Posted by JC at
Well, there isn't much time left until one of the biggest decisions is to be decided by the citizens of the United States. In just a couple of weeks, the final votes will be in and in about 3 weeks, we will know who the new president is. To be honest, until tonight, I have not taken a major look into either campaign, but tonight I watched "The Last Debate" and finally got informed on what is going on. Take a look at these two men:
(Just because O'Bama is on top here does not say anything, I just can't put the two images next to each other)
So, I just wanted to give a couple of thoughts about what I saw tonight.
- First off, McCain could not stop taking shots at O'Bama. Seriously, on every issue it was how O'Bama's plan is a bad one. I wish he would have just talked more about his own issues.
- Health care is an interesting topic for me. I liked what O'Bama had to say about it. I agree that the government needs to give more help in the health care in this country and provide more benefits. I don't think that an additional 5000 dollars will do the job (McCain's plan), but I am not sure.
- I am still confused on the abortion stance of O'Bama. He says that he is against abortion (except when the woman's health is at risk), but I don't know how convinced I am. Aren't the Democrats the pro-abortion in general?
So, I didn't see the first of this debate, so I am not sure what they talked about, but this was certainly interesting. If you want to get even more details about the issues in the next couple of weeks before the polls open, then you can go here.
The last time there was a vote, I was in Russia and unable to vote. This will be my first time voting for President so I feel like I should understand the issue and vote for who best supports what I believe (mainly what the beliefs of the church). I think that either way, this will be one of the biggest voting turnouts of all time and will be maybe one of the most important in the last 30 years. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the debates or the issues.
Comments
Danny and Suzy said...
Well if you want to choose the candidate who is most in line with Church principles, you will be forced to look elsewhere! A few things about Obama and abortion/healthcare. Obama tries to avoid this question by saying "its above my paygrade" - he is pro-abortion. Murder is above his paygrade? He said he didnt want his daughters to be "punished" by an unwanted pregnancy if such a thing occurred. Actions have Consequences. Civilized Life requires Responsibility. A few things he hasnt seemed to grasp. He voted for late-term abortions, and is fine with killing the baby outside the womb if the abortion is unsuccessful. Sounds like murder to me. As far as healthcare goes, it is not the government's job to provide healthcare. Healthcare is not a right delineated in the Constitution. The government screws up everything it touches, and we want it to manage our healthcare? I sure dont. Socialist healthcare programs take money out of my pocket and give it to people who dont like to work for a living. I say let the charitable organizations, churches, etc. worry about healthcare for the truly poor and sincerely needy. Both the candidates stances on this are wrong. McCain isnt a superstar, but I think he would do less damage to our constitutional liberties than Obama would. Unfortunately we are forced to have such a choice. Oh, and Obama is not Irish...!
JC said...
Thanks for clearing some of my confusion up on the abortion issue. I still don't know who I am going to vote for so I am trying to get some more details. Regarding healthcare, I disagree with you. Currently my wife and I don't have healthcare because I don't have the option to receive it. My wife can't understand why if she got pregnant we would have to pay 10,000 dollars. She comes from an area of the world where they pay you to give birth. Now I am not requesting the government to do this, but I think making health care more available to everyone is definitely the right answer. I have seen better things in countries where the government is providing more of the healthcare benefits, but that is my own personal opinion.
BJ said...
I totally agree about healthcare and the poor system they have in this country... the biggest question I have is who's plan will bring the greatest benefit to the American people? I think that's a question I'll take to the Lord because both of the plans are so drastically different that it's hard to tell from where I sit what will help the American people best. I do like the thought that people will be accepted regardless of pre-condition (something Obama has mentioned in all 3 debates) though it sounds like a tall order to me. I've deal with the pre-condition thing all of this last year as Christie and I have struggled to make sure we're continuously covered. Regardless, for me, this is one of the most important issues in the debate.
I have watched all of the debates and thought that last night was definitely the most interesting. The first two consisted of many of the same issues but with less time to talk about them and also about half of the debates were on war. Just my thoughts overall... McCain definitely knows a lot more about war that Obama! Obama better have some great help in the white house (assuming he really does get there) regarding military endeavors because he will definitely need it. Anyway, you may want to check it out as they talked about Russia some.
One final thought: This presidential campaign is huge! I totally agree. The way things are looking, Obama will win. I think that is because his domestic policies speak more to the American people. He is a very good orator and he is good at explaining what he wants to do here within the country. While he is weak in the war policy, many of his policies are what a majority of the American people want to hear (and that's all he needs - a majority!) Besides, he's definitely more eloquent. However, neither candidate was willing to say what policies they would not pursue assuming it would cost too much. I think we're in for quite a ride, but I'll definitely be at the polls. I sure wish Louie Sakoda had his name on the ballot!
Danny and Suzy said...
Yes.. Healthcare! Huge issue. Dont get me wrong, I agree with you JC. Health care should be widely available, but should not be a function of the government. As it sits now, hospitals cannot deny a patient treatment due to inability to pay. This is how all the illegal aliens get free healthcare (but you and I pay for it out of our paychecks every 2 weeks). Most students qualify for medicare, the existing government healthcare system. With all its faults, the quality of our healthcare system is the BEST in the world. That is why people from all over the world usually choose to come here for certain procedures. I've talked to friends in countries that have socialist healthcare systems (Russia, England, Canada, etc.) and most hate it. Long lines, lack of prompt service, lack of sincere interest from the providers, etc. Healthcare should be available to all, and those that cant pay should be the beneficiaries of VOLUNTARY charity, not forced redistribution of wealth and benefits. That is called Socialism. See what the Church has said about it. Americans are the most charitable people in the world, and would support those in need. Anyway....! Now i'll rant about Obama and McCain! I dont know why the GOP cannot seem to pick candidates that are eloquent! Obama is one smooth cookie and its hard not to think that he has everyones best interests in mind (he doesnt have mine I can tell you that!) McCain rambles, repeats, and seems a little confused and desperate. Obama is an empty shell of rhetoric. He has no executive experience, but he can sure give a speech! The entertained American people judge candidates on "likeability", not actual leadership credentials, otherwise we'd have different candidates to choose from this election. I was talking to a friend a few months ago and she proudly stated she was going to vote for Obama. I asked why, and she answered that he was a really good speaker. That was it! When asked, she couldnt come up with any examples of his policy differences with the other candidates, his history, or any other feature of the guy that would actually justify the choice to vote for him! I mean its great that people are voting, but lets make the vote an educated one, and not based on emotion and such superficial reasons. Because of this, I believe Obama will probably win. You never know though. In the 2000 and 2004 elections, the media predicted overwhelming victories for gore and kerry. Just goes to show that we cant trust anything that is spoon fed to us, we must seek the truth. Interesting times we live in! Oh yeah, i'd vote for Sakoda cause you can count on him!
JC said...
Where can I find some more (real) info on McCain's health plan? That is the first thing I thought when I heard about it last night is what exactly does it involve, how does it work, so on and so forth? I found a Yahoo discussion on it, but it was full of opinions. How bout some cold hard facts?
One thought about denying healthcare, is that they may not be able to deny but they will screw the rest of your life up. I worked for a credit repair company and medical bills were always huge problems. Anyways, I won't go any more into it, but I think both ways have the costs and benefits.
Danny and Suzy said...
I agree, free (or inexpensive) healthcare provided by the government can be an appealing thing, but in the long run (if its forced on all of us) it equals out to more tax dollars out of my pay, higher percentages that our employers are paying, and higher costs across the board (goods and services). TANSTAAFL. I'm working for the government right now (Army) and I tell you that all government agencies and departments are fraught with waste and inefficiency because there is no sense of ownership and little accountability. Think about your experiences at the DMV and imagine a government agency running your healthcare. A way I see a government healthcare system being a benefit is if it is not funded by taxpayers and not be mandatory. If it met these criteria and was aggressively priced, it would induce competition between the private and government programs and would lower prices for everyone. Here's mccain's proposal from his website:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2e...
One thing about Obamas idea - he says that people could keep their existing plans - thats a good thing, it wouldnt be a fully socialized system - yet. What I dont like about it is that he openly states that it will be funded solely by increased taxes from people making more than 250K a year. I dont make that much (so I wouldnt be paying for it) but I dont like the idea of people being forced to pay for other people's stuff. Its a complicated question, thats for sure. I do not trust politicians, nor their promises during election campaigns. Clinton and Bush promised all sorts of things while campaigning, but failed to follow through or reversed philosophies altogether after winning the office.
Oh and earlier when I said medicare I meant medicaid. Medicare is the one for old people. Brain fart! This is a good discussion!