Political Opinions and News on both Campaigns

[capricorn]

I'm going to be the brave one who starts another post on the political subject. As Badboy I believe wished, this is for opinions. Not the bashing of Obama by the Republicans. I'm sure you all have more to offer. We all know that the two parties are truly against each other and I find that sad but it is what it is. I have truly enjoyed reading all opinions and have found it educating. Please continue as we get closer and closer. I will admit I was all for Hillary Clinton. Sarah Palin does not take her place or even crack a whip to her in my part of the country. Maybe Philly is bullheaded but what is written in newpapers and seen on the news, all news stations, is not very positive towards the republican ticket. As I said at least not in my neck of the woods. I personally still have not made a definite decision on who my vote will be for and would love to hear more and more opinions here. Would like to see a few Democrats step up to the plate and fight for their Candidate as the Republicans have done.

God bless our country and I pray the right man wins!

CAP

[halftrak]

Cap, I am a Democrat and also was following all the posts,Also liked Hillary, but I too am undecided at this time, even though I am a Democrat, I do respect republicans and try to listen to what each party has to say.I am not here to bash anyone Republican Or Democrat,It is interesting to hear all the different opinions on whomever you are voting for.Hopefully Our Next President Will Do The Best Job He Can Do.Thanks For This Post, I Think We needed it.Halftrak

[jayne]

am a registered Dem but cant deal with who they have running his politics will bankrupt us..not to mention his voting for 3rd trimester abortions sickens me....McCain on the other hand has sound policys that while it will take awhile will pull us thru ....we didnt get in this mess in a few years and it is gonna take a few years to get out......I really wanted Huckabee but will go with McCain and I love Palin she has a few rough edges but I sure do admire that woman....

[admin]

I am not sure I can give an opinion without some seeing it as "bashing of Obama". Anything negative about the man seems to be labeled that instantly. As for the media not saying anything nice about the Republican ticket, that is just normal liberal media bias. I've watched them do that to every GOP ticket since Reagan.

Let me ask you this instead:

What is the "change" Obama refers to? What in his past career has he done that would indicate a willingness to depart from the norm and pursue that "change"?

Those are the questions you need to answer for yourself in order to decide what is right for you. Look beyond the rhetoric, and delve into the substance. And I would also advise you to not look at what he is promising, but rather look at what he has done in the past as a better indicator of what the man will do as President.

The same advice goes for John McCain. Look at what he has done. Not at what he has promised.

Bottom line, if you believe that government can solve all problems efficiently and is the growth source of the economy, vote for Obama. He is your guy.

If you believe that a smaller government with less personal restrictions is better, than McCain may not be perfect, but he's the only game in town for conservatives right now.

[red1030]

Cap, I too enjoy reading each person's views on this campaign. I really like to hear about the issues that are most important to someone. Then I would like to hear how each of the candidates stand on each of these issues and what they plan to do to help the situation.

I am also a registered democrat voter, however, I do not always vote that way. I am open to either candidate. I was a Hillary fan and that ticket is gone...so I have two to choose from now. I am not for or against either candidate. I see both positive and negative things about them both. First I see Obama as a "pie in the sky" carismatic speaker which simply means that I am not sure he knows how to do even half of the things he claims he wants to do, such as change our healthcare system, education system and so forth. I believe he has a well intended dream just not sure he has the experience to make it happen especially when he will inherit such an economy mess. I also believe to do his programs, middle class will pay more taxes. I like his ideas and if they could come true paying more taxes would be a small price to pay for it to happen for my grandkids...McCain well I have concerns there about his past as well as what he will be able to do as the President. He has made several verbal mistakes such as our economy is in good shape etc. I see McCain as being in the weeds trying to deal with so many issues he may never see the light of day.

I believe our BIG issues are many. Right now, the number one issues is our economy and the value of our dollar, and our debt load. As I understand it, the bail out truly is not a bail out, but a rescue plan that may benefit the American tax payers in time. It is almost as if the American tax payers are investing their money in the housing market. If this will save people from loosing their homes when they should not, quiet our credit card companies, and keep jobs going then I may be fore it. I know my husband is against it. He sees it very differently. I don't have a clue about ecomomics...I didnt' even get a great grade when I took this class 30 years ago...lol... for me the next issue would be the war in Iraq. I would like to see this end, but I also understand that if we leave, there will be a disaster for the people living there especially those that were helping us achieve our goals. I still believe we should go after the people responsible for 911. they must not go unmarked. Next would be that I believe healthcare is a right for all not a priviledge for only the weathy and the poor. You should not fear loosing your home to go see a doctor or to go into the hospital. From there I would put education next. Children are not getting a good education these days in many of our schools. College is unreachable for many due to cost or lack of support etc. Then there is goverment spending such as sending money overseas all the time. I never hear that another country has sent us money due to disasters such as Katrina.... why do we feel the need to send to all of them. Also there is a lot of waste etc. This issue could be discussed for ever I believe.

The media does not do anyone a favor by putting their bias in the picture of reporting the news. I have noticed that their does seem to be more of a positive tone towards Obama versus McCain. This does not help anyone get to the issues so that we can make informed good decisions.

These are just my opinions and how the issues are important to me. I would love to hear more from others about the issues that are important to them. Love Red

[Still in Limbo]

As I had Said in the Previous Post on Politics that I don't Necessarily Discuss My Views, and I am going to stay the Same with this Reply, but I would Like to Discuss another Issue, that even though it is Political, in My Way it's not Discussing Politics, I See Politics as what both Sides do with Their Rhetoric, and Battles Against each Other, and I See Political Thoughts as what I Believe We need to think of as a Whole, to come Up with the Right Decision on Election Day. I Hope that Made Sense. Anyway, My Thoughts continue to go Back to One thing:

We are at War on More than One Front, and the Threat of Other Countries Acquiring Nuclear Weapons are Growing Daily. And these Countries are Grave Enemies of Ours, and Venezuela and Chavez is just Setting Back and Waiting for the Right Moment to Come at Us.

Our Economy is Worse than I have seen it in My 46 Years, and it has taken a Long Time to get Here, and as Jayne and Others have Said, it's not going to go Away Overnight, it's going to Take Many Years to try and Right, and We are going to have to have Someone in Power to Over See this and to Make Sure it is Righted, and Policies are in Place for it not to Happen Again.

Great Speeches, Blame Throwing, Soap Box Promises, this is what I Call Politics, Taking Care of what I have Written above has to be done Politically, and I Firmly Believe that with the Peril We are in, the Only Way this is going to be Righted is by Experience, and by Someone that has seen and Lived through Tough Economic and War Times, and by Someone that can Attract a Great Cabinet Around them, to Help them Succeed in the Battle they are going to have to Face in January.

Our Country isn't Run and Controlled Entirely by Our President, but by the Cabinet they Build around them, to bring the Necessary Correct and Truthful Problems to them, and to Help the President Decide the Path to Follow. Congress does Their Job, and Send the Bills to the President, and the President Decides if this Bill will Become Law, with the Help of His Cabinet Officials.

So I Guess what I am Deciding is which if the Two Candidates has the Experience to See Us through, and can Build a Cabinet Strong Enough to get Us through these Tough Times, and Bring Us out as Best they can, and Build a Future We can be Proud of for Our Children.

Now I See a Senator that is a Great Speaker, and can Rally the Young Votes. These Young Voters have never been through the Tough Times We are going through right Now, and are going to Vote with Their Hearts, and I Commend them for the Fact that they are going to Vote at All. As far as Experience, and the Kind of Cabinet this Person can put Together, I can't Tell You, this Person has only been in Office for I Believe 3 Years.

On the Other Hand I See a War Hero, who Spent Years in Vietnamese War Camp being Beaten over the Shoulders with Bamboo Rods because He wouldn't give in to the Demands of the Captors, who Broke Both Arms when His Plane was shot down and He had to Eject, and because He didn't Receive the Proper care cannot Raise His Arms above His Chest to this Day. I also See a Man that even after He Came Home and was Spit on Because He was in an "Unpopular War" put All of His Bitterness Aside, and Ran for Senate, to try and Help the Very Same People who Spit on Him, by giving His Time to try and Change Things from the Senate Floor, and has done so for almost 30 Years. I can See this Man, with the Ties He has Building a Cabinet with Experience, to Help Him Make the Hard Decisions Ahead, and I Believe He wants to Build a Future Our Children can be Proud of and Thrive in, He's been through the Ups and Downs, and as President can Put this Experience for the Betterment of Us, and Will have Our Troops and Veterans at Heart, and do the Best for them that He Can.

That's My Point of View, How I See it at 46 Years of Age, and for the Record, I Am, and have Always been, a Die Hard Democrat. I am Still Undecided on My Vote, these next 34 Days or so I am going to have to Search My Heart and Soul on this One, because I Feel this Presidency is going to be One of the Most Important Chapters in Out Democratic Lives, and the United States and Our Troops stand in the Balance!!

I Hope this Makes Sense to Most of You, and God Bless Our Country, and Our Troops Everywhere!!!

[Hurt Hoosier]

Alright, I have a question. It doesn't really have to do with who to vote for since it seems both candidates agree on this particular situation. I was just wondering about the whole bailout thing. See, I understand why we need it. I understand that without credit and loans and such companies, large and small will go under and people may lose their homes or may not be able to buy a home. I may not get my loan to go back to school and as we were looking for a home (before the back injury) we may not be able to get one in the future without the bailout. However, what I don't understand is how our government can afford to spend so much extra to do the bailout. What hasn't been addressed on the news in my area (at least none of the news I've watched) is where all this money is comming from. Will they raise taxes on certain things? Will our government just go in debt more and borrow it again? Is where the government gets the money hurt us more? I kinda feel like with the bailout it will help in ways, but dependeing on how we get the money, it will hurt us too. However, if we don't have the bailout it will hurt us as well. Which way is worse? Which way is better? Why didn't I pay more attention in econ class? lol

[capricorn]

Excellent,excellent reading! Thank you all! This is what I was looking for and I believe badboy wanted when he first started his thread. Red and Limbo I must say you have both given alot. I also have not made a decision yet. I wasn't thrilled about either candidate in the last debate. I am not a die hard anything. I vote for who I think is the best candidate. Please, please keep the thoughts coming. I am in a position right now with Hubby being so sick that I can't keep up with everything going on.

ADMIN.... Bashing to me is name calling and dowright nastiness. Not agreeing with a candidate or what they stand for is not. That being said I respect your opinion. I love the last two paragraphs in your post. They make perfect sense and are short and sweet. That's what I like. I don't have the time or interest in hearing the media's BS or the slamming of each candidate. I am trying to learn the facts. This election has become the most important ever to me and I don't know much about either candidate so I don't have an opinion yet. There are agencies in our country that I think there should be more control over. Thanks for your opinion, please keep it coming.


CAP

[red1030]

I have a question about the histories of Obama and McCain. Does anyone know exactly what each of their lives have been like in terms of their contributions to regulations and laws or helping the common man? What about how they spend their free time? What are their special interest in life? What are their goals? Does anyone know for sure where each candidate stands on issues such as our economy, taxes, childcare, working women, jobs overseas, oil versus electric cars, moving our energy cost back to the states versus overseas, education, care of our elderly, research for cancer etc.. Exactly what is the foundation of morals, ethics, belief's that these two men stand on and that has brought them to this moment in time?

I know from watching McCain that he is for the military and speak of assuring that they all have the health care and benefits that they require...but how is he going to do this? Is he going to up our taxes or is he going to take money from some other program? I have not heard him speak of the education of our children, or too much on our economic status.

Obama on the other hand while I do believe he is a pie in the sky type of leader (which is not a bad charateristic) he did find some of the weeds by giving some specifics on how he would implement some of his program such as his idea for increasing education through the use of retired educators or engineers and other professionals etc. He was very specific when he said 1....... 2..... then 3.... etc. By doing this, he took is pie in the sky ideas and brought them to the planning stage to prepare for implementation. I liked that.

Admin...I understand and agree with what you said about goverment regulating less or more and I do agree that with Obama there would be more regulation. However, do we not need more regulations to avoid some of the issues that happened on Wall Street etc. Why are the CEO's making so much money? It is one thing to make a good salary that is even above the above average salary but to make in the millions each year is rather drastic I would think. In the 70's OBRA come to life in the long term care facilities. It was an act of congress that regulated the care of elderly. I find that this was and is a good thing. While it drives a DON nuts sometimes, it assures that the rights of elderly are protected all the time. A lot of people are not as caring about others as some and elderly are lost in the rat race, the OBRA holds us all accountable all the time...and in the long term care facility it was needed. I am not sure about how much regulation we are talking about, but I do believe that their are areas that need that regulation. Can you explain this more? I am seriously interested in other people's thoughts on this subject. I do not know a lot about this so I must depend on my research, what I hear on the news, what actually happens that I can see change, and what people opinions are.... Red

[srqwebguy2]

For what I am going to discuss here, I have chosen to log in under a personal identity. (SRQ is the airport ID for Sarasota - you can guess who I am). This post in no way represents the position of the board or company that manages it.

Red, I understand what you say, but is regulation always a good thing? I would submit to you that the financial crisis today, while the product of many things, was borne of additional regulation in the late '90's.

It was about 1998 that Congress started adding regulation pressuring lending institutions to broaden their lending base, and to extend loans to people who would not otherwise qualify. The goal was to expand home ownership. Not a bad goal, but in hindsight, it lead to a horrible result. Home ownership for many years was not a "right". It was a privilege earned through hard work and responsible living.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, quasi governmental institutions regulated by Congress, are ground zero in today's crisis. It is their irresponsible policies (and outright fraud) that are considered the root cause of many of these issues.

And now we want the same people to manage the bailout? (I admittedly find my views wavering on this particular subject)

As for legislative records, McCains is long and mixed. He has sponsored many good and worthwhile bills. However, he co-authored McCain-Feingold, a law that in my humble opinion, is the worst piece of legislation ever to slither out of Washington. The intent of it was good - I do not believe it worked. It was campaign finance reform, and was designed to remove the influence of big money in a campaign. The result of this new regulation? The two main parties and their candidates will spend more than $1,000,000,000.00 getting the next prez elected. Turn on your TV tonight and see if they are spending any money trying to influence you. And don't even mention the 527c organizations the law allowed for...

Obama, from the reading I have done (The Case Against Barack Obama - a very well documented work), has an extraordinarily liberal, and sometimes gutless record. He voted "present" over 130 times in the IL state senate. That is what you want to do when you can't commit.

(For the sake of full disclosure here - you need to know where I am coming from; I am a fiscal conservative. I am a pro-choice Republican, although I oppose late term abortions, abortion on demand, federally funded abortions and I believe in parental consent)

Illinois attempted to pass a bill that would require medical personnel to administer treatment to fetus' that survived an abortion. (I never even realized this happened until I read this) The book describes a nurse, new on the job, who had to hold a "fetus" that was born alive following a saline abortion. She held him for 45 minutes while he struggled for breath. She was not allowed to administer care. Her co-workers told her they usually "put them in the soiled linen closet until they die".

The nurse became an activist and pushed to get the law changed, so that if a baby is born and lives, doctors would be obligated to treat it as such. Barack Obama not only opposed the legislation, he was the only state Senator to stand and speak against it. He said a law that extends human status to a fetus that is not 9 months old could end up meaning that someone could potentially be deprived of the abortion they were entitled to. Eventually Obama bottled the bill up in committee, where it died, much like the infants it was designed to protect.

Now, I have been honest on my background, and I was so disturbed by this chapter it gave me great pause. I find it reprehensible.

Just my two cents....