West, Donavon West

Though not a ringing endorsement, conservative Ken Adelman explains why he is voting for Barack Obama. He gives a truthful and honest assessment of Obama vs. McCain for President.

Adelman was a key part of George Bush's defense agency and has held senior policy positions under Presidents Reagan, Ford and even Nixon. He's a staunch conservative, though he has broken with Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld over the handling of the Iraq war.

He recently wrote an article for Huffington Post titled "Why a Staunch Conservative Like Me Endorsed Obama". Here are a few quotes:

Granted, McCain's views are closer to mine than Obama's. But I've learned over this Bush era to value competence along with ideology. Otherwise, our ideology gets discredited, as it has so disastrously over the past eight years.

McCain's temperament -- leading him to bizarre behavior during the week the economic crisis broke -- and his judgment -- leading him to Wasilla (Palin) -- depressed me into thinking that "our guy" would be a(nother) lousy conservative president. Been there, done that.

Nonetheless, I concluded that McCain would not -- could not -- be a good president. Obama just might be.

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