Torn between Obama and McCain

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CallMeJoe

Diamond Member
Jul 30, 2004
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Originally posted by: Vic
Originally posted by: Atreus21
I think my only issue with this article is on abortion.
To me, I'm not voting for McCain because I honestly believe he will or can do anything to curb it. I'm voting for him because, out of principle, he disagrees with it, and Obama does not.
The reason to vote along the abortion issue is because the candidates' stance on it indicates what kind of principles he or she holds. If one believes abortion-for-convenience to be murder, then how can he ethically vote for someone who supports or at least will not condemn the widespread slaughter of thousands per year?
McCain won't do a damn thing about abortion. That issue is the biggest much ado about nothing in modern American politics. Even if, by some unbelievably remote miracle, Roe v. Wade is overturned, that would just push the issue back on the states. And how many would vote to ban abortion? Probably none of them. And those few that might would just fuel abortions in neighboring states that didn't. No solution.
Your "reason" just isn't true. There's a HUGE difference between be pro-choice and pro-abortion. There's an added layer of morality here that the pro-lifers refuse to look at beyond the morality of abortion itself, which is the morality of forcing your morals on others, particularly through govt. It's not something to be taken lightly, especially with the kind of inflammatory rhetoric you used here.
Check around. There are several states that have passed very restrictive anti-abortion laws despite Roe v Wade, and a number that have pre-[]Roe[/i] laws still on the books, awaiting a SCOTUS willing to overturn. Abortion rights are secure in some states, but could easily disappear in large parts of the U.S. if the Court turns.
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
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Originally posted by: Atreus21
...
I think my only issue with this article is on abortion.
...
Looking back at 30+ years of presidents that declare themselves on one side or the other, nothing has changed. To put this in other words, it doesn't matter what a politician says about it. It's not going to change - it will remain legal. A pol's either giving an honest opinion or pandering. You don't have special abilities to detect the difference.

Thanks for being honest, but you're being deceived. Most voters don't want a change in the current abortion laws. Only a suicidal, wingnut politician would go against this tide.
 
Jun 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: Atreus21
...
I think my only issue with this article is on abortion.
...
Looking back at 30+ years of presidents that declare themselves on one side or the other, nothing has changed. To put this in other words, it doesn't matter what a politician says about it. It's not going to change - it will remain legal. A pol's either giving an honest opinion or pandering. You don't have special abilities to detect the difference.

Thanks for being honest, but you're being deceived. Most voters don't want a change in the current abortion laws. Only a suicidal, wingnut politician would go against this tide.

Pretty much, it's the same everywhere in the first world.

You can't just take someones rights to their own body away by instituting a law on a whim, even if it were tried, another government would be there before the trial was over.

It will never happen.
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
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Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
You can't just take someones rights to their own body away by instituting a law on a whim, even if it were tried, another government would be there before the trial was over.
...
Aren't you trying to slap down a nasty group (taliban) which has done precisely that? And on a much broader scale than abortion - they've taken women's minds away.

I hope that I don't live in a time when u.s. politics resembles the taliban.
 

OneOfTheseDays

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2000
7,052
0
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I would rather have a President that tries to shoot for the moon than one that does nothing.

The choice is clear in this election. If you haven't made up your mind by now you're simply not paying attention.

 

Lemon law

Lifer
Nov 6, 2005
20,984
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I for one have to agree with the OP, there is something wrong with anyone who does not have doubts about both McCain or Obama, even at this late date.

There are no double your money back guarantees with either, you are betting your future on either, and I do not think of it as anything but you vote for the lesser of two evils.

Its no secret that I am a partisan democrat and I hope Alphataraget1 decides to vote the Obama Biden ticket, but still, its a decision that Alphatarget1 must make on his own.

As a US citizen, I can and do intend to vote, as for JohnOfSheffield, as a British citizen, he does not have the right to vote. But regardless what I think of the State of British politics,
who the next US POTUS will be will profoundly effect the rest of the world, just as the rest of the world will delimit what the the USA can do. So I do support the right of JOS and other foreign
posters to render their opinions on this US only election.
 
Jun 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
You can't just take someones rights to their own body away by instituting a law on a whim, even if it were tried, another government would be there before the trial was over.
...
Aren't you trying to slap down a nasty group (taliban) which has done precisely that? And on a much broader scale than abortion - they've taken women's minds away.

I hope that I don't live in a time when u.s. politics resembles the taliban.

You and me both, my friend, because all that that would mean to me would be a new battleground.

 
Jun 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: OneOfTheseDays
I would rather have a President that tries to shoot for the moon than one that does nothing.

The choice is clear in this election. If you haven't made up your mind by now you're simply not paying attention.

And i'd rather have a Prime minister that is earthbound than someone chasing Gods angels.
 

NoStateofMind

Diamond Member
Oct 14, 2005
9,711
6
76
Originally posted by: FirewolfX
If you haven't picked a candidate at this point....you are too stupid to vote.

Yeah, steal that from Maher. Unless you are Maher.....are you? Nahhhh!
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
0
0
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
You can't just take someones rights to their own body away by instituting a law on a whim, even if it were tried, another government would be there before the trial was over.
...
Aren't you trying to slap down a nasty group (taliban) which has done precisely that? And on a much broader scale than abortion - they've taken women's minds away.

I hope that I don't live in a time when u.s. politics resembles the taliban.

You and me both, my friend, because all that that would mean to me would be a new battleground.
Oh shit, we better keep a lid on our fundie wingnuts. You all may get your colonies back after all.
 

UberNeuman

Lifer
Nov 4, 1999
16,937
3,087
126
Originally posted by: PC Surgeon
Originally posted by: FirewolfX
If you haven't picked a candidate at this point....you are too stupid to vote.

Yeah, steal that from Maher. Unless you are Maher.....are you? Nahhhh!

At this point, if you can't choose, then you are stupid - or highly dishonest.....
 

winnar111

Banned
Mar 10, 2008
2,847
0
0
Originally posted by: Atreus21
Originally posted by: alphatarget1
This pretty much describes how I feel about this election. Either way, whoever wins will be screwed.

http://www.realclearpolitics.c..._obama_and_mccain.html

I suspect that there are many voters like me, in this city and around the country, wavering in their choice for president. This doesn't necessarily mean we fit the caricature of the "undecided voter" often derided as either lazy or unthinking. It means instead that we find the entire campaign--the debates, the commercials, the press coverage--counterproductive to making a decision.

After nearly two years of ceaseless campaigning, how can this be? Surely we all have relatively clear pictures of the type of president Senators Barack Obama and John McCain will make?

There is, however, an almost mind-bending surreality to the substance of the campaign. As parts of the economy appear to melt down around us, the candidates debate the finer points of their tax proposals, the merits and demerits of Roe v. Wade, and whether or not Joe the Plumber will have access to health insurance under their administration.

In all likelihood, very few of the policy proposals that Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain now proffer will ever make it out of a Congressional hearing room. And while the appointment of Supreme Court justices is undoubtedly important, the emphasis placed on abortion obscures the reasons why. As a matter of jurisprudence, Roe v. Wade was a terribly constructed decision, yet I find it hard to believe that it will ever be overturned simply because of the politics now surrounding it. There are more pressing issues the Court will consider--free speech, the regulatory reach of Congress--that don't easily fit into old categories of "strict" or "loose" constructionist.

The tired rituals of politics continue to force public discourse into such anachronistic boxes, and neither candidate is immune. After his defeat in the 2000 Republican primaries, Senator McCain learned how to put his "maverick" reputation (an odd label for anyone examining the totality of his voting record) to good political use. Senator Obama, notwithstanding "post-partisan" language (a claim belied by his actual behavior in the Senate), seems not to depart very far from standard Democratic policies.

Here we come to what I think is the crux of the difficulty that I and others like me have in deciding how to vote: this election has become a referendum on Barack Obama. He's the new candidate on the block, the one wowing millions of new voters and voting blocs, declaring an end to Vietnam-era fights. Many, however, are quite torn when it comes to a President Obama.

I fall smack dab into Senator Obama's target demographic: white professionals under age 40. (If you, too, fall into this category, then I regret to inform you that you are not part of a generational revolution, but a cog in a political campaign.) What are the reasons Senator Obama has offered for us to give him our vote?

As a matter of policy, I have great philosophical disagreements with Senator Obama. I and many other Americans do not think the tax code is or should be a vehicle for pursuing fairness. On health care, I tend to stand with Senator McCain in thinking that we may finally need to sever the link between health insurance and employment. McCain has consistently supported free trade, and while I can't believe that a man as intelligent as Obama would disbelieve the benefits of free trade, he has continuously made protectionist noise during the campaign.

But because of fiscal constraint and political reality, it is unlikely that either candidate will enjoy free rein to put his favored policies in place. So where should we look in evaluating what type of president Obama will be? One of his most frequently cited attractions is "hope" - a broad, vaguely defined notion suggesting that he will usher in a renewed era of American history. This strains credulity and I have to think that plenty of voters around the country are similarly skeptical.

There are two main problems with "hope" as an electoral justification. First, it seems to imply that we as a country are so desperate that we can only hope Obama can save us from collapse. This indicates not hope in Obama, but an astonishing lack of hope in ourselves, something no president can remedy.

Second, many voters in my cohort see Obama more as a symbol of hope: whether because of his mixed-race heritage, his age, or his rhetoric. This is a comforting illusion, and probably among the worst reasons to vote for someone. Have we reached the point in American politics at which symbolism has become an explicit voting reason? Politics is politics is politics--always and forever. Anyone who doubts that Obama is a standard politician--albeit a very good one--should read Ryan Lizza's portrait of Obama's years as a Chicago politician in the July 21 New Yorker.

But this cuts both ways. Maybe the fact that Obama is a good politician is a good reason to vote for him. Many of you will protest: surely you wouldn't be so cynical as to cast your vote for a politician who actually held himself out as one? Not so fast. Having talent in politics means you have smarts--both street and book--and are likely intuitive about other people's thoughts and feelings. It probably also means you will shed stubbornness to get something done, and that you won't be afraid to stand up for a principle, even symbolically, when the time comes.

Whether those are enough reasons to vote for Obama remains in question. It certainly appears preferable to have someone in office who has proven to be a shrewd thinker. And what of McCain? He wouldn't be here running for president if he wasn't a practiced politician with good judgment developed over the years. But doubts about Obama don't automatically move me to McCain's camp, even if I agree more with his policy positions. Obama's past associations--Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, Acorn--even if purely political, give me pause. But I and others remain absolutely mystified by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.

If Obama's "hope" campaign represents the degeneration of American politics into pure symbolism, then Palin's place on the ticket, as David Brooks has persuasively argued, represents the final refutation of anything resembling intellectually-informed politics. It's sad that the modern Republican Party has devolved from its 1950s intellectual roots to a rejection of those roots today. Even sadder is the fact that the intellectual bankruptcy of one party usually augurs a similar fate for the other (and Nancy Pelosi's stewardship of House Democrats shows that this has already begun to happen).

So who will I and the other Americans like me vote for? I'm not sure: I can only say that the choice will likely have little to do with specific tax proposals or subsidy programs, and much more to do with the ways in which we see ourselves as citizens and voters.

I think my only issue with this article is on abortion.

To me, I'm not voting for McCain because I honestly believe he will or can do anything to curb it. I'm voting for him because, out of principle, he disagrees with it, and Obama does not.

The reason to vote along the abortion issue is because the candidates' stance on it indicates what kind of principles he or she holds. If one believes abortion-for-convenience to be murder, then how can he ethically vote for someone who supports or at least will not condemn the widespread slaughter of thousands per year?

http://members.aol.com/abtrbng/stablw.htm

Makes you wonder why Joe Biden just didn't let Bob Bork through rather than deal with this.
 
Jun 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
You can't just take someones rights to their own body away by instituting a law on a whim, even if it were tried, another government would be there before the trial was over.
...
Aren't you trying to slap down a nasty group (taliban) which has done precisely that? And on a much broader scale than abortion - they've taken women's minds away.

I hope that I don't live in a time when u.s. politics resembles the taliban.

You and me both, my friend, because all that that would mean to me would be a new battleground.
Oh shit, we better keep a lid on our fundie wingnuts. You all may get your colonies back after all.

No, we would be fighting on your side.

For your freedom in your country, just like we're fighting for Afghanis freedom in their country right now.

People don't get that, we are battling the worst Islamic sect known to man so normal Muslims can go about their daily business.
 

chess9

Elite member
Apr 15, 2000
7,748
0
0
Originally posted by: jpeyton
The author is a Republican shill, using the guise of being "undecided" to present a lot of reasons to consider McCain even though his policies mirror Bush. The fact that Wright, Ayers, and ACORN are mentioned means he went down the GOP talking points memo.

The two tickets are nothing alike. Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin. There are dozens of stark contrasts. "Undecideds" just haven't taken the time to read their policy positions, PERIOD.

Well, almost.

He's an economic conservative. The foundation he works for pursues education and entrepreneurship, which suggests a very Chamber of Commerce attitude.

He's right about the implementation of policies. Neither of the candidates will get much, if any, of the programs they are now pushing, through Congress. Which is why neither of them answered the question each time asked about which policies/programs might have to be trimmed.

But, passing his correct comments on Palin, the rest of his argument is an 'unfunded mandate'. Meaning, he doesn't put enough meat on the bones of his arguments to make them 'fulfilling'.

These two slates could not be any different. If you can't make up your mind with these two, you should vote for a third party or not vote at all.

-Robert
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
0
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Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
No, we would be fighting on your side.

For your freedom in your country, just like we're fighting for Afghanis freedom in their country right now.

People don't get that, we are battling the worst Islamic sect known to man so normal Muslims can go about their daily business.
All else aside, I think do get it. Although I haven't experienced the violence first hand, I believe it. And, when I hear protestant fundamentalists in the u.s. overstating that *all* muslims are terrorists, that their religion dictates it, I believe that the muslim terrorists are a small minority just like our fundies.
 
Jun 26, 2007
11,925
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Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
...
No, we would be fighting on your side.

For your freedom in your country, just like we're fighting for Afghanis freedom in their country right now.

People don't get that, we are battling the worst Islamic sect known to man so normal Muslims can go about their daily business.
All else aside, I think do get it. Although I haven't experienced the violence first hand, I believe it. And, when I hear protestant fundamentalists in the u.s. overstating that *all* muslims are terrorists, that their religion dictates it, I believe that the muslim terrorists are a small minority just like our fundies.

Then you have understood something very vital in this WOT, something most apparently don't (and here i would like to say in both our nations but there was a reason that Blair was let go) and that is that we're not battling the ME, nor the Arabs, nor the Muslims, we're in battle with the worst of the worst of the very worst, the Taliban, i've seen shit that would make any grown man cry in lots of areas around the world but i have NEVER seen this type of torture fore the sake of torture.

I've seen several young women, or young women, they were children, shot through the vagina to eradicate their sperm, i have seen a woman, two months pregnant who had her uterus pulled out of herand the little bag with the fetus in stomped on.

These people are not human beings, i have no mercy for them but at the same time i want to go all out and rush them and kill them all, i can't, i have to be smart, i rely on the likes of Common Courtesy so when i pinpoint a camp, the only ones that are civilians in there are the ones that expects this fate, sooner or later.

It may seem very harsh, but i've learned that if the likes of me don't act, the likes of you suffer, so i act it can be me using my G3 or using my own "illegal" rifle but the point is, at the end of the day, i am greeted from the best of the muslim world, they are good people.


Biggest difference is that your kind of fundies don't make a difference while Muslims do.

I'd put the muslims on a higher scale of goodness than our wester world christians because of that alone.
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
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Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
... i've seen shit that would make any grown man cry in lots of areas around the world but i have NEVER seen this type of torture fore the sake of torture.
...
I'm sorry you (or anybody) had to witness this. I'm agnostic but do believe that there are evil humans who cannot be fixed and need to be put out of their misery. I'm glad I don't have to make this decision.

The amount of restraint required to not act spontaneously is unimaginable to me.

And, there are some who romanticize warfare - never could understand this.
 
Jun 26, 2007
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Originally posted by: seemingly random
Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield
... i've seen shit that would make any grown man cry in lots of areas around the world but i have NEVER seen this type of torture fore the sake of torture.
...
I'm sorry you (or anybody) had to witness this. I'm agnostic but do believe that there are evil humans who cannot be fixed and need to be put out of their misery. I'm glad I don't have to make this decision.

The amount of restraint required to not act spontaneously is unimaginable to me.

And, there are some who romanticize warfare - never could understand this.

Neither could i.

But when you get out of it, you have the honor still, you forget the past and as time goes on all you got is that honor. I've seen that in others here and i cherish them for it, they SHOULD be proud for standing up.

It's restricted to those who know, i couldn't invite anyone for the feel of it if i tried, but you get another perspective, i believe i have been just and i believe i have been righteous in my decicions that i have ordered.

We all make mistakes, but even a minor mistake of mine will kill people i love, even right decisions might do that, it's hard not to get involved when you live with the local populace, that is not the case for me or my troops now, since there is no populated area and we just await the real cold with windshields and fire to warm us.

This is the last outpost you will ever hear from, the only reason this works and the only reason why it takes time sometimes and goes fast sometimes is because of the earths movement around the sun.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,326
6,039
126
People are bigots and use their minds to cloud their natural intuitive understanding. Everybody knows Obama is the choice to make but the bigot likes to keep us confused. Get f ing real.
 

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
28,558
3
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I'd say I agree with some of what the author has to say. I am have been undecided most of the election, but when McCain picked Palin I was instantly moved into the Obama camp.

I have critiques of both candidates. John McCain today is not the same John McCain that I admired 8-10 years ago. His courting of the evangelical right, his selection of Palin, and his gutter politics (Ayers, smears etc) have increased my cynicism to record levels. That being said, I think that McCain would be better than Bush because once he got in office I really don't see him giving a fuck about the nutty right-wingers he had to court to win the nomination. I think Palin would be an absolute non-factor in his administration, but because of his age and health issues she *could* be our next President, and there is no way in hell I'd ever want to see that happen. McCain's tax plan would not only increase the National Debt more than Obama's would, but it is skewed toward the upper brackets. Finally, I am worried that McCain's temper and his foreign policy rhetoric are not what we need as we seek to repair our image abroad and effectively use diplomacy as a tool to advance the interests of our nation. I do think, however, that McCain would shift back to the center and be able to work in a bi-partisan manner with a Democratic Congress.

Obama, of course, has his own negatives. Ayers is a non-issue to me, and the Wright saga was much ado about nothing. However, I was deeply disturbed to see that Obama bought the far-left talking points regarding protectionism and free trade (specifically his complete ignorance about the FTA with Colombia and the situation in that country). I do think that Obama is a bit green when it comes to his level of experience, but his choice of Biden as a running mate was a shrewd choice, and he has surrounded himself with very capable advisers. I think Obama's tax plan would increase the national debt too much, and I am concerned that he wishes to "cut taxes" for the lower echelon brackets -- which contains many people who do not even pay taxes to begin with. I'd prefer to see a compromise between McCain and Obama's tax plans as I feel McCain's plan is too top heavy and Obama's is too bottom heavy. I like that Obama is willing to engage in dialogue with foreign countries that have been blacklisted and demonized by the Bush administration, but I hope he doesn't enter into such negotiations with naivety and idealism. Another knock against Obama is that I find it unlikely he will be able to work effectively with the Republicans in Congress, and I think the right has been able to paint a very skewed picture of him, and it it will take quite a bit of quid pro quo to prevent the Republican minority from derailing his plans if he were elected. I do think that Obama's economic plans are a fair bit more sensible and smarter than McCain's, but he will have to prove he can cut spending and make the tough choices that we will need in the coming years to reduce entitlement spending, reorganize defense, and do so without losing his current allies or being demonized by the right. I've been less than impressed with his wholesale acceptance of many far-left ideas, but like McCain, I think he will become more of a centrist while in office. I have been very disturbed by the racial attacks on Obama and the ignorance expressed in this campaign. Those stating he is a Muslim, will cater only to African-Americans, and that he is an evil liberal wanting to sell us down the river to foreigners simply pushes me close to embracing Obama.

Overall, I still remain on the Obama side in a lukewarm fashion, but I was very disturbed by his complete ignorance regarding our policy in South America, and I also feel that he is going to face ad energized and strong Clintonesque style set of attacks, and I hope he is up to effectively countering that.

I think neither candidate has a workable Health Care plan nor has either one really addressed the unfunded problems we will face with entitlement programs. Furthermore, neither one seems willing to attack our National Debt or end the influence of lobbyists in Washington. Curiously, neither candidate has mentioned immigration at all, but I think they both should do better in reforming that area that desperately needs attention.

In the end I lean toward Obama, but I have a feeling I will remain undecided until a few days before the election. It has been hard fought on both sides, but unfortunately both campaigns have really been more of the same. They've done a lot of negative campaign, they've refused to answer the tough questions, and both of them have significant flaws. None of that is unexpected, because we are all humans and none of us are omnipotent. I see no real way I can vote for McCain because of his selection of Palin as VP, but I have waffled a bit on Obama after seeing the last debate. I think Obama is the better candidate, but that will not necessarily translate to success (for the aforementioned reasons I laid out).

Both candidates should provide a welcome change from Bush, and I think that is the most important point.
 

Dr. Zaus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2008
11,770
347
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Another knock against Obama is that I find it unlikely he will be able to work effectively with the Republicans in Congress
Mill: would a democratic congress and a republican president be your ideal situation?

personally:

I like the McCain 2000 campaign, and Modern Whig in 2012
 

seemingly random

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2007
5,281
0
0
Modern Whig Party

This could be a safe harbor for the reasonable people fleeing the crumbling republican party. Hopefully it's not a front for the likes of gingrich or big business. There still needs to be a safe haven for the wingnuts and fundies. Don't know if they could use the name republican - it's probably copyrighted.
 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
If nothing else, vote on intelligence. We know what dumb presidents get us. Obama's ticket is 2/2 for brains; mccain's 1/2.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
33,981
3,318
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Originally posted by: alphatarget1
Originally posted by: jpeyton
You'd rather have 4 more years of Bush 2.0 instead of Obama?

You're not addressing the issues raised by the author.

We don`t need to address the issues.....
It is you that needs to use your own mind and address the issues for yourself!!
 

Stiganator

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2001
2,489
0
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Both sides have some bad PR:

McCain's side: Crazy Ass pastor: Hagee, Crazy Ass Ex-Terrorist: Liddy, Housing Scandal: Rick Renzi, (additional scandal Keating 5, Palin Troopergate)

Obama's side: Crazy Ass pastor: Wright, Crazy Ass Ex-Terrorist: Ayers, Housing Scandal: Tony Rezko

Comparing the two sides,

1) Both have attention whoring moron pastors hurting more than helping. Draw.
2) Both have ex-terrorist friends: Obama gets a slight win on this since his friend didn't spend time in jail, meaning he slipped through the cracks or his peers determined he was not guilty. Liddy spent 5 years in jail before Carter, of all people, commuted his 20 year sentence. Additionally, Ayers recent quotes are taken out of context, hence the ellipsis. Liddy's advice on how to efficiently kill law enforcement officers is unfortunately not taken out of context.
3) Both knew a real estate guy who was indicted for fraud. Draw.
4) McCain has Keating in his past which may have just been bad judgement, but still he did know better. Slight win for Obama.

Overall Obama is affiliated with roughly 3/4 a scandal less than McCain.


Other reasons you might want to vote for Obama off the top of my head.

1) Obama is younger and healthier than McCain.

2) Biden is infinitely more capable than Palin. Palin didn't know what the bailout was about. There's a reason McCain doesn't let her do interviews anymore.

PALIN: Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy? Oh, it?s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.


3) He has a commanding demeanor and charismatic, presidential presence. People like him and he instills hope, he seems genuine.

4) He has run a much cleaner campaign than McCain, McCain has ads with Obama and "Terrorist?" and he has the gall to claim Obama runs negative ads. Even Karl Rove things McCain is running a dirty campaign and he's Karl Rove the master of propaganda! He also harps on the fact that Obama didn't 'repudiate' another Senator's words. irst, several news outlets have reported several occasions where McCain rallies have turned ugly and mob-like. Second, Obama did 'repudiate' the claim.

"Sen. Obama does not believe that John McCain or his policy criticism is in any way comparable to George Wallace or his segregationist policies.

But John Lewis was right to condemn some of the hateful rhetoric that John McCain himself personally rebuked just last night, as well as the baseless and profoundly irresponsible charges from his own running mate that the Democratic nominee for president of the United States ?pals around with terrorists.?

As Barack Obama has said himself, the last thing we need from either party is the kind of angry, divisive rhetoric that tears us apart at a time of crisis when we desperately need to come together. That is the kind of campaign Sen. Obama will continue to run in the weeks ahead."

5) His foreign policy is better, talking vs. I won't talk unless you promise to do this first (why would you trust a hostile/terroristic country to do what you ask in the first place).

6) Energy policy is more diverse, IIRC McCain was suggesting 50+ new nuclear plants, don't get me wrong nuclear is great in moderation, I think 50 is excessive. Even 10 would be a lot. Obama is more realistic about the situation. The USA simply doesn't have the necessary reserves to solve this problem by drilling like crazy. Drilling should be done in moderation to help ease the transition to renewable technologies.

7) Healthcare is a little more fuzzy, but from what I've gathered Obama gets the edge here until I can locate a concrete copy of the McCain plan. First, Obama's plan is well documented and available. McCain's is more elusive, I can't find one document that explains it in detail. McCain's plan requires some more revisions to cover all the bases, currently there are some downstream effects that could be trouble.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/1...ly_healthcare.fortune/, the source comparing policies linked on McCain's website is highly suspect, the website looks like it's from 1990.

8) Obama is more cool and collected than McCain, whom on occasion has blown his top on CSPAN.

9) Obama went to Columbia Harvard graduating top of his class while McCain graduated 5th from last in a class of 900 ( as in bottom 1%) at Air Force Academy. McCain served his country well, but I think he got more than a few free passes before he was captured in Vietnam. He crashed 3-4 planes, but as the son of an Admiral he was allowed to keep flying where any normal Joe would have been grounded permanently. Reports also indicate that he did not follow protocol during landings and abused his privilege from his father the Admiral, "[If you don't let me land now], I'll take my airstrip and go home"

10) Obama has a grasp of technology where McCain doesn't know how to run a computer.

11) Obama's general positions on things that shouldn't even be government issues (abortion, religion) don't infringe on people's rights. McCain would support laws that infringe on women's rights. The purpose of the American Constitution is to protect as many individual rights as possible.

12) Obama supports overhauling NAFTA. Free trade is great, but not if the other guys can get a way with using illegal pesticides and slave like labor. American companies can't compete with our free trader partners because our partners don't follow the same rules as us.

13) Obama's fiscal reform is more developed. End lobbying, end earmarks, ensure competitive bidding on contracts, end programs that don't work. Make sure the companies pay their taxes. Recent report shows that $3 trillion in corporate profit (not revenue) was not taxed each year.

14) Obama could totally school McCain in game of Horse. Obama has game, have you seen that jump shot.