McCain’s Pick: This could be the one…
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So, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is emerging as the possible VEEP candidate for McCain. While I’m a Romney supporter, I like the Dark Horse approach. She’s young, attractive, smart, and — perhaps very importantly in this campaign — a woman. Looking over her record, I think she’s a candidate that conservatives could get behind, courting the support there that McCain would need, and also chipping away at Obama’s advantage among female voters.
The downside, is that there’s still some gender bigotry out there so it may turn a few away — but those are unlikely to translate into Obama votes. Also, I’m not sure that she brings the fundraising ability that a Romney pick would have provided, something McCain probably needs to beat the well-funded Obama. A fresh face can be as big a liability as it is an asset, and I think every effort will be made to make her look like a ditzy beauty queen. So that’s a potential problem as well.
I’m admittedly biased, but I think Sarah Palin will do far more for McCain’s campaign than Joe Biden is doing for Obama’s. This is so much fun to watch!
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2 
2 I don’t know much about Ms. Palin. I am sure we will all find out soon on how she stands on issues that we are facing as a Nation. I do know this, she has more experience and time under her belt in Government than what the Democratic Presidential Candidate has. With the background and the experience that the Republican ticket possesses, regardless of the race or gender that involved, I feel more optimistic about their ability to make the difficult choices about the direction our country needs to head.
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6 3 I understand she’s a conservative pro-life candidate, so I wonder if she’s one of the 40% (or so) of Americans who think evolution is scientific bunk.
If she is, I can’t wait until Stewart/Colbert get ahold of that. Great fun for all to watch!
Biden will have a fine line to walk when their debate comes, but I’m sure he’ll do just fine.
Is this woman the best candidate to take over as President, should something happen to McCain?
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3 1 Channel 6 reports she is a native of Sandpoint, Idaho and a graduate of the U of Idaho in 1987 with a degree in Journalism. I’ll have to look more at her political record, but initially I’d like to say “Yeah, you go girl!!” from one Idaho gal to another!
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5 4 Wow…the info about this woman is coming fast & furious! Under investigation for improper conduct concerning a state trooper, opposes a woman’s right to choose in the case of rape or incest, doesn’t even know what the office of VP entails!
Any woman who was a Hillary supporter sure isn’t going to change tickets just because of Sarah Palin. It’s obvious that McCain figured any woman on his ticket would woo those voters, and boy did he get it wrong again!
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3 6 Ooh_child, I don’t know where you are getting your information from or if you are embelishing it a little, but from what I am reading on CNN and MSN it not really the way you are presenting it. She is pro-life, HOORAY, but I don’t see anywhere where she is stating that she doesn’t agree to abortion in the specific cases of rape or incest. I am looking forward to finding out what this State Trooper thing is all about. I hope that we get the true story of it instead of some spin on it that makes the issue appear different than it truly is.
Hey, did anyone watch when Bill Clinton when he was talking about his support of Barack Obama the other night and that the 8 years in the office of President had shown him that Obama was the man for the office? Does anyone remember all of the dirt that Clinton was involved in? I could start listing it all, but it would take a long, long, extremenly long time. In short, anyone that Bill Clinton endorses is not for me, and anyone that would accept an endorsement from Bill Clinton is not for me.
What does anyone else think?
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5 8 We were talking about that exact same thing this morning at work Porter. (re: your second paragraph)
Unbelievable! All the mud slinging Clinton was throwing at Obama during the campaign, and now saying “he’s the best man for the job” is just too funny!
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9 1 That is awesome an Idaho native and a University of Idaho Vandal is on the top ticket. She is a babe, hands down.
From what I’ve read, the state trooper firing issue was not her fault, a staffer acted without her permission, and she punished the staffer (as opposed to Bush’s promise to fire anyone involved in leaking classified information then backpedaling when it turned out Rove/Cheney leaked and Bush selectively declassified). Find a real problem with Palin if you want, but this won’t be it.
I was disappointed in Obama’s choice of Biden. I am less inclined to vote for Obama since he picked a guy who is part of the problem in Washington. However I am just as disappointed in McCain’s choice of someone who’s only experience is a 4-year mayor, 1 year commission head, and 1.5 year governor. Does she even have her direct deposit paychecks set up yet?
We are again faced with the lesser of two evils in this campaign instead of the better of two outstanding candidates. Palin seems a desperate choice by Grandpa McSame. I think it shows he is not the true conservative people’s choice, he is merely the party product. Why not a truer conservative choice like Romney or Huckabee or brother Bush?
Obama for the win in November as a result.
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8 0 I take some of that back. It appears she was a councilwoman for 4 years, and mayor about 6 years (though the information is vague).
At first I thought her ethics crusade bit was nothing, (thinking what that’s her only accomplishment?), but reading about it on her wikipedia page it appears she really truly bucked the party system to turn in some corrupt officials. That raises her stature in my view. As mayor she also reduced her own salary and cut property taxes 60%. She has also stood up to the corrupt Senator Ted Stevens (Idaho politicians should take a cue on this when they reflect how they did NOT stand up to Larry Craig the pervert.)
I’m now thinking Palin may be the better choice over McCain! Is there still time to swap them?
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2 1 Excellent thoughts, Guest. And very even-handed.
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3 0 Wow, this is going to be a great thread. I hope everyone will keep the debate up in an appropriate manner and this won’t turn into a name calling session. I am going to love to read the many different oppinions about this issue, and can’t wait to give mine. This is a perfect topic at a perfect time in our country. Thanks for starting it up Open Mind. I look forward to following this.
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3 1 On April 18, 2008, while in office as governor, Palin gave birth to her second son and fifth child, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome.[66] She returned to the office three days after giving birth.[13] Her decision to have the baby after prenatal genetic testing revealed he had the disorder was applauded by the pro-life community. — From Wikipedia
Sort of interesting given the discussion in Candid.
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2 1 Hi Just an Observer….I was thinking the same thing. . . quite coincidental. . .
This discussion has been great. . . .
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6 1 Here is a link to the current ethics investigation against Palin. She ordered the director of Alaskan public safety to fire her ex brother in law after he divorced Palin’s sister. The director refused saying there was no reason to fire him so Palin fired the director. And this is the woman conservatives are willing to risk being president. . . . . very scary.
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3 0 Anonymous, thanks for the link. If anyone hasn’t had the time to read through that, it is worth your time. I am looking forward to the outcome of the investigation. Again, thank you.
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3 0 Well, I just her voice for the first time on the radio this afternoon. I hope the pundits harp on her shrill & grating tone as much as they harped on Hillary’s!
Still don’t know if she cackles……
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6 2 The said thing is that we have come down to the voice or the laugh even being an issue.
I just wish substance were more valued than things we can snicker at (albeit I’m sure all those snickering folks have NICE snickers, not cackling snickers, right?…)
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2 2 I meant “sad” thing, of course. aarrgghh.
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6 1 Hi, Porter…
You said:
“I don’t know much about Ms. Palin. I am sure we will all find out soon on how she stands on issues that we are facing as a Nation. I do know this, she has more experience and time under her belt in Government than what the Democratic Presidential Candidate has.”
Obama has exactly same same amount of experience Abraham Lincoln had when he was elected President. Check out Wikipedia on both of them. Ms. Palin has much less than either.
As far as experience goes-
I’m curious if Ms. Palin has ever been out of the United States. I’m sure she must have stopped in Canada, but has she ever been overseas?
How much experience can such a young woman gather? She is the youngest in the entire field, and lives in Alaska, which isn’t exactly around the corner from the rest of the country.
Given that John McCain is 71, had cancer, and has his foggy moments in his town hall meetings right now, that One Heartbeat From the Presidency thing is more on my mind than when Dan Quayle occupied that spot. McCain was already badly crippled in his Hanoi Hilton stay before he entered politics, and 60 years of age hasn’t helped his other ailments any.
We already saw mental failure in Reagan’s last days, and he was in a lot better shape.
The other thing that concerns me deeply is Ms. Palin’s infant. The Vice-Presidency is not a Mommy job, period. I hate the thought of that baby being raised by a nanny.
As president of the Senate, the nest VP will have to be respected and connected to steer through a lot of tough legislature that will be part and parcel of this election. The Senate works on seniority, and Biden’s got that in spades. Palin has none whatsoever.
That the women who voted for Hillary will readily switch to the Republicans just ain’t gonna happen. The media tried to make this much more an issue than it really was, and the convention settled the matter once and for all.
Those ladies are Democrats first, and came to the party for the same reasons disaffected men did. Hillary couldn’t have made this more clear in her speach, which concluded with “No More! No Way! No McCain!”
This campaign has already descended into cynicsm, snark, and fear tactics. It all boils down to this:
Are we ready to face the 21st Century or not?
Right now, we have one party that definitely laid down that they were ready.
So far, the other party is still re-playing the tactics that worked in 1994. So far, it’s the 20th Century vs. the 21st, and clocks don’t run backwards.
Those who are fearful of the future always want to go back to the nostalgic past, and those who aren’t look forward. Either way, 14 years ago is close to a full generation, and 1994 ain’t coming back, ever.
If conservative thinking doesn’t adjust, the Republican party will become as relevant as the Whigs by the 2012 election.
By then, all those kids born in 1994 will be old enough to vote.
Do you think Ms. Palin has the right stuff?
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2 0 Hello Boomer,
I think that is a great post. It is my belief that neither team is up for the battle that we face as a nation in the 21st century. It is my belief that the Republican Candidate has a platform that the democrats had in years past and the current Democratic Candidate has a Socialist platform. Where are there any true Republicans in this race? It is my contention that there truly isn’t one.
As far as trying to compare Abraham Lincoln to either one of these candidates, it is to great of a stretch for me to make the comparison. President Lincoln lived in a much different time with a much different background than either of the candidates. I wish we had a President Lincoln in the race, he would have my vote. There are also comparisons that can be made to President Kennedy, his age, having kids in the White House etc., but here again I think the comparison can’t be made because the times and issues that are being faced by this country are to different and he was a father figure instead of a mother. That is my comparison only, nothing to reflect on what you have said.
From what I have seen, it is my understanding that Obama has been an active senator for about 143 days. Please correct me if I am wrong. Which would be less than any of the other individuals that are apart of this race.
The age issue with McCain is a pro and a con. With age comes experience, but also illness and other infirmities. With the Con, I then ask myself if McCain should ever come to a point where he is incapacitated or cannot fullfill his duties as President, could Palin replace him? I don’t know, I hope she would. I do however think that she would represent my values as an American better than Obama who seems to have a socialistic view.
I don’t want a government that fosters free health care, free housing, free food or free anything. I want a government that will enable people to have a good work ethic. I want a government that won’t take my freedoms away from becoming something from my own hard work instead of enslaving me with welfare to the point I can’t afford to get off of it. This is what you see in our big cities where there has been such an influx of Welfare help without any accountability from the people that are recieving it. You can find that within our own community. I don’t want anything free. I want the opportunity to work for it and then recieve the benefits of my hard work. Socialism is everything I don’t want. I don’t think that either candidate can give me the government I want so I am placed in a position of having to choose from the lesser of the two evils. In my opinion the lesser of the two evils would be McCain/Palin.
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4 0 “The age issue with McCain is a pro and a con. With age comes experience, ”
Porter, that statement really means nothing. Experience is only good if used appropriately. As Nemesis stated in another post, this is starting to look like another episode of Wilde/Cook. Experience to do what? To create the same ol’ good ol’ boy, get rid of/kill our people? Makes no sense to me. He did vote much the same as Bush did and look at the mess that Bush has created. Bush and all of his experience certanly didn’t help us any. Anyone using that strategy probably isn’t going to sway my vote.
Age is an issue if the VP winds up running the Oval office. We are talking about a mother who admittedly has a mentally challenged young child. That’s time consuming! Or is she merely not too interested in that child and therefore the nanny’s can raise him?
And finally, don’t we all want a government that will enable people to have a good work ethic? You’re missing the whole point. What is enslaving some of these people to stay on welfare? Think about it. With prices of absolutely everything going through the roof, low-paying wages, the high cost of child care, lack of education, etc., most would figure it’s quite the no-win situation to go off. While the rich continue racking in the bucks, the destitute remain destitute. Would you agree?
Some of your posts confuse me as they seem to talk about the very things that most of us don’t want, but refer to the wrong candidate to fix it.
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3 4 If you want the same thing in Government as I do hmm, then why are you backing a socialistic platform? That is what Obama is!!! I want a change too, but it is not to become a socialist country. I wish that we had a different candidate other than McCain, but he will get my vote for the simple fact he isn’t promoting socialism.
You and I are in absolute agreement that age is an issue and with what you mentioned on experience, very important.
McCain has supported Bush in areas that I have agreed with and I have disagreed with him in others. McCain’s experience in my mind still outweighs Obama’s lack of experience. When compared to the way that McCain has voted on issues vs. Obama, I will support the so called Republican platform. It best fits with my values.
As far as raising a disabled child in the White House should Palin ever become President, she would probably spend about as much time with that child as much as she does the rest of her children. I would hope that her Husband plays an active role in raising their children and assisting in the special needs of their disabled child. I do believe that her carrying the child to full term and then giving birth to that child backs up her stand on pro life which I am all for.
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4 0 Hi, Porter…
Thanks for your thoughts.
Obama has been a Senator since the 2004 elections, and previously was in the Illinois House for 7 years. Before that, he wasn’t in politics as a profession. Lincoln had exactly the same political hisory- 7 years in Illinois, 1 term in the Senate. Both were political activists before first seeking election.
I didn’t mean to imply anything else at all by my remarks. I agree that trying to make any meaningful comparisons to a 19th century President to a candidate in the 21st century is a long stretch on most counts.
You may well be right in believing neither party is up to the tasks ahead. This election, far more than others in the past, is largely faith-based. Not in a religious way, but in faith that the fundamental beliefs of one party or the other will be close enough to guide us out of the mess we’re all in.
The choices have never been more starkly different, and this is the most crucial turning-point election I’ve ever participated in.
I also agree that neither party is what it once was. I’m not so sure as you in which ways they have changed, but I think that this election will cause even more shifts from the past in both of them; the one that shifts least will be the one that wins.
I used to be a conservative Republican, and I still believe in a lot of the once traditonal Repub values, especially on things fiscal and concerned with individual rights. I jumped the fence, though, when Jimmy Falwell started injecting religion into politics, back in 1980. Since I didn’t like Carter’s evangelical bent, or Reagan’s willingness to embrace them, I didn’t vote for either. I believe in strict seperation between Church and State. I’m not an atheist, either. The two simply don’t mix.
All I’m thinking now is that the old solutions to 20th century problems don’t work any more, from either side of the aisle. Obama was a big question mark for me a year ago, but since then, I’ve watched him, and I think he has the right stuff for me. I’m not as much concerned with experience as leadership, and I think he has lots of that.
My Mom, the real Democrat in the family, thought Hillary had the right stuff. My brother, the remaining Republican, thought McCain is the one. My sis won’t say what she thinks until after the election. My kids are all for Nader, and my best friend is going to vote for Ron Paul. My dog’s gonna vote for the poodle down the block.
There ya go… ain’t it grand! You can really make yer pick and take yer chances in this one.
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4 1 CNN’s John Cafferty always asks listeners what they think on issues and they send in their answers…..today he asks what people think of McCain’s new running mate…a guy answers — what a crack up!
Jack,
I think John McCain just wants Sara Palin available for CPR.
Mike C
Wethersfield, CT
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4 2 #23 you said: “I used to be a conservative Republican, and I still believe in a lot of the once traditonal Repub values, especially on things fiscal and concerned with individual rights. I jumped the fence, though, when Jimmy Falwell started injecting religion into politics, back in 1980.”
Thought you might enjoy these lyrics:
http://www.royzimmerman.com/lyrics/homeland_falwell.html
(Moderator note: changed lyrics to a link)
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4 0 Hi, Observer…
Thanks for the link!
It about summed up my reasons, and it’s pretty funny in spots, too!
I believe in God, and I’m still religious — just not in the late Dr. Jerry’s version. I don’t know where he went, but I hope I go someplace different when my number’s up.
I hope my place has a few good dogs there, keeping the same good company with all my dear departeds that they gave me here.
Personally, I like the late Rev. Howard Finster’s preachings best… he preferred to paint them rather than preach them in his later years, after he had a vision, but he was powerful good either way.
Here’s a couple of his thoughts:
Heaven is full of nice people who love each other.
There are no cold Cokes in Hell. Even if there were, it would still be Hell.
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4 4 People are always going to find something that they don’t like in candidates. However, what seems to be missing from this discussion is as important as experience……namely, integrity, and the ability to reform Washington. Both parties candidates appear to be concerned about the country and want to see the best for the United States.
In my estimation, the real ability to reform Washington rests with McCain and Palin. No one can point to one earmark McCain has ever attached to legislation. Palin told Congress to take the Bridge to Nowhere monies and keep them for something else. She also sold back a lear jet big oil gave to Alaska in the Frank Murkowski Administration. The fact that she turned in current and former Republican officials for ethics violations bodes well for her independence and ability to put the country first and party second. This is what the country needs and deserves. For too long both parties have taken all of us for a ride.
Think about it. McCain and Palin have not made friends from either party. This means they are doing their job and doing it without regard to the political consequences. This is how reform can and does happen….without regard for oneself. So, Obama can talk about how he is going to reform the system, but he is surrounding himself with a running mate and other political players that have been a part of the problem for 30 years or more. Senator Biden is a decent man, but he has played the game and been in the Senate longer than McCain. Obama’s mantle of change we can believe in is just that—a belief. McCain and Palin have served for the right reasons and to challenge the status quo and serve the common good. They have worked for reforms and will continue to do so. They constitute more of a threat to business as usual in Washington. McCain is not Bush and Palin is not Cheney. That Democratic talking point won’t work anymore. I am ecstatic that the Republicans have finally nominated candidates that aren’t Rockefeller Republicans that are just in it to take care of the fat cats and political donors.
This truly is a historic selection for many reasons. I look forward to the coming debates and the comparison and contrast(s) of positions. America will inevitably be served better by this election than many we have had in decades.
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1 5 Comment #24: indicates that this quip is a “crack up”:
“Jack,
I think John McCain just wants Sara Palin available for CPR.
Mike C”
yep, blatant sexism is always a “crack up”!. I guess, as an attractive woman, her only value would be to do mouth to mouth.
Imagine if this joke were about Obama, and, instead of sexism, contained racism. . . would anyone really think that was funny?
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1 1 It wasn’t so much sexism as a reference to his age, imo.
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2 1 #28 easterner, you took offense at something that others thought was very funny. (In fact, I looked at that comment the same as you did, but I am a female and that might have something to do with how I viewed it.)
The situation reminds me of Idahogie on the “candid” thread…he was offended by something that others thought was very funny.
I hope that since it’s you making this comment, instead of him, that others will be more respectful of your viewpoint. Good luck with that…and have a great day.
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1 1 Very well said Nemesis. But when the shoe is on the other foot, things change here.
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1 1 How anti-semetic for anyone to point out anything about easterner. And maybe sexist, racist and age discriminatory as well. LOL
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3 1 In August at a town hall meeting Senator McCain answered a woman’s question ,would he choose a pro-life VP? Answer was he would choose someone with his values(quote) And also went on to explain a job of the VP was only to look after Presidents health and well being and cast a tie vote. This kind of scares me when should something happens to the president the VP has to keep us safe and be Commander and Chief . The video I’m writing about was after August 16th when he and Senator Obama was at the church with Pastor Warren.If Senator McCain really believes a VP isn’t that important I think we are in trouble.
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3 0 Hi, Bundy…
Most excellent comments!
We may disagree on our candidates and the outcome, but you pointed out McCain’s and Palin’s best strengths very well- the best and most carefully reasoned of any comments I’ve read so far.
Well done.
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4 2 Fascism - a system of governance marked by centralization of authority under a dictator … supression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism (read IFTers) … oppressive, dictatorial control.
Yup, that describes the … er mods and eagle pretty much.
they’re now taking stuff off of live chat that disagrees with their view. cool!
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4 1 #35, aren’t you a little bit backwards, my dear?
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1 3 anon #32, loved your comment! You made my point for me!
Nem, I was actually just referencing back to the whole “Obama on the cover of New Yorker” post; if this comment had been directed at Obama’s race, rather than Palin’s sex, I do think an uproar would have ensued. . .
As you can see by the comments, “easterner” making this kind of “special interest” whine engendered the same reaction Idahogie or anyone else would have received.
My point is to show how silly it all is: I actually thought the statement was pretty funny, being an equal-opportunity slam: McCain’s age and Palin’s sex, all in one fell swoop.
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3 3 yes m’am. just a backwards kinda soul is me! 
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0 5 ??? I’m not a moderator….
or did I simply misunderstand Selohssa’s post?
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2 6 selohssa’s name - kind of sounds like someone is ticked at everyone else if you read it backwards…..
I sense it’s the same 1-2 people, but I could always be wrong. If you are so angry at everyone here, esp the mods and Joe, maybe a calm break from internet time would help? A hobby to take the place of online posting? Works for me when I get tired of it.
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1 5 reader, you rock!
I read that name several times, trying to figure it out. . . thought it was an anagram. . .
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5 1 After McCain’s pick - it’s now over.
Short on experience.
Lacking in depth.
Limited on scope of political spectrum.
I think I’m watching ‘American Idol.’
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3 1 The Ron Paul campaign has a lot more momentum!
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3 4 and the winner is Nem, who figured it out in #36! Woooooooo Whoooooo!!!!!
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2 5 Reference #42,
I beg to differ about experience. If you mean the experience to screw things up, not make things better, and fail to fix problems then the type of experience most politicians have is the real problem.
As for depth, I am not certain what you mean by that. Depth can and does mean many things. Mrs. Palin has a college degree, she played basketball and won a state championship, she has been a mother of many children who appear to be successful, happy, and focused. Her oldest is due to deploy with the US Army. Appears to me that she has taught her children the value of public service. She has been married 20 years. She has been a city councilperson and a mayor for over a decade of public service. She ran for governor against the Republican Party nominee and WON! She had the political and moral courage to turn in numerous Republican and Democratic officials, including a former Alaska Attorney General for ethics violations. She taxed Alaskan oil companies and returned the money to the people of Alaska ($1200 per citizen), she passed sweeping ethics reform laws as and advised Senator Ted Stevens to come clean on the FBI investigation against him for taking bribes.
I have no idea what you mean by “Limited Scope on Political Spectrum”. But if the argument is that she doesn’t have much experience in politics, then I would regard that as a plus. The public needs to stop taking the word of lawyers and political players that they are the only ones who can “represent” us. It is important to note that it doesn’t take an MBA or a Doctorate of Jurisprudence to make a good office holder. It takes someone with the integrity to make fair decisions, the ability and willingness to learn about the subject at hand and ask questions to find out if they don’t know what they need to. I don’t see Mrs. Palin as being ignorant of issues around her. She obviously is smart and intelligent to get where she is at and has not make shady backroom deals to get there. For me, that is a big plus. The other candidates can’t make these types of claims. So, if you want more of the same, elect lawyers Obama and Biden. If people truly want change and reform, the real deal is McCain and Palin.
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3 3 Palin is a good woman, and a fine Governor. The fact that she’s a supporter and member of the NRA, and active participant of pro-life looks more than good, it’s very good; for Mr. McCain. It looks good, but probably won’t count on election day.
McCain’s biggest criticism of Obama is his lack of experience. So what does he do? He picks a running mate with less experience than even Obama has, or doesn’t have.
Palin, herself, stated how surprised she was that she’d been picked as a running mate, and that there were many politicians who were hoping for the chance as VP running mate (and she hadn’t even thought about it), and that they were all more qualified than she was. It appears, to me, that she was chosen to upstage Obama, and turn America’s attention back to McCain. Well done, that’s exactly what he accomplished. But that’s not going to get him elected.
Citizens of the U.S. of A. will now have to decide if they can trust in the rather grandiose promises of Obama, based on the need for change, or McCain’s obvious backpeddeling with no promises of anything.
Less than three months left to the longest presidential campaign period in U.S. history.
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2 6 This is the experience and history the Obama can give us. I find this very interesting and it speaks volumes about where he wants to lead this country.
• He voted for partial birth abortion.
• He voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state a bortions.
• Supports affirmative action in Colleges and Government (quotas).
• In 2001 he questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing as being too severe.
• Says he will deal with street level drug dealing as minimum wage affair.
• Admitted his use of marijuana and cocaine in high school and in college.
• His religious convictions ( murky at best).
• Has said that one of his first goals after being elected would be to have a conference with all Muslim nations. Why?
• Opposed the Patriot Act.
• First bill he signed that was ever passed was campaign finance reform.
• Voted to allow law suits against gun manufacturers.
• Supports universal health-care.
• Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees.
• Supports granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
• Supports extending welfare to illegal immigrants.
• Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform.
• Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social S ecurity.
• Wants to make the minimum wage a ‘living wage’.
• Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
• Opposed to any efforts to Privatize Social Security and instead supports increasing the amount of tax paid into Soc. Sec. Tax Increase.
• He voted No on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax which now hits middle income brackets. Tax Increase.
• He voted No on repealing the ‘Death’ Tax. Tax Increase.
• He wants to raise the Capital Gains Tax. Tax Increase.
• Has repeatedly said the surge in Iraq has not succeeded…which is not true.
• He is ranked as the most liberal Senator in the Senate today and that takes some doing.
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4 0 We are not ever going to have or find a politician that we agree with 100%. There are several of the points listed above that I completely agree with, and several that I am dead set against. I really think that before we can really judge a candidate by his/her voting record, we need to understand the whole bill. Was there something in the bill that was not to our liking?
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4 0 Somehow I hit the wrong key and my comment got posted before I was ready for it to happen, so to finish out —
I have been so unhappy with the way the world is going, the direction our politicians are leading us, the fact that they don’t think they have to listen to the people who put them in office and just everything in general that I have often threatened that when I go to the polls, I will not vote for any incumbent no matter what. I think we need new blood and new unspoiled leadership. Maybe a Obama/Palin ticket would be the answer. One liberal and one conservative. Think of the possibilities.
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2 5 I like Mccaine and the Vice President that he picked. She seems smart and is willing to solve those problems. That said, that is all I have to say as I am a man of few words and reasons.
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5 2 # 47
In the interest of being “fair and balanced” let’s take a look at McCain’s voting record with respect to the troops and veterens.
I’m not clever enough to put in the actual link so anyone interested will need to cut and paste this into a browser window:
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9559
“Not that many people know just how horrific his voting record is when it comes to the troops. And it is pretty consistent – whether it is for armor and equipment, for veteran’s health care, for adequate troop rest or anything that actually, you know, supports our troops.”
Here are a few highlights:
*** September 2007: McCain voted against the Webb amendment calling for adequate troop rest between deployments.
*** May 2006: McCain voted against an amendment that would provide $20 million to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for health care facilities.
*** April 2006: McCain was one of only 13 Senators to vote against $430,000,000 for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services for outpatient care and treatment for veterans.
*** March 2006: McCain voted against increasing Veterans medical services funding by $1.5 billion in FY 2007 to be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes.
*** October 2003: McCain voted to table an amendment by Senator Dodd that called for an additional $322,000,000 for safety equipment for United States forces in Iraq and to reduce the amount provided for reconstruction in Iraq by $322,000,000. ”
“John McCain is yet another republican former military veteran who likes to talk a big game when it comes to having the support of the military. Yet, time and time again, he has gone out of his way to vote against the needs of those who are serving in our military. If he can’t even see his way to actually doing what the troops want, or what the veterans need, and he doesn’t have the support of veterans, then how can he be a credible commander in chief?”
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4 1 #47 in this post you said:
• [Obama] Is a big believer in the separation of church and state.
I don’t understand how can anyone think this is a bad thing. Perhaps someone can enlighten me.
I personally really like this quote by JFK:
“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute; where no Catholic prelate would tell the President — should he be Catholic — how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference, and where no man is denied public office merely because his
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Mitt would be the better money choice, that’s an easy one. But that fluctuating fraction (about 20%?) that wouldn’t vote for a mormon would kill them. It must have been a smaller percentage that will not vote for a woman. It’s a good choice to get a fresh face because we Republicans keep getting bashed for lack of change. She seems nice. Good enough for me.