How has your life been bettered over the last 8 years?

Question

I get a lot of flack for being a liberal in Texas. And so I was wondering, what has happened over the last 8 years that has made the US and your life better? Specifically vs the 8 years under Clinton? What is it about McCain that makes you want to vote for him? Is it the high gas prices? The war? The government having the ability to listen in on your conversations without warrant? Less federal funding for many things like student loans, environmental control? What is it that has made your life better the last 8 years and what is McCain promising to do to keep your life better?

Answer 1

I have learned to deal with racism,

I have learned to maintain inner peace.

I no longer date Asian females (not all racism stems from white males).

Answer 2

Our country wasn't attacked again (which destroyed our economy.

CCC - The Economic Costs of 9/11 ... to amount to at least $11 billion for a total direct cost of $27.2 billion. ... Trends and the Implications of the 11 September Attacks, January 22, 2002 (PDF) ...

www.ccc.nps.navy.mil/si/aug02/homeland... - 30k _

New York Counts Cost of 9/11(£60bn) ... The financial effects of the September

The terrorist attack of September 11 could cost New York up to $95bn 11 attacks far outweigh the most ...

www.buzzle.com/editorials/9-4-2002-257...

Answer 3

Why do you keep looking for someone else to make you happy.  

Answer 4

Let's look at some key issues:

(1) THE ECONOMY -- McCain wants to continue with tax breaks for citizens and business, while Obama wants to raise taxes.  No administration in U.S. history has ever taxed the U.S. into prosperity.  Quite the opposite:  Tax increases almost always mean higher inflation and recession.  BTW, Obama's proposed windfall profits tax against big oil is nothing new (Carter tried it, and it failed miserably).

(2) ENERGY POLICY -- Both candidates are talking about developing alternative fuel sources.  McCain is also talking about developing the oil resources we already have in order to make the U.S. less dependent on foreign oil, while Obama has a goal of the U.S. being oil-free within the next 10 years.  The problem is Obama can't name an alternative fuel source for cars and trucks that can be fully developed and in place within the next 10 years, nor has he indicated how he intends to help people who can't afford a new alternative fuel vehicle.  McCain is wise enough to see that we need to do something in the interim to help Americans out, while Obama is running his plan on a pie-in-the-sky platform that doesn't address the harsh realities.

(3) HEALTH CARE -- McCain's plan is to fix the system we already have by imposing stricter controls and regulations on the health care industry, thereby making health care more affordable for everyone.  Obama has said point-blank that his ultimate aim is universal health care.  For starters, the experts have already projected that universal health care in the U.S. will cost at least 10 times more than Obama has projected (which, again, means higher taxes).  Secondly, we'd be taking a private industry and placing it under government control, which means bigger government and less freedom of choice for the private citizen (let's face it -- once we have universal health care, we're stuck with it).  Finally, the end result will be a system that will provide a lower standard of care than the system we have now.  Don't believe me?  Talk to people who live in suburban or rural areas of the UK and Canada and find out how "wonderful" universal health care REALLY is.

(4) FOREIGN POLICY -- McCain has vowed to fight the terrorists that want to kill us for no other reason than the fact that we are Americans.  Obama proposes negotiations with the terrorists.  This shows that he has no understanding of our enemy.  You can't negotiate with people who think the most glorious thing they can do with their lives is to blow themselves up while taking out as many white infidels as possible.  Negotiating with these people will only result in more innocent Americans being killed.

Now let's look at some of the issues you brought up:

(1) HIGH GAS PRICES -- Stop blaming Dubya for this.  If you want to place blame, blame China and India for increased demand for oil.  Blame OPEC for cutting production for no good reason.  Better yet, blame your own cherished liberals for spending the last two decades blocking virtually every piece of legislation that would allow us to tap into the oil we have right here in the U.S.  Gee, could they be doing this because many of the Democrats on Capitol Hill have invested in foreign oil?

(2) THE WAR -- How quickly you forget that the President doesn't have the authority to declare war.  That was a vote of Congress, and don't insult our intelligence by saying "Bush lied."  The intelligence that was gathered against Saddam Hussein was all on the desk of one William Jefferson Clinton while he was in office, and even he said Saddam has got to go.

(3) GOVERNMENT LISTENING TO CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT WARRANT -- There is no Constitutional right to privacy.  That's a legal fiction.  You're not allowed to sexually molest children or make bathtub meth just because you're in the "privacy" of your own home.  

(4) LESS FEDERAL FUNDING FOR STUDENT LOANS -- Why is it the Federal Government's responsibility to loan money to people who want to go to college?  If you want to go to college, get a scholarship or apply for a Pell Grant or take out the loan yourself.  Better yet, go to community college for the first two years, work part-time or full-time to pay for your tuition and expenses, and save your money.  Only entitlement-minded people expect the government to take care of everything for them.

(5) ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL -- Do we really need to go into the farce of global warming?  Or maybe we should talk about the "Earth friendly" CFL light bulbs -- you know, the ones that use less electricity than standard light bulbs but cost about five times as much and have Mercury in them, so they have to be disposed of at HAZMAT facilities?  EARTH FRIENDLY?!?!!??!!

BOTTOM LINE:  Obama's platform of "change" is not accurate.  His plans and proposals are based entirely on age-old rank-and-file Democrat policies that have been tried and have failed.  McCain is no saint, and he's far from perfect, but if it's a choice between staying the course and marching down another road that'll lead our country and our economy right into the toilet, that choice is a no-brainer.

Answer 5

In the last 8 years I've:

Graduated from High School

Earned a degree in Engineering

increased my anual pay by 1000%

gotten married

concieved 2 children (19 month old daughter and a son due at thanksgiving)

bought a house

I wouldn't want to go back.  

Answer 6

You should get a lot of flack for asking 400 questions at a time.

My life is better for a number of reasons, very few (if any) can be attributed to any president.  I will be voting for McCain because he is not Obama.  I think Obama will do everything in his power to destroy this country.  I don't think he intends to destroy the country.  I do think that his ideas are very destructive.  Many things that the far left says these days sound like quotes from the Communist Menifesto.  This country was founded upon the idea that we are free men... but those freedoms get whittled away all the time.  To the point where my government is regulating what type of lightbuld I can use... or the terms of my loan agreement... or how my money must be spent.  I am a grown man.  I do not need a babysitter.  I need interstate highways.  I need national defense.  I need some laws governing products liability.  I need to be able to trade accross state lines.  But that's really all I need from Washington.  The rest of it... well we can handle that on the state and local levels.  

Oh, I'm a Texan too... so let me give you a little flack... "Why don't you go panhandle on the drag, ya hippie?"

Answer 7

My life was much better during the Clinton years.  I have had 4 grand children born in the past 8 years.  Other than that, nothing was really good, especially financially.   Republicans will say that it has nothing to do with this administration but they will also blame everything bad that happens on a Democrat during their term.  It is all hypocritical.  All we can honestly say is whether we were better off during what years or not.  If you are rich, then under the Bush years you probably did pretty good.  If you are not rich, and being honest about your situation, I don't see how anyone can say they are better off now.  At least financially.

Answer 8

I had some good points over the last 8 years, like getting a full-time job and moving out my mom's home into an apartment in 2000, then I got married and became a homeowner in 2001.  However, there were a lot of bad points, like getting laid off of my mortgage job in 2004, and having trouble staying employed in the mortgage industry ever since.  Most of the big corporations were I've worked at kept laying people off and would only hire within the company after doing so.  In 2003 to 2005, I have earned about $35,000 a year, but only earning less than half of that in 2006 to present.  I've been doing some work here and there in non-mortgage fields since the beginning of this year.  I lost my home in a foreclosure in January this year.  It got that way because I'm having more trouble finding a full-time job than I had 8 years ago.  My monthly mortgage doubled in 2006.  I also had trouble paying bills and buying food because the gas prices 3 times as high than 8 years ago.  I tried to go back to school in 2005 to get a Bachelor's, but dropped out due to limited computer access; I owe money for those classes.  I couldn't get the pell grant this time like I did in 1997 for my Associates Degree.

I'm not voting for McCain because we can't afford to keep paying for wars.  We need a President that will shame corporate CEOs into keeping jobs in the US.  We don't need a President that will spend money to rebuild other countries.  Since Pres. Bush been in office, the gas prices in St. Louis, MO went from $1.30/gal to $3.85.  As far as I know, McCain has only talked about offshore drilling as a solution, but that's no different than what's happening now.

Answer 9

it isn't.. but i don't see Obama nor McCain making it better either.. bummer..so i won't vote.. bring in Spanky and the gang 2 solve world problems i say  : )

Answer 10

Individual initiative has been strengthened through better tax policy, America has been safer and more vigilant in defending itself, and the excesses of the judiciary have been curtailed to a degree.

Government spending has been out of control and illegal immigration has not been addressed, though.  I fear that neither major party will do much about that, though.

Answer 11

I like the your stance. LOL  I agree with you -- My life was He!!  THe company I worked for went out of business....I could find another one on the same level. Got only low paying jobs... went to school finished an advanced degree.... STILL CAN'T FIND A JOB/CAREER!!! So now I going to get into Nursing school.

The Comedian George Wallace said it best, "I use to be RICH, when Clinton was in office."  "... And remember the 1st Bush had the country in such a mess. Mexicans was going back to their on country!" There was a similar report, months ago about the same thing happening with his SON!

I COULD GO ON BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET DEPRESSED!