I am an independent. I do not subscribe to either political party. While I think both sides have some merit to them, it is not enough for me to swear my allegiance. So as far as the presidential election goes, I have no clue who I am voting. There are things about both candidates that I like and there are things I find disturbing. For me, it will come down to who I believe is going to do the best job. It could be a Democrat or Republican.
I know that probably offends some people. For some, allegiance to a party is the be all and end all. For me, it goes much deeper. I can't vote for someone merely becuase they belong to a particular party any more than I can vote for someone because of race or gender. At the end of the day, I have to look at what is this person going to do and how what they do is going to affect me.
Because of those beliefs. there are many out there who want me to come to their side. I get that. I have questions that need to be answered. But what I don't want to hear is the same old rhetoric. All Republicans are for the rich and a bunch of Bible thumpers. All Democrats are bleeding heart liberals backed by Hollywood. For me, such language is counterproductive. Not all Republicans or Democrats are like the stereotypes.
I am person who wants the facts and the evidence to back up those facts. I don't want spin or lies turned into spin. Truth seems to be missing from political discourse. I watched Bill O'Reily's interview with Barack Obama. Love him or hate him. Bill's interview was very interesting. In my humble opinion, this was one of the few interviews where someone asked hard questions and looked for specific answers. I have not seen the Charlie Gibson interview, but I have heard a great deal on both sides. I will probably watch it on YouTube. Then and only then, will I make a decision.
Getting to the heart of the issues, asking the tough questions, is what the public needs to hear. At least that's what I want to hear.
About Me
- Seeking Solace
- I am a college professor who is fumbling through the chaos of academia, rheumatoid arthritis, working on my PhD and just being a 40 something woman. I used to be a lawyer, which made me a snarky little person. I have a wonderful Husband and a German Shepherd named Junior. They help keep me sane.
Paws to Consider
My Sister's Keeper
8 comments:
I certainly respect your independent-ness. I hope you don't think I was criticizing you for it! I'm just curious what policy areas you're concerned about, and what makes you undecided between Obama and McCain.
Arbitrista: Absolutely not. In fact, I respect your opinion very much. And I love your take on the whole thing. You are objective. My post was more about my mother-in-law who believes Obama is the next Kennedy and not voting for him would be the worst thing in the world. Also, I have concern for those who are blindly choosing a candiate and forcing an opinion without doing their homework.
My concern with Obama are taxes and the economy. I see his position on taxes as income redistribution. Of course, I will have to do more research on this, but he keeps changing his definition of who qualifies as wealthy. It seems to me that if one does not provide some tax breaks for those who have the means to invest, it will not spur positive growth in the private sector.
McCain bothers me because he is not the maverick of the 2000 election. Obviously, he has to kiss Republican ass to make them happy, but seriously, what about his "I don't give a shit about party." mentality? Was that just a farce? Will he be that independent thinker that made him interesting in the first place?
Those are just a couple of things that I want to learn more about. I could go on about the war and other stuff, but I will save that for another day. More research needed.
I think we tend to get caught up in stuff that is not as inprotant.
I don't really consider myself a member of any party, either. However, since I find even the Democrats too conservative (in terms of gun rights and some other issues- although Dennis Kucinich is just my speed), there is no way in hell I would ever vote for a Republican. My views are just too different from them. I totally agree with what you are saying about voting for a candidate rather than a party, but I vote on issues above all else. I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000, because I agree with his views on most issues AND there was no way that Al Gore was going to win KY. I now live in a swing state, so as much I'd love to vote for a 3rd party candidate, I just can't. I sometimes feel stifled by having to just vote Democrat, even if the candidate is nothing to get excited about. This year is different for me, though- I am actually excited to vote for Barack Obama. And I'm scared to death of how much MORE f-ed up this country would be after 4 years of McCain & the-new-love-of-the-extreme-right Palin. I think you would be VERY bothered to hear about her record on animal rights (she supports aerial hunting).
Here's a link to the Tax Policy Center's review of the Obama and McCain tax plans: http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/findtables_candidates.pdf
The two parties do have very different approaches when it comes to tax policy, but it's not simply a question of redistribution. Republicans think that you grow the economy by placing more money in the hands of investors, while Democrats think you do it by increasing aggregate demand by putting it in the hands of consumers. The historical track record is fairly clear - Democratic administrations since WWII have had much smaller deficits, higher growth, and lower unemployment than Republican administrations. Here's a good piece on it: http://angrybear.blogspot.com/2007/08/comparing-presidents-rankings-of.html
Of course, while Obama doesn't talk about it much, I would be happy to argue for some moderate redistribution, given that we have the greatest inequality of all industrialized nations, which is not only just, but has serious problems from the point of view of justice and political stability.
I can't say all I want because I can't hardly think straight at the moment. But thanks for writing this. I'm really annoyed with how many people who came right out saying "how can anyone NOT vote Obama" (ignoring the religious rhetoric that anastasia often points out) and making those of us who are undecided feel incredibly uncomfortable. I don't want to be made as stupid because I take longer to choose.
Rented Life: Hey, I'm actually thrilled at the chance to talk to real live independent voters. I hardly ever get the chance!
Addy N. GML sent me a YouTube link about the aerial hunting of wolves. It is scary and disturbing.
I even know a few hunters who are disgusted with the practice too.(Imagine hunters and animal rights on the same side...who would have thought..)
Arbitriesta: Thanks for the link. I will definitely check it out.
I agree that there should be some redistribution as well, to allow the middle class, or what's left of it, to invest. But, my fear is that those of us who are not "wealthy" but are in a higher tax bracket, will take a hit.
I wish we lived near each other. I would love to chat with you!
Rented Life: You are so welcome. Much of this came from what I have read and heard from others. There is no shame in being informed.
The debates should be worth watching!
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