# Very seriously: why would anyone vote for McCain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013 "2008-10-15T07:08:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/61 "2008-10-15T15:18:16Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Do you really want to play ring around the rosie here? It’s insulting that you’re implying people who agree with me are crazier or more intolerant than people who agree with you, when by almost any measurable standard they’re not. Well, I don’t know how to measure the real world, so I’ll withdraw any comments I made about it. Here, though … yeah, I’m afraid that the people that agree with you outnumber the people that agree with me by a considerable margin. And a good number of those people, the ones that are active posters, are more intolerant of the right than the right-leaning posters are of the left. Perhaps it’s merely an accident of minority status, and if there were more right-leaning posters here, it would be the same. But I’ve been here since 1999. I’ve argued against ideas many times, but I defy you to come up with stuff I’ve said that’s even CLOSE to the level of hatred and bile that’s been spewed at me. ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/62 "2008-10-15T15:23:20Z")
> [@IdahoMauleMan](#): > > Then they cut to Sarah Palin saying something at a rally. And the joint came to a standstill. The three women immediately stopped what they were doing, put down the phones, and had their eyes glued to the screen for the 15 seconds or so she was talking. Then it was over, and they went back to work. > > I don’t even remember what Palin was talking about. I wasn’t watching her. I was watching the reaction of the workers. > > THAT…my friends, is what some of us will never understand. People like looking at pretty people. Sarah Palin was a **beauty queen**. Add a bushel of energy, a dash of charisma and package a feel-good message in shiny smiles and there is your understanding right there, my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/63 "2008-10-15T15:24:14Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > I can think of a number of reasons to vote for Obama - he’s black, he has new ideas, he is going to shift the tax burden onto the rich, he is going to pull out of Iraq right away, etc. Whether or not I agree with these reasons, or think they are valid, is different from thinking 'anyone who votes for Obama is a moron". I hesitate to post this because I like the fact that you are attempting to offer reasonable bases for people to support Obama. I agree that the board needs more political empathy. But, I have to say, this is a pretty comical attempt at framing why people would support Obama. Of the four things you name, one is not even an Obama position (immediate withdrawal), one is a veiled attack (people support him because he’s black), and one is hopelessly vague and irrelevant (new ideas). The only accurate reason is the taxation one, and even that one is framed in the least charitable possible way. To me, this post just reinforces the existence of a vast gulf in political empathy on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/64 "2008-10-15T15:25:06Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > **Sateryn76** , a couple questions for you. Thank you for the reasonable response by the way. > > 1. Does it concern you that McCain proposed spending another $300 billion of taxpayer money to bail out bad mortgages at no loss to the banks that had a part in creating this mess? Are you convinced that even though McCain hasn’t shown much resistance to Bush in the past, the orgy of government spending we’ve seen over the last eight years won’t continue under McCain? > > 2. Do you consider the Bush presidency a success? She strikes me as very similar to him. Simultaneously ignorant and overconfident to the extreme. 1. Yes. I am bothered that, yet again, the banks, the rating companies and the consumers who ignored reality are being bailed out, while reasonable people take it in the gut. I am most disgusted by the fact that, even though many, many people, from all sides, had foreseen this, no one had a plan. They ignored it, and forced us into this position. What are they getting paid for again? I do not believe McCain will spend, spend, spend. He’s said as much, and he has a voting record to back it up. And I love the idea of a budget freeze - I don’t think it’s a great idea, but wouldn’t that be a great “Fuck You” to the Man? 😃 1. That’s a tricky one for me. My serious Bush negatives are his Jesus thing, and the bungling of the wars. I feel bad that he was thrust into this on 9/11, and while I understand the reasoning behind the decisions he’s made, I think some serious miscalculations were made. I always keep in mind, however, that “The Evil Bush Administration” was not acting alone - Congress, the UN, and many other entities were supporting many of those decision. I do not believe he is the only one responsible for it. And I do not believe he is ignorant - that is one of the many memes that drive me crazy. Overconfident, yes. But only someone who’s overconfident, on any side of the spectrum, would run for office. As I said, I’m a little wary of a Palin presidency. Odds are on my side, however, and I trust her politics far more than Biden’s. So the Palin issue is a wash for me. ---
**Author:** ![jojobean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@jojobean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jojobean)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/65 "2008-10-15T15:26:13Z")
While I don’t have time to cite every single one, I will address those that are easiest to find. > [@](#): > > Obama is for the socialization of America > > Cite? And I bet you’re just fine with the Bush administration buying up banks. I am not okay with Bush buying up banks. I think that is the most absurd knee-jerk reaction to a problem I have ever seen. I do find it amusing that you only point to the Bush administration for that bailout though. It was widely supported by his biggest opposition. Obama has continually promoted socialization of medicine. He doesn’t deny that he wants socialized medicine. His stances stand similar on social security as well. > [@](#): > > But of course, you don’t care about McCain’s ties to Charles Keating, even though McCain actually helped Keating while he was committing the crimes that led to his imprisonment, while Ayers did his bad stuff years before Obama met him. You are assuming that I am a McCain fan and a McCain supporter. > [@](#): > > -Obama has a naive stance on energy independence > > Cite? [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/akjXqfvLu28/hqdefault.jpg "Obama Insists Inflating Tires Better Than Oil Drilling") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjXqfvLu28) > [@](#): > > Obama is not for nuclear energy > > That’s news to Obama. Maybe you should call him up and tell him that. He and his colleagues are very restrictive on what can be done in nuclear industries. > [@](#): > > Obama neglects to see that raising taxes on large corporations effects the consumer more than the producer. > > Cite that he’s wrong? Simple economics shows that when a corporation’s costs go up, price goes up. Is that hard to understand? > [@](#): > > Cite that he voted to allow babies to be left on a table to die? [http://www.nrlc.org/obamaBAIPA/ObamaCoverup.html](http://www.nrlc.org/obamaBAIPA/ObamaCoverup.html) [http://www.bornalivetruth.org/obamarecord.aspx](http://www.bornalivetruth.org/obamarecord.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/66 "2008-10-15T15:28:10Z")
> [@Gozu](#): > > People like looking at pretty people… …Add a bushel of energy, a dash of charisma and package a feel-good message in shiny smiles and there is your understanding right there, my friend. It works for Obama ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/67 "2008-10-15T15:30:09Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > So wait… you agree that she’s not in the minority here. But you find this insulting because according to you, she’s ALSO not in the minority in the real world? I would disagree with both of you, and say that I think she is in the minority here. The thing with these political threads, most Dopers don’t participate in them, and so who knows what their views are. There are just a few Dopers (and I’ll admit, myself included), who do participate and make a lot of noice one way or the other. But, you know, if you go into one of these election threads, you can pretty much guess ahead of time who’s going to be participating and what they’re going to say. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/68 "2008-10-15T15:30:39Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Although from overseas I am fervently hoping Obama wins, I have no problem listing why people will vote for McCain. > I am astonished that anyone (including the OP) doesn’t know this. > You may not like (or even believe) some of the following claims, but they certainly apply. > In no particular order… > > 1. McCain (and Palin even more) is anti abortion. > 2. McCain has offered a woman the Vice Presidency. > 3. McCain was a brave POW. > 4. The Republicans state they will lower taxes. > 5. The Republicans state they are strong on National Security. > 6. The Republicans ban gay marriage. > 7. The Republicans state the Democrats are socialists. > 8. The Republicans state Obama is friends with terrorists. > 9. Many voters stay with their chosen party (not analysing the issues). > 10. Some voters don’t want a black man as President. I have no dog in this fight (meaning, I am sick of talking at/with people and being talked down to etc), but I wanted to say that this is somewhat embarrassing–an Englishman is better informed than quite a bit of the electorate on this side of the Pond. Sad. (and not many, even here, could list 10 talking points on Gordon Brown or his opposition). That’s sad as well. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/69 "2008-10-15T15:32:55Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Yeah, but you’re a youngster. > > Board-wise, that is. You joined in 2006. > > Assuming you weren’t lurking for seven years prior, you really wouldn’t have recognized the board as it was back in late 1999. Sure, there was a strong leftist bent to many members, and sure, there was vigorous political discussion. But the _hatred_ that exists now wasn’t here. We talked about the hanging chads in Florida, and no one ever called me the kind of vicious names I’ve been hit with here more recently. We discussed Bush v. Gore with rancor, but it never transferred to solidly into the personal. Ideas were ridiculed, sure – but the level of personal vitriol wasn’t there. I only lurked very sporadically, so you are right, I’m not too familiar with how things have changed. But the thing that I find amazing about what it’s like now is how many people around here seem to have no contact with people who disagree with them. It’s weird. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/70 "2008-10-15T15:41:41Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > But the point of this OP is obvious: it’s UNREASONABLE to support McCain, period. No intelligent voter could possibly do so. The OP is just an unfortunate example of a tendency in American politics for liberals to denounce their enemies as idiots and conservatives to denounce theirs as immoral. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/71 "2008-10-15T15:47:04Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > The OP is just an unfortunate example of a tendency in American politics for liberals to denounce their enemies as idiots and conservatives to denounce theirs as immoral. Thank god there’s some sort of equivalence. Otherwise some people would have to stop posting. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/72 "2008-10-15T15:49:38Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > We talked about the hanging chads in Florida, and no one ever called me the kind of vicious names I’ve been hit with here more recently. To be fair, a lot of us lost a quite a bit of respect for you when you went through your “I’m gonna vote for Obama… I can’t vote for Obama because not all of his voters behave as nicely as he does” tantrum. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/73 "2008-10-15T15:51:24Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > I hesitate to post this because I like the fact that you are attempting to offer reasonable bases for people to support Obama. I agree that the board needs more political empathy. But, I have to say, this is a pretty comical attempt at framing why people would support Obama. Of the four things you name, one is not even an Obama position (immediate withdrawal), one is a veiled attack (people support him because he’s black), and one is hopelessly vague and irrelevant (new ideas). The only accurate reason is the taxation one, and even that one is framed in the least charitable possible way. To me, this post just reinforces the existence of a vast gulf in political empathy on this board. I have no problem posting reasons to support Obama. For me (I may be in a minority on this one…) the key point has been his commitment to a clean and honest campaign. Apart from one stumble (campaign finance / public funding) he’s done what he said he’d do, and it’s been very refreshing to watch. His organizational skills – field work in fifty states – are unparalled for a presidential campaign. His positions – not all ones I agree with, but very reasonable positions to take: [ul] [li] Health care reform – it’s easy to conclude that health care needs reform, and if you believe that health care is a human right, then it’s obvious the government should take a role in ensuring it’s available for all; Obama has a plan that will do this[/li][li]Iran, without preconditions – Obama is willing to lay down his cards first, so to speak, and have presidential-level discussions with Iran’s leadership in an effort to dissuade them from their troubling behavior. If you believe that’s the more fruitful approach, then Obama’s position should be the one to pick[/li][li]Stopping genocide in Darfur – Obama has spoken out against this and committed to enforcing sanctions to achieve peace[/li][li]Crack down on employers of illegal aliens and increase the number of legal immigration opportunities; also work with Mexico to assist home-grown economic development[/li][li]Expand Americorps; create a tax credit for such-and-so hours of public service for college students[/li][/ul] All excellent reasons to vote for Obama, if they match your ideas of what we should be doing as a country. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/74 "2008-10-15T15:51:47Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > But, I have to say, this is a pretty comical attempt at framing why people would support Obama. Of the four things you name, one is not even an Obama position (immediate withdrawal) [Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war.](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/) > [@](#): > > one is a veiled attack (people support him because he’s black) It’s not a veiled attack. If you don’t believe that anyone has ever expressed the idea that ‘it is about time that we elected someone other than a white male’, I guess I can agree to disagree with you. > [@](#): > > , and one is hopelessly vague and irrelevant (new ideas). I did a Google search for “Obama new ideas”. Obama mentions that exact phrase on his website several times. But again, if you think no one is voting for Obama based on vague promises of change, then Obama will be the first candidate in history to be elected to the White House based solely on clear and specific policy proposals. > [@](#): > > The only accurate reason is the taxation one, and even that one is framed in the least charitable possible way. To me, this post just reinforces the existence of a vast gulf in political empathy on this board. Then in my opinion you need to alter your views. As mentioned, it is not necessary to buy the spin 100% to understand the underlying motivations. It would be rather like objecting to a post detailing McCain’s views, but putting in a dig about his “temperament” at the end, as a sign that the other side lacked “empahty”. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/75 "2008-10-15T15:52:48Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > To be fair, a lot of us lost a quite a bit of respect for you when you went through your “I’m gonna vote for Obama… I can’t vote for Obama because not all of his voters behave as nicely as he does” tantrum. Indeed. And “loss of respect” entails being called a subhuman piece of slime, now, does it? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/76 "2008-10-15T15:54:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Very seriously: why would anyone vote for McCain? In my opinion, a premature withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan would do the country more harm than good. Obama has stated that he will not cut and run in the Middle East. I am not convinced that I should believe him. Obama has stated a preference for negotiating with anyone and everyone, with little or no preconditions. This makes me worry that he would repeat Neville Chamberlain’s mistakes. I believe that, under the pretext of helping the poor, Obama is likely to hurt the business sector. Which will likely make the recession worse. On at least one occasion, Obama has expressed a desire to “spread the wealth around”, which makes me nervous. Obama’s associations with Ayers, Wright, and ACORN lead me to believe that his knee-jerk sympathies are considerably to the left of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/77 "2008-10-15T16:04:18Z")
**Bricker** , I wasn’t contending that no one was able to do so. I was contending that Shodan’s attempt demonstrates that lack of political empathy is a bipartisan malady. > [@Shodan](#): > > [Immediately upon taking office, Obama will give his Secretary of Defense and military commanders a new mission in Iraq: ending the war.](http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/) Which is not the same was immediate withdrawal, or getting troops out “right now.” > [@Shodan](#): > > It’s not a veiled attack. If you don’t believe that anyone has ever expressed the idea that ‘it is about time that we elected someone other than a white male’, I guess I can agree to disagree with you. The point of the exercise was to point to issues on which _you_ think reasonable people can disagree. Do you think that reasonable people can vote for Obama because he’s black? > [@Shodan](#): > > I did a Google search for “Obama new ideas”. Obama mentions that exact phrase on his website several times. See above. Do you think reasonable people can vote for Obama on the basis of unspecified “new ideas”? > [@Shodan](#): > > It would be rather like objecting to a post detailing McCain’s views, but putting in a dig about his “temperament” at the end, as a sign that the other side lacked “empahty”. No, it isn’t like that at all. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/78 "2008-10-15T16:05:41Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Indeed. And “loss of respect” entails being called a subhuman piece of slime, now, does it? You don’t need to keep coming back for more when people sling shit on an internet message board. Yes, most of us you probably know in one manner or another from years of posting. But I wouldn’t expect a decrease in shit being flung this late in a historic race - however, sticking around and slinging back and forth will only entice more people to be disrespectful and bring up things from the past. Personally, I don’t care who you vote for as long as you vote. The way I see it - if you don’t vote _and_ sling shit then you are standing on straw legs. If you vote, then you’ve got a say. So vote whoever you think will make the United States a better place in your opinion. :cough: Obama:cough: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/79 "2008-10-15T16:11:04Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > **Sateryn76** , a couple questions for you. Thank you for the reasonable response by the way. > > 1. Does it concern you that McCain proposed spending another $300 billion of taxpayer money to bail out bad mortgages at no loss to the banks that had a part in creating this mess? Are you convinced that even though McCain hasn’t shown much resistance to Bush in the past, the orgy of government spending we’ve seen over the last eight years won’t continue under McCain? > > 2. Do you consider the Bush presidency a success? Palin strikes me as very similar to him. Simultaneously ignorant and overconfident to the extreme. I’ll answer. 1a) Fuck yes! Christ, I almost decided not to vote for the man because he supported this shit sandwich that we’re all going to have to eat, but then so did Obama, so it’s a wash there, and none of the third party candidates appeal to me. 1b) The orgy of spending is the absolute worst legacy of the Bush presidency. I’ve said before that Bush is the most “liberal” president in the last century in this regard. I do not believe that McCain would continue that, based upon his statements and his record. OTOH, Obama, with a Democratic Congress, will make Bush look positively parsimonious. I firmly believe that and dread the coming 4 years. I comfort myself with the memory of Jimmy Carter: He’s going to fuck up the economy so badly that he’ll never get reelected. We can survive four years of Obama, and then maybe we’ll be done with this socialism nonsense for another generation. 1. The Bush presidency, contrary to what we’re all told to believe, hasn’t been that bad. It hasn’t been what one might call _good_, but not really _bad_ either. If he could have resisted his insane spending urges I would call it a success. He didn’t so it isn’t, but it’s no worse than neutral. The sad part for Bush (not that I give a rat’s ass about his legacy) is that the final judgment on his presidency is going to be determined by his successor. Fair or not, his presidency is inexplicably linked with Iraq. If we get a McCain who understands the necessity of staying the course and keeping a long term commitment in Iraq, 50 years from now he’ll be viewed positively. If we get an Obama looking for the first excuse to cut and run, we’ll likely fail and it’ll be laid on Bush’s doorstep. WRT the OP, I have somewhat of the same feeling about Obama voters. I’m an issues voter, and based upon the issues, I don’t see how on earth anyone could want to vote for this man. I like Obama the man. He seems intelligent, he’s handsome, articulate and well spoken. But when I look at what he proposes to do, what he will do with a friendly congress…man, that scares the shit out of me! Add that to what has been revealed to be a dearth of character and integrity and I fear we’re in for a rocky 4 years (It looks to me like he’s going to win. McCain could still change that, hell, I could tell him how to do it…but he seems unwilling or unable to do so). ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013/80 "2008-10-15T16:11:30Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In my opinion, a premature withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan would do the country more harm than good. Obama has stated that he will not cut and run in the Middle East. I am not convinced that I should believe him. > > Obama has stated a preference for negotiating with anyone and everyone, with little or no preconditions. This makes me worry that he would repeat Neville Chamberlain’s mistakes. > > I believe that, under the pretext of helping the poor, Obama is likely to hurt the business sector. Which will likely make the recession worse. On at least one occasion, Obama has expressed a desire to “spread the wealth around”, which makes me nervous. > > Obama’s associations with Ayers, Wright, and ACORN lead me to believe that his knee-jerk sympathies are considerably to the left of mine. No mention of McCains involvement with the Keating bunch… If you truly believe McCain and his running mate will shepherd this country out of the recession _and_ make this country more safe than - as an American - you have the right to think that. Of Course. Personally, I don’t have any faith in McCain’s policies, his campaign has been frought with inconsistencies and honestly his foreign policy scares me. I would rather the country be kept safe the smart way, and not with nukes and bloody wars. McCain rides high on the john wayne guns blaz’in archetype…well, this country has already created hundred of Osama Bin Ladens…if McCain makes it in we can be sure to create hundreds more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/very-seriously-why-would-anyone-vote-for-mccain/468013.md?page=5)