What Presidential Candidate Are You Supporting at the Polls in November? (Economy: live, law)
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I enjoyed the debate last night but thought McCain came off as arrogant, rude and a know it all. I thought Obama came across as thoughtful, respectful, educated and a decent human being. I felt that McCain should have looked Obama in the eye more than he did ; he didnt do that at all.
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Looked at through a different lens you could say that McCain came across as informed, in command, ready to take charge and a leader. Obama came across as a college professor lecturing a PolSci course. Carter too was respectful, educated and a decent human being but was taken to the woodshed by the thugs in this world. In this world you don't get points for being "nice".
Thank you everyone for thus far keeping your passions and emotions "in-check." I know from experience on the Politics & Other Controversies forum that these discussions can often become very, very heated and very, very difficult for moderators, but thus far there have been a number of well-composed, non-demeaning replies. Thank you. Please keep up the good work!
I must say that I am only barely supporting Sen. Barack Obama at this point in time. Yes, I have his last name affixed to the rear bumper of my sedan. Yes, I voted in his favor in this poll. However, I would not be nearly as ill-disposed towards our nation's electoral process in 2008 if Sen. McCain became our next president as I was disgusted in 2004 when our nation overwhelmingly elected President Bush. If over 50% of the nation voted for him in 2004, yet only 30% or so approve of him now, then how do you account for that 20% spread? Is that 1/5 of the voting public just saying "Oops. Our bad?"
It is common belief that Sen. McCain has a superior handle on foreign policy experience while Sen. Obama has a superior handle on economic policy. I cringed when Sen. McCain said "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" right before asking for the debate to be canceled so he could rush to Washington to bail out that same supposedly "strong" economy. He later clarified that by "fundamentals" he was referencing "the American worker," but the damage had already been done---Sen. Obama saw a boost of a couple of points after that ill-advised comment. I can agree that Americans are amongst the most productive and dedicated workers out there, but even as a near-college graduate myself I never would have equated "fundamentals" to "workers." He should have made that distinction much clearer at the time, especially considering that much of the nation is a mass panic right now over the impending collapse of our financial system (Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, AIG, Washington Mutual, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, etc.) They all seem to be toppling like dominoes, threatening people's hard-earned investments. It was very imprudent of him to have seemingly disavowed these concerns with that one disastrous sentence that made me cringe.
On the other hand Sen. Obama, in my opinion, has done a terrible job at connecting to the typical working-class American. Many here in PA still resent his comment that we are "bitter and cling to our guns and religion." I personally agree with him on that one---I have yet to meet a Scrantonian who was NOT bitter over something trivial. However, I'd prefer to see Sen. Obama campaigning more so on his OWN platform instead of merely trying to pull Sen. McCain's credibility out from under him. I don't believe Sen. McCain will be a carbon-copy of President Bush. However, even though Sen. Obama knows that voters' biggest apprehensions about him are all tied to his alleged "lack of experience" by the McCain campaign, he still does not aim to mitigate those concerns by airing advertisements pointing to his own personal accomplishments and judgments that set him apart. If he can get over that "no experience" stigma, then McCain is dead in the water. Likewise if McCain can get over that "McSame" stigma, then Obama is dead in the water. Sen. McCain needs to disassociate himself FULLY from President Bush. Sen. Obama needs to do something revolutionary to prove that he IS experienced enough to lead our nation back to prosperity.
Socialism and live-birth abortion is not the kind of change I'm hoping for...sorry Barack, got to go with the lesser of the evils.
Religon and politics do not mix. If someone votes based on religon they should just not vote....this country has more important things to worry about than abortion.
Yes look at Michigan. As I understand it from people that live there(or did), democrats voted in a tax and spend policy and businesses fled the state.
Obama is going to raise your taxes if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to end in 2010 as the old higher rate tax brackets come back in for everyone. Obama's tax breaks for the middle class as he defines them are nothing but credits and rebates, none of which are permanent, well defined or citizen wide eligible.
And he is going to raise business and capital gains tax. And I'm sure you are going to think that wont affect you but it already has and will do so into the future. It's those business owners that pay high taxes that move their business to other countries where they don't pay high taxes. Pretty simple math. Capital gains tax? I believe about 70% of Americans own stocks or homes or other capital assets and will suffer under punitive capital gains tax. It's also a disincentive to invest in a home or investments for your future. If you are all about American jobs then you wont be voting for Obama.
Keep beleving the republicans. The past 8 years say enough, and the 8 before that also say a lot. This country was great when clinton was in office...Bill was prob. one of the best presidents we have ever had. Obama reminds me a lot of bill...funny thing is people said bill was to young and inexperienced before he went into office. I know people from Michigan, and i know what there economy is like....its not the democrats fault. Republicans are the ones who let these companys get away with shipping jobs overseas, Obama will give tax cuts to automakers who build there product here in America, Obama will reopen Mills that have been shut down to build steel for new forms of energy. The companys that ship jobs overseas do it because they save money....pay an American 20 dollars an hour or pay someone else 2 dollars an hour. Thats the way it is. All the republicans talk about is taxes...well let me tell you its a proven fact peoples paychecks are higher when a democrat is in office, and i lived in an ALL republican right to work state in the south for a year...the taxes there were 10 times higher than they are in PA. In PA just take a look along the rivers around Pittsburgh at all the closed down Mills...its ashame, and dates back to when Regan screwed the unions. Mccain wants to make a federal right to work law, so if you like slavery then vote for him... i like having working rights. I also think people should have healthcare, the same that John Mccain has. I went without healthcare for a year when i lived in that right to work state...and not because i didnt work but because i couldnt afford to pay hundreds of dollars a month for it. I now have it, and pay a very low cost through my job here. John Mccain will be worse than Bush (if thats posible)...yea John stay in Iraq 100 more years....because we have solved so much over there the past 8...thats a joke. If you want to support helping the Iraqis and not your own country then vote for Mccain. If you want a good president who cares about America vote for Obama.
Also Mccain wants to make it harder for people to retire, privatize SS, and screw over disabled people who cant work. My mother whos disabled has gotten screwed under the Bush administration, and John Mccain will continue doing this. My grandmother has a hard time paying for her medicine that keeps her alive. So voting for John is pretty much the same as walking up to someone in a wheel chair and kicking them in the face, then walking up to an old person and spitting in there face. I dont know about you, but i would like to retire when im young enough to enjoy it. If Mccain wins this election it will be 4 more years of the rich getting richer, and everyone else getting poorer....hate to say it but i really might look into going to canada if he wins, because America will continue to be a laughing stock to the rest of the world.
Also on VP picks...Sarah Palin??? That is a joke, she has no clue. Funny how Mccain supporters and Mccain call Obama inexperienced. Sarah Palin has about as much experience as me and thats none. She was in charge of a small town in alaska, then governer...big deal. Alaska?? There populations less than that of most citys. She already has scandles agenst her, and she cant even control her own kids...how is she going to control america? Joe Biden has more forigen policy experience than Mccain does. Bidens a very good choice.
Last edited by Steelers115; 09-27-2008 at 11:33 AM..
first off - good post. it is so nice to be able to talk to fellow PA'ers about something besides PA. (not that i dont enjoy that as well!)
i put undecided. i admit - i just dont know what to do. obama is charasmatic. he makes me WANT to believe every word he says. when i heard his acceptance speech i was like "wow" if only he could actually do what he is saying. but that can never be. politics is still politcs no matter who the person.
mccain. not my fav. he seems to be educated in only one area and the rest he seems to be poorly lacking. his VP pick has me scratching my head. BUT - he does have more experience then obama... i just dont know how important that actually is anymore.
like my husband says - there are only 4 people who are actually experienced enough to be president - carter, bush senior, bush jr and clinton..... he is right. until you are actually in the oval office, you have no flippen clue what you are up against. i think it is a "learn as you go" type of job. scary that, isnt it?!?! LOL!
Religon and politics do not mix. If someone votes based on religon they should just not vote....this country has more important things to worry about than abortion.
Last I checked abortion is not simply a religious issue. There is no scientific or secular philosophical authority determining when life begins or when it is allowable to be terminated (I should know considering I majored in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry and Philosophy). Even if abortion was simply such a religious issue, then why is that your beliefs should be instrumental in influencing public policy, but mine are not allowable...it's called hypocrisy.
More important things than abortion? You've just discredited my beliefs on the basis of your own beliefs. Are you a god, that I should obey you? or just a superior human being?
if you are looking for a really quick way to get this thread closed - abortion is the ticket.
tread carefully my friends.
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However, I'd prefer to see Sen. Obama campaigning more so on his OWN platform instead of merely trying to pull Sen. McCain's credibility out from under him. I don't believe Sen. McCain will be a carbon-copy of President Bush. However, even though Sen. Obama knows that voters' biggest apprehensions about him are all tied to his alleged "lack of experience" by the McCain campaign, he still does not aim to mitigate those concerns by airing advertisements pointing to his own personal accomplishments and judgments that set him apart. If he can get over that "no experience" stigma, then McCain is dead in the water. Likewise if McCain can get over that "McSame" stigma, then Obama is dead in the water. Sen. McCain needs to disassociate himself FULLY from President Bush. Sen. Obama needs to do something revolutionary to prove that he IS experienced enough to lead our nation back to prosperity.
