What Word(s) Best Describes Each Presidential Candidate?

[AcesFull]

According to your article, Obama cast over 4000 votes in his career in his state legislature. 130 (at the most) of those were "present" which is quite common (so says the article) in Illinois. That's 3.25% of his votes. As McCain was not a state senator, we cannot compare the two. The only comparisons that we can make are of their votes in the US Senate and their "not voting" numbers and yes/no votes on issues.

 

I personally don't claim to know the reasons why either of them missed votes in the US Senate or why they voted how they did on tough issues (though I am gaining insight on some of Obama's dilemmas by reading his book and hope to do the same with McCain's book that just arrived today). If you want to claim that for either of them, go ahead.

Nothing Obama or McCain has written will change my opinion of either man.

 

I know that McCain has a history of taking politically unpopular positions that have antagonized members of his own party and I know that he has displayed no shortage of courage during his lifetime.

 

I know that Obama has undergone a series of politically expedient transformations during the past few months that he has been a candidate.

 

I disagree with McCain on many issues but I do not question his courage or patriotism.

[ladiesbballcoach]

So a voting record is the only measure of a man? Well heck, lets get Robert Byrd to run. That guy has been a senator for 50 years. Think of all the votes! Think of all the experience!

 

All jokes aside, I’m not trying to change your mind. I’m simply trying to say that I’m leaning towards Obama because I think he understands the interconnectedness of today’s political climate. I think he understands the 24 hour news cycle, and I think he realizes that the era of great power politics is over. We, as a nation, can no longer afford to snub other nations (no matter how small they may be). Thus, I see nothing wrong with opening up dialogue with countries like Iran. Doing so does not make us weaker; it simply shows that we are willing to at least give governments a chance.

 

On the bolded, just last week he expressed confusion with the media and how they ran with a message and story about his views on Iraq that were supposedly different than what his views really were.

[True blue (and gold)]

Nothing Obama or McCain has written will change my opinion of either man.

 

I know that McCain has a history of taking politically unpopular positions that have antagonized members of his own party and I know that he has displayed no shortage of courage during his lifetime.

 

I know that Obama has undergone a series of politically expedient transformations during the past few months that he has been a candidate.

 

I disagree with McCain on many issues but I do not question his courage or patriotism.

 

I don't want to put words in your mouth, so correct me if I am wrong. You have a problem with Obama's voting record as a state senator, but do not have a problem with the number of votes that McCain has NOT made as a US senator? (I would assume that if you have no problem with McCain's, then you couldn't with Obama, since he has missed less)

[AcesFull]

I don't want to put words in your mouth, so correct me if I am wrong. You have a problem with Obama's voting record as a state senator, but do not have a problem with the number of votes that McCain has NOT made as a US senator? (I would assume that if you have no problem with McCain's, then you couldn't with Obama, since he has missed less)

I have a problem with all presidential candidates who miss votes. IMO, if a person is serious about running, they should resign from public office first.

 

My problem with Obama is that he has shown no leadership and has taken two sides of important issues or flip-flopped with to the beat of public opinion. In short, I find Obama very untrustworthy and I believe that his extremely liberal voting record is a much better predictor of the kind of president he would be than the focus-grouped promises that he makes on the campaign trail.

[Habib]

I'm old and I was drinking, I barely remember you. :lol:

 

:lol: I'm no stranger to the "Hofbrau effect."

[Theoldguy]

Yet the citizens of Illinois voted him to the position of their US Senator. Hmmm.

 

Should the nickname "Dodge" now pass to McCain, as Obama has voted 111 more times than McCain during the current congress?

 

My daughter's boyfriend, who is from Southern Illinois told me, no the political machine of Cook County voted him in, how Cook County goes, so goes the State of Illinois. He told me that the majority who live in Southern Illinois wish they were not a part of Illinois as the political views of Cook County and Southern Illinois are as different as night and day but there is little they can do, as the numbers of voters up north are so much larger than those down south.

[True blue (and gold)]

My daughter's boyfriend, who is from Southern Illinois told me, no the political machine of Cook County voted him in, how Cook County goes, so goes the State of Illinois. He told me that the majority who live in Southern Illinois wish they were not a part of Illinois as the political views of Cook County and Southern Illinois are as different as night and day but there is little they can do, as the numbers of voters up north are so much larger than those down south.

 

I understand what you are saying, but that doesn't change the fact that he was elected by a majority of votes cast in his home state. Do you know how Obama did in the primaries in the southern part of the state?