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Post by jolene102 on Oct 28, 2008 19:48:24 GMT -5
is anyone else getting worried? i really want barack obama to win, but i feel like mccain is closing in and it makes me extremely nervous! why would someone want to vote for mccain? do we have any mccain supporters on the board? i just don't get why people like him. can someone explain it to me or give me onw reason, please? even the students in my class are divided. but of course they're just going with what they hear from mom and dad.
come on america, wake up and vote for obama 2 weeks from today.
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Post by lhrulz2007 on Oct 28, 2008 21:59:36 GMT -5
I quit worrying awhile ago and it's only one week till election day.
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Post by tonya on Oct 28, 2008 22:06:20 GMT -5
I have not read through this thread, only this last page, and wanted to answer Jolene's question about why someone would want to vote for McCain. I know a handful of people that cannot budge on the abortion issue and cannot morally vote for Obama due to his stance on it. I am also in McCain territory living on a military base. These folks believe that Iraq continues to need a strong American presence and that if the troops are pulled out, it will spell disaster for our country in terms of terrorism. These don't reflect my beliefs, which I really don't get into too much (it's a miracle I'm even posting in this thread!) and I have already cast my vote for Obama in early voting. I think the people against universal health care make it sound awful w/long lines or getting inferior care etc, and most people wont look into it further to see if that is a correct assessment. I will say that if what is proposed is anything like what I receive now (Tricare from the government), while I wouldn't call it inferior care, it's less than adequate. I desperately need my gall bladder removed. I have gall bladder attacks time and time again, when I haven't even consumed more than 5g of fat in an entire day. Tricare won't allow me to have my gall bladder surgically removed at this time - they say it hasn't caused me enough trouble yet. That is according to the doctors I am forced to go to anyway. I do not have freedom to choose any doctor I want and I have to jump through hoops to try to get a referral to a civilian doctor if I need one for any reason and then fight with Tricare when they refuse to pay the bill. And to get an appointment, I have to get up at 6:30am when the appointment line opens, sit on hold for up to 40 minutes (I am NOT joking) and hope that they still have an appointment available. If not, I'm up at 6:30am the next morning trying to get an appointment. There is no such thing as going to urgent care unless you jump through hoops trying to get a referral to it so we end up sitting for hours in the ER for something as minor as an ear infection because we couldn't get an appointment through the appointment line and would have to wait 24 hours for a referral to urgent care to go through. I don't know if it's like this at every military base, but I sure hope not. Our health care is a joke. So many people say I shouldn't complain because it's free, but I don't think it's too much to ask for to not have to go to the ER for 11 hours to get some ear drops because their system is flawed. When I had private, civilian health insurance, I had zero problems with anything. Appointments were plentiful and I had the freedom to change doctors if I wanted. Sure I can get a new primary care doctor assigned to me with a simple phone call....but they're all out of the same office and they are no different from each other and my experience will not be any different. I am certainly not against universal health care as I do think that everyone should have the chance to get some form of health insurance, but from my experience with government health insurance, I'm not sure that people should expect much of it. Again though, I'm not sure how Tricare would compare with a universal health insurance plan through the government as proposed to be available to all Americans. |
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Post by jolene102 on Oct 29, 2008 19:12:15 GMT -5
I have not read through this thread, only this last page, and wanted to answer Jolene's question about why someone would want to vote for McCain. I know a handful of people that cannot budge on the abortion issue and cannot morally vote for Obama due to his stance on it. I am also in McCain territory living on a military base. These folks believe that Iraq continues to need a strong American presence and that if the troops are pulled out, it will spell disaster for our country in terms of terrorism. Thanks for explaining a little. I have heard people say that before. My older brother being one of them. I just don't understand how someone can vote for a person based on one issue. It's like like the president has the authority to overturn roe vs. wade. Personally, I am against abortion and obama and i have very different views about it. i do agree with his views on education, healthcare, etc. and that's why i think he'd be a much better fit for this country right now and am choosing to vote obama. |
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Post by adhara on Oct 29, 2008 20:45:42 GMT -5
Obama's 30 minute video/ad was perfect. I know this video was for undecided voters. But it still spoke volumes to me and I'm sure to those millions of people who donated $20 or however much they could afford...it's money well spent, because here is someone who is looking out for the middle class, knows the value of family, community, solidarity, hard work, education, hope...
I can't believe Tuesday is 6 days away!
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Post by tonya on Oct 30, 2008 12:28:57 GMT -5
5 days away now! I can't wait till it's over. I'm so tired of McCain this, Obama that. Especially since I already voted!
I missed the 30 minutes that aired last night, but I have Dish Network for satellite service and it has it's own Obama channel that runs 24/7!
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Post by gogonutz on Oct 30, 2008 13:07:51 GMT -5
If I'm really honest I thought that it was over the top. I mean, the message that he's spreading seems a good one for the US right now, but this infomercial was kind of i dunno.. didn't think it was done very well, and also, even though I understand why, I thought McCain kinda had a point with his "only rain and Divine intervention used to be able to stop the World Series but the network directors probably thought Obama came close enough".. Of course the way McCain said it was kind of "in a sore loser fashion" but not entirely off.
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Post by gurlnlifemagazine on Nov 2, 2008 11:49:22 GMT -5
I agree with you some what, Koen, but I look at it as Obama putting the nail in the coffin. He has more money to ass up than any candidate in history so why not spend it wisely. While John McCain's response has a point, can you blame the man for spending his money.
At the same time, I can't believe that Obama has raised so much money that he's able to do these unheard of things. Like Tonya said, the man is running his own TV channel with his message. A black man named Barack Hussein Obama, who's chances of becoming the next president are as good as Monday being the day after Sunday, is out spending his richer, white opponent in an America race for president. Now that is crazy.
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Post by gogonutz on Nov 2, 2008 14:26:01 GMT -5
I don't think he wants to be seen as a black man, or a white man, or whatever for that reason. I think he just wants to be seen as a man, who's judged by what he says and does. I mean, isn't that what he was trying to emphasize with his "there's no black/white/asian/etc. america, just the US of America" .. it doesn't matter what race, religion, ideology, politcal party, etc. you belong to, we all need to respect an accept each other for what we are and let our words and actions speak for us, and we have to work together if we wanna get somewhere and get results.
So the whole comparison of this 'black man' who surpassed and outspent the rich white guy doesn't fly for me. And I'm sure a lot of african-american people are gonna say that I don't understand, and they're probably right, I don't think I can, I haven't been in that situation. But I do know that if something has to happen, this can only really happen if these boundaries are aloud to be fading, and in time be part of history instead of present.
Pure politically I think, though very different in approach, both candidates are very capable of being a good president of the US. Both are inspirational and they do stand for what they believe in. Obama might be a bit clearer in his message and McCain made a disastrous choice in his running mate (I think it kinda backfired on him) but either way, the US will be stepping forward, rather than backward with the next president.
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Post by adhara on Nov 2, 2008 15:03:33 GMT -5
It's not about race and there are tons of things we should consider when voting for somebody. But I agree that it's crazy that Barack Obama has done the kinds of things he has done, and it's because of history that I think that way. Just 40-50 years ago...
-There were state laws banning interracial marriage.
-There were all sorts of tests and taxes to prevent African Americans from voting.
-The President had to send in the National Guard to protect African American children when public schools were first desegregated.
For a country that's supposed to have been founded on the premises of democracy, equality, opportunity, freedom... it's crazy that only recently have we seriously extended those ideals to people other than white males.
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Post by gurlnlifemagazine on Nov 2, 2008 15:18:20 GMT -5
It's not about race and there are tons of things we should consider when voting for somebody. But I agree that it's crazy that Barack Obama has done the kinds of things he has done, and it's because of history that I think that way. Just 40-50 years ago... -There were state laws banning interracial marriage. -There were all sorts of tests and taxes to prevent African Americans from voting. -The President had to send in the National Guard to protect African American children when public schools were first desegregated. For a country that's supposed to have been founded on the premises of democracy, equality, opportunity, freedom... it's crazy that only recently have we seriously extended those ideals to people other than white males. Agreed. Koen, I wasn't making a point that his race matters. I was making a point at how much this country's views have changed in really a short period of time. This would not have happened in the 80's or 90's. If Hillary was the dem candidate I think she would be having similar luck as well. But looking back to 2002 I would have never thought Barack would have made it anywhere. I remember seeing his name for the first time on a flyer when he ran for office in Illinois and the first thing I thought was "Nobody will vote for somebody named Obama." And I also expected him to be middle Eastern. So my point is that Amerians have really jumped out of being an ignorant country of people who doesn't want to see things change. I think the only good thing coming out of the Bush era is giving Americans a reason to look for someone different. Even McCain joked last night that he doesn't have much money to spend on his champaign because he's just a poor, white republican. It's a joke, but seriously, republicans have always had the most money. That was what defined them. |
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Post by gogonutz on Nov 2, 2008 15:31:09 GMT -5
It's not about race and there are tons of things we should consider when voting for somebody. But I agree that it's crazy that Barack Obama has done the kinds of things he has done, and it's because of history that I think that way. Just 40-50 years ago... -There were state laws banning interracial marriage. -There were all sorts of tests and taxes to prevent African Americans from voting. -The President had to send in the National Guard to protect African American children when public schools were first desegregated. For a country that's supposed to have been founded on the premises of democracy, equality, opportunity, freedom... it's crazy that only recently have we seriously extended those ideals to people other than white males. I know you guys weren't, but even the thinking "wow, that this has happened, only a couple decades ago, this and this was still going on DOES MAKE it about race and of course it IS an issue, but I agree with Obama's message that there's only one way to make it NOT an issue, and that is to not keep on comparing to how it used to be and how much has changed, but to look forward and see the people rather than the races, religions, genders, ideologies, etc. I guess I just used Lisa's post to make that point.. |
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Post by gurlnlifemagazine on Nov 2, 2008 15:35:39 GMT -5
I know you guys weren't, but even the thinking "wow, that this has happened, only a couple decades ago, this and this was still going on DOES MAKE it about race and of course it IS an issue, but I agree with Obama's message that there's only one way to make it NOT an issue, and that is to not keep on comparing to how it used to be and how much has changed, but to look forward and see the people rather than the races, religions, genders, ideologies, etc. I guess I just used Lisa's post to make that point.. I think the fact that he is where he is proves we have. But of course it's still on everyone's mind. Even Barack himself has said that in no other conuntry that a black man named Barack Obama is his story even possible. |
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Post by gogonutz on Nov 2, 2008 15:43:35 GMT -5
Yeah, and of course it's good to be aware of how it was, to not lapse back into that, but constant reminders also kind of is a trap door because it doesn't really allow you to let the past go, which will be necessary if the final step to close the gap between races, genders, ideologies, religions, etc.
I don't know if the human race will ever be mature enough for that, but I keep hoping it will. And events like the current US presidential race seem to be a step in the right direction at least.
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Post by adhara on Nov 2, 2008 15:57:32 GMT -5
Yeah, and of course it's good to be aware of how it was, to not lapse back into that, but constant reminders also kind of is a trap door because it doesn't really allow you to let the past go, which will be necessary if the final step to close the gap between races, genders, ideologies, religions, etc. I don't know if the human race will ever be mature enough for that, but I keep hoping it will. And events like the current US presidential race seem to be a step in the right direction at least. You realize though, by moving beyond race, Obama is reframing the gaps between races, genders, ideologies, religions, etc. into a class issue, one that perhaps is easier to fight because the numbers affected by inequality are huge. The top 1% of Americans own 40% of the nation's wealth. I think we may only be able to see people rather than the race, gender, etc. when there's actually equal opportunity for all. |
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. I'd also like to know if anybody has an HD copy of Lifehouse at Pinkpop 2003. BY far their best concert ever