Deciding Who I’ll Vote For

I’m still not sure HOW they each plan to put their policies in place, but I’m spending a lot of time going over their official policy statements to help me make an informed decision. Here are some of the stances I find important to me in my voting decision. You may or may not share the ideals, but I thought it was good information.

 

Iraq (in favor of Obama)

Obama wants to bring them home in 16 months. McCain wants to keep there until “our interests are served.” I favor bringing them home. We have enough problems of our own that could use our military presence here… border patrol?

 

 

Illegal Immigration (leaning towards Obama)

Still not completely sure on this one. They both have a plan, but I’m not sure either is workable in a four year term. Personally, I’d just shoot all the ones who enter illegally as they come across the border. Don’t you think that would deter them? After they have to cross a pile of bodies, they’d start to get the picture…

Caveat:  I DO agree with Obama’s plan to honor immigrant troops. Personally I there should be a recruiting station for all five branches of the Armed Services at the border. ANYONE who is willing to fight for our country deserves to be part of it.

 

Pork Barrel Spending (Tied)

This is another area where they both “have a plan” but no one wants to be clear enough to endanger their campaign. I want one of them to simply say “we’re shutting down professional lobbying” and ALL donations are public information, including who made it, how much, and what it was spent on.

 

2nd Amendment/ Right to Bear Arms (McCain I guess..?)

I’m not sure why, but McCain actually talks about it but Obama doesn’t. I’m not sure if that’s because he thinks (as I do) that it’s a given that we have the 2nd amendment for a reason, or if he’s dodging the issue. Personally I think it’s the former, but I’ll give McCain credit on this one until I see more from the Obama camp. According to the Washington Post, I’m not the only one trying to get an answer from Obama on this issue.

Contrary to the belief of those who know me, I DO believe Americans should have the unalterable right to bear arms, just not ANY arms. What possible good reason is there for making assault rifles legal? What’s next? Hand Grenades? We are defined by our ability to defend ourselves throughout our history, but I would accept certain limitations on the laws that proffer good sense regulations.

 

Oil (undecided)

Obama wants us all to go to electric car, which I’m not a big fan of, but I see the point I suppose. McCain wants to open up our oil reserves, which I also agree with. If oil is important enough to us (and I apparently is) I disagree with the stance that we’ll happily let the whole world drill it for us but we won’t do it ourselves because of the danger to blah blah blah.

 

Personally, I want the candidates to increase the price of ALL our exports until the price of oil comes down. Wheat? Increase the price. We’re not here to feed the world for free. Screw them until they stop thinking they can screw us. Corn? Raise it. Soy? Double it! Eventually WE will be the ones “setting the price” on our oil imports. The truth is, none of the oil exporting countries except maybe Libya can afford for the US not to purchase their oil. They’d run out of money and storage in a matter of weeks if we slapped an embargo on imported oil in the US. But hey, that’s just my backwoods thinking…

 

Education (Leaning towards Obama)

At least both candidates agree on one thing; American children are stupid. Collectively, we are the dumbest nation in the civilized world. How does that feel, America? Our kids are coming out of high school dumber than ever. Personally, I’d like to see No Child Left Behind (NCLB) dropped completely from our system. It’s a sad truth, but it’s still a truth, that not all children are created equal. Some just don’t get it, don’t want to get it, or their parents could care less if they got it or not. I don’t want my child’s education to suffer because the education system paces itself at the lowest common denominator. When I went to school if you didn’t pass the test, you didn’t pass the test… end of story. If I got less than an A, my parents were pissed. If I got a F, well, we’re not even going to go into what happened if I got an F. Suffice it to say I only ever got one… then I was back to B’s and A’s.  If your child is too ignorant to learn, or too self centered to care, and if you can’t be bothered to take an interest, they deserve to be left behind.

 

Teacher salaries? What a joke. Every teacher in the US should be hired at NO LESS than $30,000 per year, with an annual raise of at least $1,000.00, period… no discussion. That’s the MINIMUM! Take some of the money your school spent on the new (insert useless item here) and spend it on people who want to educate. I have a friend who has spent four years of her life in college and dedicated that time towards becoming a teacher. It took her two years to find a job that would pay her more than working as a secretary. She’s not trying to get rich, she’s trying to support her family on a teacher’s salary. Twenty-two thousand dollars should be an insult to any teacher in the educational system! They deserve the pay! They’re doing what YOU won’t or can’t do!

 

 

Well, I have to run. I have a client with a DHCP network issue that needs immediate attention… more later maybe.