Made my decision for President, using a rationale that is distressing

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,559
17,086
136
If nothing else than to try to stop as much of the disaster known as obamacare, and to prevent even more idiots getting placed on the supreme court. Those two things are enough reason to vote for Romney.

Why is Obamacare a disaster? What do you qualify as an idiot with regards to supreme court justices?
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
26,146
12,352
136
I'm in Texas; it doesn't matter if I vote or not so I don't intend to. The straight-ticket Republican masses will turn out by the millions to vote against the kenyan muslim who wants to take their guns away.

We should have a system of proportional representation like other developed nations.

Using my best Clinton impression "I feel your pain".
 

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
To the OP. Ignore the liberal circle jerk that has already ensued and will likely continue. People can't respect other's choices and leave it at that.

I am glad you thought about your decision before making it, regardless of the rationale behind it we need more of this. Too many let others decide everything for them.

Ya I think both guys suck , But was going vote for 3rd party or Obummer himself. Wife Said I have voted Demons my whole life and Now I switch . and your canceling my vote . So I will vote Romney . Man that come out hard . My state has changed so can I.
 

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
This has to be the worst pair of candidates in my voting lifetime. I don't think either candidate is presidential material. Obama won't hesitate to expand government and pander to foreign leaders, both of which weaken the nation, and has not fulfilled promises he made that he COULD have fulfilled (transparent administration, e.g.). He let the bankers call the shots during the financial crisis.

I'd have a little bit more respect for your reasoning if your criticisms of Obama weren't thoughtless regurgitations of Republican talking points. Do you understand that the country was hemorraging 750k jobs per month when Obama took office? Do you understand that the financial markets had almost completely frozen?

In terms of government expansion, the only thing he really did to expand the government was the Affordable Care Act. Even in that case the government was already involved in health care (medicare, medicaid) and is expected to save money per the CBO. Yes, he also put the stimulus in place, but that was a temporary spending measure in direct response to a crisis. It's hard for me to believe that any fair minded individual would criticize that effort as anything but being too mild (the fault of the Republican congress).

I'm not sure what you're referring to WRT the transparent administration thing, but his administration doesn't seem to me like it's especially opaque.

I'm not keen on voting for Obama either. He hasn't lived up to the hype he created in 2008. I think he'll go down in history as a C+ president, not bad but not all that good, either. Some of my biggest pet peeves are the civilian casualties from our drone strikes, mediocre Middle East policy, and how he's essentially been George W. Bush v2 when it comes to the Patriot Act, Guantanamo, wiretapping, etc.

This reasoning I can respect a bit more. Except for the "hype" thing. WTF that has to do with anything I have no idea, and I disagree with the "C+" part, but I think we can leave that question to future historians.

But WRT drones, Patriot Act, Guantanamo, wiretapping, etc. I also do not like what his administration has done. For me it comes down to a question of balancing the good vs. the bad.

Good:

Affordable Care Act
Stimulous
DADT
DOMA
Clean Energy Investments
Tax Policy
End of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
Aggressive Policy vs. Al-Qada
Aggressive Policies vs. Iran, North Korea

Bad:
Domestic Spying
Guantanamo
Drone Strikes
No initiative to combat global warming
Insufficient response to financial crisis WRT new regulations
 

Juddog

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 2006
7,851
6
81
Ya I think both guys suck , But was going vote for 3rd party or Obummer himself. Wife Said I have voted Demons my whole life and Now I switch . and your canceling my vote . So I will vote Romney . Man that come out hard . My state has changed so can I.

LOL as if you ever voted Democrat!
 

nextJin

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2009
1,848
0
0
I can not and will not vote for someone who has no principles. I might not agree with Obama on much of anything but he does have principles even though I believe them to be wrong.

I'm also sickened with the GOP primaries and Convention. I will e voting for Obama only a because his foreign policy is an ass hair more sane than that of Mitt Romney.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
2
0
I can not and will not vote for someone who has no principles. I might not agree with Obama on much of anything but he does have principles even though I believe them to be wrong.

I'm also sickened with the GOP primaries and Convention. I will e voting for Obama only a because his foreign policy is an ass hair more sane than that of Mitt Romney.

What principles does Obama have? What principles does Romney lack? Do tell, I think it would be enlightening for many here.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
2
0
You mean you're not just going to applaud him making up his own mind?

Do I have to applaud each and every person who comes in here? I think I got my point across a while back. Judging by the replies, some saw that.
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
33,559
17,086
136
To the OP. Ignore the liberal circle jerk that has already ensued and will likely continue. People can't respect other's choices and leave it at that.

I am glad you thought about your decision before making it, regardless of the rationale behind it we need more of this. Too many let others decide everything for them.

Do I have to applaud each and every person who comes in here? I think I got my point across a while back. Judging by the replies, some saw that.

No I think your point was that people's decisions don't need to be questioned and that their rational doesn't matter.
 

nextJin

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2009
1,848
0
0
What principles does Obama have? What principles does Romney lack? Do tell, I think it would be enlightening for many here.

His principles have remained the same with the exception of gay marriage.

Romney has changed stances on everything other than gay marriage.

That's just how it is, most everyone that has been paying attention for the last 4 years knows this.

Obama will openly discuss wealth distribution even though it could hurt him, Romney will talk about anything people want to hear.
 
Nov 29, 2006
15,890
4,441
136
I could not honestly in good faith actually vote for either the R or D candidate. But Romney will win KS regardless if i vote for him or not. So im not voting. Fuck you EC!!
 

thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,112
1,587
126
Good:

Affordable Care Act
Stimulous
DADT
DOMA
Clean Energy Investments
Tax Policy
End of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan
Aggressive Policy vs. Al-Qada
Aggressive Policies vs. Iran, North Korea

Bad:
Domestic Spying
Guantanamo
Drone Strikes
No initiative to combat global warming
Insufficient response to financial crisis WRT new regulations

Now here's a list in which the arguments make actual sense. Though I disagree a little bit.

Tax Policy - I dislike that Obama compromised with the GOP to extend the Bush tax cuts. I also believe we should cut the top corporate tax rate and eliminate ALL corporate tax deductions. People complain we have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, but fail to mention almost no one pays those with all the deductions.

Domestic Spying - My biggest complaint about it by Bush was that it was done in violation of the law. The law has been updated and restrictions loosened and Obama does not do as broad or invasive of domestic spying. So Obama's spying is within the law, but I still dislike it being done and feel the law needs to be tightened again.

Guantanamo - I can't fault him for this as it was blocked by Congress, I honestly don't know if there could have been a compromise to get this done. With this Congress, unlikely.

Drones - I feel the increase in use of drones is a good thing as it keeps our troops out of harms way. I feel it's a bad thing in that any military age male is classified as an enemy combatant and more civilians get killed but not counted.


Now with regards to what policy of Romney I dislike, there's 2 problems with listing that. First, there's simply too much to list without it turning into a short novel. Second, there's a good chance that any policy of his I name will change before I finish typing this post. It comes down to that he says whatever he thinks you want to hear and he lies more than any American politician in history, which is a damn difficult feat. Then again, honesty has not been a strong point of the GOP since the Nixon years.
 
Feb 6, 2007
16,432
1
81
I was tempted to vote Romney solely because one of my friends said he wouldn't come to my wedding if I did and I wanted to call his bluff on it (I live in a safe blue state so there's really no way my vote changes anything). But I can't bring myself to do it. I don't mind someone changing their views on a subject, but I don't want them changing their views every 14 seconds based on what audience they're speaking to.
 

Zxian

Senior member
May 26, 2011
579
0
0
I will applaud any person who goes and votes, even if that vote is "lost" in the EC system. If you don't put your X on the ballot, you have zero right to complain. If you put in your vote and the system is a little wonky, you have a right to complain.
 

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
LOL as if you ever voted Democrat!

I have voted in every election Since old enouch except 2008 I wouldn't vote . Every time I have voted that man has won so clearly I vote for either as independents do . I follow no party . I vote for the man . Problem is we have had no Men in the White house since 1963. and that man scarred me.
 

xBiffx

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2011
8,232
2
0
His principles have remained the same with the exception of gay marriage.

Romney has changed stances on everything other than gay marriage.

That's just how it is, most everyone that has been paying attention for the last 4 years knows this.

Obama will openly discuss wealth distribution even though it could hurt him, Romney will talk about anything people want to hear.

This is pretty much what I expected and why I asked. Those aren't principles, they are opinions on certain issues. Principles aren't about specific issues, they are general rules you live by.

You said that one has principles and one doesn't. But that is not what you indicated upon follow up. They both have principles. I don't think either candidate has changed their principles at all.

This doesn't change the validity of your decision one bit, however.
 

Charles Kozierok

Elite Member
May 14, 2012
6,762
1
0
Romney has changed stances on everything other than gay marriage.

romney_1994_bay_windows.jpg
 

diesbudt

Diamond Member
Jun 1, 2012
3,393
0
0
Lol keep dreaming! So long as the right wing exists this will never happen. It would be nice but it would just be a battle between new york, California, and Texas and we know how that would turn out.

Right.
Left.

Both sides don't want this. So the "right wing" comment is not appropriate here.

However a battle between those states? in what?

Country music? texas wins
Business practices? New York wins
Fasion show? California wins
 

Todd33

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2003
7,842
2
81
When I hear terms like "weaken the nation" I cannot take the poster seriously. It just sounds like nutjob bumper sticker with no real thought.
 

Nemesis 1

Lifer
Dec 30, 2006
11,366
2
0
His principles have remained the same with the exception of gay marriage.

Romney has changed stances on everything other than gay marriage.

That's just how it is, most everyone that has been paying attention for the last 4 years knows this.

Obama will openly discuss wealth distribution even though it could hurt him, Romney will talk about anything people want to hear.

Well here we are . Explain exactly how this wealth distributaion works . You act like Robin hood was a hero when he was infact a theif . Two wrongs will never = a right and this is your problem and mans undoing. Welfare families today recieve up to $60,000. a year for doing nothing . What is it you want . $100,000 a year for doing nothing
 
Last edited: