Why McCain?

[CaliG]

Alright we can continue to call each other names and say, "You're a programmed robot spitting everything what your party says!" or we can have a real dialogue.

Let's do that.

My first question is to those voting for McCain.

I noticed the Republicans are now saying that McCain is going to bring change. What do you think McCain will do that will make him different from W?

Serious questions and answers only please. We got enough flame threads on this board and less than 40 days before the election.

[meeks]

well, for starters, McCain is old. Bush was so young his dad was still available for interviews to say "I don't support my son's decisions..."

[count]

I'm not voting for him, but I guess he looks very clean.

[Michael]

I'm not voting for him, but at least publicly he's against torture.

[klonk]

I think he will reduce waste and fraud in government, not as much as I would like, but he will do a bit in that direction, setting useful precedents for future administrations.

He will spend more money than I would like, but I do not think he will be a huge spender on the level of Bush. We fiscal conservatives feel we were rather screwed with old Dubyah. To say he spends like a drunken sailor is an injustice to drunken sailors.

Unlike the other candidate, McCain clearly realizes that policies resembling the socialist model are no good. Socialism is something the last century showed us to be a poor idea, and those who still think it is a good idea were evidently not paying attention. The failure mode is well defined, the reduction of personal incentive leads to reduction in personal efforts.

Also unlike the other candidate, McCain understands that tax cuts are good not bad. Taxation acts as a slow-down on a market economy by taking away some of the fuel supply (money) that would otherwise be spent, or saved, at individual discretion.

McCain will back oil and natural gas drilling in the U.S., as well as the next generation fuels and technologies that are, despite what we hoped, not ready yet to take over the jobs we now do with petroleum and natural gas.

There are some things I don't like about McCain. The McCain-Feingold bill was stupid. And, while reaching across the aisle and getting things done with the other party is seen by many as a positive, I think McCain is too much of a compromiser, not conservative enough by half on some issues.

And then there is Obama. He is idealistic, dynamic, and also a bit naive and inexperienced. From idealists who know just how other people ought to live, good Lord, deliver us.

[chud]

I'm not a fan of McCain, but I like his running mate and don't like his opponent, so there ya go.

[qiphlow]

i think both guys' actions in office will differ greatly from the pretty speeches we are hearing now.

[Walter Joyce]

I don't mean to be difficult but isn't the phrase "polite politics" an oxymoron, like "military intelligence"?

[Michael]

...

[CaliG]

I don't mean to be difficult but isn't the phrase "polite politics" an oxymoron, like "military intelligence"?

Well I disgree with some of the comments made here. For example calling socialism a failure, after all if anyone sees Scandinavia's brand of socialism you could hardly call it failure. There's a 60 minutes episode about Denmark on the subject. But I've also seen it first hand and I can tell you that they have a much higher standard of living there.

Does that mean I want to debate the subject the subject until I'm blue in the face? No, that would be pointless. People have their political view points and nothing is going to change that other than first hand experience.

This thread is mostly about trying to understand what people see in McCain. Because whether I like it or not I think he'll win. Because the Republicans know how to speak to mainstream America. I don't think they're honest to mainstream American, but I do think they know how to tap into their emotions by saying things like, "America must fight on!"

[Steve James]

Well, of course, political rhetoricians are adept at creating categories like "mainstream America" and "family values" and now "small town values." It reminds me of the "silent majority." Actually, it was a small part of the right.
Anyway, these things are easy to allude to, as in "truth, justice and the American way." But, they're hard to pin down. Naw, it's just that when they're pinned down they're not more mainstream or more family or community oriented than any others.

Anyway, like all elections, the vote will be determined by the turnout. Who wins the election is another thing. Most people have become so cyncical that they don't doubt the election will be won "by hook or crook."

No worries, though. Americans are scared as hell of being attacked, but don't have bombs going off around them daily. And, our economy sucks and we pay more for gas, but we're better off than most countries. We'll have an election. I do think it's sad that this is the only election I've experienced where people told one candidate that he had to watch his back. Hopefully, that threat doesn't come from the mainstream. I don't believe it does. And, the election can be stolen by a minority, but attributed to the mainstream.

[Mike Strong]

My family is Danish. All of my cousins who grew up in on the farm grew up speaking (low) Danish, - half of my first cousins went to University in Coppenhagen, ...

... we have family reunions both here and there on a regular basis.

You can NOT compare The United States of America to Denmark.

Danes laugh at the Italians when they go on and on about "La Familia" - Danish families are ten times more tight, and passionate, and conflicted; - but all of the yelling and screaming is done psychicly!

When you are talking about Denmark you are talking about a very small country, with a homogenous, like minded population.

5 1/2 million people, and in any given situation, - they all know what they collectivley think about it !

Everyone knows how to act, and what is expected in any given situation.

They have ONE city with over a million people in it!

You just can't say, "well if it works for the Danes, - it would work here just as well"!

SHEER STUDIDITY !

The United States is a huge, pluralistic society !

I have a hard enough time building my personal empire with the fucking goventment takeing 30% of what I make, - you want me to cough up 60% ?

70% !?!

Why, - because you want the things you want ?

Well, I don't want what you want, - I want what I want !

You take care of yourself, and I'll take care of myself, - and if you can't take care of yourself - MOVE TO EUROPE AND WEAR FUNNY LOOKING TENNIS SHOES AND TIGHT FITTING PANTS YOU FUCKING HOMO!

[chud]

The video starts out, "There is as much crude oil on the north slope of Alaska as Saudi Arabia."

My dad is a retired doctor. He practiced in a small Texas town that was full of retirees. Several of his patients were retired managers and executives from major oil companies, and several of them told him on different occasions that there is more oil in the Gulf of Mexico than in all of Saudi Arabia...we just don't drill it.

[Steve James]

Hmm, Obama did "promise" to lower the taxes of 95% of Americans. Yeah, I know, he promised it. But, at least he should be hammered for making the promise, rather than for wanting to raise taxes. Yeah, he also said that he would raise taxes for the wealthiest and for some corporations.

Of course, the secret is to convince the "little guy" that his interests are the same as the billionaire's. It's just like the distinction you are making between socialism in Denmark compared to the US. Besides, as you know, Denmark has the highest income tax rate in the world --40 to 70%. You're right about the pluralism. They don't have so much "I'll pay for mine, but I won't pay for yours." All you say about it is true, bro. Socialism as communism doesn't work because it forces people to share. Socialism based on the idea of a common society is just basic family values extended to the nation.

It may not be possble here, but don't you think that it would be better?

[CaliG]

Mike I never said we should be like Denmark.

I only said that socialism has worked in some places.

I don't believe the US should be socialist, but I do believe medical care is a basic human right (just look at the Geneva convention).

Rend mig i r?ven!

And drink a beer for me in Shanghai!