Librarians, please preserve this poll. You can contact me with any questions!

Otis Chandler for Prez

This poll makes me want to research McKinney! I won't "throw away" my swing state vote, though.

I voted someone else (Bunny Watson) because I am not eligible to vote in US election and Bunny thinks NZ is gorgeous!!!

The poll graph above is not very clear (the staggered pictures don't help).

It scares me that so many of you are for Obama's socialist government. We've got to go back to the constitution the way it was originally or the country is in major trouble.

I wish these were the real poll numbers then I could stop worrying that some surprise would take away Obama's 8% lead.

BTW did anyone else hear that Bush's approval rating is currently lower than ANY president's has EVER been? Even Nixon's during watergate!

Referring to the message by Nola--what scares me is that so many people are not bothering to read Barack Obama's web page or actually listen to his proposals. In no way does his stance on government have anything to do with Socialism. That is Republican propaganda. What he does propose, as far as health care goes, is that people who already have insurance and doctors they like, can keep whatever they have. But for people who have no insurance, they can be covered under the SAME plan as the government employees in Washington, oh...like senators! Senator Obama says it is interesting that J.M. is against the government covering these poor folks without insurance, even though he, himself, is covered by government insurance! Also, it is sad that anyone who enjoys reading would vote for a VP who wanted to ban books in her town's library. Sarah Palin is not qualified in any way, shape or form to govern this country. It is a hoot that every time she says anything to the press, a "representative" has to come behind her and say "what she meant was..." Also, her negative, ugly campaigning and outright lies are very upsetting, and deliberately provoking violent responses from crowds. Do you know she denied any ethical wrongdoing in the troopergate scandal and said she had been vindicated, even when the panel of mostly Republicans, in Alaska, said she violated Alaska's ethics standards? IN PRINT??? Please, for the future of our country, vote OBAMA/BIDEN in November!!!

Whomever did this poll left off Chuck Baldwin running for the Constitution Party. I may have gone that way otherwise.

Ron Paul. 'Nuff said.

Was It an honest mistake to leave Chuck Baldwin out, or just a contempt for Ron Paul, and his endorsement. I voted for someone else with Chuck being my ideal pick, for candidates that are still running.

I think we need some sort of Godwin's-esque rule that says you automatically lose (at life, the argument, etc.) whenever you call a Democrat socialist or communist.

"None of the Above"

I hate holding my nose and voting... and I've had to since 1980.

I agree with Nola. I can't vote for either side. Both sides want to further centralize power in the federal government, and I'm for small government. No one wants to end central banking and GSEs, even though that's what got us into the current financial mess we're in. Both candidates supported the bailout, the only part of which that will work is the stock buying provision they're finally trying now; buying the bad debt is a terrible idea. Both want an even bigger and stronger military to continue policing the world. Both want more wars in Iran, continuance of the war in Afghanistan, invasion of Sudan, and inclusion of Georgia in NATO, putting us on the doorstep of Russia. Both back the missile defense shield in Poland, further provoking Russia.

Nader and McKinney are too socialist for me. Barr is an idiot who has been condemned by his own party. Chuck Baldwin is too religious, wanting more religion in our schools. At this point, I think I'll just abstain or vote for Ron Paul.

We need to bring back the constitution and the bill of rights. No entangling alliances (which both candidates currently support), no wars Congress doesn't first authorize (none of this start-a-war-and-ask-for-permission-later crap), no nation building (Obama won't commit to a 2013 Iraq exit), and above all, something that neither candidate supports, less spending (they both want to spend more and tax less than George Bush). We should question central banking openly, as it's been a key factor in the current crisis as well as the Depression and various recessions.

Your vote is an endorsement. I refuse to endorse someone that will take the country in the wrong direction.

Caitlin - He has an open affiliation with the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America. That should be enough.

Referring to Terri's message--
While it seems that Obama does have some good ideas, let's review some things. Who pays for the government employees insurance? Who will pay for the influx of people signing up for that insurance? American tax payers will have to pay for this. Why should I have to pay for someone elses healthcare? Wouldn't it be better if these people received a tax break so they could buy their own insurance instead of providing universal healthcare?
He also is going to increase taxes on certain people to help social security grow.
Obama says he stands for change and wants to change many things. However, change costs money, and the only way he can get that money is to increase taxes.
I admit that John McCain is not the greatest candidate in the world, and Palin not the most experienced, but at least they will allow us to have the government America needs.

It is apparent that although you all read a lot, you apparently do not understand what you read. How anyone could consider voting for Obama, whose proposals are the closest thing to communism ever voiced in a presidential race is beyond my understanding. He is poised & has an excellent speaking voice, but beyond that his ideas are the same tired old socialism that the democrats have been espousing for decades. Class warfare might win him votes, but it is very bad policy. If you think things are bad in this country now, just wait until Obama's plans are implemented. The only candidate who had a realistic plan was Ron Paul, & regretably, he is no longer in the race. There really is no good choice in this election.

This is PURE fiction. PURE. Barack Obama is not a member of any "socialist" organization.

Find me a responsible media outlet or reference source (NOT a posting at World Net Daily) for your claim.

We are supposed to support and love books here. Throwing out unsubstantiated internet rumors should not be acceptable.

Yes, UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE needs to be a right for all American people. Paid for by taxes on the wealthy and large and multinational corporations.

We need to carry forward a little further Mr. Obama's idea of no tax increases for all earning under $250,000 per year. Change this to NO TAXES for all earning under 250,000 per year, and tax all individuals, earning above this line in the sand, as well as corporations.

Right now the wealthiest people, and corporations are paying little or no tax, and the burden is being carried by the "middle class" who is increasingly becoming the "working poor", living from 1 paycheck to the next....these people should not be paying any tax at all.

Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get tax laws changed, because the lawmakers have been bought up by the wealthiest lobbies, who are basically keeping the laws from being changed....kind of a catch 22.

We the people, must take a stand and really let our government know that we will no longer tolerate this kind of behavior from our so called representatives (they are really representing only themselves and the wealthiest individuals and corporations, who have been running things for years)......

Well, look at the mess this country is in! Obviously, we are in great need of major change, before the good ol' USA becomes the next third world country.

We can take our government back from the "elite" group that is currently running things, and make it a government of the people again. It's time to stop all the foreign wars and pull all our troops home, and begin to invest in our own people and infrastructure.

It's time for power to be returned to the people, or perhaps given to the people for the first time! It's obvious that those running things have really messed up, and do not care, because they have got theirs, and "screw everyone else!" is their attitude...TIME FOR A MAJOR ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT!

And the GRASSROOTS movement has power...our numbers are HUGE. YES WE CAN make the change this country needs to truly come into the 21st century with the WISDOM AND COMPASSION needed to save our planet and embrace all those who have been disenfranchised by the POWER ELITE.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE, AND DO NOT GIVE UP THE GOOD FIGHT!
Eileen Davis Fawcett
Capitola, CA

Ditto, Virginia. Ron Paul.
jsg
Cary, IL

Chuck Baldin.

Well said Terri!!!! Thank you for taking the time to disprove the republican lies & propaganda for those who are not living in reality. Will they listen and understand? Who knows. But we all must be like you and try to clear the republican-induced misconceptions about Obama.

Ron Paul. Hook 'em!

Interesting to see that you appear to have read no books at all, Nola, despite being on Goodreads since April. Perhaps you could start with a dictionary of political terms. Then you would see that Obama is not, alas, a socialist.

"Who pays for the government employees insurance? Who will pay for the influx of people signing up for that insurance? American tax payers will have to pay for this. Why should I have to pay for someone elses healthcare?"

Um, because it's the right thing to do, and if you ever find yourself without insurance, you would hope the American people would return the favor.

I also wish this poll was an indication of how the election will turn out!

I guess the people who are voting for McCain/Palin don't mind another poorly educated president that has more bravado than brains. They probably also agree with Palin that abortion should not be an option if you were raped by a stranger or a relative. You probably also think that creationism should be taught in schools.

So, Nola, YOU scare me!

I may not support everything about Obama but Palin is worryingly stupid and McCain is a hypocrite. My least favorite thing about McCain is that he pretends to be so wonderful and moral - ummm he left his first wife, and kids, after she had been disfigured in a horrible car accident to marry his current wife who was rich, politically connected and beautiful. This has no bearing on his job but it does tell me about his character on which he is running his campaign.

Nola,

The "constitution the way it was originally" gave women and African Americans no rights. It was intended to protect the land-owning white men who wrote it. Is this the strict interpretation you want us to follow? Surely, you jest.

To Jeannie - First, who do you think already pays for all the uninsured Americans? We do -- YOU do. Hospitals just add the unpaid amounts to their bills or get them from charity sources (that the hospital could have used to help ALL their customers by buying new, cutting edge equipment). Later, you and your insurance companies pay. But, you pay for ER care instead of cheaper "well care." And, who do you think pays for "county hospitals," government clinics and for all the lost productivity when workers get very ill instead of getting consistent, check-ups?

[And, I'm sorry -- it is simply immoral for a rich, civilized county to let pregnant women, babies and children suffer without healthcare. Our child mortality rate is a scandal.:]

Second, McCain's healthcare "tax refund" goes directly to the insurance companies while YOU will get taxed for the money your employer contributes toward your insurance. In fact -- more and more employers may STOP offering this benefit because of McCain's great $2,500 per person up to $5,000 tax break. There will be a gap of about $7,000 for a family plan.

Also, even if you live in a state like New York, which cares about [expensive stuff like:] mental health parity and making sure women get mammograms every wear after 40 -- you may end up with a health insurance company based in Alabama with few or no rules. The new McCain healthcare plan allows insurance companies to do the same thing BANKS did and be "interstate."

On Social Security: McCain is the one who says, "Everything is one the table -- including raising the Social Security Tax," not Obama.

(McCain is also slashing Medicare and Medicaide to pay for his health insurance tax refund, by the way. Any of you with grand-parents who are sick, should be worried. Why do you think Obama is currently winning in Florida?)

I don't mind anyone voting for McCain. But do it for the facts.

It burns me up that people say "oh--you make more than $250K a year, therefore you can afford to pay for the rest of us." My husband works his butt off to make that kind of money and though we give at least 10% to charity, Mr. Obama thinks we need to be spreading our wealth around even more. The tax code in this country sucks. Our small business will be in huge trouble if Obama gets in and raises the cap on Social Security taxes--there is no way we will be able to afford to hire new workers. Wake up people!!

Carol -
Nice rhetoric. Except that no one's saying "you can afford to pay FOR the rest of us." Obama's plan says "you can afford to pay MORE THAN the rest of us," which is true.
Your husband's $250,000+ per year is - get this - MORE THAN my $65,000. And, I might add, I work my ass off, as well.
Adam

Forget McCain and Obama. My vote's for Havelock Vetinari.

lol...thanks for that Adam. I'm a librarian and after 6 years of school with an advanced degree I make less than $50k/year. I also "work my ass" off. I'm curious, do you also work your ass off, Carol? or is it just your husband since he makes over $250k so you probably don't need to work....

Obama will GROW government, people. Can't anyone stop drinking the koolaid to see that? He has LESS experience than Palin. When you get past the "hope" and "change" crap, you'll see that.

So people who read are clearly for Obama...Interesting.

I will vote for McCain and so will my five adult children!
As far as what I have read and heard Obama will usher in socialism and open our borders to more terrorists.

Ron Paul

i wish he were running on the libertarian ticket. i guess i'll have to write his name in. he's the only candidate who understands the proper role of the federal government, has a sane foreign policy and an actual plan to fix the financial issue. yeah, he's a cantankerous old coot but i love the guy.

Carol, I don't know who people think are paying the taxes. The wealthy are paying over 80% of the taxes today. We should go to a flat tax and then all could pay. I talked to a man today that ownes his own business and said if they take more from him then he will not work as much. Why should he work himself to death while other do nothing and benifit from his hard work. Too many have a confused idea of who really pays all the taxes today. I don't want to be punished for trying to be successful, Obamas plan is pure and simple socialist!

"Obama will GROW government, people. Can't anyone stop drinking the koolaid to see that? He has LESS experience than Palin. When you get past the "hope" and "change" crap, you'll see that."

I'm gonna take this one point at a time.

1) "Obama will GROW government, people. Can't anyone stop drinking the koolaid to see that?"
Both candidates will grow government, just on different issues. The GOP is just as big a fan of getting in our business as the Dems, only they do it to grow big business and take away our civil liberties. Big government is not a bad thing when it works. Beats the hell out of no oversight, which is how we got in this financial mess in the first place.

2) "He has LESS experience than Palin." Experience doing what? How can you even compare their experiences? Are you talking just how many years each of them have been in politics? Because that's a totally specious argument. THEY DID DIFFERENT THINGS. She's got less experience in a national sense, right? He's got less experience running Alaska. I'm pretty sure that Sarah Palin's experience, or lack thereof, is NOT the most important reason why her proximity to the Presidency is a frightening thought.

3) "When you get past the "hope" and "change" crap, you'll see that."
Crap? You're obviously a very bitter person. I'm all for hope and change. A better America. And even if it's just political rhetoric, it's better than "We'll win in Iraq," which McCain keeps saying without actually defining what a "win" would have to incorporate. How do we win a war in a country we're not fighting? How do we win a war against a concept? The "war on terrorism" makes as much sense as would a "war on nepotism." I'd rather we fight a "war on terrorists," myself.

not to fan the flames but merely out of curiosity, exactly where in the constitution does it single out african americans and women to deny them rights?

Ok, this is in regards to someone who said Obama is a socialist and a communist. Socialism and Communism are 2 completely different things. Socialism wants big government, no private industry, govt run market, all govt, all the time essentially. The goal of the communist party is to do away with all government and the market. In a communist society, there is no need for government and no need for a market. Whether any previously elected communist party members actually does anything to get to these goals is up in the air, but calling communism and socialism the same thing is ridiculous

While I'll never argue with a person's right to decide who they vote for, there has been one thing my extremely conservative friend and I (progressive) have always agreed upon: If you don't vote, you can't complain, brag, etc. If you decide not to decide, you are still going to live with the consequence (good or bad) or whoever is elected.

The US has one of the lowest voter participation rates of developed countries, yet we find it our duty to spread democracy throughout the world. Seems a little hypocritical.

lol

It scares me that you are for John McCain

I love the suggestion that making the most money is equivalent to working the hardest. Classic!

McCain for the Lose! I want more old white devil politics. I want to send the world the message we are racist fucks who will tke us into another 100years of unending global conflict. Sig Heil!

Do republicans have a goose step yet? Hrm.. I better find out and learn it just in case.

Obama has a pretty scary list of affiliations & supporters. Here are a few:

Friends/Associations
- Bill Ayers
- Tony Rezko
- Jeremiah Wright
- ACORN
- Mazen Asbahi
- Frank Marshall Davis
- Franklin Raines
- James Johnson
- Jamie Gorelick

Supporters
- Fannie Mae/Freddy Mac (the only person to receive more money from them was Chris Dodd)
- ACORN
- CAIR
- Trinity Lutheran
- The Black Panthers
- Mahdi Bray
- Nihad Awad
- Louis Farrakhan
- Nation of Islam
- Code Pink
- ELF

Even if he's not courting these supporters, it should be troubling that all these fringe groups are so attracted to his ticket.

Is Bush still at 24%? I haven't kept up this week, but I know that Truman was at 22% in '52.

My, what an interesting distribution. I'm thinking the general population is more evenly divided between McCain and Obama with many fewer (percentagewise) for the other candidates. I guess the Republican base doesn't read that much :D

Bettcha didn't read Obama's books..........and if you (Nola) want to 'go back to the constitution' then you really need to read the book........also what was it Whoppi told McCain on that comment? Do you want to bring slavery back too? This country is already in trouble because of the republicans, do you want more of the same? McCain lives in the past, Obama is looking to the future. And remember this, no president has that kind of power anyway, the House/Congress make all the decisions anyway.

CLM

Ms. Fawcett,

You should probably educate yourself on 20th Century history. You've just propsed an identical campaign platform to Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Woodrow Wilson.

Additionally, your facts are simply wrong. America has THE highest corporate taxes of any first-world nation on earth. In fact, ExxonMobil pays more in gross taxes than HALF of the American populace.

Most middle-class families (like myself) pay little or no tax already. It's hard to give tax breaks to those who pay no federal income tax. The "wealthy" already pay for roughly 90% of the tax revenue that comes from the American people.

I'd recommend you read some of the research of Jonas Goldberg. You're on GoodReads, look it up.