Comments on: Republican vs. Democrat

By: Dean

Dean — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:47:23 +0000

I agree. Looking back, I wish I’d voted for a random independent to be president since it wouldn’t have made a difference, then made real choices on the issues that matter to me. Like lifting the alcohol ban in Irving…which passed without me anyways. But in all seriousness, yes, I should’ve voted on the other issues at hand. I got so frustrated with the presidential campaigning and the two true candidates to choose from, that I threw my hands up in the air and said “forget it”. Guess I haven’t completely outgrown my childishness, have I?

By: Lil ol me

Lil ol me — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:44:24 +0000

Don’t forget that there are other elections besides the Presidential one. You should be looking into and voting for your local candidates and propositions and bond elections. All of these are just as important.

By: Dean

Dean — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 06:58:36 +0000

@Casey
I completely understand your position on this. You and I both agreed that there wasn’t a candidate either of us felt strongly enough about to truly support, but you still decided to make the decision I couldn’t bring myself to make – voting for the candidate I disliked least. I don’t think of this as a bad thing at all, just not something I personally would’ve done. I’m glad you took advantage of your right to vote.

@Aunt Barb
You’re right that I didn’t choose to enact my given right to vote, but I have lots of rights that have been given to me that I don’t feel the need to take advantage of. While my decision not to own a gun even though I’m so entitled is not quite the same, the ideal is similar. I don’t own a gun because I don’t feel the need. I didn’t vote because I wanted no part in electing either candidate, and voting for an independent would have had no effect whatsoever. I did speak to a friend who still voted for an independent anyways just so it could be on record that he cast his vote, and I truly respect him for that. I would rather have voted for neither, than picked one and have it turn out to be a bad decision. What if I voted for the candidate who ended up running the country into a deeper hole than it’s in now? I’d feel guilty. Granted, had I voted for the other one perhaps my vote could’ve been one of the ones to sway it in their direction to avoid said downward spiral, but there’s no guarantee (obviously). Ultimately, I made the decision that felt right to me. And I try never to bitch about anything, just honestly express my feelings on assorted topics.

By: Aunt Barb

Aunt Barb — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:14:19 +0000

I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t bother to go vote Dean. Voting is a privilege that many people of other countries don’t’ have. And while it is a privilege, it is also a responsibility. It shapes the country in which you live. We don’t always get stellar candidates but there is far more at stake than who is president. More importantly are the values by which our country lives and how the person holding the office of President can use it to shape our country. The next president will likely appoint many judges both to the Supreme Court and other federal benches. Their decisions will set precedents for decades to come. You will have to live under them. The makeup of congress will make the laws of the land. You will have to live under them. You did not vote so you do not have any bitchin’ rights.

By: Casey

Casey — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:09:24 +0000

I voted. I stood in line for 20 mins because I felt like it was what I should be doing – especially with my husband in the military. I can’t say I was very well informed. I wish I had taken more time to research the candidates but I did put my vote for who I disliked the least. I don’t think either President was the perfect candidate. That being said, those were the choices given and somewhere we have to stand behind the winner (Obama). Not that he has won, there is nothing we can do. No amount of complaining can change that. Granted he may do things totally opposite of what we may like, President Bush did things we didn’t like also. There will never be a person you can 100% agree with. That’s where I agree with Aunt Pam… people fought like crazy to give us the right to vote, and if you have to vote for the person you dislike the least at least it’s your right!
I don’t look down on you or anyone else for not voting. I do wish however you would have made that choice because you were more informed than many who voted. I have very little respect for people who voted for Obama just because he was black, and people who voted for McCain just because Palin is a woman.
I love you, Dean!

By: Kelsey Little

Kelsey Little — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 03:43:58 +0000

Obama made it clear that a Judge choice would have to fit his profile of where he stands on issues. McCain made it clear that a Jude should be chosen on if he will defend and uphold the Constitution. That tells me that one man wants this country to fit his definition of right and not what the founding fathers and many American fought and died for. This nation is to stand on the Constitution and hold to the foundation because without the foundation, we fall.
I do not believe we have a clear choice good and bad. I do believe we have a choice of poor and sorry. I for one will not stand by when someone has made it clear they are not going to support what this country stands for. I did not wast my vote on a write in or a Third Party, I did all I could to keep a man out of the Presidents Office who clearly is not for what America stands for.
As Pam stated, read the facts and do not listen to the BS you hear in commercials or read in papers or on the news or web site with biased opinions, the facts are what they are.

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:09:45 +0000

It’s not about the marketing of the two candidates its about the issues, we don’t have to be spoon feed if we don’t want to be, we can do the research ourselves and not respond to marketing which is what I have done. As a responsible American citizen especially those of us with an education we should not give in to marketing and get off our lazy intellectual butts and check the issues out. This year it is not about the candidates as much as it is about the placement of Supreme Court Justices. The seated president gets to nominate Justices as-need-be (as they retire or die) while they are in office. The next 4 to 8 years there will be 5 of them (Supreme Court Justices) that will need to be replaced and at least 2 of those will take place in the next four years. What does that mean to us? If Obama is placed in office he will hand pick not a constitutional judge but a liberal judge to uphold the roe v. wade decision and who knows what else. Under normal conditions he might not get away with such a bold act but we are not in normal times. Right now we have a liberal congress and senate that will vote through whom ever he wants and we can’t stop him. There are many other thing that the congress and senate will want to pass that Obama will not veto. That puts us (the american citizen) in a vulnerable position. In my personal research I have seen with my own eyes Obama’s personal and financial connection to Muslims, terrorists, anti american groups as well as socialist and communist groups. What he will do in the next four years could effect us for 40 years. So you can see that raised taxes are the least of our problems. Turn off the television and start researching it is your american duty. There have been many americans over the years that have paid for your privilege to vote and some of those with their lives.

By: Tinamarie

Tinamarie — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:58:38 +0000

I voted this morning. Who I voted for is neither here or there. I was really excited about the write in vote. I was going to write in Scobby Doo. I really don’t like either the republican or the demorcatic little teams. Anyway, my best friend voted for Bush in 2004. She voted for him with the same thoughts in mind you had, Dean. And she also thought why should anyone clean up his mess but himself.

By: jzzy

jzzy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:59:31 +0000

My feelings sort of mirror yours in that the presidential election is a joke. It is a competition on whose party will win, not who is best-suited for the role. I voted for Gore in 2000 because I was literally scared that Bush was going to be president. If no one can see what a little weasel he is, they’re seriously oblivious. That election was where he dropped the famous, and I paraphrase: “god wants me to be president.” – talk about underhanded. With that he secured his spot as president because he exploited the ignorance of older religious people. “Well if god wants him to be president, Im going to vote for him.”, they probably thought. I was horrified when Bush won and that Gore didnt fight the recount harder, even after evidence of voter suppression in Florida with Bush’s brother, Jeb, as govenor.

I didn’t vote in the next election because Kerry was a nincompoop and couldnt decide which side of the fence he wanted to sit on. I thought his choice for Edwards as VP was just a media ploy because he had a nice haircut and a beaming smile. Then, Bush was given 4 more years and oh, how are country and our constitution has suffered.

And now it comes down to another two candidates I do not care for. Obama has increased voter turnout and is giving hope to voices too jaded to try to be heard. But what is the motive? McCain is really bringing nothing new to the game and it feels like the same song and dance. Both candidates have flip flopped on there stances just a few years ago, which is obvious because you are bought when you run for president and changing your views is necessary. No one ever made it into office with their own ideals. They tune them to who they are campaigning in front of and change them just as often. You can’t be honest about what you believe unless it fits the “american-christian-mythos”, because then you will not get the support of a party.

My candidate was Ron Paul. He was dead honest about his issues and in all of his years in public office, has never flip flopped on his views. I was going to vote for a Republican for pete’s sake. But of course, even though he stood for true conservatism, he was laughed out of the running because he wasn’t the neo-con puppet the republican party loves so much. He was well versed in the economy and felt government involvement in the states should be limited. He also knew the real reason why we went to war and the real reason why places like afganistan and the like despise the U.S. He had the support of millions and was so dangerous to the election he was not allowed to participate in the first republican debate by Fox and when he was finally allowed the second time after much controversy, his answers were cut out of the rebroadcasts.

As I went to vote this morning many ideas were going through my head. Up until that point I was going for third party, but then I started thinking about McCain winning and how the Bush doctrine of lunacy would continue. Should I vote for Obama against what I believe just so McCain wont win? Then it was my turn to vote and I put aside the Presidential portion of the the ballot and circled for the other offices. After, going back and staring at each candidate for Presidency for a good minute, thousands of thoughts raced about my mind. Then I picked up the pen and voted third party; Doing what I thought best for the country and not supporting the lesser of two evils. Not compromising myself because political party affiliation. Not voting for “who my daddy voted for”. Alot can happen in four years.

I am scared yet again.

Thanks Dean, I didnt mean to hijack your blog entry. This is just a huge subject to me and I could hear in your words you were just as frustrated as I.