I have said for a while that the biggest reason I'll vote Obama is because McCain has run a dishonest campaign. This country is in a hell of a mess. We have been lied to, on a regular basis, and more than is normal for the last 8 years. We were somehow convinced as a nation that invading Iraq was convinced to fighting those responsible for 9/11. Deception, even if it isn't an outright lie, is a lie.
I hear ads constantly, approved by John McCain himself, that outright lie about Barack Obama. From the beginning these lies were easily detected to be lies to anyone who dug a little. The fact that he felt like he could just feed those lies to a hungry nation, and we would just eat it up...believe it because he said it...it makes me really mad. He's not even President, and he demonstrates such a disregard for truth.
Today the McCain campaign called me for say, the 8th time. I do not want to pay a cell phone bill to hear a man who scares me tell me a lie about a man I respect. I don't want to hear a man who may be my President lying right into my ear.
North Carolina is a major battleground state right now. Based on some polls I've seen, It's looking good for Barack in the nation, but it is close here. If your vote is ever going to count, it's this year that it will. So please, take some time to do some unbiased research...it is hard, but possible.
The link I'm about to give you isn't unbiased. It's on Obama's own website, but is a response from his camp for nearly every ridiculous or believable forwarded email you may have received.
http://fightthesmears.com/
If you will notice, there are LOTS of lies that they have responded to, very reasonably and honestly.
I think a dishonest person, and a person who obviously doesn't even see the importance of truth, is not someone I want in control of my nation.
I am not saying Obama is perfect. I'm saying he will at the very least activate some change, and that will be good.
But again, whoever you're voting for, vote, especially you North Carolinians.
Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
1 year ago
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2 comments:
Carmen,
I think you're getting a little to close to this. You are dealing with politics. Both sides exaggerate. They take things out of context. I really don't believe one is more dishonest than another. If either candidate says the other is dishonest and he is not then you call call BS.
It's politics. Politics is the manipulation of social relationships to gain power. It has been going on since the dawn of man. If you want to see what politics is really like, read Machiavelli. McCain and Obama are doing what is necessary to become elected. Let's look at last nights debate. What were the falsehoods:
* McCain claimed the liberal group ACORN “is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history ... maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” In fact, a Republican prosecutor said of the first and biggest ACORN fraud case: “[T]his scheme was not intended to permit illegal voting.” He said $8-an-hour workers turned in made-up voter registration forms rather than doing what ACORN paid them to do.
* McCain said “Joe the plumber” faced “much higher taxes” under Obama’s tax plan and would pay a fine under Obama’s health care plan if he failed to provide coverage for his workers. But Ohio plumber Joe Wurzelbacher would pay higher taxes only if the business he says he wants to buy puts his income over $200,000 a year, and his small business would be exempt from Obama’s requirement to provide coverage for workers.
* Obama repeated a dubious claim that his health care plan will cut the average family’s premiums by $2,500 a year. Experts have found that figure to be overly optimistic.
* McCain claimed that Obama’s real “object” is a government-run, single-payer health insurance system like those in Canada or England. The McCain campaign points to a quote from five years ago, when Obama told a labor gathering that he was “a proponent of a single-payer health care program.” But Obama has since qualified his enthusiasm for Canadian-style health care, and his current proposal is nothing like that.
* Obama incorrectly claimed all of McCain’s ads had been “negative.” That was true for one recent week, but not over the entire campaign. And at times Obama has run a higher percentage of attack ads than McCain.
* McCain described Colombia as the "largest agricultural importer of our products." Actually, Canada imports the most U.S. farm products, and Colombia is far down the list.
* Obama strained to portray himself as willing to break ranks with fellow Democrats. His prime example was his vote for a bill that was supported by 18 Democrats and opposed by 26. Congressional Quarterly rates him as voting with his party 97 percent of the time since becoming a U.S. senator.
So as you can see. They're both full of shit. If you really want to know what each candidate stands for you have to look at their official voting records and even when you do that you can't just go by the name of the bill the voted on since the party in charge will give it a name that makes those voting against it seem like heartless bastards. For example the recent bailout bill in the Senate was originally named:
To amend section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, section 2705 of the Public Health Service Act, and section 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require equity in the provision of mental health and substance-related disorder benefits under group health plans, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment, and for other purposes.
So, just take a step back and remember that what the politicians say and do is out of your control. Don't let your happiness get intertwined with politics.
I do have one complaint though. You say this country has gone to hell in the last 8 years. I just don't see it. Sure you can disagree with the War and you might be upset with the governments handling of Katrina, but have things really gotten bad? Or has the media convinced you that everything is horrible. There is no such thing as a the "happy" news. If it bleeds it leads.
Look at the facts:
Poverty Rate: It remains around 12.5% which is lower than it was in most of the Clinton administration and pretty much flat for the last 8 years. Historically it is really low. In the 50s and 60s this number is over 21%.
Unemployment Rate: It is slightly higher this month (6.1%), but for most of the last 8 years it has been in the 4 to 5% range. Much the same as it was during the Clinton years. Take into account that 5% is considered full employment by economists. In Europe, unemployment in Germany and France have been hovering around 10% for decades.
Inflation: It is at its lowest point since 1980.
Interest Rates: Lowest since the 1980s.
I blame the internet and the massive number of media outlets to blame for this feeling that everything is screwed up. You are bombarded with bad news all the time and this becomes part of you consciousness.
What are the problems?
Deficits: Keep growing now matter who the President is. Nobody will take action.
Social Security & Medicare: Will eventually become insolvent. No one has acted to fix this.
Gas prices: Will continue to rise, no matter who the president is.
High insurance: Prices have been rising for the last 20 years. No government action.
Remember, the president is only part of the solution. He/She can say whatever they want, but they do not make the laws. Congress can fix these problems but both parties seem to be happy to maintain the status quo.
--Brad
i didn't read the last comment because it looked awfully long. But umm... Go Obama!
I get emails weekly from my Dad that are those same stupid emails about Obama. I just ignore them.
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