I understand how passionately people feel about Obama being president. And many of you know that I have some serious reservations about the man (to say the least).

And if he were white, I would have the same reservations...so this is not a racist/bigot thing no matter what anyone thinks. i also understand that there are some people here that are not going to believe it. Fine, that's their choice. I think that if he were white, he wouldn't be the Democrat presidential nominee. I think that he gave a great speech in 2004 at the DNC. The Dems became so very enamored with him that they started backing him before they did any investigating. How many politicians, black or white, were in national office six months before they began running for the presidency. Sheer arrogance to think that you are fit for it. Being a state legislator does not prepare you for the presidency, I don't care who you are. And since they had so much riding on it, they could not back down and push Hillary w/o being accused of being racists/bigots. And I think what they did to Hillary was disgraceful. I think they forget the Clintons have long memories and they carry grudges.

I am not crazy about either of my voting choices, but McCain is the lesser of two evils. I hate to put it that way and I am unbelievably sad that my country has come to this. We have allowed our politicians to turn a 'service' into a career. Reading the Federalist papers, Constitution and papers, etc., it is pretty clear that was the plan. I get the impression that they didn't put terms limits in there as they just didn't think anyone would want to do it for a lifetime. And it was not until the 20th century that politicians apparently decided that it was an easy job. They grew to like the power. I think many of them have decided that they like their 'influence', the power, having people kowtow to them, etc. And who wouldn't? but we have allowed them to set up such cushy lives 'serving' us, that it has become means to a great pension, outstanding health care that many of us will never see (I used to have similar care), people fawning and sucking up...

That said, I see few of our politicians actually working for us, particularly the ones who are in the news all the time. Many of them are hardworking for their constituents...but too many of them have been in there for too long.

That said, I could not in good conscience vote for Obama. There are too many unanswered questions, questions that are 'off limits". He is a very charismatic, personable and is a good speaker. Those in and of themselves are not good reasons to elect him.

He has refused to answer or deflect many questions. He has not released any papers he has written (BTW, after being elected to position of head of Harvard Law Review, he never wrote an article for them). He has denied, then obfuscated past associations. He chose his church membership based upon their stated agenda of 'blackness'. I find his association with Rev. Wright distasteful, and his statements about Wright disengenuous. I left a church that my family belonged to after about 3 years as I did not agree with what the pastor was preaching. It was a very severe theological disconnect between us. I did try to resolve it and never received any sort of answer. If I could do it at 18, then I find it difficult to believe an adult man who continues to associate with someone who espouses what Wright does couldn't unless he actually believed what was being said in the pulpit. I was not the only one who left that particular church because of that preacher. I was just one of the youngest adults who made the decision.

Anthony Rezko and Ayers are other associates that I question. Rezko has been indicted and, in spite of what Obama says, he did have an association with Ayers that began in the 90s and continued for a long time. If you investigate Ayers' background, his writings, associations and statements, you find him very questionable and just not a very nice person.

Like it or not, we are judged on our friends and associates. We are judged by our past actions.

This might be a small, petty point, but after agreeing to take public funding for his campaign, Obama changed his mind...broken promise. Like it or not, his campaign has gone on the attack personally against many people. Joe the Plumber is the latest one, and there is a question now that government computers was used to illegally access his background. Doesn't anyone find that disturbing?

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...e.html?sid=101

When Palin was named VP candidate, his campaign sent dozens of lawyers to Alaska to dig up dirt. He has denied association, etc with ACORN, but records show that hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid by his campaign to the group. Paid public offices in MO formed a task force to investigate/prosecute anyone that they decided was telling untruths...or anything that they didn't like. Police state anyone?

An unending group of people are constantly bringing up Todd Palin's membership in the Alaskan independence party (or whatever the name is), but no one except alternative media is bringing up Obama's membership and association with the Chicago New Party...a socialist party. Why is this not questionable also?

http://www.chicagodsa.org/index.html


I am not saying that McCain is perfect, far from it. I think he has been too conciliatory on some things. I think he has made too much of an effort to be all inclusive and too work with everyone. Let's face it, it is impossible to work with everyone all the time...we all try it at work, school, etc and we're all different, so it's just not gonna happen.

I don't think Obama is the devil incarnate, nor do I think he is the Messiah, the 'ones we have been waiting for'. Most people I know are not waiting for anyone. They are working hard to support their families and live their lives.They do not want a handout, they want to work and make their own American Dream. Obama has made his, but why is he so determined to keep me from mine?

I voted for Bush and I will admit it. I will also say that I am very unhappy with some decisions that he has made, particularly recently. I don't like his stands on certain things and I do think he has made mistakes. That said, I do think he has been responsible for keeping my family safe and secure. No, his administration has not been particularly good for my family's finances, quite honestly, we did better under Clinton for a time, but his particular policies also were taking a serious toll on the small business we had then towards the end of his final term.

I do not like what a Republican congress did, but I even more dislike what the Dems have done in the past 2 years and I fear what they will do with a solid majority and the White House. Blame goes to both parties for the meltdown of the mortgage and financial markets, but a bigger portion of it goes to the Democrats. With their insistence that homeownership is a 'right', and demands that people who could not remotely qualify for a loan be given one anyway, has contributed greatly to it. It goes back to Carter (who has to be one of the worst presidents in history..I didn't think it possible to be a worse former president than president, but he has proved me wrong).

So, I cannot vote for Obama. I am looking down the road at my children and grandchildren's future...and for my country's.

This is pretty much my last post in this forum. If he wins, I will be sad for my nation and it's future. It is already not the same country that I grew up in, many ways it is improved, but in many ways political correctness has ruined much of what made us great.