poll
Who do you want to win the 2008 United States presidential election?
Bob Barr, Libertarian Party candidate
John McCain, Republican Party candidate
Cynthia McKinney, Green Party candidate
Ralph Nader, Independent candidate
Barack Obama, Democratic Party candidate
Someone else (tell us who in comments below)
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Poll added by: Jessica
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comments (showing 894-943)
Nola wrote: "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."originally like when it was legal to own slaves? i know im just digging up old arguments but I thought that was a ridiculous comment.
I love how the west coast was called with 0% of precincts reporting... I hate the electoral college:National Popular Vote for 2012!
I'm so happy that we have a elected a President who inspires such patriotism and pride all across America! And around the world!
I hope Barack Obama will stay healthy and strong and continue to stand up for what is right while he is President.
Andrea wrote: "I can't help but wonder how many people were put off by his attitude during the campaign and his aggressive tactics."
Laura wrote: "Yeah, something definitely went wrong with the guy after he was officially nominated at the convention."
Confession time: I couldn't stand his tactics BEFORE he got the nomination! He made me so mad in the debates during the primaries that I had to push the mute button when he talked. My personal choice was Mitt Romney, who McCain skewered every chance he got.
I'm just glad the whole campaign is over--it has been a long year and a half+.
I do get annoyed with some of the "gloating" that you see around this week, but I am hopeful that all of you that I have been having this discussion with will get some of the change that you are so hungry for. It is easier for me to handle the outcome after having had these conversations because I have heard many of you make your points in a serious and thoughtful manner.
I am anxious to see how things go forward and I wholeheartedly agree that WE THE PEOPLE need to be in touch with those we have elected to make sure they work for US.
What a wonderful post Rachel! Thank you for sharing your experience! It truly is a great time for the US. Let's do all we can to keep people as involved as they are now.
Last night was such A GREAT NIGHT FOR PATRIOTISM AND DEMOCRACY IN OUR COUNTRY!
It seemed like every watering hole with a TV screen was jam-packed, from 6:30 p.m. onward. Everyone wanted to see the election results. We were all crammed in together, no space to move, watching the returns come in and feeling hopeful, as Obama was already over 200 votes. I remember watching the countdown to the 8:00 p.m. closing of the polls on the West Coast ... when suddenly a huge banner came across the screen ...
BARACK OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!
.... whoa!!!! The whole crowd erupted into such a scene of joy and disbelief!!!! Everyone was hugging and crying and kissing and it was just amazing!!! People were shouting and high-fiving for like 10 minutes! Everyone was so happy! We couldn't believe it. Then, when McCain prepared to give his concession speech, EVERYBODY in that bar quieted down. EVERYBODY WANTED TO HEAR WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. Everyone was so respectful, even shouting out words of affirmation at many of the things McCain said. Everyone loved McCain's speech. It was truly gracious and gave us hope that the country can work together from this point onward ... as Barack Obama has said, we are not red states and blue states, we are the United States of America! And McCain seemed to bless that spirit of unity in his speech. When he was done, the whole crowd started cheering and chanting USA! USA! USA! USA! I have not ever seen so many young people gathered together with such a spirit of camaraderie, patriotism, and good will.
Everyone kept cheering and watching the election results coming in. We were packed like sardines, but as the time drew nearer for Obama's acceptance speech, it just got more and more packed, nobody budged, nobody dared to miss it! Again, I was amazed at how respectfully people quieted down as everyone listened spellbound to Obama's speech, just as they had done for McCain ... everyone wanted to hear it. Obama touched our hearts and made us so proud.
We were all so happy to share those moments together. But when we went outside I was even more surprised to find .... people were walking around in groups with huge smiles on their faces, calling out OBAMAAAAA! And cheering! Every car that went by was honking like crazy and the people inside were waving and shouting! Everyone was so happy! I couldn't believe it. It wasn't the usual quiet night time scene in our neighborhood ... oh no, the streets were just ALIVE WITH PEOPLE! People were smiling ear to ear, everywhere you looked. And they weren't being rowdy or rude .... people were just so genuinely ecstatic, it was likely everyone was floating on an unbelievable cloud.
When we got home, we turned on the TV and found out there were revelers out in the streets in many places until around 1 a.m., more than 5 hours after the result had been announced!
I have never seen this kind of reaction to a presidential election. The people of America expressed so much patriotism and love for our democracy last night. Just think about all the stories you normally hear about voter apathy and lack of patriotism, especially with regards to America's young people. Well, not so last night! Many people never thought we could be so energized and care so much about the outcome of a presidential election. But we did. YES, WE DID!!!! I'm so happy I voted for Obama and participated with so many others in this remarkable day in history.
WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR AMERICA!
There was a word in the newspaper headlines the next morning which seemed to sum it up just right ... HALLELUJAH!
Emily, does maintaining that level of ignorance cause you pain? How much energy do you expend in actively nurturing such willful ignorance? I feel for you. Grasping at that kind of delusional worldview brings suffering. I am sorry that, with all the information that is available to you, you have chosen to cling to fear and misinformation.
Open your mind just a little bit. I hope it will ease your fear and confusion.
Yeah, something definitely went wrong with the guy after he was officially nominated at the convention. That was around the same time that he chose Palin as his running mate. Perhaps she was a bad influence. I did think that he was extremely obnoxious during the debates (at one point uttering the word "horseshit" while Obama was talking in the second debate). Not only was it what he said but how he seemed to have no respect for Obama. Obama on the other hand stuck to the issues and ran a very clean campaign. He behaved like a winner and that is what he ended up being declared.
I'm ecstatic for you, guys! :)
I voted for change, and I got it... let's hope this man can deliver - he's got lots of support, even from his former opponent. I think we're finally heading down the right road!!
You know, I really liked Mc Cain's concession speech; it was like seeing a whole new side of him.
During the campaign and at the debates, which I followed closely, I saw him put down Obama over and over again, snickering at his opinions and throwing more that a few punches below the belt. Even if I'd had no clue about his politics, it would've put me off suporting him.
Yet, last night I saw a respectful, almost (note the "almost") humble man who graciously conceded defeat and was able to commend his opponent for a job well done. I saw him beign conciliatoiry instead of belligerant.
I can't help but wonder how many people were put off by his attitude during the campaign and his aggressive tactics. Perhaps if people had seen this side of him before, he might have gotten a better result (not win, mind you, but at least a narrower gap)???
Greetings :)
Emily, I ask this question only in the kindest way, but: did you ever pay attention to a single thing they ever taught you in school, ever? I mean, I really find it hard to believe that someone who is apparently literate, as you are, could possibly be so ignorant. Or are you just putting us on? Or what?
And those of you who say Obama is a socialist: that's just really so ludicrous at this point that it's not even worth responding to. Even McCain, during his last appearance on Larry King, said Obama was no socialist. Here's the transcript of the interview:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/29/l...
I mean, try to learn something, instead of just regurgitating what you read on the Freeper site.
Just out of curiosity what was up with Nader? Did anyone hear what he said about Obama? He said he wondered if Obama would be "Uncle Sam or Uncle Tom." Was he on drugs?
I really think that this is a good thing for this country. We need to regroup. I told my sister last night, after the results were obvious, that I feel like I have been invisible for 8 years and that now I can be seen again. Our country is in a shambles right now and Obama is right, we need to be together on this, we need to put it back together as a team. Voting yesterday is not the last effort that we as citizens will need to put forth. We need to keep tabs on what happens in our government. If something is happening that we don't like we need to write our congresspeople (it's easy now, you can email them!). If we want Obama to do what we think is important we need to be a factor in the grand equation. I feel like I can do this. I feel that it is important enough to me that I will make an effort to pay attention to what is happening in the government. I no longer feel that my voice has been stifled. I feel more unity with the people of the United States. I am so proud of everyone who voted. So many who didn't usually take the time were heard yesterday. That is democracy, that is something to be proud of.
Emily, Ellen I am sorry for anything that I said that hurt you. Don't worry, it's going to be okay. You will see :)
Carol I commend you for your open-mindedness in this dialog. It was obvious that we had differences of opinion but I think that we had a good example of diplomacy happening here. Being able to talk civilly with people we disagree with is a very important part of getting things done.
Emily - The media was clear about using the word "projected" winner, until McCain himself conceded. If you want to blame someone for calling the election before all the popular votes were tallied, blame your American hero, John McCain.I don't think we need to worry about Christmas. I think you're being paranoid. Everyone seems to forget that President-Elect (ahhhh... that feels good) Obama is a Christian.
I, for one, am feeling very, very optimistic.
I voted for change, and I got it... let's hope this man can deliver - he's got lots of support, even from his former opponent. I think we're finally heading down the right road!!
What a happy, happy day!
And Emily, neglecting to vote because of what you hear in the media is just plain ridiculous. If people actually allowed the media predictions to sway whether or not they would vote, they must not have been too invested in the first place.
Thank you Ellen. I am quite afraid myself, and the fact that Obama's first official act is to the sign the freedom of choice act pisses me off. The fact that the media made everyone believe he had won much sooner before he did so than some people would give up and not vote is sad. And im curious to see how the military will react for one and it is sad that socialism will be soon apart of our lives. We all better enjoy this Christmas because if he and all the other democrats have anything to say about it will be gone before we know it. Pretty much, all we can hope for is that God will see us through these hard times as he has so graciously done before and that our country doesn't go down the crapper. Good luck to all of us and God bless.
Congratulations to all of you Obama supporters. <sigh>. I do have to admit that last night and this morning I was very thankful for the mute button on my remote control. I just pray that there will be a bipartisan effort to really get this country back on track and that we can work to get those we have elected to work for US.
Thanks, Ellen, for your support!
Even McCain didn't say "oh, no.... there goes America!!" He didn't seem too worried about the fate of the nation, and he never once mentioned socialism in his concession speech. Funny, that.
:)
What a wonderful victory speech, by the way!
It's easy to spot the sore losers. If Emily wants to participate in a debate with people who know what they are talking about then she should do her homework. America has spoken and you cannot argue with that!
So glad this election is finally OVER! All I can do now is live my life and watch America go down the tubes of socialism. Honestly, I'm afraid of what will happen to this nation in the next four years.
A few final words before I sign off:
THANK YOU Carol for being a strong, intelligent, reformed "voice" in this debate. I only wish your views were taken more seriously.
I fully resent Elizabeth and Laura for mocking and humiliating Emily like that. She may have been incorrect, but that is NO WAY treat her. I hope our new president employs better tact than the two of you.
Like I said before, I'm scared. America is turning it's back on God and, as history shows, this can only result in adversity... Mark my words.
I was thinking alcohol was a factor, myself. the second post started out as relatively well spoken, albeit wildly incorrect, but then the train derailed again with The only candidate about to President of America "He is "Barack Obama" I hope for it, thanks.But hey, I guess election day is as good a reason to get wasted as any...
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
The closest thing to communism ever voiced in a USA presidential race, you mean. Which, given that there is basically Right and not-so-Right in the USA (exaggeration, I know, but you smart people out there get the point) doesn't mean much.
Your statement would make people who have experienced REAL communist regimes and met REAL communist leaders laugh in your face.
Oh, wait! It already does.
Someone in Indonesia who doesn't know what he's talking about and, by the looks of his first post, might be drunk.
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 about to President of America "He is "Barack Obama" I hope for it, thanks. Good Luck for America
The candidate President of America to countinued is Barack Obama, he's goodman, gentlement, patriot and democrate, I like that and I hope he is leader USA.
Good Luck to America
I'll make sure to pray for our country and what we will all decide tomorrow. Maybe if Obama does win they'll find out that he wasn't actually born in Hawaii so he'll be disqualified but who knows I suppose. I just hope we all go out and vote and take advantage of something that some countries want and need so badly. Good luck to you all.
PS. I am voting for John Mccain and Sarah Palin tomorrow becuase I've decided to vote American while I still can!
It's been really nice chatting, debating, listening and learning with you all. Good luck in the future no matter what.
Laura
Wow--Karen--You made my day!! :-)
Happy voting to all of you--we are really fortunate to live in a country where we have the privilege to do so.
Right. I'll just let my vote speak for itself. "Almost anyone would be better than these people." Ron Paul would have been a good choice though.
Carol-
You have my utmost respect for sticking it out with all of us "poor liberals" (to quote Judith). I think all of the McCain supporters out there should be grateful to have you as a spokesperson.
Jill-I can totally sympathize. I work in a high school in a very conservative, Christian community. However, I can't correct the misconceptions of my students because I don't believe it's ethical to try to influence their political leanings. So I just bite my tongue and hope that teaching them to analyze literature and persuasive speeches of past politicians, will give them the tools to do the same in the real world. Thankfully, they often see the relevance; just this week they were bringing up political ads (from both sides!) as examples of the use of loaded words and manipulation of statistics.
I just wanted to state for the record that I voted for Barack Obama yesterday. Yay for early voting! :)And thank you to all the people who are attempting to enlighten others on the reality vs. the myth of Obama, the Iraq War, etc. Working in a conservative environment in a very religious part of the country, I spend way too much of my time correcting misconceptions in real life to have the time to do it online as well.
Karen said: I also wanted to say, that regardless of which way the election goes, I've enjoyed these discussions. I've learned a lot from both sides, and it's nice to know there are other people out there who care about uncovering the truth behind the politics and politicians. Even if your truth sometimes conflicts with my truth, I prefer that to apathy.
I agree! Though sometimes I feel like the lone McCain supporter in these discussions, I have actually learned a lot from those of you who have taken the time to post thoughtfully. Thanks for taking the time!
Elizabeth said: "So what you're saying is, we went to war based on a speculation, and you think that is reasonable?"
No, I don't think it was pure speculation--I think they went on the best information they had. And no, I don't think they have ever stopped looking for Bin Laden--I think to suggest that they stopped is presumptuous. A lot more goes on than we ever have a clue about.
Carol- It is interesting that Obama has been cast in a brighter light. I heard an interview on the radio the other day with political cartoonists Mike Luckovich of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mike Peters of The Dayton Daily News and they said that most of the cartoons that they think up are about McCain and Palin. When asked why they thought this was they said that Obama's campaign has just been cleaner and more well run than McCain's. I think that this might have had an effect on all media, not just cartoons.
It is true that the media in general is very scewed. I don't blame individual journalists as much as I blame the organizations that they work for. Look at what happened to Dan Rather when he stepped out of line. Rather left CBS last year in the wake of a scandal surrounding questionable documentation for a story accusing President George Bush of being absent without leave during his military service. Oops, career over.
http://news.cnet.com/2100-1025_3-6166528...
I lived in France when on September 11, 2001 and by the time I came back to the US I knew more than everyone else I talked to here about what was going on in Afghanistan. The whole Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline thing had been hidden from US citizens.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/16...
The proposal had been drawn up in 1998. American company Unocal was often mentioned. This news came out 3 years after I came back and could finally breathe again. It was then that I realized that the US media is being controlled by someone with an agenda. I seriously doubt that journalists do this willingly.
On the topic of Iraq. Just out of curiosity has anyone here spoken to anyone from Iraq about how they feel about the war? Please share that stopry, I would love to hear it. I personally have spoken to 2 people who were forced to leave their country because we invaded. The fisrt one was in Denmark where I spent my 3rd year of college in 1998. He worked at a cafe down the street from where I lived. He didn't speak English so I spoke Danish with him. He was always friendly and would remember my friend's and my name so one day we asked him where he was from. He told us Iraq. I felt so strange. I felt like we weren't supposed to be friends. He told me his story. He had been vocal against Saddam in the aftermath of the US attacks and had been forced to leave the country. When I met him he had not seen his wife or his mother in 6 years. I visited him a couple of years later and thankfully he now had his wife and mother with him in Denmark.
My second encounter was last year at the TAC Film and Video Festival in Eugene, Oregon with Dr. Donny George, former President of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and Director General of the National Museum in Baghdad. (I was honored to be the one who picked him up from the airport and then after his speech spent the rest of the day talking with him and my parents in their back garden). After his precious museum was looted in 2003 (one of the horrible tragedies of this war) his family was threatened. His family is Christian. He told us that his son's life was threatened in a letter sent to their home with a bullet from a Kalashnikov. They had to flee to Jordan. Now they live in New York and he is a Visiting Professor of Anthropology at State University of New York Stony Brook, living in exile.
You can read his full story here:
http://www.zindamagazine.com/html/archiv...
I think that it is so ironic that this war has essentially caused the ethnic cleansing of Christians in Iraq, considering all of the Christian retoric that Bush has used to justify it. It is clear that the goal of this war was not to help Iraqis.
I agree Carol, that the media is biased and Elizabeth I also try to use BBC over American news sources. If you want a very different (I'm not saying better or more accurate) perspective, try Al Jazeera.
As far as the wars, I also don't know why we lost the original focus on finding Bin Laden, and I don't accept our reasons for going to war with Iraq. I'm also tired of people who counter that statement with irrelevant questions "Don't you think Saddam Hussein deserved to be taken out of power?" or "So you think the Iraqis would be better off if we'd left Saddam in power?" Of course Saddam was a horrible man who practiced ethnic cleansing of thousands of Shia Muslims, but that wasn't the reason given for going to war. Yet so many Americans accept that "good outcome" as justification for going in after imaginary weapons. I think it's ridiculous that so many Americans blindly accept what they hear on mainstream news coverage.
I also wanted to say, that regardless of which way the election goes, I've enjoyed these discussions. I've learned a lot from both sides, and it's nice to know there are other people out there who care about uncovering the truth behind the politics and politicians. Even if your truth sometimes conflicts with my truth, I prefer that to apathy.
So what you're saying is, we went to war based on a speculation, and you think that is reasonable? Can you also try to explain away the fact that although Osama bin Laden was largely blamed for 9/11, we stopped looking for him - and switched our attention to a country that might have weapons that they might decide to give to Al Qaida? I really still think what happened was so unbelievable, and I don't understand why there are people who still insist on accepting it.Yes, most (if not all) of the mainstream news networks are owned by large corporations, and they all have an agenda that results in a biased reporting of manipulated news. This happens on both sides - both conservatives and liberals have news sources that cater to them. It's hard to find places to look that aren't compromised like that. I usually look for foreign news sources - Canada has some good websites, and they may sometimes have a little stake in what the US is up to, but generally I find them to be pretty neutral. Fox News is pretty notorious as far as subjective reporting goes, though. It's rather badly skewed, and I would notice it even if I agreed with it. I like to listen to NPR, but I take it with a grain of salt because I know that they tend to target a more liberal audience.
The way our country's media is set up is shameful, because the citizens should have the right to have access to accurate and objective reporting. It's very frustrating.
I like to use BBC world news sometimes.
this is interesting.
For any of you who think that the press is not biased, there was a study done by Pew research, Project for Excellence in Media. That study found that "in the media overall—a sample of 43 outlets studied in the six weeks following the conventions through the last debate—Barack Obama’s coverage was somewhat more positive than negative (36% vs. 29%), while John McCain’s, in contrast, was substantially negative (57% vs. 14% positive). The report concluded that this, in significant part, reflected and magnified the horse race and direction of the polls."
My understanding of how Iraq did have something to do with 9/11 was the fear that Sadam Hussein had biological weapons and would supply them to Al Qaida. Even the great Colin Powell testified before the UN that we needed to go to Iraq to stop the threat. We all know what has happened since, but I do think there was an initial connection there.
Elizabeth--thank you for encouraging proofreading--as an English teacher, I truly appreciate it:) Some of the people who have posted here have worse grammar skills than my HS students! And you're right--it's ridiculous that anyone would criticize you for calling 9/11 a tragedy. Obviously they have nothing of any substance to say.
Laura--thank you for pointing out that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. It's scary how widespread that misconception is.
It's Friday so I think we all deserve a drink!
