[Bigdaddy75]

As much as I like the look of this guy looking in from the outside I don't think Mr Obama can win the election and become president of the USA. My reasons stem from the fact that the base of voters for that party is divided to a point where he may not have the time to unite them. Also I think he is seen as a bit of a risk and at the end of the day the US voters will go with a safe option in these very uncertain economic times. I'm happy to be educated otherwise.

[rokitt51]

Originally Posted by Bigdaddy75

As much as I like the look of this guy looking in from the outside I don't think Mr Obama can win the election and become president of the USA. My reasons stem from the fact that the base of voters for that party is divided to a point where he may not have the time to unite them. Also I think he is seen as a bit of a risk and at the end of the day the US voters will go with a safe option in these very uncertain economic times. I'm happy to be educated otherwise.

Who and what is the safe option in your mind and why?

[Bigdaddy75]

My comments are based from what we hear in the local press. Obama is younger and less experienced, untried if you like.

[rokitt51]

Most times, you need younger and less experienced. Its the older and more experienced ones that cause all of the hell most of the time (comming from and x-soldier that has been through hell because of'em)

[BALDGONZO]

Hey bigdaddy isn't your so called local press on the other side of the world being down under and all?

[Bigdaddy75]

Yep that was my point. We certainly don't get all the news from the US, see the first post I said looking in from the outside.

[soupnazi]

I've heard the same things bigdaddy. Though I've been watching a fair bit of american news broadcasts and some political forums. The feeling is that McCain will have an advantage because there is a large population of people who dislike Obama. All he needs to do is keep within a 5% margin of Obama and the rest can be modified during the vote counts, presto he'll be 2% in front.

Even if Obama got in he'd have Clinton floating around like a bad smell and it's almost guaranteed that he'd get assasinated. He is working at a loss because he's a black man and 'inexperienced'. Inexperienced in being a deceitful polly perhaps... I think he could do good things.

[denzee]

I wouldn't vote Obama anyways because I'm a conservative but he's the better between himself and Hillary I think. Their party is very divided now and Obama has questionable judgement in who he associates himself with and I think we'll even hear more as the election draws near. That could hurt him. I'm not big on McCain either but not much choice on that side. McCain will likely appeal to some Dems who don't like Obama because McCain is more middle of the road. That's my Canadian 2 cents.

[ozthis]

McSame middle of the road...its hard to tell where he stands the way he flip flops. This is the guy that states we can win in Iraq in four more years? The guy that supports Bush's tax cut for the 1%. All he has to do is get on the board of some oil company and we will have a carbon copy of the last 8 years of hell. I think America is tired of the Right. I know I am.

[lanbrown]

Originally Posted by rokitt51

Most times, you need younger and less experienced. Its the older and more experienced ones that cause all of the hell most of the time (comming from and x-soldier that has been through hell because of'em)

But you have someone that recently got into the federal politics and has yet to do anything. He has taken the safe route so he has no record. Since he has no record and takes the safe route, when you are president you need to make decisions. You cannot just say, I'll let the others vote on it so I don't look bad. The buck stops at the president and Obama like sto pass it; so he should be passed upon.

[denzee]

I sometimes wish Obama would get in just to see. I believe it'll be a bad experiment in the end.

[lanbrown]

Denzee,

I'm glad you are in Canada.

[denzee]

Originally Posted by lanbrown

Denzee,

I'm glad you are in Canada.

One less McCain vote to worry about anyways, Eh Ian?

[lanbrown]

I don't like McCain either and no I'm not a Clinton fan. If these three were the only ones who wanted the job, uggggh. I'll take the job; I couldn't do worse than what those three are capable of.

Obama - Doesn't have a stand on anything
Clinton- Has a stand on everything but changes depending on who she is talking too.
McCain - Likes waffling and the only stand he can do requires a walker. Clear

[denzee]

It is sad that that's the best they have to offer. So now it's the best of the worst I guess. Reluctantly I'd still have to go with McCain but it hurts. I know I'm Canadian but I do enjoy US politics and watch it quite closely.

[blue1000rr]

im voting for mccain. obama's proposed tax plan is a joke. something like 40% income tax on people making over $100,000 per year. give me a break. he says hes for the average american but does he not have millions in the bank, and also has somewhere to the tune of 43 million in the bank right now for his campaign.
I honestly dont think obama will make it to November. he'll be shot before then sad enough to say but this country is not ready for a black president

[lanbrown]

I wouldn't go that far, just not him. Colin Powell would make a good president as would Condoleezza Rice.

Obama as racist as one can get. For being hald white and half black, he ignores the white side and when he had the chance toss his grandma under the bus.

[soupnazi]

Originally Posted by lanbrown

But you have someone that recently got into the federal politics and has yet to do anything. He has taken the safe route so he has no record. Since he has no record and takes the safe route, when you are president you need to make decisions. You cannot just say, I'll let the others vote on it so I don't look bad. The buck stops at the president and Obama like sto pass it; so he should be passed upon.

The buck doesn't stop at the president which is why ill decisions are made and the responsibility always falls into some sort of intelligence debacle or a break further down the chain.

Obama may not have a track record but he doesn't have a filthy track record. In his defence he appears to have morales and humanity in his objectives. The lying and deceit (make no mistake it's not just accusations) that's been rife in office for far too long do the founding fathers shame.

[lanbrown]

Really. So you have Obama that doesn't make decisions, is a racist. Let's look at a little more of his record:
2006: Voted on Senate floor in favor of S. 2611 to reward illegal aliens with amnesty Sen. Obama voted in favor of final passage of S. 2611 which includes an amnesty (both immediate and deferred) for 10.2 million illegal aliens (6.7 million illegal alien workers and 3.5 million illegal alien spouses and/children). S. 2611 passed by a vote of 62 to 36.

Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality. (Oct 2006)
The civil rights movement was a success. (Aug 1996)
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

So what does he support? He voted no on a ban but he opposes gay marriage.

limit management compensation to 50 times the lowest-paid full-time worker.

Just what we need, the gov't that can't run itself telling companies how to run.

Battles legislatively against the death penalty. (Jul 2004)
Supports alternative sentencing and rehabilitation. (Jul 1998)

Which some cannot be rehabilitated. That is right, he wants to raise taxes to pay for it.

Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

So we can also thank him for oil prices going up.

US policy should promote democracy and human rights.

But yet his party is the opposite; look at China.

I believe in keeping guns out of our inner cities, and that our leaders must say so in the face of the gun manfuacturer's lobby. But I also believe that when a gangbanger shoots indiscriminately into a crowd because he feels someone disrespected him, we have a problem of morality. Not only do we need to punish that man for his crime, but we need to acknowledge that there's a hole in his heart, one that government programs alone may not be able to repair.

So the gov't need to have programs and so much for the Second Amendment.

Believes health care is a right, not a privilege for the few.

Clinton tried the same thing and who will pay for it? Maybe he needs to look at some of the gov't plans in other countries, not all work.

Balance domestic intelligence reform with civil liberty risk. (Jul 2004)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)

So what is he for?

He sponsored a law that ensures workers have advance warning if their employer is about to conduct a mass lay-off.

You have the right to leave your job when you want with no reason, they also can let you go for no reason.

Obama doesn't accept campaign contributions from lobbyists or political action committees, but that's a change from his past practices. He accepted their donations until he launched his presidential campaign.

Has he said hello to the pot?

He belongs to a racist church and is a racist himself:
""Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois today urged hundreds of blacks not to vote along racial lines next week in Maryland's Senate race. Obama, the only black U.S. senator, came to the state to rally support for Democratic Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin, who is white. Cardin's Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, is the first black candidate ever elected statewide and has been courting black Democrats."--Associated Press, Nov. 3

"The nation's only black senator, Barack Obama, D-Ill., asked voters at two black churches and at a Nashville rally to elect [Harold] Ford, a Democrat who is trying to become the first black senator from the South in more than 100 years. 'I know that all of you are going to work the next couple of days to make sure it happens, because I'm feeling lonely in Washington,' Obama said at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. 'I need my dear friend to join me.' "--Associated Press, Nov. 5"

"Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has received an endorsement he might well wish he hadn’t — from the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Ahmed Yousuf, Hamas’ top political adviser in the Gaza Strip, delivered his endorsement in an interview with WorldNetDaily and WABC Radio in New York."

He is also friends with known terrorists.

"During the Memorial Day speech in New Mexico, Obama suggested his grandfather, the late Stanley Dunham, engaged in combat. But the Democratic senator’s autobiography says his grandfather never saw “real combat.” Also, Army records apparently contradict Obama’s claim his grandfather signed up the day after the Pearl Harbor attack."

"Asked how she feels about Bill Clinton’s use of the phrase “fairytale” to describe her husband’s characterization of his position on the Iraq war, she first responded: “No.”

But, after a few seconds of contemplation, and gesturing with her fingernails, she told the reporter: “I want to rip his eyes out!”"

What you see in Obama may not be real. What record? he stays out of the tough votes. So you think Obama has been honest?

[FB1000inPA]

Nobama '08

nuff said.

[slickwill]

The idea of Obama running things scares me A LOT.

[steingar]

I have only two words for John McSame.

Keating Five.

[submarine]

Well the fact that Obama even is on the ticket is refreshing but I don't think he will win. Being a good speaker isn't enough to get you into office, and personally I'm tired of his 'matter of fact', oversimplistic speaking style. While I won't go so far to blame racism, I don't think this country is quite ready for a black president.

Inexperience will be his biggest downfall. It will be interesting if that comes out in the debates and I'm sure there is a lot of pre-planning going on to try and minimize his weakness there. His inexperience scares me and while I think we attribute too much fault to the President when things go wrong, we don't need someone fresh out of flight school flying the Jumbo jet.

Now when people compare McCain to Bush it just cracks me up. Those two can barely stand to be in a room together. McCain does know a little about respect and will stand with Bush on the Iraq war even if he privately questions the reasons for going there. It's absolutely unconscionable for Obama to commit to yanking our troops out of there with any sort of timetable and turn all that blood spilled into a wasted effort. I would want McCain as my President if I was in the Armed Forces for sure. McCain doesn't have any love for the oil companies either and it will take a lot of lobbying to get him to change his position on drilling either in the ANWR or offshore.
McCain's weakness is in economic policy, so I would hope he chooses a strong running mate in that aspect. That is unfortunate as I would really like to see a McCain/Rice ticket.

Now I am from Arizona and McCain has always been well respected as a Senator here, although none of our Senators tend to bring as much money back to the State as others do. Fighting pork barrel spending has been a stong trait of our Representatives so I would like to see that trend continued in a McCain Presidency. Expect the veto stamp to be well used.

When I hear all this talk about 'change', I think of how we heard it all before when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker. Even with a Democrat majority and a lame duck President the Democrats can't seem to get anything done. Too many factions I guess.

What really concerns me is the possibility of Supreme Court nominations. We just had a really close, too close, decision over our 2nd Amendment rights that should have been a 9-0 in favor. Unless you like the sound of a de facto 9th Circuit style Supreme Court, I wouldn't be voting for Obama.

So before you write any of this off, realize that I'm not a wrapped in the flag Republican. I have my degree but I'm a blue collar Teamster. I'll be the first to say that the Republicans cater to business and the wealthy, but argue that they do not deny you the right to get yourself there if you take the initiative. I think they shoot themselves in the foot when they ignore blue collar middle class people like myself. However, the Democrats are just as rich as the Republicans and will sell us out with a smile on their face but be back to lie about what they can do for us at Election time.

So whomever you vote for, have good reasons for doing so and VOTE!

[submarine]

Originally Posted by steingar

I have only two words for John McSame.

Keating Five.

I lived through that and he wasn't a part of that mess at all. It's already been played and overplayed here so good luck making that stick. John has nothing to answer for as far as Keating goes. The Senate Ethics committee already cleared McCain of any impropriety.

[steingar]

That is utterly untrue. While he severed ties with Keating after learning the true state of Lincoln Savings & Loan, he worked strenuously on behalf of Keating after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and being flown on Keating's private jet on at 9 nine occasions, two to Keating's vacation home in the Bahamas. He was knee deep in it, slime that he is and was.

[jacobflyin]

The problem is that we can't just start over and get new canidates, all of them suck and we have no hope for the next 4 years the US will be in hell and as a small Biz owner I will be in hell.

[submarine]

Originally Posted by steingar

That is utterly untrue. While he severed ties with Keating after learning the true state of Lincoln Savings & Loan, he worked strenuously on behalf of Keating after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and being flown on Keating's private jet on at 9 nine occasions, two to Keating's vacation home in the Bahamas. He was knee deep in it, slime that he is and was.

I think you might want to check some of your facts, but everyone is entitled to their opinion. In Arizona, you would be hard pressed to find anyone upset about the Keating affair. Most people who disagree with McCain do so because of his stance on illegal immigration and for crossing the aisle on occasion. Personally, I think bringing this up will make Democrats look worse than Republicans. What's that thing about glass houses?

----------------
Glenn and McCain: cleared of impropriety but criticized for poor judgment
The Senate Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of Glenn in the scheme was minimal, and the charges against him were dropped.[15] He was only criticized by the Committee for "poor judgment."[18]
The Ethics Committee ruled that the involvement of McCain in the scheme was also minimal, and he too was cleared of all charges against him.[16][15] McCain was criticized by the Committee for exercising "poor judgment" when he met with the federal regulators on Keating's behalf.[6] The report also said that McCain's "actions were not improper nor attended with gross negligence and did not reach the level of requiring institutional action against him....Senator McCain has violated no law of the United States or specific Rule of the United States Senate."[12] On his Keating Five experience, McCain has said: "The appearance of it was wrong. It's a wrong appearance when a group of senators appear in a meeting with a group of regulators, because it conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And it was the wrong thing to do."[6]
Several accounts of the controversy contend that McCain was included in the investigation primarily so that there would be at least one Republican target.[19][20][21][8] Glenn's inclusion in the investigation has been attributed to Republicans who were angered by the inclusion of McCain, as well as committee members who thought that dropping Glenn (and McCain) would make it look bad for the remaining three Democratic Senators.[19][21] Democrat Robert S. Bennett, who was the special investigator during the scandal, suggested to the Senate Ethics Committee that it pursue charges against neither McCain nor Glenn.[20] The Vice Chairman of the Ethics Committee, Senator Warren Rudman of New Hampshire, agreed with Bennett, but the Chairman, Senator Howell Heflin of