I’m Voting for Obama

October 13th, 2008

This will be my first and last post about the 2008 Presidential Election. I find people that harp on and on about topics like religion or politics insufferable. Mainly because most people are stupid (see: Cubs Fans). I’m writing this because people are asking why I’ve made this decision (I have voted Republican in the past). This will be a long post so feel free to skip it.

Foreign Policy Sarah Palin may not know what the Bush Doctrine is but I do. It’s a policy filled with neoconservative ideals about using pre-emptive strikes against nations with “real or perceived threats against the United States” while acting unilaterally (i.e. without getting permission from the United Nations). It has directly contributed to the rising Anti-American sentiment across the Globe in for the past 7-8 years. Well guess what? It turns out you can’t design a foreign policy like it’s an action film (Explosions good. Dialogue bad). Life is not a movie. Obama favors engaging in talks with the leaders of countries such as Iran and North Korea instead of just going in there guns blazing. Seems like common sense.

The Economy Obama favors cutting taxes for individuals that make less that $200,000 and raising taxes on the richest 1% of Americans. The top tax bracket would jump from 35% to 39.6% which would still be less than it was in the 1990’s. Warren Buffett supports rasing taxes on the richest Americans and he has endorsed Obama. Buffett is my go to guy (along with George Soros) on the economy and I don’t take anything he says lightly. You can read the long list of Obama’s economic policies here.

Universal Health Care Despite what some people would have you believe access to Health Care is a right. It is morally imperative that we (finally!!!) implement some form of National Health Care system. If you are sick and we have the ability to make you better you should be afforded that care. The United States is one of the few developed nations that has no National Healthcare (see map). Obama’s plan is a step in that direction. It guarantees health care for children and establishes a new public insurance program which makes insurance available to those who can’t afford it or don’t have access to it through work. McCain is against Universal Health Care. He wants to cut Medicare by $1.3 trillion and move away from employer provided insurance. He wants to give individuals $2500 to find their own insurance or be taxed on employer provided insurance. Either way things will get more expensive for me. This is as convoluted of a plan as I’ve ever heard.

The Science President Obama plans to lift the Federal ban on stem cell research, restore the position of Science Advisor to the President, create a Chief Technology Officer for the nation, reduce carbon emissions, provide broadband internet access for every American (an absolute necessity in my opinion), and create a Space Council that will report directly to the President. Are you aware that the US will have no manned spaceflight capacity from 2010-2015? It’s true (we’ll be hitching a ride with the Russians like a common Space Tourist). This is unacceptable. He also supports Net Neutrality and energy independence. Obama’s proposed policies would mark a dramatic shift from the Bush Administration’s War on Science.

McCain Sucks Let me count the ways:

• Being a POW does not qualify you to be President. He went through some terrible things in Vietnam but I’m sorry that doesn’t mean he can lead this country. Please stop mentioning this in every speech you give!
• He has an uncontrollable temper. He once called his wife “a cunt” in a fit of rage and has a Napolean complex (he’s only 5′7″). This is not the type of person I want with his finger on the button.
• He lies. Constantly. I don’t even pay that much attention and I’ve been shocked by the amount of misleading statements I’ve noticed in McCain’s campaign ads. Especially the one about Obama raising your taxes. It’s just not true! Calculate how much Obama would cut your taxes. Another favorite of mine is McCain’s claim that Obama voted for sex education for 5 year olds. Um yeah. He voted to educate children about sexual predators. “I’m John McCain and I approved this message.” I was absolutely shocked when I heard that lie. Other people were too. Did you notice?
• He picked an idiot to be his running mate. In an obvious move to pander to Hilary Clinton’s base he selected a woman as his VP candidate. Well guess what? Women are not some monolithic group who vote for a someone just because she has a vagina. The candidate has to be qualified and knowledgeable! Sarah Palin is corrupt, believes dinosaurs and humans walked the Earth at the same time, and is a Jesus Freak. That last one is a biggie for me. I cannot stand people who inject their personal religious beliefs into decisions that will effect everyone (see: Bush, George W.).
• He’s old. Somebody once told me that ageism is just as bad a racism and sexism. That person is a moron. Why? Do you know what happens once you get old? You fucking die. Will McCain live another 4 or 8 years? Maybe. Maybe not. He’s 72 years old and has had every kind of skin cancer possible. He’s cancer free today but what about tomorrow. Given that Sarah Palin would take over in the event of McCain’s death this is a campaign issue! Age was also an issue when Bob Dole ran in 1996. He was 73 at the time and is still alive today so who knows? I’m not willing to risk it though.
• McCain was involved in the Keating 5 scandal which directly cost the taxpayers at least $2.6 billion and quite possibly much more.

These are my opinions. Vote for who you want but please educate yourself about your candidate. You can read more about Obama’s policies and McCain’s policies.

*** Updates ***
More related links:

• Karl Rove says McCain went “too far” in campaign ads.
• Palin backs abstinence-only education which doesn’t work (for an example see her own teenage daughter).
• Palin tried to ban books (or at least broached the subject) from the Wasilla Public Library then fired the librarian when she said no.
• Watch the absurd McCain television ads. Particularly “TV AD: Education”, “TV Ad: Celeb”, and “TV Ad: Taxman”.
• 3 former Secretaries of State (Baker, Powell, and Albright) support Obama. 200 former diplomats endorse him as well.
• Over 1,000,000 people have been killed since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. This is a country that posed a “perceived threat” against the United States. Under the Bush Doctrine invasion was justifiable.
• A woman at a McCain campaign rally says she doesn’t trust Obama because “he’s an Arab”. McCain corrects her and is booed. People are brilliant.
• For a laugh: Donuts and Bacon taste we can believe in
• Will Obama suffer from the Bradley Effect?