Hmm… the “thank you” letter must have been lost in the mail. I paid about $30K during the year and owed another $23K at the end due to some changes in my situation in the last few months of the year. Paying out $23K in one go was sickening… esp since I get so little (ie nothing) in return.
Yup, I’ll probably get a tax hike too… though I am earning less this year, so will pay less in dollar terms. Nonetheless, I voted for Obama.
As a registered Independent not thrilled with either candidate, this has finally become very easy for me. I do lean conservative, strongly in some areas, but as Obama (who I find to be an impressive individual) has finally been forced to put some meat on the bones of his tax policy, there is no way in hell I could vote for him. It is his desire to make this country more socialist and I find that wrongheaded, harmful, and despicable.
But McCain’s plans to make the country more socialist are ok? (By which I mean, his planned government buyout of bad mortgages.)
And you really think rolling back high income taxes to the levels of the Clinton era = socialism?
Hint: state owned property is socialist. A progressive income tax is not.
Any way my vote can result in Republicans being tossed unceremoniously from the White House and/or Congress is OK with me this year. That party may reform itself someday but currently deserves to be razed to the ground and the earth salted.
So it’s just a bonus for me that I happen to think Obama would make an excellent president. He’s demonstrated smarts, good judgment, a number of good policy ideas (a little to the right of what I’d like to see, but hey, that’s US politics for you – he’s certainly no “socialist”), and probably capable of successfully implementing whatever mandate he may turn out to get.
Incidentally, if Obama wins I hope he’ll be able and willing to cast some light on the executive goings-on of the last eight years. But I’m not holding my breath.
Comparing your preacher to the woman that raised and cared for you implies a pretty strong religious devotion to me. Loving his church as much as his family is the kind of thing I’ve heard from more than one fanatical born-again.
Dubya promised to sign the idiotic AWB if it was put on his desk. There’s no excuse for supporting that mindless piece of crap except ignorance or malevolence. And I don’t feel wrong suggesting that he is/was both.
If McCain dies in office, at least your precious 2nd amendment will be safe. Is that worth potentially voting in an inexperienced religious fanatic, 10x worse than Bush?
:dubious: That all ya got?
I hate this attitude. I pay more and I am proud to pay my share. You claim you get nothing in return but how much is it worth to you to live in this great country of ours where you can make a shitload of money. We have opportunities and luxuries that most of the world only dream about. Want to live in a country with low taxes? I hear Haiti has openings…
Every time I have to write that quarterly check to Uncle Sam I remind myself that it would be cheap at twice the price.
Agree. Bolding mine. This “socialist” meme is horseshit.
Unless I’m being whooshed, I’d encourage you to check his previous post and his location. He doesn’t live here (in fact he says so outright) and therefore does not reap a great many of the benefits paid for by the copious amount that he pays.
You’re not, I am an idiot. Sorry DN.
I’m voting for Obama because voting for him will keep a Republican out of office, and that, alone, is enough for me. The Republicans are so overwhelmingly evil, irrational and incompetent that voting against them is my overriding consideration in any election.
Not that I’m at all fond of the Democrats; it’s just that those are my two choices, practically.
Nope, just don’t care enough to argue with the kool-aide drinkers.
And if wishes were horses we’d all eat steak. Too many people seem to think that McCain is going to die pretty quick and then the inexperienced airhead will somehow push all her wacky ideas past a hostile congress. That makes no sense… well, I guess it does kind of since the Democratic majority is little better than a rubber stamp for Dubya. Yeah, the past 2 years have really made me respect that party.
Hey, at least McCain has the inexperienced religious fanatic as #2 on the ticket instead of #1. No real difference between Obama and Palin IMO, except how they’d screw things up.
I wasn’t going to vote for McCain until I started reading the frothing-at-the-mouth posts around here (especially the “hey stupid independents!” type) so my defense of McCain is rather tepid. He just disgusts me less than Obama.
:rolleyes: What is it with this “Kool Aid” thing?
No I am not. Got busy with the rug rat and wasn’t paying attention. Presumably DN is a citizen (based on his assertion that he voted for Obama) though living abroad. That fact alone does not negate the benefits he receives as a citizen. He probably lived here for some time before deciding to work abroad and probably intends to return at some point. If not, he can always renounce his citizenship and stop paying tax here. So my original comment stands.
It’s the new ‘moonbat’. Please refer it to the memory hole on your left, and remember, insults are for those who are losing the argument.
Oh, ok, another Democrats-didn’t-shut-up-so-I-changed-my-vote poster. Too bad Bricker didn’t cow us the first time he tried that. I, for one, am so totally chagrined, I think I’ll stop posting any bad things about Palin or McCain. We soooo need your vote!
Well darn, this is Great Debates, not the Pit, and I missed the edit window. I apologise for my snark.
The idea that Obama is a Marxist or socialist is to laugh. He’s a fucking corporatist like all the other goddamn politicians in Washington. Nobody can get that far in American politics without being somewhat in the pocket of corporate interests. It drives me insane to hear people talk about him like he’s some sort of reincarnation of Lenin. Geez Louise.
Anyhow, I voted for Obama because he best represents my vision for America. I vote mostly on social issues, and Obama/Democrats/Liberals best reflect my ideals and my morality. When it comes to economics, I really couldn’t give a rat’s ass. I believe that a society should be judged by the welfare of the lowest of its citizens, so I’m certainly socialist-leaning. However, as a small business owner, it doesn’t hurt me if I get to keep more of my money. But I have the luxury of being well taken care-of either way. Socialism or laissez-faire free market capitalism, I win either way. I’ll let our fellow citizens decide for themselves what they feel the purpose of government is. I don’t think there is a right answer either way.
Also, Obama is who I want to be our face to the world: a well-educated, well-spoken, cool-headed multiracial American. I think he will do a lot to repair the damage the last eight years have done with our relationships with the rest of the world.
Well, as an undecided voter, I did what I do every year. Consider the most important issues to me.
The most crucial issue to me is the candidate’s Muslimness. I think McCain gets the nod on this issue, because Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Also important to me is socialism. I meay not be able to define socialism, but I’ve read enough to know that socialism is pretty bad, and a lot of bad places institute it. The fact several top 10 lists of countries with the most content citizens, highest standard of living, and highest life expectancy, are headed by countries more socialist than America could ever realistically become, does not concern me, because that fact has nothing to do with the fact that Obama’s tax plan will result in everybody being paid the same and only having one choice of cereal or shampoo. Edge: McCain
The next issue I consider is how well I really know these people.I actually hadn’t thought to ask myself this, but after hearing so many people go on about how they don’t know the real Barack Obama, I realized they were right. I DON’T really know Barack Obama. I don’t know anything about the man, apart from all the info that there is about him. To be fair, I also don’t know John McCain, but McCain gets the edge here because Obama is a Muslim.
Next, I’m very concerned with all this pro Obama bias. 60% of the population seems to support him, and that’s really not very fair. Edge: McCain
Finally: The issues. In his ads, Obama blathers on and on with all this information about his plans and policies. I want a president who I can trust will do the right things without having to explain himself to me. Edge: McCain
So, after tallying up the results, it’s a little of a surprise to me, but it looks like its McCain.
So I will vote for McCain, if I can break Obamas hypnotism spells and the curses of his team of Muslim Satanist Kenyans. I’ve learned a thing or 2 about prayer warfare thankfully.