I have lost some of the enjoyment for the forum over the last several weeks. The threads and posts are melting down into a puddle of taunts, denial of facts, sophmoric thoughts and partisan hack politics. I enjoy the give and take the jabs and counter punches at times but this seems to be what the majority (we) have become. I love the morbid humor, attacks, inferred insults and slams that come from the witty members of this forum.

I would like this thread to deal with issue related concerns about the candidates. No response to the posters opinion and no partisan attacks.

Example - I do not like John McCain because of his liberal leanings on Immigration. He has shown this tendency by supporting legalization of Illegals.
or
Example - I like John McCain because he understands what is necessary to fight and win the war on terror. He has shown this ability with his support of the troops and his knowledge that the surge was key to bringing Iraq under control.

So I am looking for your opinion of the candidate and an example that you feel backs up your opinion. Some type of policy or action the candidate has put forward to make you believe your opinion is correct.

We can return to partisan attacks on another thread, I am really looking for information and ideas on this one.

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Liberals believe it is okay to kill babies, but not terrorists.

democrats believe it is okay to taser a 10 year old if this stance will get their guy elected.

I do not believe that Barack Obama will be good for this country because of his Socialist ideals. In this tough economy and record debt he has proposed new taxes, massive spending and brought forth no ideas on bringing the debt under control.

I believe his history of earmarks (500 million in 3 years) is an example of what type of spending he will favor. I also believe that his voting record shows an inability to cross the aisle and bring the unity he campaigns about.

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Liberals believe it is okay to kill babies, but not terrorists.

democrats believe it is okay to taser a 10 year old if this stance will get their guy elected.

I don't feel John McCain is the right guy for the presidency because he favors liberal domestic programs that I feel put the financial future of our country at risk. His support of raising taxes (against the Bush tax cuts before he was for them), spending billions and possibly destroying our economy on Global Warming and his support of socialized medicine are the things that worry me about his potential presidency.

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Liberals believe it is okay to kill babies, but not terrorists.

democrats believe it is okay to taser a 10 year old if this stance will get their guy elected.

My thoughts on Obama.

I dont like him for the simple fact, that he wants to take from a few and give to the rest, ala socialism. He talks about cutting taxes for 95% of Americans, but hasnt proposed cutting tax rates anywhere, so one is left with what he actually means by "cutting taxes". He wants another stimulus package, which tells me that as a Liberal, he gives legs to the fact that when people are able to keep more of their own money they can stimulate the economy. Why not cut taxes permenately if they can hand back checks at any time they so choose? Raising cpaital gains taxes is not good, b/c that will cause less people to invest and right now that is exactly what we need people doing, investing. Raising taxes on companies, is bad economics too. He wants to raise taxes on companies who make more then $250K. What incentive is there for a company that is making less then $250K to break that barrier? Why restrain smaller businesses by raising taxes on any future growth they will have? UHC, Nationalized education, UN world poverty tax, the list goes on and on. We dont need more spending, we need less. Illegal immigration, more regulation.

My thoughts on McCain.

Global warming, illegal immigration, capping CEO pay, more regulation. More spending. We need less spending, no new government agencies or entities.

Neither side is going to give us what we actually need, a conservative government that spends less and saves more. We are in the hole $53 trillion dollars. You cant get rid of that by spending. Cutting taxes is great, Bush did it, but where he went belly up is on spending.

Mas a give you kudos for stating you are tired of the back and forth childish banter here. I 2nd that notion. It seems like all these threads turn into is a pissing contest on who can hit the coffee can at the longest range.

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If I had the option of voting 2000 and 2004 over again, I would still vote Bush.

Good thread.

I have liked John McCain for many years. However, I am seriously questioning whether I can, in good conscience, vote for him.

First, he's had many years to work on the problems that deregulation have caused, and he's failed to do so. Second, I think his campaign has gone astray into dirty territory (with some of the ads he's run which are blatantly false), and I did not think he would ever do that. Thirdly, I am not sure he has the interpersonal skills necessary to conduct business with other nations. i worry about his temper.

In regards to Barak Obama, I respect the campaign he has run, which has mostly focused on the issues. However, his positions are far too liberal for me, and if you read his website, you learn that he is proposing a whole lot of new spending that I have no idea how we will afford given that we are several trillion dollars in the hole right now as a nation.

From neither of these candidates do I see any recognition at all that the U.S. cannot be all things to all nations, nor can we take care of every need that Americans might have. This used to be a nation of rugged individualists who took pride in taking care of THEMSELVES rather than relying on a government handout. I'm not sure where we went so wrong, but we are saddling our children and grandchildren with a burden of debt that is simply unconscionable.

I am thinking of voting, for the first time, for a third party candidate, to express my dissatisfaction with both the democratic and republican candidates.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

This could be a great thread if we all comply with the boundaries of the OP! I am willing to listen to others opinions and carefully evaluate them on their merit.

After giving Senator Obama due consideration, I have concluded:

One reason I do not like Barack Obama is his position on taxes. I don't believe that taxing the wealthy, no matter how much revenue it brings in, is the right thing to do. I don't believe that a person working 80, 90, 100 work weeks and available 7 days a week to the job should have to pay 60%-70% of their income to the government just because they earn substantially more than the average wage earner. There is no sense of equity or fairness. There is no balance to all citizens.

I don't like Obama because he is a "progressive" liberal that supports the violation of the US Constitution to impose and continue programs that are not within the enumerated powers of the federal government.

I don't like John McCain because he is an idiot to think that he can fight a global war on a tactic (terrorism) and is ignorant of the root cause of the terrorist threat against American (US interventionism).

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Soldiers swear to protect and defend the Constitution with their lives.

Politicians swear to protect and defend the Constitution with someone else's life.

Barack Obama gives me great pause from what I will call his indecisiveness. He stated he would work to repeal the Patriot Act, then voted for it. He stated he would repeal the Bush tax cuts and now says they will probably have to stay in place for their duration. A true leader is decisive. He stands by his decisions. These are only two examples where Senator Obama has changed his course in a dramatic way. There are too many others to say he reassessed the situation and just felt that he needed to change his mind. He provokes me to wonder how he will react/respond at a moment of great crisis/conflict! He leaves me with no sense of confidence in his ability to lead this country through these troubling times.

Good Thread, something actually worth posting on.

Justabubba, you do no one any good by acting ignorant and not addressing the topic of the thread.

I like Barack Obama because I feel that his tax plan, which gives tax cuts to 90% of Americans, including the middle class who John McCain ignores, is what this country needs.

I like Barack Obama because he has shown the judgement on key Foreign Policy issues, and believes in the vital diplomacy that his country needs.

I like Barack Obama because he has a plan for America's Healthcare system that is not as Liberal as Hillary's, but still improves the situation we are in now and provides all Americans with healthcare.

I like Barack Obama because during this economic crisis, he has revealed true leadership, as well as saw the problems with lack of regulation that John McCain was a proponent of.

I dislike John McCain because after 8 years of failed George W. Bush policies, I will not support a man who represents 4 more years of the same. You can say that he is different, however, he has voted with Bush 90% of the time, and on vital issues facing this nation has not swayed from the foundation of the Bush Administration.

Again, great thread. I'm glad to be back.

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Mas has asked me to keep this thread on topic. Please abide by his opening guidelines, and try to refrain from mudslinging. If you don't like a candidate, go ahead and rip their issues apart. Just keep personal lives out of just this one thread.

Thanks.

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"I should be calling collect from jail for the things I commit each night in my head" - D. Mustaine.