Why I Didn't Vote for McCain

We voted last week and casted my vote for Barack Obama. No - I don't think it's was much of a secret who I support. When Obama gave the speech at the Democratic National Convention back in 2004, Michael and I both looked at each other and remarked that this guy is going to be President one day. We just didn’t think it would be in the next election of 2008. We were so moved by the way he spoke - the passion, the energy. But truthfully as the Democrat primaries were getting underway, we really weren't knowing who we would support even though we were so inspired by him before. It took us quite a while before we really could say: "He is ready to be President of the United States of America." We watched. We listened and we continued to read up on what he said, what his views were and before long we nodded along as he really was speaking to us and giving us hope for change.

He wasn't just saying those words - you got the sense and the inspiration that this guy could get it done. We found our opportunity to believe.

So when the Republicans lined up their candidate of choice, we compared the ideals, the views and the direction both candidates want for America and in the end, these are my reasons why I didn't vote for McCain...

Health Care/Health Insurance
I am one of the 47 million Americans that doesn’t have health insurance. So this issue means a lot to me and to Michael as he is no longer covered either. It's an important issue not only on a personal level, but it speaks volumes to the greater good for all Americans. Under a McCain's health care plan I get nothing. Absolutely nothing. With no allotment for pre-existing conditions and the promise of $5,000 does not change the broken spokes of our health care system.

In a study “20 million Americans who have employment-based health insurance would lose it under the McCain plan”. That means if you are employed, have a good job, and you have some degree of health insurance -- under McCain's plan, 20 million Americans will join the already obscene 47 million people who don't have health care.


McCain's plan also treats this $5,000 as income so the employees would have to pay taxes on their health insurance. While McCain hasn't said this outloud, I can't help but believe that one of the things McCain is hoping for that people will lose their employment based health care so that they are FORCED to buy from the market and drive the competition. But it's clear that his market-based approach is not unlike the system we've had for years as we witness more and more Americans who can't afford to have health insurance. Additionally the prices keep going up without addressing the core problems inside the health insurance system. This seems incredibly irresponsible and unreasonable.(NY Times - Herbert - Time - NYTimes again - Glassbooth - I really liked this last link as whole - the site when looking at issues of all candidates. And really every quote shown there about McCain's health care views affirmed my position that McCain will do NOTHING for me.)

As if that's not enough, John McCain wants to deregulate the health care industry just like we did in banking industry – umm anyone else seeing red flags waving madly and hearing the klaxon horns going off? Anyone see some alarming similarities with his plan to deregulate the health care industry and the incredibly scary economic problems we're facing in our current crisis? “Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation” (Contingencies - top right column of page 30 quote)

In addition we had a health care provider say to us that she doesn’t understand where people think having $2500 to $5000 (single/family) will buy health insurance or even put a little dent into a persons health care costs. When the average family pays about $3200.00 in insurance costs alone -- not including their deductables, prescriptions and the percentage they are expected to come up with. Forget the fact that employers are providing over $8800.00 to cover health care insurance. When you really look at the whole health care system: a LOT of money is changing hands per employee in a system that forgets 15% of the population can't get the help they need. McCain wants to preserve protect the enormity of this money exchange, rewarding insurance companies while punishing hard working Americans and watching our health care system degrade.

McCain's health care plan doesn't even address pre-existing conditions. Somehow, a $5000 magic bullet is going to solve everything for us. I found it interesting that when I read Elizabeth Edwards tell the LA Times how she won’t be covered under McCain's health care plan because her cancer is a pre-existing condition. Both Michael and I have pre-existing conditions right now that is a reason why we were turned down for insurance. We are willing to pay for it -- but no, we're refused. It's hard listening to Obama talking about his mother on the phone in the hospital arguing with the insurance because they were trying to say that she had a pre-existing condition so they didn't need to cover her. How inhumane is that, really? How can anyone aptly justify arguing with someone who is about to die about who is going to foot the bill -- especially when we get insurance anyway to PREVENT such attrocities from occuring?

How does one justify in their mind that it's somehow morally okay to let a friend, a neighbor or a family member be without some form of basic health coverage? This is a very hot button issue for me. It hurts to see people in pain and know they aren't getting health care because they can't afford it or they are turned down. Our household included.

Michael started his business a little over 2 years ago. One month after quiting his full-time paying job, his knee went out. He was uninsured at the time because a lot of focus was spent getting the business up and running. After the injury, he tried to get health insurance and was subsequently turned down for the same "pre-existing condition" reasons given to Barack's mother. Yes, COBRA was offered, but the "market" was going to be a LOT cheaper in comparison -- so why should Michael be punished because he has bad knees? He has gone 2 years without health care or treatment for his ailing knee. We still pay out of pocket right now but at least it is more affordable than COBRA or some astronomical insurance policy that would ineventably wreck the business and our finances. So right now we are covered but there is a catch of course with this coverage because it will most likely only last for a year so everything has to be done in within a year of the start of the coverage (which was the end of September.) Why is this a catch? Because the program he currently qualifies for will likely not accept him next year because he will have made just enough not to qualify for their services. (this link from the NY Times talks about pre-existing conditions also).

This source talks about how McCain’s plan won’t even address any help for lower-income people. It also talks about Obama’s and gives me concerns but again I feel I have a better chance with Obama’s as I have no chance with McCain’s plan. Plus I feel Obama truly wants to help those without health insurance where the sources just illuminate the fact that McCain is grossly out of touch with the problems of America. In many ways, it feels like he just isn't aware there is a large number of lower or middle class people in this country struggling and it comes off like we don’t matter in his world. As crass as that might sound, that's how I feel and it's pretty clear that this is what his policies show too.

"Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, told CNN Wednesday he agrees with President Bush's veto of legislation expanding a children's health insurance program " from CNN

Here are other links I read when reading about health care plans besides actually just reading the candidates websites that show me so many reasons why McCain plan won't help me.
FactCheck.org and Factcheck.org again
Health Affairs (I looked at many of their source links also) - and another and yet another

Wall Street Journal and another.

NYTimes, Workforce.com, On the Issues, Lewin, MSNBC, McCain's plan, Obama's plan


Economy
During this recent economic crisis Barack Obama has had a very steady approach while looking straight ahead at what needs to be done for the American people. But when we saw McCain's reaction -- all of a sudden everything turned into a big chaotic show. McCain said he was going to stop campaigning to work on the crisis and admonished Obama for not following suit. My first thought was "if McCain can’t handle more then one thing at a time then he has no business even running for President." How can we expect the McCain/Palin campaign to govern if they can't do more than one thing at a time?

While I can’t imagine the pressure and issues that cross the President's desk in the span of a day, it's not entirely unreasonable to think that at the highest position of this nation - the office of the Presidency - we have a President capable of handling more than one thing at a time. Obama demonstrated that not only was he steady and strong in this crisis but he has the poise necessary and shown he can handle more then one thing at a time. So while McCain claimed that Obama was “mum” about the economic crisis the facts say otherwise. (Factcheck.org). And as we would later discover, not only did McCain didn't really stop campaigning, he continued to do interviews and his offices remained open, ads continued to air and be distributed via mail. So when it was apparent that McCain was using the economic crisis as some form of political chess I was really annoyed. Instead of actually working as he said he was going to do -- it became more of a political ploy rather than really wanting to help out in the crisis. (Youtube video - about 7 minutes in and yes I know it is Letterman but it shows McCain not in Washington DC or stopping his campaign.)

Yet when you hear McCain or Palin talk about their own economic plans, they want to keep things the way they are and freeze goverment spending. How is freezing the government to protect his fabled tax cuts? Here’s his quote: “And I recommend a spending freeze that -- except for defense, Veterans Affairs, and some other vital programs, we'll just have to have across-the-board freeze.” (CNN - Transcript of Debate and Washington Post on Tax Cuts to Americans)

McCain wants to cut taxes which will only make the national debt skyrocket even more than we have today. A rising national debt and a falling dollar means that our goods and services aren’t worth more in a world market. But the last 8 years have illustrated the enormous problems of Ronald Reagan’s brand of “trickle down economics” approach to our economy. While the notion has been around for a very long time, it does sound good on paper: put a lot of money in the very wealthy with the HOPE that it eventually trickles down to you and I. But of course it is shown each time this is tried that, we are darn lucky to get anything trickling down. McCain’s tax policy creates an economic caste system. (NYTimes, Daily Kos)

Yet all Obama wants to do is to reinstate the tax levels back to where it was back in 2000. At a time when we had a very flourishing economy. Gas prices below $1.40, wages increasing, unemployment at its lowest in a very long time while BALANCING the budget and making a modest payment towards our national debt. And that is a very promising for the future.

McCain’s opposes raising minimum wage which to me shows exactly how he feels about the average American. Even before the economic collapse that happened on Wall Street, it's been tougher on the American Family to make ends meet. Energy prices have skyrocketed, our goods and services have also climbed in response while salaries and unemployment continue to lag behind. How does McCain think someone who is working for the old minimum wage could even afford anything close to college? They can barely make rent much less pay for food, health care and save a few modest pennies to better your position. Does McCain see how retirees are having to work because they have mortgaged their home to pay for their health care costs? (Politifact.com, AFLCIO, and Glassbooth)

"I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated." McCain then denied saying this in a primary debate. (Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, Boston.com, Politifact.com, McCain Fact Check, Youtube video)

"The issues of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." (NYTimes, Boston.com - Media Matters - McCain Fact Check)

Arthur Laffer and Phil Gramm are/were part of McCain’s campaign economics staff and advised the Republican nominee. Let's put it this way: Arthur and Phil are two people I simply do not trust. My reasons are contained in the sources but basically I feel they have done incredibly damaging things that have directly affected our current economic crisis and the divisive wedge that adversely affects the middle class American. Gramm authored and passed the infamous "Enron Loophole" which is one thing that is felt everyday at the gas pump.(Mother Jones, Bio on Phil at Wikipedia, Politico , CNN, Economist View, Huffington Post, NYTimes, IHT, Baltimore Chronicle - Enron Loophole McCain Defends, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars: Video of Countdown regarding Enron Loophole)

McCain wants to eliminate the alternative minimums tax where 90% of the benefits of that would go to those making over $100,000. This would cost $1.6 trillion over 10 years at a time where our national debt has already exceeded the $10 trillion dollar mark. The alternative minimum tax is a tax that was designed to make sure that rich people who claim many tax deductions still pay their fair share of taxes. (Factcheck.org - there is a lot of interesting statements in that link that I feel hurt middle-class American’s.)

McCain wants to continue the failed Bush economic plan by permanently cutting capital gains taxes. (On the Issues - and the link in the last comment talks about that too, ABC News, )


Gay Rights
This is another strong issue for me that I support. Love is never wrong to me. McCain is against letting domestic partners have the basic right to health and tax benefits that married couples get. To put it a different way: when was the last time anyone was denied health benefits because he was Christian or Jewish? When was the last time your taxable income was predicated on your spiritual beliefs?

Now I need to preface this by saying that I don’t believe churches should be forced to marry gays if they feel it is against their beliefs, but the church rarely leaves this issue alone and continues to adamantly support issues against gays and lesbians while overtly crossing that line of church and state. The moment a church tells people how to vote on a candidate or on a particular issue, then their tax-exempt status should immediately be revoked. Because the moment they start talking politics, they're no longer talking about religion. Gay rights is a political issue not a religious issue. Truthfully it even bothers me that this is a political issue at all because as I said above love is never wrong so why is the government telling us who we can be involved with and our rights with that person.

McCain is against gay rights. (Youtube - McCain on Ellen)

He is in supports Proposition 8 in California. (LA Times)

From On The Issues:
- Hate Crimes - While in the Senate, McCain voted no on extending the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation.
- Job Protection - Voted no on prohibiting job discrimination based upon sexual orientation.
- He also didn’t feel gays should be in military although we are short on military.

Civil Rights
McCain is 72 years old. Someone who has been graced to live this long should know a thing or two about history. One of America's GREAT leaders was the Rev. Martin Luther King. When the matter came before the senate to honor this great civil rights leaders, McCain didn't even know who he was and voted against Martin Luther King Day. (Youtube, On the Issues) How is it that a person who desires to be the leader of the free world, doesn't even know who Martin Luther King was? It bothers me that if he doesn't know who Dr. King was, how well does he really understand the issue of civil rights? I realize that he now apologizes for not voting for it. But when you watch the youtube video it clearly shows he wasn’t even aware of Martin Luther King. Is it too much to ask to want someone who is aware of our own history and who has at least some working knowledge of the world around us?

Seperation of Church and State
Even though not it’s technically not a platform issue for McCain – it is relevant enough to include here because there is an alarming problem with the separation of church and state. Our country was founded on the basis of free speech and freedom of religion. The single most important attribute of our foundation is to ensure that no one religion or belief can control our government. Anything that crosses that line is inherently violating the basic tenets of our freedom to practice our religion, any religion as protected to do so. If we dare to cross the line it endangers that freedom.

McCain wants to cross that line to me....

“Ten Commandments would bring virtue to our schools”

On teaching creationism – “every American should be exposed to all theories”

School Prayer – He would like to allow but not mandate. I feel that allowing school prayer would make those that don’t pray feel displaced, odd or different. It could lead to teasing also for those that on both sides those praying or those not praying.

The alarming trend in the last 8 years has been the growing acceptance of allowing creationism to be taught in our schools. This represents an absolute violation of the line that exists between church and state. McCain's running mate is on record saying that she advocates the teaching of intelligent design in our schools. The moment we allow this as permissible is the moment you - as a parent - no longer have control of your child's spiritual beliefs.

If you want your child to have those things that by all means place your child in a private school that does teach and allow those things, bring your children to church and teach those things in your home. But I strongly believe that our public schools is meant for all children of all religions and backgrounds. It shouldn't play favor to any religion or range of beliefs. Not when it's funded by the government and used paid by our hard earned tax dollars.

Ultimately, church and family should be the only ones responsible for teaching our children the fundamentals of faith. Schools should be responsible for all other theories because our religions aren't always equal - and therefore it would be not only irresponsible, but it effectively re-writes our Constitution that protects our most basic fundamental freedom of religion.

(McCain on the above issues: Glassbooth and another Glassbooth, On the Issues and another On the Issues.)

Birth Control – Abortion - Sex Education
I am pro-choice. I believe in a woman having a choice. The government should have no right to tell me what to do with my body - such as if I can take birth control. I also believe in sex education for prevention of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

McCain wants to over turn Roe v. Wade. "I will be a pro-life president, and this presidency will have pro-life policies." (Glassbooth, On the Issues, Time, Youtube, Factcheck.org, CNN Video)


In the past McCain said he could see that over turning Roe v. Wade would have devastating affects. But then later said he felt it should be overturned. (Washington Post, MSNBC)

McCain strongly supports abstinentence only programs. You simply can't legislate hormones to respond the way that's most convenient for your particular faith. Instead of this incredibly bold and utterly unenforceable policy, why not make this information and education available for all to check out? You’re simply never going to be able to stop the teenage hormone process, so the only viable alternative is to provide the widest range of sources and information available. (Glassbooth, SFGate, The Caucus - NYTimes)

When McCain was asked if he supported condom distribution, he was silent and then when asked about his policy on sex ed he said “I think I support the president’s policy.” He was asked if he thought contraceptives helped stop the spread of HIV, said “You’ve stumped me.” I'm sorry -- "stumped me?" Is he not aware that the use of contraceptives goes a long way to help stop the spread of HIV? If that wasn't enough, he then asked an aide for his policy paper on the subject and finished by saying “I’ve never gotten into these issues before.” (NYTimes, SPTimes) How is it that in the course of his 26 years in the Senate that he has never at least once THOUGHT about the issue of sex education, contraceptives, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases? Do we really want a President to answer a reasonable softball question like that - only to have the answer be "I've never gotten into these issues before?" There's a lot of issues we don't always think about when we contemplate what will happen tomorrow -- but you'd think that he has had a pretty long time to think about it.

Voted against requiring health insurance policies to cover prescription birth control. (Planned Parenthood, Salon)

Voted to terminate the Title X family-planning program that provided millions of women with health-care services. (Planned Parenthood)

Voted for the domestic "gag rule." It would have prohibited federally funded family planning clinics from providing information about all reproductive health options. (Planned Parenthood, Naral)

From Planned Parenthood everything form abortion to contraceptives to sex education: http://www.ppaction.org/ppvotes/pr-03052008_mccain.html


Foreign Policy, Military, Veterns all clumped together...
I've never felt the war in Iraq was a place we should've been. As has been overly documented, Obama was against, McCain was for. While we could correctly argue the history of the second Iraq war, it would only prove that there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda. Commissions have reported this, investigations have said this, and even President Bush himself quietly admitted no connection. But since we're already over there - it doesn't really do us a lot of good crying over spilt milk. (Washington Post, CNN) But what has emerged in the primary and final run to the White House has been the overal strategy and plan for Iraq. Obama has long since stated that the war in Iraq should have time tables in place so that we don't stay in their country. McCain has criticized Obama's view because it's "quitting" or "surrendering." Obama faced this opposition on a scale that really made him look like a quitter or somehow against our fighting men and women.

McCain wants to stay in Iraq until we win. Excuse me, but what is winning in Iraq? Can someone tell me that? There is close to 96,000 Iraq dead. And almost 4,000 Americans. (Iraq Body Count and Global Security) That isn’t winning. We have other threats out there and while we are in Iraq we are wasting money and resources that could be used other places.

McCain said when went into Iraq it would be fairly easy, quick and we would be seen as liberators. Which of course didn’t happen. When he doesn't even understand the different factions in a country that is coming apart at the seams, how can I trust that he knows anything about Foreign policy if he was so off on that?

“Because I know that as successful as I believe we will be, and I believe that the success will be fairly easy, we will still lose some American young men or women.”

“But the point is that, one, we will win this conflict. We will win it easily.”

“But I believe, Katie, that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.”

(Huffington Post, CNN - Transcripts, CNN, Seattle PI)

McCain says that we will be in Iraq for 100 years and doesn’t see a problem with that at all. Washington Post - Think Progress - yes a left website but they have links and has video that McCain says it - This video says it too but has lots of things he says that annoy and disappointment me regarding the war such that it is safe to walk down the streets of Bagdad but he was escorted by 100 soldiers, sniper teams, 10 armored humvees, 3 blackhawk helicopters, 2 apache gunships, predator drone coverage and he was wearing a bulletproof vest and only allowed to take off his helmet when authorized. (shows images of all that in that video but talks about it here as well here on Newsweek and CBS News

McCain quotes Petraeus all the time yet Petraeus is even more towards Obama thoughts then McCain. (Washington Independent)

McCain on war and peace – On the Issues

McCain constantly confuses Shia and Sunni. (MNSBC).If it's hard or difficult, then it's unimaginable that he is running for the President of the United States of America. He is not going to fix our air conditioner. What I mean by this is I don’t need my repair guy to know not to confuse Shia and Sunni but I do need the President of the USA to know the difference and not confuse them. Again on the same lines of hopefully having a President that won’t confuse who the president of Iran. He was insisting that Ahmadinejad was the leader of Iran, not Khamenei (LA Time). This link has quite a few sources listed where McCain getting things mixed up on Foreign policy issues.

The bomb-bomb-bomb Iran thing really bothered me. To even joke about bombing a country is beyond contempt. Making light of it not only diminishes the lives lost in our conflicts as some sort of “joke,” it further demonstrates an inability to raise the level of your discussion. Youtube - that is him saying the bomb bomb bomb iran and then this Youtube video is for him saying it was a joke and get a life - CNN Transcripts)

He skipped over a dozen votes on Iraq in the senate (Vets for common sense)

He thinks Cheney and him have similar strengths – which right there scares the hell out of me. (Huffington Post)

McCain says Foreign Policy is his speciality so all of the above things don’t make a great case for him knowing much about Foreign policy so if that is the best he has then he isn't up to being President to me.

Military & Vets
There is no doubt that John McCain is a hero. What he went through when he was a prisoner of war is not only courageous it was incredible. Unless you have been in a similar situation, none of us can even begin to imagine what it was like for him. That said, I am incredibly puzzled of McCain's stance for our military and veterans. He says with conviction that since he is a veteran of war so he understands. But there is a critical difference of being a veteran and supporting your veterans and military. Yet when you look at his record, it's hard to look at exactly how he does support our troops.

Voted against additional funding for the mental health care of troops and vets. (US Senate)

Voted to table a bill that would have provided funding and equipment for Guard and Reserve units in Iraq(US Senate)

Voted consistently against additional funding for Walter Reed Army Medical Center 2003 through 2007 (US Senate, another, and yet another)

Voted against repealing a capital gains tax cut which would have funded soldiers. (US Senate)

Voted against an amendment to make minimum rest periods for armed forces between deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan a requirement. (US Senate)

McCain opposed the GI Bill (and as a side note President Bush didn't support it either). McCain was one of three senators who didn’t vote on it (one was in the hospital and one was at a funeral and he was campaigning)(Boston.com) “John McCain skipped a vote on the GI Bill to go to a fundraiser in San Diego. How is that Country First?” (headline from Votevet.org video)

Voted against an amendment for Vets that would increase medical care by $1.8 billion by eliminating abusive loopholes. And then a year later voted against a bill for $2 billion for medical care for veterans. (US Senate and US Senate)

Voted against an amendment for an additional $430 million for the Department of Veteran Affairs for Medical Services of outpatient care and treatment for veterans. He was one of 13 senators to vote No. (US Senate)

On the Veterens Report card of Senate and Congressmen/women - McCain got a D.

The US Vetern Dispatch feels McCain is unfit to run as president. This video is from someone who was POW at the same time McCain was and is against McCain. I thought his comments were interesting.

IAVA offers a list of 10 things they feel Vets need help with asap - http://www.iava.org/ - I don’t feel they will get that help when looking at how McCain votes on military/vet issues.

Environment/Energy
When you listen to Obama talk about the environment, he has a lot of great ideas that not only lead us towards energy independence, but we can also create new jobs through investing in renewable/alternative energy resources. Both of which is incredibly positive for our future. McCain opposes investment in alternative energy. (On the Issues and http://glassbooth.org/explore/index/john-mccain/10/environment-and-energy/7/)

He doesn’t have a good record on environmental issues – (Yahoo News, Baltimore Chronicle, LA Times, Washington Post)

Odds-n-Ends

Palin - Which really could be my number 1 reason for not voting for McCain at this point…Palin. Recently, I saw an interview of Matt Damon where he said that Palin as VP is like a bad Disney movie - Hockey Mom for President and I instantly agree with him (Youtube - Matt Damon). When you look at your typical Disney movie, there's a happy ending, good vs. bad, fairies, fairy dust and a nice wrapped story. But reality isn't a Disney movie. Reality is that this woman has such a long list of reasons I don’t want her anywhere close to the White House. Just naming a few ... she simply doesn't have enough experience. Mayor of a small town and governor for not even a term while lacking the fundamental knowledge of how Washington works, not to mention the fact she honestly thinks being neighbors with Russia is enough to give her the necessary foreign policy credentials to be vice president. McCain listed Palin's role on the local PTA in Alaska as being some of her "relevant" executive experience. She can't name one newspaper or magazine she reads - an obvious and easy lowball question that she can't even answer. Nor could she even cite ONE Supreme Court decision she disagrees with except for Roe v. Wade despite having publicly criticized the Supreme Court on a case that affected Alaska this past summer. (Youtube video, another Youtube and another Youtube)

Ultimately, it comes down to a level of vetting by the general public and the media. We've gotten to know Obama, Biden and McCain for years now. We find out about Palin in less than 30 seconds (at least that's how it felt like) before she was announced as McCain's running mate. Already we have found out about several scandals associated with her. It's unreal that America is being asked to seriously consider including this person on the ticket - knowing that this person is realistically this close to the oval office and being president.

What does the Palin pick say about McCain's judgment? It was a political ploy in a desperate attempt to sway Hillary Clinton voters. He chose someone that was likable, has charisma and is not afraid to get her hands dirty -- but someone who is also not ready to be the second most powerful person in the modern world. So instead of making the right choice for America, McCain made a political move instead.


Lobbyist/Campaign – Obama had accepted $6,000 from lobbyist and gave it back. McCain had accepted $181,600 (that from July so might be more by now) From Obama’s website: “We don’t take money from Washington lobbyists or special-interest political action committees. Instead, we have a base of more than 1.5 million individual donors who ensure that this campaign answers to no one but the people.” One of McCain's transitional people is a lobbyist. A transitional person is who is in charge of filling positions in the white house if they win. He talks about reforming Washington but hiring a lobbyist for that kind of position really doesn't sound like reform to me. Sounds like...the same thing we have had for 8 years. (NY Times and Time)

Deregulation of Teaching - “We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states.” (I have italicized the part that bothers me the most – this is quote from the debates - CNN Transcript of debate)

Katrina – McCain had birthday cake with Bush several hours after the levees at New Orleans broke but later he blasted Bush about slow response. (Newsweek) He voted against Katrina Commission, extended unemployment assistance and medicaid access for victims of Katrina. (Newsweek and Washington Post). I feel that shows how he would handle a similar crisis. Again showing me he doesn't think of the people.

Negative Ads - I have heard about that people are sick of the negative ads on both sides but it is like this every year. Do I like it? NO. But I, of course, feel McCain's ads are more negative and really downright sicking. It looks like it came straight out of the Bush campaigns about pushing the fear mongering messages, dropping subtle hints that Obama is Muslim, pals around with terrorists and linking Obama to the former Iraqi President by use of the name "Hussein." And you know so what if he was muslim? As (as General Powell said.) The things they say about him really upset me because they are out and out lies such as paling around with terroists. Which of course isn't true. So they smear that lie but seem to forget that McCain is friends with G. Gorden Liddy. Or McCain being friends with Pastor Hagee who is a contributor and Hagee said that Hilter was doing Gods will. It is just sicking to me how they take something twist it around but if they looked in their own yard would see the exact same thing they are accusing Obama of doing. I don't get it. Do they think we are dumb and can't use google and all the other resources out there to find showing the truth. It just annoys me.

And my last thing...

Same as Bush - I feel he is the same as Bush (Youtube video of him saying he is like Bush). I don't want the same as the last 8 years. I feel our country is in such peril we need real change and when I hear Obama speak and when I read everything he wants to do to help our great country - I feel hopeful. I feel that we really can turn this country around and with McCain I can't help but feel it will be more of the same.

Obama's philosophy always centers around what is best for the American people. His genuineness, his compassion, his dedication and his strength is what America needs right now. The next 4 years are going to be incredibly challenging for America and we need the hope for change and resolve to correct the errors made by the last 8 years. That is why I feel Barack Obama will do what is best for the American people and that makes him the best and only truly qualified candidate to become President of the United States of America.

(This was a lot longer and I cut out a lot of issues that are important too but just felt it was getting to long.)