending
23% more than the Bush campaign.

Incidentally, I felt the same way about President Reagan when he ran in
1980. I knew in my heart that he was going to mop the floor with the most
inept president of our country, President Jimmy Carter. Four years later I
found it almost laughable when Ex-vice President Walter Mondale challenged
'The Gipper.' This time President Reagan won almost every state except Mr.
Mondale¹s own state of Minnesota, which he barely carried.

My political feelings also proved me right on cue in 1992 when I predicted
that President H. W. Bush's renege on his famous "Read my lips, no new
taxes," would hurt him against Governor Bill Clinton. President Clinton won
the presidential election with only 43 percent of the vote. Having said
that, billionaire H. Ross Perot, who ran as an independent helped President
Clinton secure his presidential bid when he took in 18.9 percent of the
vote, which probably would have gone to President H. W. Bush. Again, I got
the same feeling when Republicans nominated Senator Bob Dole to face
President Bill Clinton. I knew in my heart that Senator Dole didn't have a
prayer against President Clinton. There are other examples I can give, but
enough said for now.

Stating in my opening remarks that Senator McCain hadn't motivated me at all
in this year¹s presidential election has changed dramatically. This proud
conservative suddenly has become energized by the VP selection of Governor
Sarah Palin of Alaska by Sen. McCain. As I anxiously, like so many other
conservatives awaited his selection for VP, I prayed that he would not get
Senator Liberman, Gov. Mitt Romney, or Tom Ridge. Frankly, I was totally
taken by surprise by his selection of Governor Palin. And when I heard her
speak for the first time to accepted Senator McCain's bid to run with him as
his VP, I shouted with joy. I remember that I went to my desk to find a
letter from Senator McCain asking for a donation. Finding one, I quickly
mailed in a generous contribution.

As expected, the mainstream media soon started to trash Gov. Palin by
revealing whatever negatives they could find about her and her family. This
they did by exposing her husband's 20-year-old DUI ticket, her 17-year-old
daughter¹s pregnancy, and lastly, that a woman with five kids has no
business running for Vice President. However, none of the media¹s critics
has thwarted Gov. Palin's ascent into the hearts of conservative voters like
myself. Liberals, let me tell you that we conservatives know when we have a
politician with super star qualities in our midst, and that politician is
none other than Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska!

Today, I'm more optimistic than I¹ve been on this year's run to the White
House. And I'm beginning to get that gut feeling that Senator McCain with
Gov. Palin by his side has a better chance of being the next occupants of
the White House. And, if my gut instinct proves me right, I think
Republicans will have the first woman President of this Great Nation of
ours.

Finally, if the liberal media despises Gov. Palin, its got to be that they
know she¹s a real threat to them and the Democrats, and for that I love it!

James H. Reza

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