Odds appear stacked against McCain

WINDOW ROCK, Oct. 30, 2008

So far, President Joe Shirley Jr., the Navajo Nation Council, and four of the five agency councils have endorsed Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential race.

If the results of the 2004 presidential election, when 104 of the tribe's 110 voting precincts went blue, are any indication, Republican candidate John McCain will likely have a hard time selling his position on the Navajo Nation.

However, McCain does have the home court advantage, having served as a U.S. Senate for more than 20 years. He also has served on the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

Both should be attractive traits for Navajo voters and yet the odds still seem stacked against McCain."To be honest, I think Obama is going to carry it here," said Vern Lee, a volunteer heading the McCain campaign in Shiprock. "I think we're outnumbered."

Even beyond Navajoland, McCain's campaign managers recognize an uphill battle in Indian Country.

"I understand Obama is an attractive candidate and he's making great speeches," said John Tahsuda, co-chair of the American Indians for McCain Coalition. "And I know there's an immense amount of frustration among tribal leaders over dealing with the Bush administration over the past eight years.

"But it's unfortunate if people are going to pick change they don't know anything about over change you know McCain would bring," Tahsuda said.

However, that hasn't stopped Lee from campaigning for the red ticket on the Navajo Nation. It makes sense, he said, considering that the Republican doctrine seems to fit the Navajo Nation best.

"Navajos, as a culture, are conservative," Lee said.

He cites the traditional prohibition of abortion. The Navajo have also stressed independence and entrepreneurship - even today, Lee said.

"I think Navajos vote Democratic traditionally, sort of like they are conditioned to do that," he said.

Lee believes that the conservative Republican philosophy would serve the nation's American Indian people best.

"With a Republican administration would be more conservative in interpreting treaties and other federal laws that pertains to Indian nations," Lee said. "A liberal judge, or liberal administration, would deviate from what the actual law stipulates."

Still, that conservative doctrine hasn't stopped the wave of budget cuts that have plagued the Navajo Nation's federally funded programs during the past two Republican-led administrations. Tribal leaders often cite this in their endorsements for Obama.

To be fair, both candidates can argue that the other has voted against some type of spending bill that could have gone toward Native American issues.

Both candidates have promised to uphold federal treaties with tribes, although it is highly unlikely that any candidate would say otherwise.

Tahsuda, a registered lobbyist, said McCain has always been at the forefront of Native American issues, and has worked to bring funding to the IHS and tribal courts and law enforcement.

"It's fair to say tribal self governance is really at the heart of everything McCain's believed in for Indian country," Tahsuda said. "You have to be exercising governmental powers before you can have a real government-to-government relationship. He believes tribes should govern themselves."

Pointing to McCain's sponsorship of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, Tahsuda, who is Kiowa, said McCain has worked to do "everything he can from the federal side" to attract jobs to Indian reservations.

McCain sponsored a version of the legislation lifting the Bennett Freeze, which passed the Senate in September. The bill is currently circulating in the House of Representatives.

Still, tribal leaders refer to Obama's campaign promise to appoint a Native American into a high cabinet position and to hold annual meetings with tribal leaders.

McCain has made no such commitment yet, but Lee said the Republican Party has already established itself as a diverse entity. Under the Bush administration, several minorities have been appointed to key positions.

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