I tend to be more of a conservative than it looks like you all are. I believe that democratic economic policy (ie: tax increases) will drive the American economy farther into the ground than Bush's irresponsible spending has because it will suck more money out of circulation, which would kind of negate the positive effects of inflation that the Fed believes will get the economy headed in the right direction, evidenced by its interest rate cuts. Invading Iraq was probably a mistake, but if it's true that our information was bad then you can't really fault Bush. Now that we're in the mess, I think McCain would be better suited to managing it. Iraq hasn't gotten as much press as it was getting since the economy seems to have eclipsed it as the key issue, and I don't get the chance to watch the news much, but I have been told that the situation in Iraq is improving. I think it would be a huge mistake to abandon the cause now, although I acknowledge that at some point we'll have to call it quits if the situation doesn't improve. The question to me seems to be, When do we reach that point? I don't think we've reached it yet. I'm not too familiar with McCain's stances on other issues, but I don't have to be because I can't vote. As far as the democrats go, Clinton justs rubs me the wrong way. I find Obama to be a much more likeable candidate. As far as the issues go, I don't see much discrepency between them. I would hope that Obama's preacher's views don't reflect Obama's, but honestly I think it's kind of silly to make that assumption. Then again, that issue seems to at least have hindered his campaign, and I can see this down-to-the-wire democratic nomination battle ultimately hurting the democrats come this fall.
lol great to hear my neighborhood isn't the only one so you've obviously haven't heard of conservative democrats... i agree with most democratic views: gay marriage, i'm kewl, higher minimum wage, okay, health care, awesome, stem cell, great.... no death penalty, should stay, war,= power. see no one person is ever completely democratic or totally republican, so no im not republican, nor shall i vote so. We all have different opinions that should be respected. :yup: Myth&Facts Human Rights in Arab Countries "MYTH 'Women's rights are now protected in the Arab world.' FACT In most Arab countries, the Shari'a, or Islamic law, defines the rules of traditional social behavior. Under the law, women are accorded a role inferior to that of men, and are therefore discriminated against with regard to personal rights and freedoms. According to the UN, 'utilization of Arab women's capabilities through political and economic participation remains the lowest in the world in quantitative terms….In some countries with elected national assemblies, women are still denied the right to vote or hold office. And one in ever two Arab women can neither read nor write."
Looking back at my post, I have to apologize because I reacted unjustifiably hostile. I get pretty fired up about my opinions, and I'm very glad you didn't immaturely attack me back. But back on topic, the reason I criticized you for your contradicting views was that you gave off the impression that you had no clue whatsoever what you were talking about: you gave support to Hilary Clinton, then just a few lines down you went against one of her main points. It came off as very hypocritical and as if you had no idea of a candidate's platform. But about the whole womens in the middle east thing, I am VERY aware that civilian women are oppressed and that is undeniably wrong. However, I was talking about female LEADERS. As leaders, they ARE respected, like the leaders and titles I mentioned before. I don't think it's an issue at all that Hilary Clinton is a woman, not even regarding the middle east. And I just have to add that we're not really in a "war" with Iraq, it's more like...reconstruction. The enemies we're fighting are the guerilla forces, rebels, and insurgents, not the civilians or the government.
I would be surprised if either of the candidants do win, but I am more likely leening to obama because, seeing his ways of thinking i like the way he thinks.
Ehh politics, I am not of age to vote, but I think Obama because I don't think America is ready for a woman leader, yea its sexist, and Obama is black but so what. Its because hes male, he also, to me, has a strong aura about him, Hilary just seems like... (For lack of better words) Tight and Mean... So I will have to say Obama, even though my parents are Republican...
I consider these kind of posts SPAM. and I will dock off a cash point. First, please use your language skills. Spelling and punctuation, plz? Secondly, it contributes nothing to the conversation. You believe in what she is doing for the country? That's so vague and worthless. THX.
Well, I was a big supporter of Edwards from the beginning. When he dropped out, I wasn't sure that I even wanted to vote in our primaries. I ended up looking into the candidates, and watching debates a bit more closely, and did vote (for Obama) in the primary. One of the biggest issues that I will like/dislike a candidate based on is healthcare. I work in the healthcare industry, and I am also disabled. Therefore I have seen AND experienced some of the worst failings in our healthcare system. One of Obama's stands is to empower disabled Americans. Three cheers to that. I think many just don't know how hard it is for someone with a disability to get by with the system at the current state it's in. People have to fight tooth and nail to get the basic medical coverage their disability requires. I have seen first hand how incredibly demeaning the process of applying for government help is. Even with an array of doctors that will testify that you are, in fact, disabled; 99% of the time your first, even second, application for assistance is denied. Until you appoint a lawyer to aid you in the application or appealment process, your chances of being approved are not that high. This needs to be addressed and improved. There are millions of Americans struggling to get by, and in dire need of some form of assistance, yet there are people abusing the system that many people need and milking all the money they can out of it. It's obviously got flaws...lets fix them! He is big on affordable health coverage for all, and I couldn't agree more. There is no reason that someone should have to go into debt because they couldn't afford basic medical care. Another issue I agree with Obama on: He doesn't believe that teachers should spend the year preparing students for a standardized test. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree with this. Too much emphasis is being put only on children passing these tests, and not enough true EDUCATION is taking place. Students above and below the norm are missing out on more individualized teaching. Those above the norm are not being stimulated enough, and those below are being left behind. It is a sad state our country is in when you meet a fifth grader that can not form proper sentences, spell basic 5-letter words, or read a book that is not comic-like in substance. A big issue to everyone at the moment is Iraq. What's done is done, and unfortunately I believe we will be in Iraq for at least a few more years after this election. All-in-all out of the three candidates, I would trust Obama the most to do this in a timely, yet very careful fashion. We can't cut and run, but we do need to get our soldiers home as soon as possible. Lastly, I'm going to touch on the taboo topic; Race. I agree with many that have posted before that race/ethnicity/gender should NOT be an issue, but lets face it...it is to far too many. There are MANY Americans that are or are not voting for one democratic candidate simply for the fact that they are a woman/black. I was truly inspired when Obama stood up and said "hey, lets put this on the table...it's the only way we will ever get past it." I couldn't agree more. As much as any of us say it is not an issue, we are fooling ourselves. We all have our own levels of predjudices. Some more than others. The basic fact; We are afraid of that which we do not know. It is human nature. The only way to rise above this fear individually and as a whole is to open ourselves up about it. I spend some time in a debate chat, and I can't believe the watered down bigotry I hear. Ever since the Wright scandal, it is a common occurance to see "I would NEVER vote for a Muslim" or "Obama is Al Queda!" It sickens me. Yes, Reverand Wright made some comments that probably should not have been made at the pulpit, but we seem to forget...he is human. Many of us have said things we shouldn't have in frustration...heck, I do on a daily basis. One comment (or a few) out of a lifetime do not shape a man. Can we condemn Obama for not condemning a friend for a few mistakes in 20 years of friendship? Would you turn your back on your friend should they make an offensive comment? I wouldn't...and I haven't. Does that mean I believe or support the comment(s) they have made? Not in the least. You can love someone without agreeing with them 100% of the time. Does Obama's failure to denounce Reverand Wright for the snippet we the American public are seeing of his life make him Anti-American or Al-Queda? In no way, in my opinion. And does this make the church less Christian or make all the members "anti-american black power nuts?" To think that is just another example of just how prominant an issue predjudices are. You can not judge one man's life based on a minute of one of his friends' lives. Sorry for the long rant, as you can tell, I feel very strongly about the subject. No matter the outcome of the democratic primaries, we have the chance to make history in this country! My only fear is that we will elect the democratic nominee just for the reason that we ARE making history. Let us do it for the right reasons...and have the history we may make that much more important!
Well, I'm not in the position to say anything interesting, as I'm not American and I didn't follow the electioneering... oh well, I don't know neither so much of your actual political situation^^" Anyway I'd like to say congrats for having as final contenders a woman and a black person, it's a really good image you give of yourselves abroad. Btw... IMO I prefer Barak Obama, dunno why... maybe for the things heard about Hillary in the movie Sicko
i fink hilary clinton should win i think usa is ready for a women prime minester, it will do the county good
Spoiler'd b/c really big. First off, THANK YOU for posting something worthwhile and decent, instead of the countless others who barely say two spammy lines. A warning to everyone, I DOCK POINTS FOR IT. SOMETIMES WITHOUT WARNING. Now, I'm a Hilary supporter, and I agree with you on health care. However, doesn't Clinton have the same stance on healthcare? And I completely agree with you on Iraq. Though I don't support the war, I don't think we can reasonably pull out quickly. But what Obama, with his years of inexperience, does not realize is that military efforts are not an efficient stabilizer past the early stages where military action is necessary. I completely agree with Hilary Clinton, that instead of military, we need to help Iraq with aid in forms diplomatic, financial, and with leadership. Furthermore, I for one cannot brush off Rev. Wright's proclamations as "mistakes" or "frustrations." These were multiple comments made over multiple sermons. In addition, the reverend has not issued an an apology and likely will not do so; instead, he has become silent and inclusive, canceling appearances, while Obama has done the apologizing for him. And while I agree that you cannot love someone 100% of the time, and cannot completely agree with your friends, this man was his PASTOR. He was a man to whom Obama listened to and was influenced by, looked up to, and furthermore looked up to religiously. I'm one of very few, but I simply do not trust our country in Obama's hands.
Heh, I'm South African, so it's not as if I can vote, but I have an avid interest in politics, so I do know what I"m talking about. If I could, I'd vote for Obama. Never liked Hilary, she's too... slippery. Obama at least *seems* like a straight up kinda guy. About the Iraq thing: I have no opinion either way (my country is not involved at all), so this is a very neutral question: why can't the pull-out of troops occur quickly, if that is what's decided? About Rev. Wright (Edited to correct spelling error): I've always felt that people tend to get a little bit crazy if they see an opportunity for 15 minutes (or even 5 seconds) of fame. Besides, one can't judge one guy by what another person he associates with says, especially because of the craziness factor. Even if he is Obama's pastor, to my mind that doesn't mean that they share a group-mind like agreement on all issues? I do have to agree with a PP, the fact that the "final two" are a woman and a person of colour really speaks volumes about how far your country has gone in terms of equality and exterminating discrimination. Well done!
Pulling out troops too quickly has the very likely possibility of this ending up like the situation in Vietnam- we pulled our troops out, the makeshift government collapsed, Communism swooped in. It's the government's worst nightmare.
I am by no means trying to defend Wrights comments...please don't take it as I am. They were wrong. But, with that said, the point I was trying to make is that so many people are blindly assuming that is the only belief he stands for...and by association, the same for Obama. We are only privvy to a snippet of sermons that have taken place over 20 years. And as someone said before, the media can take something said in one context and change it to seem as if it was said in a different context alltogether. Do I believe Wright is very radical in some of his views? Yes. But there are pastors, preachers, etc. all over the world that are radical...that doesn't make the entire congregation so. Being a preacher requires passion, and while most of the time the passion takes the form that is acceptable and "right," it is very easy to mix your personal frustrations into that passion. Wright hasn't apologized publicly, but would it matter? Obama has never expressed vehement agreement with the ideas that Wright has expressed at times...it shouldn't be as big an issue as it has become. Sometimes you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. This is one of those situations. For Obama to publicly denounce Wright, people would run around saying he is a traitor..he doesn't even stand up for friends he's had for years. The way he handled it...people are upset and saying he believes what Wright said. What CAN he say to appease those that are looking for a reason to make him seem less credible as a candidate? Yes, Hillary's healthcare viewpoint is very similar to what I believe in. At times I do struggle with the choice between the two...in all honesty. But, what makes me lean toward Obama as who I will vote for, is that while he is by no means perfect in this sense, Hillary's interests are very much aligned with money and lobbyists. All candidates are swayed by lobbyists, but some moreso than others. I was an avid supporter of Edwards because for once I felt as if someone would listen harder to what the public was saying rather than who was willing to put money in his pocket. I don't know that either would have the guts to stand up to the big players in Washington, but I have a thread more confidence in Obama to do what needs to be done over what big business wants. Let's face it...Hillary will do or say what makes her look better to whoever is needed at the moment. Have you seen the way she sipped the shot of whiskey while reporters snapped away? Give me a break. I have a HARD time believing that any of what we are seeing from Hillary on the campaign trail is in any way reflective of who she REALLY is. And that turns me off more than anything.
Hillary for sure. She is the best option cause she is best prepared for the job. Obama contradict himself a lot.