Why I'll be voting for McCain on Nov. 4th

After many conversations with family and friends; following commentary of both left and right (TNR, Atlantic mothly, Wall Street Journal, local news, CNN, etc..); looking at positions put by the candidates on their websites; watching a great Frontline special episode looking at both candidates; and thinking this through for a long, long time, I think I've finally decided my vote for Nov. 4th and it will be for John McCain. Here's why:

Obama - I, unlike others on the right, do not fear an Obama presidency. He's not a terrorist or dishonest or sneaky, or going to seriously trample and abrogate constitutional rights, etc... I think he made some sacrifice choices in not going into a lucrative law practice, but going back to Chicago as a community organizer, adjunct faculty at Chicago Law School (and turning down full -time job offers from them). I think he really believes in his principles and works hard to support them. He is intelligent, gives a great speech, and his life is inspirational. Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers are non-issues, really. People that have different ideas and opinions that were near Obama.
However - he is all ambition and no significant accomplishment. Every step has been planned to take him to the presidency. Part of that strategy as a US Senator (ref: Frontline) was to lay low and not take any controversial stands or stand out. The second year was spent helping others' legislation to generate "IOU's." Hence, all ambition and work, but no significant accomplishments because they were subjugated to his grand plan for the presidency, not to do what is right.
Also, he makes decisions (IMHO), not because they're right, necessarily, but because they're politically expedient. Some examples - He said that Jeremiah Wright's teachings (some of them, anyway) were "antithetical" to what he is and what his campaign is about. Why weren't they antithetical to him *while he was sitting in the pulpit over the course of a couple decades?* Because it wasn't politically expedient, in fact, it helped his credibility in his Chicago-based elections. However, at the national level it became politically expedient to cut his ties. Another example - public campaign financing. He agreed with McCain and committed to public financing, but when he discovered his incredible fundraising ability, it was no longer politically expedient to stick to public financing, so he opted out.
Finally, his campaign is all based on "hope," on "overcoming partisan division," etc... The claim is that he will transcend politics and party to do what is right. There is no evidence that he will actually do so. The coaliation he built for election in Chicago (ref: Frontline) was not cross-party or "transcendent," but a coalition of progressive whites, blacks and others. This was different for Chicago, but not "transcendent." What he has done in the Senate is all solidly democratic, working with democrats, and not reaching across the aisle. I find his rhetoric ringing hollow. Finally, he will have a strong Democratic majority in both houses of the legislative - there will no longer be any need to be trascendent or cut across party lines; making me doubt even further that there is any substance to his claims.
I find his foreign policy contradictory and empty: restore our reputation? What's that mean - make people like us? Maybe, since he's not Bush, it would work...until he actually sends a cross-border raid into Pakistan and kills some civilians, then it's burning in effigy all over again.

McCain - on the other hand, has a very long history of crossing the aisle and working across party lines to do what he believes is the right thing. Heck, even his scandal (Keating 5) was with 4 democrats. He says it too much, be his record shows that he is a maverick, frequently opposing his own party and working with Democrats. He even seriously considered becoming a democrat. So, his promises to change Washington and overcome politics is credible - he's been doing it for a long time. He has always been a centrist with demonstrable credentials in that arena.
Yes, he supported the war in Iraq - he also took Rumsfeld and the administration to task in Senate hearings over the mistakes and stupidity in the execution of the war. He was right about the surge and called for it before most anyone else did. The war, at this point, is really a non-issue - but for negotiating with any other regimes in the future I think he cuts a much more credible figure where Obama is a total unknown.
His record shows him standing up and taking responsibility when he screws up.
I think he has the experience, knowledge, and record of actually working to get the right things done even if it means going across party lines to do so.

The economy - no one really knows what to do with it right now; no one. It's going to take more than a president to fix it so neither candidate has an advantage.
Taxes - we should not be raising taxes on anyone during a downturn. Bush's tax cuts should not be made permanent, either, but they do need to be left for a bit. I don't like redistribution, either and I find Obama disingenous for calling it "tax relief" when the people being relieved don't pay taxes.
Health Care - I actually think Obama has a better plan here, but I don't like the idea of having a Democratic majority legislatively to make it more radical than it needs to be. McCain as opposition will help to keep them in check.
Alternative energy - Obama's plan relies on direct government investment (i.e, choosing particular technologies to support); that is not the right way to go when there is still so much uncertainty about which technology is "correct." Bush chose hydrogen fuel cells - I think that's the wrong choice. McCain's plan is more broad-based, using tax incentives. That's the better way to go right now.
The war is a non-issue at this point. The new president will take office with an Iraqi government well into the process of an agreement for our withdrawal. It will just be up to him to continue and complete the process - which is going to be hugely popular and important to the broad American public is not likely at all to be stopped.

Well, that's it in a very huge nutshell. Remember that Obama leads in the polls and is likely to be President. It's not going to destroy the country. Our civil rights are not going to be slashed and decimated. What matters is the system - not the person. If we respect and keep the system, it will continue working well.