DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum your voting philosophy...

I've come to a point where I would vote for anyone that I felt would stay true to their platform and not take money from outside influences.

I'd rather vote for someone I disagree with, but I know where they stand.

With that said, I don't think I'll ever vote in a federal election again...if you've made it that far, you're talking out of both sides of your mouth. You've take a ton of money from powerful people who are going to ask for favors down the line. You've comprimised yourself to fit a party platform. I'm not sure who said it (Mailer?), but anyone who has a shot at the presidency shouldn't be president.

My philosophy is to abstain until I get a real choice. With any of these three nothing will change, most of us will remain slaves of the state.

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BTW- If you go to his web site? It explains "exactly" what his platform is and how he plans to pay for it. But then again, I guess if you don't look, you won't know. But it's there.

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I've spent time on that website...and for many of his ideas he gives NO explanation as to how they'll be paid for. They are very vague (not "exactly") when it comes down to the details. His education plan is nothing more than a more expensive "no child left behind".

Whoever called him a "uniter" must not be listening to the same Obama I am.

He strikes out in the issues I deem important.....gun control and illegal immigration. (2 of the few current issues where the prez can actually have an impact).

In brief:

He supports a nationwide ban on concealed carry and wants "handguns out of the cities".

He claims to be against amnesty for illegal aliens, but he doesn't want to "break families apart".

I give Obama a 3rd on this paltry list of candidates.

I vote money...MY OWN. Trouble is there are few candidates at any level that understand that anymore.

The following quote pretty much sums up my decisions since my first vote (attributable to Churchill, I think):

If you are in your twenties and a conservate, you have no heart,
but if you are in your thirties and a liberal, then you have no brain.

Listening to the whines and complaints and demands we are making of the next President we are forgetting the first and only duty of a President.

That is to protect ,defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States of America....so help me GOD.

You vote for a Prez. to do just this and if his abilities allow for your favorite project-great. If not-tough luck!

As you all know the Bill of Rights is a document designed to protect CITIZENS from an overreaching federal government. It is designed to leave all power in the people's hands in the states and local areas unless specifically enumerated in the Constitution.

I vote for the candidate who seems most likely to REPEAL PAST LAWS AFFECTING MY FREEDOMS AND WALLET.How in the world can you support a candidate that complains about our national debt but then advocates for a total overhaul of the health care industry and claims it will save money-BS! Never gonna happen. The Drug coverage with Medicare is a great example of a lousy plan with no cost containment.
They talk about paying for these programs by applying WINDFALL PROFIT TAXES TO BUSINESS and by taxing the hell out of the top earners...yeah, that'll work well.

Every corporation in the world takes the tax increase and passes it to every consumer so the average Joe has seen his taxes go up again but this time as an imbedded tax.

Where is that leader who suggests that we cut 2 programs for every new program added to the leviathon of Federal Gov't?

Listen folks...socialism is creeping back into our lives more and more all the time. It doesn't work,,,it never works...as it refuses to recognize the basic drive of initiative.
As the first American social experiment went...the PILGRIMS instituted a commune form of society where all worked and all benefitted. This was shortly abandoned when too many citizens did too little to make the system work.... DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

Vote for Scrooge McDuck not Mickey,Minney or Donald Duck!

You make it so easy for me not to like you most of the time and now you pick on my dead dog. I liked it better when you stuck with the new board and crowned yourself the political guru over there. I think I hear them calling you....

JFAN...

you've reminded me of a hypocrisy i have a problem with...many conservative members of my family feel:

to increase safety in our cities (from citizens), we must put limits on the right to bear arms(via gun restrictions), and that's unacceptable...

to increase safety in our cities (from terrorists), we must put limits on the right to privacy (via spying), and that's acceptable...



let's protect freedom or safety, but be consistent about it...

You got it right Ralphie, accept for the so help me GOD part. God isn't mentioned in the oath written in the constitution.

But you're right, the job is to uphold the Constitution, not protect the citizens from terrorism. The Patriotic act is one of the most unpatriotic acts ever passed.

JFAN...

not saying you do...you just reminded me of that...

although you say citizens...is that implying that it's ok to spy on those here with VISAs, or foreigners on the phone with citizens?...or were you not implying that at all?...

I grew up in a generally Republican area. Though I was too young I favored Bush sr, Dole, and John McCain when he first ran in 2000, but switched to Bush after he won the primary.

In 2004 I was first able to vote in a general election. And while many of my social views weren't with W's agenda, I had met him a few times and favored him over Kerry (granted that election was like picking between getting a kick in the groin or a root canal). I voted Bush. I don't like him as a president but I still can't see myself voting for Kerry, I probably would have wrote in myself or something.

In the years I've realized one system of government does not work. A government run by republicans for 100 years would be a disaster, the same if democrats controlled it for the same time.

Sometimes you have to raise taxes, sometimes you can cut them. Sometimes you need more government, other times you have to cut down on government.

I am a moderate now. Frankly the only Republican I liked this election was in fact McCain, after him someone else will need to step up because I'm not thrilled with the potential future of the GOP party.

As my views, I personally believe abortion is wrong, but I don't think we can get rid of it. It has become such an unfortunate norm in society that making it illegal would only do more damage. I think states should decide whether to make gay marriage legal or illegal, though I believe they need some form of civil unions.

As for the candidates this election:

Clinton- The only candidate still running I do not want to win. She just has this sense of entitlement and to me there are two main drawbacks to her (besides personality). #1 is that she wants to mandate healthcare, force it upon people. #2 is that she wants an immediate withdraw from Iraq (60 days), that fast of a withdraw is dangerous, and transferring any control of the country to the existing government would be disasterous.

Obama- I like Obama. He inspires the people of this country and the rest of the world has a favorable view of him (which would help with foreign relations). If he spoke to me 5 minutes before I voted I doubt I would be able to vote against him. That being said I do have some reservations. He also wants universal healthcare (but he doesn't want it mandated which gives him big ups over Clinton) and while he wants to withdraw from Iraq he wants it done safely (within 1 year). Im not holding the Reverend Wright or the bitter comment against him. But I am a moderate. Obama is easily the candidate furthest from the center in this election. He wants to negotiate with all foreign leaders including the leader of Iran, who has stated he wnats Israel blown off the map. Is it wise to talk to someone so radical? Also while he is great with words, his record just isn't appealing. He calls for reaching across the aisle but has rarely done so. His experience is limited and his voting record is questionable. I think one day he'll make a great president, but not at this time.

McCain- As far as Iraq I see the pluses (if we leave we save more american lives and cut the cost of spending) and minuses (we leave and the area falls into civil war, gas prices skyrocket, further down the road we are forced to intervene again). I side with McCain on that we need to stabalize the country before we pull out. And as for healthcare, I don't think it should be controlled by the government. They can't even handle medicare yet we want to put everyone under thier insurance? The main reason I like McCain is that he's not the typical republican. He does not vote along party lines. He has shown he is bipartisan and constantly worked with democrats to pass legislation. He has more experience than any candidate left. With McCain he doesn't give false hope or sugarcoat bad news. He tells it like it is. With McCain what you see is what you will get. When a president is in office, events are going to happen that will change their policy. When I ask myself which candidate is going to be able to best handle that situation, I think its McCain. He is for stem cell research as well as greener technology (Something you don't see out of the GOP). When it comes to the economy, he wants it stabalized before spending hundreds of billions of dollars on new programs like Obama and Clinton want.

I will vote for McCain. If Obama wins I will not be sad in the least. I think Obama will be a great president, I just think McCain will be a better one.

"...But you're right, the job is to uphold the Constitution, not protect the citizens from terrorism. The Patriotic act is one of the most unpatriotic acts ever passed."

I would agree completely with your points here if there wasn't major precedent for the phone tappings....see FDR's program in the early 40s...his was a much more aggressive and larger scope project than Bush's BS.

My apologies about the dog. I don't make it a habit to know all the reasons for why someone uses this picture or that.

I know you don't like me, and that's all good but I don't crown myself anything and I'm amused that you think that I do.

Again, I apologize about comments about the dog in your picture. I'm sure the dog was probably nicer than what you seem to be much of the time.

I have developed my views over a number of years. It can be a mix of Democratic and Republican thoughts.

A basic premise of my thought process is that the role of government is to support and develop the country and its people, not that the people should be supporting government.

Economically, I think the government should not interfere with business and educational guidelines. Having programs that offers subsidies for everyday business activities is not a good idea. Providing incentives for research and development in areas where we need help (medicine, non-carbon alternative fuels) is a good idea. Educational standards such as no child left behind, a bad idea. Grants to college students, a good idea.

Socially, I have no idea why the government would take a position on a right to life or right to choose issue. This is a personal decision. Social security as a safety net for seniors, a good idea, as is medicare. I would probably be supportive of a government program that would address the health care issue, as this is now pretty much accepted that health care insurance is a requirement of the society. With respect to McCains concept of a tax credit to let individuals obtain their own health insurance, it won't work. Unless the pre-existing condition clauses are removed, many people will find insurance unobtainable. I know this, employers pay about a 15 percent premium to assure that any employee is able to obtain insurance.

Regulations should be established in order to benefit the society. Air, water and wastewater treatments standards are necessary requirement. FCC regulations are probably not. Car standards such as mileage requirments, I am not fond of.

Programs that develop interstate infrastructure are a good thing.

The country needs a common defense.

I strongly believe in a balanced budget. You just don't hear those words any more.

So for the most part my views are democratic.

As for the current president and candiates.

GWB: I have an unending disdain for him. Not finding Bin Ladin, The WMD's, Iraq, Gitmo, torture, the Patriot act, and many more items just do not set well with me. As a minimum requirement, the president of the United States should be able to talk in a sentence without sounding like a total idiot.

McCain: I do not like his position on the war. It was a stupid idea, and one that cost 4,000 lives to date and I can't justify spending any more money on a bad idea. I think in the forthcoming days he will be roasted for his "troops for oil" comment. The war and right to life issues aside, I could have voted for him.

Clinton: I have held disdain for them after the Monica situation. They are political beasts. Hillary views are much more to the left than Bill's and for me that is I problem. I do not think that a 2nd Clinton presidency would end the stalemate in Washington, and Bubba is just to much of a wild card.

Obama. I probably relate to his message and concept. I don't like all the programs that he is proposing, because payment for these programs is the challenge that has not been explained to me. I hope that the Professor is the uniter that he says he is.