Though Right-wing voters as a whole prefer John McCain to Democratic candidate Barack Obama, many conservatives still distrust the Republican candidate.

McCain?s wartime jingoism is not what draws suspicion; his cheerleading is actually seen as a reason to support him. His opinions on economic and energy issues get a similar reception. In fact, it is not his current views on what is needed for the country that raise eyebrows but his past opposition to some of the policies and ideas of President George W. Bush.

Not only are these areas of concern relatively unimportant, they are, for the most part, entirely misguided. The Republican candidate, whatever his history, has arguably become the biggest fan of the Iraq war. He regularly praises the security effects of the ?troop surge,? apparently ignorant of the fact that even though violence has gone down since 2007, the cost still increases ? and with it, our national debt.

The fact that we are borrowing so much to pay for the well-being of a nation thousands of miles away is not something to brag about. Those debts will have important consequences for our nation?s social, political and economic future.

As for the economic future, John McCain is also a major proponent of Bush?s tax cuts. Those cuts may have a chance of success during peacetime, yet during wartime, these tax cuts can only lead to disaster. America is already feeling the effects of five years’ accumulated debt. The last thing we need is a president who will carry on with Bush?s economic policies.

Nevertheless, Right-leaning voters may still argue that the Republican candidate for 2008 is not a die-hard conservative. That claim simply does not stand up to scrutiny. Despite his media image as a ?maverick? ready to go against his party at any time, through the years McCain has become an orthodox Republican.

While he may not appeal to the Republicans on moral issues, he makes up for that with his support for the Iraq War and Bush?s free-market policies. In short, John McCain is a true conservative, and that is more of a cause for fear than if he were not.