I voted for John McCain. Not because I did not think Barack Obama could run our country but because I really did not know Barack Obama. I could not get a good feel for what his foreign policy was. That worried me. I was not concerned about his economic policies (save his health insurance proposals which I still feel will close many a small business if implemented as stated). I frankly did not think either he or John McCain would have a significant impact on the economy over the next four years. New ideas, invention and the entrepreneurial spirit will drive economic change, not vague policies and tax base shifts. I was however worried about and still am concerned about his foreign policy. A lot has been written in the Jewish community that his is no friend of Israel. Not because of any animus towards Israel or Jews but because of a rhetorically soft approach to enemies of the United States who are also enemies of Israel. This is something that concerned me. I knew what John McCain’s Middle East policies were. I was comfortable with them.
John McCain will not be our next President. The rhetoric is for the history books. I am ready to give Barack Obama the chance to show that he will continue strong U.S support of Israel’s security and borders as well as all other foreign allies we have long vowed to support in time of need in addition to defending our country against enemies foreign and domestic. All Jews and Americans everywhere should give him that chance as well.
November 5th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
“I frankly did not think either he or John McCain would have a significant impact on the economy over the next four years. New ideas, invention and the entrepreneurial spirit will drive economic change, not vague policies and tax base shifts.”
I feel exactly the same way. It’s not the government or policies that will get us out of trouble. It’s people working harder, smarter, being creative, and creating opportunities for themselves.
-Andrew
November 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
By the end of the next 4 years we will see high taxes and nothing to show for it. Welfare recipients will increase as well as their checks. Gas will be back to $4 or more (Paying $1.89 as of 11/5/08). I see nothing good coming from his presidency.
…I hope he proves me completely wrong. If that happens, I may vote for him next time if he runs for a 2nd term.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am disappointed and disgusted by America’s choice. Some people’s idea of change is having an African-American in office as President. To me that will not help our country in any way. Obama does not have America’s best interest. He sure did paint a pretty picture for many voters through his deception of making America a much “better” place to live. It will be difficult for me to call such a man like Obama President. If I could, I would pack up and take my family with me out of this country soon before he gets into the White House.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Being a small business owner, this scares me. If the government can’t balance the budget, I feel the increase tax hike, is going to help balance the budget. I am not a polital genious, I am just an average woman, USArmy girl, who wants to own a business. It doesn’t take a idot to figure out, that our money is going to the government. I think that people voted for him, because he said, “spread the wealth.” Do people really think that he is going to give them money. The government does not hand out money without there being a catch. So, I do not believe in the “spread the wealth” statement. I believe, that he is going to tax us, and it will go toward the debt of the government.
Honestly, I don’t want to own a business anymore. Sound a little dramatic but, I would rather be right under that limit, with just my husbands check, than to go over that limit with our combined totals. I guess I will wait, and see how my husband did this year, see what happens while he is in office, and then make a choice then.
November 5th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
I’m republican, based on my voting record.
I had 2 things against voting McCain.
The fear that McCain would keep us fighting someone (anyone, anywhere).
The that McCain would die and Palin would be Prez. Just typing that sends shivers up my spine.
November 5th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Obama’s foreign policy worries extend to what he will (and won’t do) according to his position papers in regards to border security/immigration.
Most folks don’t recognize the amount of economic catastrophe having so many illegal aliens in this country causes. And Dems historically – and currently – are taking a very self-preserving route to immigration reform that will do little more than bring more illegals into this country and send more money out.
Overall, I don’t suspect Obama and the other Dems will do a bad job, but having so many Dems in power is no better than having so many GOP-ers in power at the same time.
Oh well, he won fair and square and now its time to unite behind our new president.
November 5th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Brian, you are a big man. Giving the guy the benefit of the doubt is the right thing to do. Kudos.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
RE: “# Also Not an Obama Supporter Says:
November 5th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am disappointed and disgusted by America’s choice. Some people’s idea of change is having an African-American in office as President. To me that will not help our country in any way. Obama does not have America’s best interest. He sure did paint a pretty picture for many voters through his deception of making America a much “better” place to live. It will be difficult for me to call such a man like Obama President. If I could, I would pack up and take my family with me out of this country soon before he gets into the White House.”
Not a little racist are we?
November 5th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
I really want to see definitive proof of citizenship before he is sworn in.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:53 am
I really appreciate all the conservative McCain voters who are being classy about not winning, just like your blog entry is. I’ve seen way too many people today whining and labeling Obama as some evil antichrist (talk about blowing things out of proportion!) It’s really good to read mature blog posts with “good sportsmanship” like this one.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:08 am
@Dube Yes, I agree with Brian that now is the time to give Obama the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best in his administration.
I was not 100% behind McCain, but I did vote for him, mainly because, like Brian I am Jewish and I knew McCain was tight with Israel and would not let Israel down if it came to a tough position. Obama, now I’m not really sure where he stands.
I am optimistic though and will keep an optimistic outlook towards our future.
November 7th, 2008 at 6:38 am
@My aching feet
You can find Obama’s birth certificate on line. Got to The Washington Post and they have a copy.
On the other hand, McCain was born in Panama. Panama is not (and was not) a part of the US. He had no right to be Prez, according to the Constitution.
November 12th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Mccain is part of the same team of crooks & know nothings that has bankrupted the country. Read the 10/16 rolling stone article on him. All the major banks are up to their necks in bad assets and many are involved in the casino like credit default swap derivative market. The Fed is lending three times as much as the Treasury’s tarp program is permitted to spend in accepting questionable assets in collateral from the nations largest financial institutions, But without the transparency that Tarp calls for at the Treasury. This opacity, they will argue, is to protect from financial panic ..but the sums involved will ultimately lead to hyper inflation and a possibly disastrous inability of the U.S. to sell it’s
Bonds and Bills at auction. Read Mark Cuban’s bailoutsleuth.com
The Bush team has left a Wrecked Financial Battlefield that resembles a graveyard for poor Obama to dig us out of. I’m sure the Right will blame Obama for the results of the Bush legacy.
But if Mccain had been elected his sensescence and uninformed nature, that led to his statement that the ‘Fundamentals of the Economy are Strong’, would have left us in much, much worse shape ..if that’s possible. I also don’t find a quality of ‘good sportsmanship’ in the comments here about the Obama win. But one thing is sure we cannot get out of this crisis with gunboat diplomacy or a war as we did at the end of the 30s…that would be suicidal since the players would certainly include the U.S. and Russia. End of the cold war my eye.
That was a fatuous Reagan daydream.
We bankrupted Russia with arms spending and now we’ve bankrupted ourselves with lack of financial oversight and the unnecessary war in Iraq. But wallstreet is still siphoning off their bonuses from taxpayer bailout money…while the bailout dynamic in Europe calls for the executives who turned the world economy into a casino not to get Bonuses if their firms required bailout funds. And often results in the executives being fired. We should follow that example. We should also have conditions for these companies getting bailed out. I see that Paulson doesn’t think the automakers should be bailed out if they don’t have viable business plans. I’m sure he wants them to go into bankruptcy so that they can screw the Union Workers out of their contracts in reorganization. But one condition of bailing out the auto industry should be very stark calibrated increases in fuel efficiency standards over the next 10 years.