Undecided voter with questions

[Anonymous]

I am an independent voter - have in any given year voted for both parties. I am struggling more this year than most...perhaps b/c I think either McCain and Obama have strengths. I just watched the debates and that did not help much.
I am looking for clear, honest answers from supporters of both candidates as to what each has done in the past which should push my decision one way or another.
NOTE: Have been around too long to beleive anything a candidate would say so only interest in what the have DONE. Words mean nothing as compared to past activities.

[Anonymous]

First thing that comes to mind: Pickin' Biden and Palin.

[jsteele]

What Obama has done:

1) In 2002, gave a speech opposing the war in Iraq (which was launched in 2003) in which he said:

"I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the middle east, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda."

At the time, prevailing opinion was just the opposite. McCain and Bush were predicting a short war, that would be paid for by Iraq, and would lead to the spread of Democracy throughout the Middle East.

2) In the Illinois Senate, he authored a bill requiring that police interrogations be videotaped. Illinois suffered from persistent police abuse in which confessions were often beaten out of suspects. So problematic was this, that the Republican governor of Illinois commuted all death sentences in the state because so many on death row had been falsely convicted. Obama worked with his own party, the Republicans, and the police to get them all on board. The bill passed the Senate 35 - 0.

3) Co-authored the Lugar-Obama legislation to stem nuclear proliferation.

4) Co-authored the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 that created USAspending.gov, which keeps Americans better informed on government spending.

5) Obama has a long history of working with common people to get government to work for them. After graduating from Harvard Law, he passed on a lucrative career in order to work as a community organizer in Chicago neighborhoods suffering from high unemployment. In the US Senate, he continued in that vein, supporting efforts to protected against predatory lending and supporting the repeal of tax subsidies for companies relocating abroad. He supported the REAL USA Plan that rewarded companies for creating domestic jobs.

While Obama has been stereotyped as vein and arrogant, the reality is that he tends to work quietly on bills that may be mundane or even boring, but have a real impact on peoples' lives. He is thoughtful and stays calm under pressure. I could go on and will be happy to address any specific issues of concern to you. I can even point out his weaknesses if you prefer.

[Anonymous]

I imagine this is not what you're looking for but what has impressed me about Obama is his ability to run a disciplined campaign. Coming from behind in the primaries, using the internet extremely effectively, planning the huge rally at the DNC so there would be room for 80,000 Coloradans to attend (in order to encourage grassroots voter organizing in a swing state), managing to stay on point (not always but for the most part) while at various times the Clinton campaign suffered from internal fighting and while more recently the McCain campaign seems to be lurching from one strange move to another.

Based on how he has run his campaign, Obama strikes me as someone who would be able to lead the country by bringing together disparate groups to pursue an objective that would inspire (or at least satisfy) a solid coalition.

While John McCain is notable for his integrity and has in the past been willing to say the right thing (or though more recently I think he has been less willing to do so), it seems to me that his style is more appropriate for a legislative position rather than an administrative position. I've been deeply concerned about some of his most recent choices, e.g., choosing the inexperienced and erratic Palin as v.p. and declaring that the debate should be postponed so he could help deal with the economic crisis (especially when he seems not to have helped much).

He seems to lurch from risky move to risky move without having put a lot of thought into these moves and they don't seem to support an overall vision or fit in an overall strategy. Politics aside, I'm concerned that McCain would run the country the way he has run his campaign.

Obvious caveat: Politically I agree with Obama so you can take my analysis with a grain of salt. But I will tell you this. Previously, I had felt that no matter who won at least Bush would be gone and that would be a relief. But as I've been watching McCain's questionable choices in his campaign, I've been growing more and more anxious about the future of the country should he win.

I had also been planning to vote for Obama just because I wanted to get the Republicans out of the White House. I had not drunk the kool-aid on him and he was not my first choice in the primary. But as I've watched his campaign first take on Clinton and now McCain, I've become very impressed with his ability to organize people, manage a large overarching campaign organization, and stay focused,disciplined and on point while under stress. I think those are qualities that will make him a good president.

Like I said, you are probably not looking for this kind of evidence but these are the thoughts that are uppermost in my mind right now.

Good luck making your decision!

[Anonymous]

OP,

From what you said, I presume that their very different positions on social, economic, and international issues will not be the decisive factors. So how about this: John McCain showed unusual bravery and dedication to his country as a prisoner of war. Barack Obama showed unusual intellect and discipline going from a mixed race kid whose father disappeared to editor of the Harvard Law Review. John McCain showed admirable independence in working with Kennedy and Feingold, as did Obama with Lugar and Kyl. McCain at 72 and Obama at 47 both show unusual traits in being where they are after so many/few years in DC. I could go on, but my point is that either one could easily draw your support, depending on your own preferences in the characteristics of a president.

But I was the first responder, so let me add two "words" that I think could well be the deciding factor: ICOD, BOP.
Translation: In Case Of Death, Biden Or Palin!

[Anonymous]

If you are truly undecided, this is not the forum for you -- it tends to be pretty one-sided. I do recommend you do the research and use the internet to do fact checking on stories that you read here or in the press. I've found that many stories in the press tend to only present about 30% of the facts -- the 30% that supports whatever point the journalist is trying to make. In addition, when you see story by a journalist that points one direction or the other, I'd look up the journalist as well. Wikipedia tends to have a little bio on journalists and "experts" and can shed light on whether they are perceived to lean to the left or right. Finally, if you go to Obama and McCain's websites, you can get a listing of where they stand on various issues. I would not listen to what one side has to say about the other though -- 90% of that is all smoke and mirrors.

[Anonymous]

The truth is, Obama has done NOTHING of any real signifigance during his time in Federal office. Nothing. I believe that someone's Lab is more qualifed to run the country. Sarah Palin has more administrative experience as MAYOR than Barry has...EVER!!! Well, wait...he did have that one speech in 2002.

John McCain, on the other hand has a remarkable record of working with Democrats and Republicans alike to make things happen. In fact, many Democrats regard him as a friend, and a valued colleague, and even Biden said he would serve with (or against) McCain. Yeah, he's been in Washington for a long time, but that doesn't seem to have affected his credibility, likeability, or suitability.

Obama has spent more time trying to get INTO Washington than he has being there, and has spent more time campaigning for president than he has doing the work of the people he is supposed to represent. Fellow Democrat Bill Clinton has described his particular style as being that of a "Chicago thug." He is a radical, a community organizer tied to ACORN, a leftist organization known for its involvement in the current financial crisis, having applied overwhelming pressure to lending intitutions to give loans to the undeserving in order to avoid having the institutions good names dragged through the gutters.

Obama was classically trained in the style of Saul Alinsky, who professed from the epigraph of his final work, "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer."

Make up your own mind. Partisan squabbling is all you will get here.