<p>I voted against McCain/Palin. I'm not in love with Obama but I disagree with a large majority of McCain's policies... not to mention the thought of Palin as prez scares the bejeezus out of me.</p>
<p>very good points from everyone. if you saw the election last night they talked about the plumber who addresed BO. after watching the video this plumber told BO that his tax increase will affect him, meaning that this PLUMBER is making over 250k a year. he talks about it like 250k a year is nothing. BO said that he wants to spread the wealth. Well even if this plumber's taxes were higher, he would still be making over 200k a year which is not a bad living at all, also his tax money is helping other plumbers who can barely make ends meet. So what this plumber wants is for the por to get poorer and the rich to get richer and i disagree.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but I can't see how anyone would logically vote for anything with Sarah Palin attached to it. I guarantee there are thousands of college aged students who are more qualified.</p>
<p>I don't want a useless, "folksy" type for my VP, save that for the town hall elections. And I do believe if you defend Palin in any way or form, saying she would make a good VP, you are a moron.</p>
<p>I'm with tiff90.....writing in Ron Paul is something to think about.</p>
<p>If there is another raise in min. wage, corporations will hire less people, which hurts everyone.
BO is not going to renew the Bush tax cuts, which will raise taxes on the working class. His "plan" must first arise in the house, then pass in senate, so its going to vary greatly with what he says.
Can you explain BO's health care plan, because I don't see how its possible, or even feasable. With the mistrust in gov extremely high, floating around or above Nixon era level, why would you want to further expand the power of the federal government? It makes absolutely NO SENSE. I DON'T want my HARD EARNED money going towards policies which are paid for by the MAJORITY and benefit the MINORITY. It is no fair, period. Our republic is about equality, as in everyone has an close to equal oppurtunity. It is not about giving hand outs at the expense of hard working ind.
At least 20% of people who are uninsured can AFFORD health care, which is a red flag that it's not a priority for many Americans, especially those who do not have a history of health concerns.
I would support two reforms, and nothing more, to the health care system.
1) Can not deny coverage to people who can afford health care
2) Offer group rate prices to ind.(employer health coverage is cheaper b.c. they "buy in bulk".
The last thing I want is another Bush style expansion of gov, such as giving a $700 bill check to Paulson to do whatever he deems necessary to bail out investment banks. The gov has not earned the right to receive any additional powers based on the last 7 years.
People should vote based on what they think is best for the country, not based on what they think, based on political campaign policies, will benefit the ind, because campaign promises and actual enacted policy are worlds apart.</p>
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Our republic is about equality, as in everyone has an close to equal oppurtunity. It is not about giving hand outs at the expense of hard working ind.
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<p>Things are not equal at all. It's very very hard to advance from class to class, despite all the Horatio Alger stories out there. </p>
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Can you explain BO's health care plan, because I don't see how its possible, or even feasable. With the mistrust in gov extremely high, floating around or above Nixon era level, why would you want to further expand the power of the federal government? It makes absolutely NO SENSE.
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<p>Perhaps you should do more research before you vote? I'm not criticizing you for supporting McCain, I respect that, but I don't see how you can criticize Obama's policies when you admit you don't know what they are. The straw man argument never works. His health policy in a nutshell is basically to keep things the way they are, except give insurance companies less power.</p>
<p>Here is what his policy is on his website: "On health care reform, the American people are too often offered two extremes - government-run health care with higher taxes or letting the insurance companies operate without rules. Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe both of these extremes are wrong, and that’s why they’ve proposed a plan that strengthens employer coverage, makes insurance companies accountable and ensures patient choice of doctor and care without government interference."</p>
<p>His health policy is more about INSURANCE companies than the GOVERNMENT.</p>
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At least 20% of people who are uninsured can AFFORD health care, which is a red flag that it's not a priority for many Americans, especially those who do not have a history of health concerns.
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<p>And 80 percent who are uninsured can't afford healthcare, which to me is a problem. Why can every industrialized nation have affordable healthcare except for us? Why can we waste billions of dollars on Iraq, and we can't afford to make everyone in our nation healthy? Instead, the poor often have no choice but to join the military, perpetrating the same system that is causing their poverty.</p>
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I'm with tiff90.....writing in Ron Paul is something to think about.
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<p>And what good would that do?</p>
<p>Ron Paul is kind of like Obama in that he is a trendy politician, among college kids. People think it automatically makes them a hard*** for supporting him. Just look at his policies, the man is freaking crazy. Abolish taxes? Quit the UN? The dude is pretty much isolationist, completely out of touch with the times. He has less experience than Palin even, and he's equally a religious nutjob. No thank you, but I'd rather have someone reasonable for the president. Not that it matters, when did an independent ever win a general election?</p>
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You are voting for Obama because he will use the government to seal from other people to give to you. You don't want to get a job that pays better, you want to government to force your employer to pay you more. You don't want to pay your share of taxes, you want the rich to pay for a disproportionate amount of the government. You don't want to pay for your own health care, you want the government to take someone else's money and buy you health care.
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<p>Wow. I've had a job since I was 16 and continue to hold a job while I work toward graduating and going to medical school. Then, I will be a doctor who probably falls into the category of "rich" people paying "disproportionate" amounts of taxes.</p>
<p>But still, because I support a democrat, I'm a lazy and I want to steal people's money. No, I'm lucky enough that I have had the resources to go to a good high school, to do well on the SATs, to apply broadly to colleges, to get into a good college, to do well in school, to get into medical school, to take out loans. I've worked hard to get here too, I'll have worked very hard to make the kind of money I eventually will. So sorry, not all people who support Obama feel "victimized" and want to steal the money of others.</p>
<p>I don't feel like getting into a policy argument, and I'm not going to. But to honestly say that tax money goes only to the lazy ***holes who don't want to work hard or get a job is naive and ridiculous.</p>
<p>lollybo-
I read BO's so called health care policy twice, and it is increadibly vague. The issue is that is will be changed signifigantly before it is implemented, and is it inevitable that it will be loaded with earmarks and benefits to health care providers. It was meant as a means to force previous poster to articulate exactly what the plan is, how BO plans to implement it, and WHERE the money is coming from. His plan lacks specifics.
I don't agree with the liberal belief that the gov should "even the playing field" by implementing policies that ONLY benefit a vast minority of Americans. I am a tax payer, and I don't want my money going to certain social welfare programs.
Do you trust the gov? Look at Bush's original platform in 2000 compared to what he actually did in office. Congress approval is abismal, so why should we grant an ineffienct, over expanded gov any more power? A national health care policy is absolutely unconstitutional, and per the 10th, it is a decision that must be left to the states.
I never stated america was completely equal, look at AA. It discriminates against white people. The FDIC's education standards for new hires is a 3.5 GPA, a 4 yr degree. When the FDIC realized they weren't hiring enough minorities, they lowered the qualifications for those groups. That is not equal oppurtunity, which is why I said we live in a mostly equal society, which is completely true. Everyone has the oppurtunity to open a business or to go to college(can work through CC), its the avalibility of capital that holds groups back, which is natural in a free market society. China and the USSR serve as perfect examples of why re distribution of wealth don't work, and in many instances hurt the lower class most. Also, the whole subprime mortgage crisis was created by a gov mandate to banks to give high risk loans to minorities so more minorities would own houses(of course the banks ended up giving them to everyone b.c. they just sold the loans to Freddie and Fannie). Welfare didn't work either, and still doesn't.
We don't NEED national health care, all we need is to force insurance companies to offer the same rate to groups as ind. It makes insurance more affordable. One factor many helath care advocates overlook is the fact that the reason many INDIVIDUALS choose to not pay for insurance is b.c. they are healthy and rarely see the dr or get RX's.
Can you show proof that it is very, very difficult to move up? Personally both my parents went from lower middle to middle by paying their way through school, as did my uncle and aunt. My other aunt joined the military and is now middle class. There are many avenues for ind to improve their position in life if they try hard enough. We have amazing public schools, and many states now offer vouchers(McCain supports, BO less up front). yes, people fall through the cracks, but the United States still offers more oppurtunities than any other country in the world.
Socialistic policies breed ineffieincy and are unfair. I work FT during breaks and PT during school and save my money so I can afford insurance. If you can't afford to insure yourself, don't have a kid.
Not every other country offers affordable healthcare. Biggest example is China(almost no rural have insurance). If by affordable you mean payinf 20% income tax so everyone has insurance, and that hospitals in Canada shut down if they run out of gov funding, or how in many european nations it takes an extended period of time(sometimes 1yr+) to get a dr. app, than more power to you. Our system offers quality,
That statement you posted about health care proves my point of ambigiouty. Did you actually read his PLAN? Or just a paragraph of propaghanda he posts on his website? That is so HS. Read his 7 or 8 page before you have the audacity to tell me to educate myself, when I've read all the plans by each candidate, plus Ron Paul's, Bob Barr's, Chuck Baldwin's and Clinton's.
Ron Paul actually has a consistent voting record, and people who support him actually have reasons to do so. Try reading his book and policies before calling him a trend. BO is a complete 180 from libertarian ideals, as he believes a bigger and more powerful government, and he also voted for the bailout.
When did anyone say these policies only benefit lazy people? I think you're misguided. I don't support many fed gov welfare programs bc:
These programs are paid by the vast majority and only benefit the vast minority. They are inefficient.
There are plenty of people willing to help others, and plenty of charities and programs that exist now, and more will if the gov stops giving out handouts. Having the fed gov implement plans means it is much more difficult to ensure that the right people are recieving help. Problem solved is you allow states and cities to choose and implement policies on their own.
BO offers nothing substantive and no new solutions. He's a politician who has somehow turned into a demagogue.</p>
<p>Il vote for Chuck Baldwin</p>
<p>But reading most of these posts I can help to laugh.</p>
<p>Obama.</p>
<p>I'm embarrassed to be on the same message board as Republicans.</p>
<p>Obama and McCain are the same person in political view. Sure they might differ on non important or fundamental issues, but on the main important issues both the Democrats and Republicans are exactly the same. There is no difference. sorry.</p>
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I'm embarrassed to be on the same message board as Republicans.
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<p>I hope you're just joking. </p>
<p>That sort of sentiment from both sides of the political spectrum really makes me roll my eyes. I'm an independent and a lot of what I dislike about this election season does not concern Obama or McCain themselves, but the better-than-thou, knee-jerk-reactionary stupidity from many of their supporters.</p>
<p>Sorry, I try not to associate with hicks.</p>
<p>*Yes, I am just trying to prove a point.</p>
<p>Why should the constitution be used to justify modern policies? The constitution said that slaves count as 3/5th of a person, does that still apply today? The constitution was written by the wealthy elite of the day, and is NOT as egalitarian as it seems. For example, they replaced the pursuit of property with the pursuit of happiness because they did not believe everyone deserved a right to property. I don't see the constitution's policies of favoring the elite as justified at all in today's world.</p>
<p>Again, I don't see how you associate Obama's plans with a national government healthcare. You say my own claims have no substance, yet you lack to provide substance to your own claims. Why would Obama's plan lead to national, socialized healthcare? I don't see the connection between increased Congressional oversight and more control of insurance companies to the socialized policies of the USSR and China. </p>
<p>I really hate how people think that we're on the path to communism if Obama wins. That is just ridiculous, and almost as unfounded as calling him a muslim terrorist. More government control =/= socialism or communism. FDR was much, much, much more socialist than Obama, and that actually HELPED the economy during the GD, and we're not even close to socialism. America is very moderate, in fact- complete laissez fair doesn't work, neither does complete government control.</p>
<p>I figured the fundamental difference between us if our difference in belief in the theory of governance. I see you are very libertarian, and I respect that. But from my personal experience, I know the benefit that government charity can have on groups of people. My parents came to this country dirt poor, and welfare along with government scholarships allowed them to get college degrees and bring me to where I am now. I don't think it's fair to say that all poor people are lazy and incompetent. Do we really want to cut off all charity to get a few free riders, while people who are actually in need suffer?</p>
<p>I really don't see what there is to like about Obama. For all we know he could be planted here by Al Qaeda. </p>
<p>Obama hasn't done anything. </p>
<p>No college kid can tell you why he/she likes Obama. </p>
<p>If you don't have health insurance, that's your problem.</p>
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*Yes, I am just trying to prove a point.
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<p>I see, nyuwishabee. It's just that I actually see that kind of thing on a daily basis, from people who are genuinely sincere about their statements. It's become hard to tell sometimes when someone's joking, which is sad in itself.</p>
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I really don't see what there is to like about Obama. For all we know he could be planted here by Al Qaeda. </p>
<p>Obama hasn't done anything. </p>
<p>No college kid can tell you why he/she likes Obama. </p>
<p>If you don't have health insurance, that's your problem.
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<p>Of course Obama hasn't done anything. He's a politician. There's nothing to see about Joe Biden, McCain, or Sarah Palin either. If you want to see people who have done anything, go to charities, universities, construction sites, and police departments. Vote for a politician because he/she is smart, reasonable, and qualified to be a leader, not because he/she is the reincarnation of Mother Theresa.</p>
<p>Im a McCaniac, republicans rules. Its too bad Obama has had this election ever since it started. So we need to start embracing Obama</p>
<p>that right obama is already well ahead of McCain</p>