posted October 30, 2008
There is really no question this year about how to vote. Do you want to pay higher taxes, increase handouts to those who do not drive to be successful, and face a less secure future because of the Democratic party's desire to cut military spending by 25% while appeasing nations such as Iran and the Palestinians? Do you want a candidate who, as Jesse Jackson said, will take the focus off of Israel in the Middle East? Do you want a candidate who believes in the sanctity of life, or one who believes in partial birth abortion? Do you want a candidate who will shoot straight, or hide behind teleprompted talking points and the mainstream media to escape his shady cast of friends he has compiled in the past? Do you want socialized medicine, or the choice to choose your healthcare? Do you want a candidate who will keep his promises on campaign finance or one who will break his written promise for the sake of the almighty dollar? John McCain and Sarah Palin are the two leaders that our country needs during this time to help our country remain strong in the face of tough times.
The last thing this country needs is a filibuster-proof Senate in Washington, D.C. The only reason the current party can keep those such as Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barney Frank around is due to the bribes they payout to their constituents in the form of earmarks. The need for Lamar Alexander and Zach Wamp is greater than ever to help keep a stable presence in congress.
While some in the donkey party want to blame the current times on the Republican Party, stop and ask yourself? Who has been in control of the Senate for the last two years? What did Bill Clinton do while he was in office when he had a chance to catch Osama Bin Laden and probably prevent 9/11 and the money we have spent in Afghanistan? Why is the blame on lack of regulations for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac not being properly laced at those such as Barny Frank and Chris Dodd? Do not forget that the Democratic presidential candidate has received nearly $125,000 dollars from Fannie Mae. In 2003 Bush attempted to put strict controls on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac but was blocked by Ms. Frank, Maxine Waters and his crew of ghouls. And Bill Clinton is the one who pressured the industry to give loans to those who could not qualify for loans in an effort to give everyone a home and look what has happened. Economic policy changes do not take effect overnight. In many cases it can take 8-11 years to see the results.
Here is some food for thought. Have you thought about what the Democratic candidate could have done for poverty-stricken and the downtrodden with all the money he has wasted on political ads and infomercials while outspending his counterpart by 500 percent? How many scholarships could he have given to kids needing money for college? Does he really care about the average citizen? Why does the head of the local liberal party not talk about that?
The tough times ahead do require strong, honest leadership by those who care about America as a whole; not those looking to insure themselves a political career on the promise of handouts and 'robbing from the rich'. Vote for those who believe that live begins at conception, that we must secure our country with a strong military force, and that the key to our strong economy is not to tax business, but provide tax breaks so that companies can afford to do business and hire employees who can be successful and live the American dream.
Giselle Denton
Chattanooga
* * *
Ms. Denton,
My 401K is tanking, our military is bogged down in a country that never attacked us, 40+ million Americans have no health insurance, over 700,000 jobs lost this year so far, a global recession is looming and you want us to vote for more of the same?
C'mon, you're joking right?
Jim Gibby
Chattanooga
* * *
My investments have taken a big hit, too. If you trace it backwards, the stock market crash is married to the credit crisis; i.e. programs like
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, proposed by Democrats, signed into law by Democrats, expanded by Democrats, and now explained away by Democrat politicians and ignored by the Democrat press. Doubt me? Well, in the closing weeks of this campaign, had this not been an overwhelmingly
Democrat scandal, had there been major GOP figures involved, I can guarantee you that your cheerleaders in the media would be running with it and looking for blood. They can't, and the blinders are still in place. Both the House and Senate are Democrat majority. Why not Google Barney Frank and Chris Dodd as a good starting place?
As far as the rest, I feel like I'm swimming in apples and oranges, and
every time I surface I'm bumping my bald head into cliches we've been
hearing since 9/11.
John R. Smickle
Chattanooga
jsbottomfeeder@juno.com
* * *
Well said, Ms. Denton. Apparently Mr. Gibby, on his normal liberal love fest, did not bother to read the reason his 401K is in the tank. Instead of attacking you, he should be contacting his representatives to find out the real reason behind the mortgage issues.
The sad part is that if Obama becomes President, businesses are really going to become scared, and, when the increased taxation starts, job losses and shutdowns will become even more frequent. When this happens I hope Mr. Gibby and the Obama zombies are the first ones to lose their jobs.
Aaron Martens
Dalton
* * *
In response to Ms. Denton's post: There is clearly question about how to vote. To suggest otherwise is as narrow-minded as the gentleman who urged people to vote democrat straight down the line. I, along with the vast majority of the nation, will not pay higher taxes under Obama's tax plan. Not all the "handouts" will be going to those who "do not have a drive to be successful", and meeting with no pre-conditions is not "appeasing" Iran or the Palestinians. This notion that meeting with leaders of another nation is wrong is one of the reasons I will not vote for John McCain. It is not to negotiate with, aide, or somehow "appease" these nations. It is about diplomacy, which is one thing the current administration has failed on. Who cares if Obama uses teleprompters? He writes his own speeches, so it's still his own words. For all the knocking on Obama for allegedly only being a great speaker, one would think the fact he needs a teleprompter would ease some of those concerns. As far as what Obama could have done for the poverty-stricken with his campaign money...well, he couldn't. People sent him money for his campaign, not for him to turn around and give it away. Furthermore, isn't Obama the one you just accused of getting ready to give "handouts" to these people? I don't understand what is wrong with Obama outspending his opponent because he raised more money. That shows that he has a knack for getting people behind him, and that's something we need.
In response to Mr. Marten's post: Not everyone who doesn't vote for your preferred candidate is a zombie. I personally don't think Obama is the Messiah, a god, or any other absurd title that Republicans say Democrats think he is. It is a difference of opinion and/or ideology, and not agreeing with you hardly makes one a zombie. They just think he is the better choice for the country than John McCain.
Tyler Fordice
* * *
Mr. Smickle,
The Republicans had a very large role in the financial meltdown. Phil Graham, a prominent Republican senator, at the behest of the financial industry attached a bill to the end of much larger bill during the final session of 1999 that paved the way for Wall Street to go crazy with credit default swaps. Laws that had been in place since a financial meltdown in the early 1900s to prevent wild speculation from destroying the markets were made null and void. The sub-prime loans are a big problem, but the CDOs are the unregulated super steroids that have killed the big financial firms and the global credit market.
Tax breaks are great. Who wouldn't want to pay less taxes? The problem is that the Republicans under both Reagan and George W Bush have been putting the tax breaks on the taxpayer's credit card in the form of doubling our deficit to $10 trillion. The Republicans talk a good fiscal policy game, but when it comes down to it they just like to live above their means using someone else's money. The government needs to shrink, including defense. Regulations need to be in place and enforced. Science and education must be supported. We have to pay as we go and not leave our mess to someone else.
The Iraq War was a neo-con and George W. fantasy from the start. When will we know when we have achieved "victory?" Who will surrender to us? Al Quieda doesn't have a nation or government to surrender. They can just wait us out like North Vietnam did. Our soldiers are being abused with tour after tour. Setting pre-conditions before talking to certain countries is juvenile and ignorant. The macho attitudes need to be replaced with intelligence and common sense while remaining vigilant.
The Republicans have had their turn and unfortunately failed, now it’s time for the other party and another way. Hopefully someday a viable third, fourth, or fifth national party will rise to challenge the status quo.
Ed Mahoney
Chattanooga
ebmahoney@gmail.com
* * *
Before some of you fall any further in love with your opinions you might want to do some additional reading. Call up a copy of the speech President Bush gave to the Conference on Minority Home Ownership (October 2002). Hmmm - now that's an eye opener.
You also might want to get a good look at Phil Gramm's "Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000." The one that brought back good old fashioned unregulated betting on the market. Then cruise the web a little more and get your head around these unregulated derivatives, and how much potential they have to wreak absolute havoc on our economy. This is scary, scary stuff.
Then you might want to e-mail Bill Frist and asked him about DCI and why he wouldn't allow a vote in 2005 for a bill sponsored by Chuck Hagel which would have overhauled Fannie and Freddie.
Whether you plan to vote Democrat or Republican - it's probably a good idea to have a balanced picture of how we got to where we are today.
Melissa Cantrell
Signal Mountain
* * *
Ms. Cantrell is right when she said it should be fair and balanced. So do not watch network TV or read anything from the mainstream media. Maybe she should have mentioned Obama's group of friends. How about the latest item you will not see released for all the lazy to hear. In a book William Ayers wrote he dedicated it to none other than Sirhan Sirhan. For those of you who do not know, this is the man who assassinated Robert Kennedy, one of the Democrats' favorite sons. He also dedicated another book to a large group of killers...all cop killers. Of course, this was well before the liberal lefties took over the party. Has anyone heard of this? So that means the guy whose living room Barack Obama started his political career was not only a terrorist who escaped a long prison term because of a technicality, but also a radical who praised those who killed a
Kennedy.
How about Obama's hate-filled pastor? Obama says he did not know this man reeked of the hate as he spewed garbage from his pulpit. Did Obama sleep away his time in the pew over 20 years while attending church twice a month (according to him)?
Did Ms. Cantreall also research Obama's book Dreams From My Father, where he says he preferred to "choose his friends carefully", including "The Marxist professors and structural feminists"? I thought this was a guy who cares for all people.
With a little time, you can discover many discrepancies in Barack Obama's story, but you have to have an open mind and do the work to discover if everything you read is true or false. You could practically write a book containing the items the media has simply chosen to ignore.
Instead, they have tried to crucify Sarah Palin, who has done nothing to deserve the treatment she has received from people representing both parties.
As Ms. Denton has apparently discovered, it is amazing the things you can find when you take your head out of the sand and do a little work. That is why voters need to be educated and research the causes for a failing economy and current mortgage crisis before immediately blaming it all on George Bush. Instead, most people want to avoid the truth and immediately start yelling "it's racial" or "that's dirty". When did telling the truth become dirty?
W.G. Stoner
East Ridge
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