Who are you voting for in Nov and why?

[Animeniax]

Or if you're not in the greatest country in the world, which candidate would you vote for, and why?

I'm leaning McCain, but the more I read about Palin the more I think it's a bad choice because she could be president if/when McCain dies. Besides I think he'll go the status quo and continue GOP policies that have us in a huge mess.

I like some of Obama's policies, but I've seen him guilty of changing his position to more moderate stances after winning Democratic primaries with leftist policies. He's also guilty of using mud-slinging tactics when he keeps calling for a clean election. I don't know enough about Biden, but he could very well be the next president when some wacko gets a sniper rifle, so Biden's character and politics should be a concern.

For me, Obama's race is a definite factor, but not so much because of his character or policies, but what his people and their 17% of the population will get from having Obama in office. Plus the even bigger downside if something bad happens to Obama once he's elected. The Rodney King riots will be boy scout campfire festivities in comparison to what will happen then.

[Kraco]

If I were a citizen of the USA and still retained my current personality, I'd vote for Obama. Conservatives as strict as McCain (and Bush) don't simply exist over here, at least not as a political force of any significance. So, their whole world is totally alien to me. From my point of view Obama is closer to the politicians I'm used to, though I'm not saying exactly similar.

I don't usually vote for candidates with no chances whatsoever to make it, even if their view was much closer to mine. Voting is most of the time voting for the lesser evil in any case.

[Assertn]

They both suck. I was leaning more towards McCain but now that he chose Palin, I lost interest in both parties.

One thing's for sure though....I really don't like Obama's tax strategy.

[Animeniax]

Palin would be a nonfactor if McCain survives the term, so really you should vote for him unless his policies changed significantly. Can you expound on which parts of Obama's tax policies you don't agree with?

[Yukimura]

I'd imagine it's the part where people who make a lot of money (like st33v tends to) would get taxed more than people who make less.

Anyway I'm voting Obama purely out of anti-Republican-Party loyalty. I was caught up in Obama fever during the primaries but a few days after he won the nomination I had an epiphany that even if he becomes President he won't be able to change anything because he'll have to fight pretty much everyone else in Washington and the support of the masses doesn't give much clout around here (unless you're Marion Barry). I think Obama will at least try to be better but ultimately he'll just Jimmy Carter it and fail. Still, I'd rather trust to hope for change then support McCain and his potentially-fundamentalist, moose-killing, lipstick-wearing-pitbull, trophy VP choice and their more "we may have broken it, but you should fix it yourself" attitude.

[The Heretic Azazel]

I don't believe in voting, and I won't vote until a candidate I like miraculously comes along. How can you relate to candidates when they got there by kissing all that ass and having all that money? If there are people out there--and I am most certain there are--who have the ability to turn this country around in a significant way, they'd be too damn broke to run for President anyway.

I am mostly anti-Republican EXCEPT government needs to play a smaller role in our lives. As far as McCain goes, he has age and temper against him, you know his blood pressure is up. What I do appreciate is McCain standing up for his beliefs, though I don't agree with him. Obama on the other hand, I'd like to see what he does with the country, but he doesn't have anything he STANDS for. I too am troubled by his position-switching over the years and I don't see anything close to his heart that he has really stood up and fought for. I'd hate to see McCain in office though, I can't stand all that Republican religious zealot nonsense, why can't we have an atheist president?

[animus]

No offense, but I've been following McCain's campaign since before Huckabee dropped, and he has no idea what he's doing. I can say with 99% certainty that it'll be a repeat of Bush's two terms.

I've always been more pro-democratic, left wing, liberal, yadda yadda. Obama's not that great of a candidate either, but it sure as hell beats having McCain run the country. And I definitely do not want that crazy woman in the big seat if he croaks which is quite likely.

[Jaitne]

I liked McCain before he had Bush on his side.. and before he had Palin on his ticket. he could have picked someone a whole lot better, in my opinion.

Palin is too conservative for my tastes, and if the Republican ticket does win, well, we all know they're going to go after some things (Roe vs Wade), more than likely.

Also, from what I've seen, there was no "you're not allowed to mud-sling" there was a "You better not attack the families," though. They can talk about each other all they want, as long as they keep families out of the mix.

But I can't vote, anyway, my birthday is about two weeks after the election. Yay me >.>

If you don't like any of the main parties (Republican or Democrat), you could vote for a third party. Just because they're not getting as much notice, doesn't mean they're not there.

[Y]

As I watched John McCain slowly shed every semblance of the "maverick" image he worked so hard to cultivate in his bid for his party's nomination, I felt truly embarassed that in 2000, as a 15 year old, I had respected McCain as a wrongheaded but principled member of the "loyal opposition", so to speak. At least I can blame that on being 15. What excuses will his supporters in 2008 use?

I vote for Barack Obama because conservatism is disgusting. It's a shame we can't nominate anyone left of center for fear of awakening American's fears about the evil liberal socialist boogeyman.

[XanBcoo]

I vote for Barack Obama because conservatism is disgusting. It's a shame we can't nominate anyone left of center for fear of awakening American's fears about the evil liberal socialist boogeyman.

Well said. That's my line of reasoning as well. One of my new roommates is a huge political junkie, so I've recently become more aware of the current presidential race. And Goddamn do I think McCain is full of shit. Sarah Palin is worse. The entire Republican National Convention was a complete joke. It reached a level of parody rivaled only by Stephen Colbert.

I don't think I'll vote though. I don't want to feel responsible for voting in a candidate I know next to nothing about and have no intention of defending. I love Obama's plan for National Health Care, but I don't see too much else in his policies that attract me. I don't want to vote for the guy I'm indifferent about just to keep the shitheads out of office.

[Board of Command]

If I was American, I'd vote for Obama because of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65I0HNvTDH4

[Uchiha Barles]

As far as domestic policy is concerned, I'd vote for Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party. He's an ACTUAL conservative when it comes to taxation. Get the fuck out of our incomes, thank you.

If I vote though, it would be based on foreign policy and the candidate's ability to do some repairs to our tarnished world image. Obama is black, which makes him different from what this country's always had as a leader. I really think that'll make a difference to nations with darker skinned people (middle east anyone?) Furthermore, this guy is a great orator, which you've heard to death I'm sure, and he's smart as hell. Whether he's swapping stances on things or not, he always sounds like he knows what he's talking about. I think he'd be much better to fix our tarnished image than McCain.

Consequently, I'd vote for McCain, and I hope he wins. He's our best shot at fucking up our image even more, causing some country somewhere in the world to put the boot up America's ass that it so desperately needs and wake it's people the fuck up.

edited for readability and a missing word.

[Animeniax]

I probably won't vote either since I'd have to send off an absentee ballot to vote. Besides, the popular vote doesn't mean squat anyway.

I'd imagine it's the part where people who make a lot of money (like st33v tends to) would get taxed more than people who make less.

I doubt Assertn makes so much where either party's tax policies would let him keep that much more of what he makes. The thing with taxation is that both parties will take their cut of your money, the difference is how they spend it. The Republicans will spend it on the war in Iraq and bailing out Wall Street. The Democrats will spend it on social welfare programs. At least those are their party lines.

If I vote though, it would be based on foreign policy and the candidate's ability to do some repairs to our tarnished world image. Obama is black, which makes him different from what this country's always had as a leader. I really think that'll make a difference to nations with darker skinned people (middle east anyone?)

Actually him being black would work against the US, especially in the middle east and East Asia, where a brother can't get a break. Just ask Rockmanj. Both areas are notoriously racist, particularly against American blacks. If Obama was Muslim, that would change things.

I always did wonder.. why don't Americans pick a president that's well liked by other countries?

Americans couldn't care less what other countries think of us. Foreign policy is a distant second to domestic concerns.

[Kraco]

Actually him being black would work against the US, especially in the middle east and East Asia, where a brother can't get a break. Just ask Rockmanj. Both areas are notoriously racist, particularly against American blacks.

Somehow I think it would be different for the president of the USA, though, compared to tourists or exchange students or random company workers transferred abroad. Few could afford to dismiss the leader of the biggest player in the global market just because of his skin colour.

I don't know if Obama feels anything towards Africa but maybe he does and would try to fix a few things over there. Europe is too disjointed and has too many old issues they can't overcome to do much good over there, Russia "fixes" things only by selling AKs and nuclear reactors, and China would deal with the devil for a little oil, so that leaves the USA as the only one who could make a real difference, I guess. Though I realise how unfair it's to automatically assume the USA would or could fix all the problems in the world...

[Animeniax]

Yes, but racism runs deep. Their handling and discussions with Obama will not be overtly racially-motivated, but just under the diplomatic smile and nice talk will reside a hatred of the man simply because of the color of his skin.

This same hatred will probably be the reason McCain is the next president of the US. I've talked to people here in the US who don't know 2 cents about the issues and don't care, all they know is that they're voting for McCain. They won't openly admit it's because of race, but it fits since I've heard them use the "n" word often enough.

[Assertn]

I doubt Assertn makes so much where either party's tax policies would let him keep that much more of what he makes. The thing with taxation is that both parties will take their cut of your money, the difference is how they spend it. The Republicans will spend it on the war in Iraq and bailing out Wall Street. The Democrats will spend it on social welfare programs. At least those are their party lines.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...060900950.html

All you gotta do is make at least $112k to see more benefit with McCain than Obama. The two highest brackets are ridiculous though -- he's basically forcing the top 1% to subsidize tax cuts for everyone else.

[Animeniax]

It seems to be a minimal benefit to those making combined less than $160k a year. The differences as the article states is in the top 2 income brackets, and while I feel for these top income groups, I probably won't be among them in the next 8 years of whoever's presidency, so I'm not hurting either way.

I'm wondering with all of the proposed tax cuts, where does McCain expect to get funds for the bailout and war in Iraq? Maybe this article was pre-bailout?

I think it says something good about Obama that he plans to charge himself and his upper-crust friends and supporters a much higher tax rate, though loop holes will always exist to help the rich avoid paying their taxes.

[David75]

You're in the same poised situation we had for the Royal vs Sarkozy vote in France.
None of them are worth it, but still you have to decide.

So Mc Cain vs Obama?

Should I vote, maybe Obama. Just because he isn't a Bush Clone.

But honestly, I do not think Obama can make it just because he is Black and it is an enormous drawback in the USA.

[Idealistic]

Anyone who just doesn't give a damn like me? Somebody said to me, "It's because of people like me, that the world is in a mess."

lol.... Because I don't care about politics, the world becomes a mess? It's not only the presidents fault that this world, or, the US is so fucked up. It's the people. Actually, it's money.

[Jaitne]

I always did wonder.. why don't Americans pick a president that's well liked by other countries?

Is it because a lot of Americans are very nationalist and want an American that's only liked by Americans or is it because we think they'll actually do a good job?

I do know that conservatives and liberals have some good points, and right now, the American government is being slightly liberal by taking over those few companies that messed up big time and caused a lot of money to be lost.