Help an indecisive voter?

Question

I'm still really stuck as far as who to vote for in this election & am this close to not voting (again). But instead of just telling me simply to vote for Obama or McCain, please give me a neutral standpoint on both parties, telling me the pros AND cons of both (& saying something like "so-n-so's an idiot" doesn't count). Feel free to state who you're voting for, but give a good reason why. For the record, I'm a very liberal republican (if there is such a thing), so I basically don't strongly associate myself with either party.

Answer 1

I'm registered as unaffiliated myself and I'm voting for McCain. It all boils down to freedom to me. Obama wants to help everyone, but the harsh reality of a free society is that it's not the governments job to save everyone. Obama wants to hold back large companies, which is quite the reverse of what you want to do to help the economy in my opinion. Walmart, for example, started out as a small business in Arkansas, but it's now one of the companies that Obama would hold back for new small businesses. But what happens if any of those small business are successful like Walmart? They would get stuck on Obama's corporate "glass ceiling" (I just coined that term by the way :-p). If you really want to help the economy, you shouldn't try to hold anyone back (in my opinion). Also, Obama says he is pro gun...but he's only pro gun in the "democratic" party meaning. Basically, he isn't going to ban firearms all together. But that just doesn't cut it for me. I live in North Carolina where I own 4 firearms, including one which many democrats would consider an "assault rifle" and I'm only 18 years old. Why do I say "assault rifle"? Because in the state of North Carolina their is a legal category for long guns, handguns, and machine guns....that's it. Legally speaking, their is no difference between a semi-auto AK-47 and a bolt-action .22 caliber rifle. I can't go from such freedom back to the days of Bill Clinton's "Assault Weapons Ban" of 1994. I would compare Obama's gun friendliness to Clintons (after all, they're both democrats). The "Assault Weapons Ban" of 1994, which was framed after the n**i's first gun control laws, banned firearms based entirely on appearance. It banned:

Any semiautomatic rifle made after 9/13/94, which can accept a detachable magazine and which has two or more of the following characteristics:

* Folding or telescoping stock (which means the part you rest against your shoulder can fold or extend which is useful for short shooters and women since most guns aren't designed with them in mind. Think of it as banning the little lever on your computer chair that allows you to move it up and down. Same thing.)

* Pistol grip which protrudes conspicuously below the action of the gun (pistol grip sounds scary because it has the word pistol and it's a part of a rifle....but seriously, it just means its a handle that you can hold onto instead of the stock itself)

* Bayonet mount (didn't ban bayonets...just bayonet MOUNTS. which means a small peice of metal that the knife can be attached to. and yes, a bayonet is nothing more than a knife. how many drive by shootings end with a gang member stabbing another gang member with their gun? seriously? id bet around none....)

* Flash suppressor or a threaded barrel designed to accommodate a flash suppressor (A ban on threaded barrels...what does that mean? think of what you put a s***w into. the s***w has a spiraled thread that it goes into. Same thing. it's banning the thread so you cant s***w anything on the end, specifically targeting flash suppressors. And what are flash suppressors? little devices that make the flash at the end of the gun smaller....is a small explosion worse than a large one? i don't think so...and when do criminals ever use rifles anyway?)

*Grenade launcher (well that's convenient considering it was banned in 1934 under the National Firearms Act along with machine guns...Although, you can still get one if you get a license, pay a fine, submit your fingerprints, have no legal violations whatsoever, register it with your state, get the state license to own a class III firearm, and request permission from the federal government any time you want to move it across state lines.....the process takes about 6 months....and again I ask you....when have u seen a drive by where the gang members used a grenade launcher? they don't even do that in most movies...)

Now to be honest about McCain....he's not the greatest. He DID give detainees rights and introduced the McCain detainee act to prohibit torture by the US government, BUT....he does want to continue the war. That doesn't really bother me though. The Iraqi government is requesting US troop withdraw by 2011 and I think we'll comply with that regardless of who's elected. McCain isn't going to help everyone, but at least he'll give everyone the freedom to either s***w up or succeed on their own.

Answer 2

you shouldnt vote, your vote dosent count count anyway. the president is chosen by the electorial college

Answer 3

I think for me it is because of their message.

For McCain he is about a policy that helps the Rich. According to that thinking it trickles down to the middle class and poor. This is how Bush has too governed.

For Obama he is about a policy that helps the middle class and poor. This benefits the rich, because more people buy his goods and he profits. In this way everyone is happy.

That in a nutshell is why Obama is a better pick, IMHO.

Answer 4

If you are a Christian you will want McCain

Palin is the only candidate that supports banning the birth control pill.

It's worth noting that Gov.Palin is a member of "Feminists for Life", an organization with members that openly support outlawing all "non-abortifacient contraception" (anything that stops implantation of the fertilized egg). http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/ff...

http://www.thepillkills.com

We may not be able to overturn Roe vs Wade but there is no constitutional right to the birth control pill.

Most women do not know that if your pill regulates your period, it kills babies.

As VP she could break a tie vote in the Senate, and explain this to the men in the Senate.

Answer 5

I am voting for McCain/'Palin...if you are conservative fiscally and dislike corruption they are your team...if you are for big, bloated government intruding into your private life and expecting government to provide your every need then Obama/Biden is for you...

Answer 6

I use a litmus test and it seems to work out pretty well for me.

I look at one issue first, abortion.

A candidate can be against abortion, or the right to choose, but it is how they interpret what they want to do.

If they are for repealing Roe V Wade and passing laws to make it very difficult to get an abortion, then they lose my vote.  If they are solidly for the right to choose, even if they are like myself, hating abortion with ever fiber of my body, then they may get my vote.  The reason is very simple, going one way tells me they are a controlling person who does not put individualism first, nor do they have the common sense to understand that the country can't agree if it is murder or not, nor can we agree when life begins and we certainly can't agree which types of abortions can be preformed, if any.  Anti abortionists can't even decide among themselves where this issue starts and where it ends.  Nor do they have the common sense to understand the ones they will be hurting with restricting abortions are the lower middle class to the very poor, because they don't have the money to seek illegal abortions, or go out of the country for a safe one.

The other is putting religion in our public schools.  What they continually fail to understand, who's religion will they put in there?  Plus, if that is allowed, then we must give equal representation to all religions, from Jewish, to Muslim, to lost tribes in the Amazon, to devil worshipers.  Religion does not belong in our public schools, but rather with the individual and their church or place of worship.

That my friend, is my litmus test.  One is voting against a control freak, the other is voting for one who believes in individualism and common sense.

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Life is so simple, but we insist on making it complicated

Confucius

551 - 479 BC

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Peace

Jim

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Answer 7

John McCain has delivered by choosing Sarah Palin, as his VP. She moved into the Alaskan Governor's house and let the chef go, saying she could prepare the food for her family. Then, she put the Governor's jet on ebay, saying she could drive herself. She has changed what was once a corrupt system in Alaska's Government while Obama just stands by The Chicago Crime Machine, so he can climb the political ladder. Talk about grabbing the moose by its horns and cleaning up Alaska!  Palin became President of the PTA, which led her into being Mayor of her City. She stepped up to being the Governor of Alaska while maintainingg an 80% approval rating from both the Republicans and the Democrats in her state. Thank God John McCain never gave up and was able to look past gender to find the perfect VP to help him clean up Washington. Washington is broken, but together they can fix it.

Answer 8

DO NOT ASK THIS QUESTION HERE.

YOU WILL GET BIASED UNTRUTHS FROM BOTH SIDES!

TRUST ME.

Answer 9

You need to browse the categories of each candidate and see where you think you lean more. They set it up so you can look at what's most important to you and read about it.

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Healthcare, Energy, Iraq, etc.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/issu...

Answer 10

I will be honest...I was always leaning toward McCain. Obama has way too many problems (Ayers, Wright, his comments, the question of his nationality, his conversion to his form of Christianity, his wifes comments, etc.). But, I wasn't very happy about McCain either. I viewed McCain as the lesser of two evils. He has alot of good points but I also have a couple of problems with him (immigration, NAFTA, McCain/Feingold, etc.). Now...after learning about Governor Palin...I couldn't be happier. She is a great candidate! The hate you see on here is just Liberals expressing fear...they haven't really given her a chance (and won't) or even checked her out with an open mind. I am not only voting McCain/Palin, but now I'm extremely happy about it. Obama promises change, but McCain/Palin will bring it...especially Palin. McCain is certainly not a party-line Republican and Palin is a flat out reformer. I will put it one other way. when it was just Obama vs. McCain I begrudgingly supported Mccain...but, now that Obama picked that crook (Biden) and McCain picked Palin...it's McCain/Palin hands down!

edit: Also, i see alot of pure lies on here about Governor Palin. Please don't get your information from here. Check things out for yourself and form your own opinion. Some of the attacks i have seen on her are sickening....

edit: Well, you could click on those links and see who is telling a lie if you wanted to, but now I'm pretty sure (from your edits) that you're mind was made up long before you asked this question. This was just another bs question from an Obama supporter. Well, good job. You really fooled me. You definately fooled me into wasting my time trying to give you a sensible answer for no reason. Have a nice day.

Answer 11

you must decide for yourself. It is a matter of what the parties stand for. Democrats, want free lunch for those who won't work, abortion on demand, higher taxes to pay for poorly run government projects, censorship on what we say and do, but freedom for every aspect of our lives, g*y marriage, more socialist(communistic) programs and laws.The republicans want people to have opportunities to improve themselves, live in traditional modes of marriage, lower taxes on citizens, realistic government spending, heavy on defense,Peoples rights under the constitution, a better school system, and accountability in all things. Study the caucauses, and town hall meetings, all the programs that have the candidates on. I turned republican after reagan ran for office the 2nd time because I found that I agreed with the republican standards, but you must choose based on your beliefs. Please vote, I served in the marine corps to keep your rights intact, now vote your conscience to show I didn't serve in vain.

Answer 12

You are a grown person...if you dont have enough sense about yourself to do your own research you dont need to vote anyway!!!

awe, the person asking this question doesnt want to hear the truth...wow...so block me

Answer 13

If you're still neutral after reading about all the c**p that Obama intends to do to us (weaken the military, raise our taxes, kill our babies after they're born, etc etc) then there's no hope for you

Answer 14

Well, I am still blinking at the fact that Palin is anti-abortion no matter what the scenario:  Incest, rape, or life-threatening.  She is also anti-birth control pill..now that scares me.

As far as McCain, he has consistently voted against veteran rights, ever since he entered office.  I found this out on Senate.gov.

Admittedly, Obama lacks experience, but if you look back in history, you will find that our most intelligent presidents have been our best.  Obama graduated at the top of his class, and McCain graduated at the bottom.

While the Bush admin is currently negotiating with Iraq on withdrawing our troops, McCain still maintains that we should stay there for another 100 years.

McCain believes that our middle class starts at a wage of 5 million dollars.  Obama started his career earning 12,000 dollars a year fighting for mill workers...he knows what it is like to struggle.

While I am not going to diss McCain's military service to his country, I would like to point out that our worst presidents served in the military.  

Answer 15

You have to consider which issues hold the most importance for you personally.  If you are against abortion, wish to financially support Americans who make over $5 million a year, and want an aggressive US military presence in many parts of the world, vote for McCain/Palin.  Keep in mind that McCain voted with George Bush 90% of the time, so if you like what the Bush administration did, vote for McCain/Palin.

If you want Washington to consider the needs of Americans who make considerably less than $5 million a year, want US troops out of Iraq as soon as possible, want policies that encourage alternative fuel sources to the oil we have grown so dependent on, want to preserve the right to bear arms while keeping AK 47s out of the hands of gang members, support a woman's right to choose, and want health-care reform, vote Obama/Biden.  If you want an adminstration that understands that Washington serves the people, not that the people support Washington, vote Obama/Biden.

I personally think that both candidates are intelligent, capable men of good character, so vote on the issues.