I will say I’m gunning for Obama over McCain. I have a strong belief that the Democratic Party has done a better job handling the country from financials to human rights. And here is my opinion why.
Financials
A friend of mine down in Florida, a staunch republican supporter, has always argued that the democrats are “spend happy”. This year, I don’t think any republican could argue that the current president has made any attempts to balance the budget, something I always felt Clinton was aiming for, and might have done had he not left office. So what about the past? I think this graph sums it up. I don’t think it’s that the Democratic Party spends more; I think it’s that they realize you can’t run a country without its debt eventually causing major issues. If the United States had to meet the same guide lines that it expects its corporations to reach, it would be a third world country by now. With how the economy is going, they’re looking a lot more like Mexico these days.
click on image to enlarge.
Human Rights
I think one of the best quotes that sums up what I stand for comes from a movie called “the American president”.
“America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say you want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest.”
Traditionally (with exception) republicans have been too trigger happy to support taking away the rights and freedoms of others. They don’t recognize the difference between ethics and laws. Though it might not be respectful to burn the symbol of a country, it should not be illegal if you're going to call yourself “the land of the free”.
Sarah Palin has already been caught pushing the idea that certain books should not be found in libraries because they do not uphold Christian ethics. And nobody has ever made a rational augment for book banning.
McCain has stated he wants to overturn Roe vs. Wade, and though I can respect the argument against abortion, I don’t think it’s right for people to tell others what they can and cannot do with their body during the first few months of conception. The deceptive idea that anybody is pro abortion is absurd; nobody WANTS to see abortion, but most I believe, if fully educated on the matter, want to see that choice made by the individual.
Environment
This one is an easy argument. We need clean air, clean water and we don’t want future generation to only know what our wild life looks like from pictures in text books. Nothing bugs me more than a party which stands by the notion that 6 to 7 billion life form are not in any way effecting global warming, and I’m glad to see that the party has been put in its place with raw data proving that how we have been treating this planet will ultimately effect the health of our future generation. I stand by a system that punishes people through higher costs for driving Hummers and massive SUV s. I don’t think this should be added on to general taxes, but rather all the cars should be rated on their environmental value, the top half should be paying a substantial portion of the lower half’s insurance costs.
Religion
This is a touchy subject for many, so I shall be delicate. I’m all for religious freedom, but I believe the Republican Party has too often tried to make it very hard for people to live in the United States who are not Christian. I don’t believe that a single penny of tax money should go toward any religious groups. Churches have, in many cases, used religious doctrine (which could argue any point) to control free speech and human rights such as gay marriage. This is the only subject I’m disappointed with Obama on. He has said in the past that he only believes in civil unions for gay people. Is he saying this to avoid the subject and perhaps uphold human rights once in office? Maybe, but then you could argue that he is trying to play both sides of the fence.
Health Care
Simply put. I believe in universal health care that is equal for all and the only systems I have ever seen work like that are those under a nations in which health care is provided for by the government. Nobody deserves to live a shorter life or suffer more because they don’t have enough money. I count myself lucky to live in a country where people can afford good health, but I envy nations such as the UK which the system is made far simpler. McCain seemed to avoid the subject and stall on the idea, and Obama believes in the notion of government paid health care. The big question is, will he be allowed to work in a system which might be open to the idea. Nobody has a problem with a government run fire departments, and I consider human health just as important as saving people from a burning building.
Education
I'll make this one short. Look at all the states with republican senators, and compare it to all the states with democratic senators. You will find a pattern.
What else?
The reality is I think John McCain is more a puppet for his party, rather than a leader. His choice of what seems like a female “Bush” verified my views on it. And his attempts to seem like a “Maverick” or rebel in his own party to separate himself from the Bush administrative comes accross as fake and deceptive. His own party members have advised him lately to avoid the heavy issues if he wants to win the election, something that seems ridiculous. People have forgotten the fraud and corruption that brought him before the courts 20 years ago. I’m not saying Obama is perfect, but I think he is far more open minded and willing to surround himself with people who might challenge his own ideas and fill in his weaknesses.
With all that said, I encourage people to study up. Don't just rely on bloggers such as myself or party members. Bad politicians thrive and feed on lazy minded people unwilling to research.
I encourage people to comment on this entry, with repect.
