Posted by
Marie-Jacqueline on Tuesday, September 23, 2008 7:43:41 AM
I have a friend who lives next door. She and I have discussed issues of politics over the last few years. She and I are both single women, no children and self employed. We have struggled with the economy and keeping our bills payed while trying ot expand and grow our business. I know her political views pretty well. I know where she stands on most things.
My friend wants a reduction on inheritance tax, wants reduction on small business and self employment tax, wants for us to drill for oil now, wants to crack down on illegal immigration and their getting benefits. These are her major issues. The things she cares about.
So your probably thinking she is a McCain /Palin voter Right?
Well you would be wrong. the sad thing is my friend does not like politics and hates trying to keep up with what the politicians are doing. Her Cousin is a new Democrat Congressman and she is very proud of him although she has no idea how her cousin votes. When I ask her she shrugs and says "Oh I don't like to read what people say about him." So I asked her "Do you ask him where he stands?" She says she does not want to talk about it.
Flash forward: Oprah endorses Obama. My friend loves Oprah. She listens to Obama speak and watches the democratic convention and I was speaking with her on the phone and she says" I am watchingthe convention and it is sooooo gooooood" I ask her how do you think Obama plans to pay for the tax cuts and the new programs? you know - the specifics?" My friend gets frustraited by this question and says.." Marie I don't want to talk about it...can't you just feel good about what he says? " I say I need more than words and she sighs and hangs up on me.
This makes me sad... and very frustraited. How many times have you known someone who votes a party line because they have always voted that way. They don't like the mess of politics and they do not want to make an effort to educate themselves so they go with whoever the partisan candidate is or if they call themselves an independent they go with change for the sake of change not even questioning if the change is for better or for worse. Like my friend they just want their ears tickled with pretty words without substance.
In this campaign we really do have two candidates for change - but the type of change is really markedly different despite some similar sounding rhetoric at times. McCain/Palin do not wish to alter the core fabric that makes up our Gov. They want to reform and scale down and restore it to its original purpose. Iron out the bureaucratic wrinkles so to speak. They wish to seek out, destroy and eliminate corruption and wasteful Gov. spending so that our tax dollars go further and do more then get flushed away through inefficient excess. They want to stimulate economic growth and recovery by scaling back taxes on small business and on individuals so that we keep more of what we make. They understand that small business are the lifes blood of our economy - More Americans work for small biz than for corporations. Small business hire new employees when they can and fire when they have to. Right now is not the time to raise taxes on Small business who are already facing higher transportation costs, higher general operating costs and higher material or product costs. In fact in many cases they are already being forced to reduce their staff and production. McCain and Palin do not want to cripple small business under more taxes and mandates that they cannot afford. McCain and Palin understand the need for getting energy under our control and they are willing to drill responsibly to get the oil and the natural gas we need now while also investing in alternative energy sources for the future.
Obama doesn't get it...and sadly neither do his supporters. --- Just like my friend who does not want tomake the effort to understand politics and do the fact checking. She wants her ears tickled with pretty words and promises and in the end if Obama wins she may need to hold on to those words -because when he is finished taxing her small business and raising the cost of fuel she won't have anything else to cling to.
Below is a short quiz - It asks your opinions and after you finish responding it will tell you where Obama stands on the issues to see if he is really the guy you do or do not want to be voting for based on your opinion. Take it and see how you do and send this link to all your friends and family. If you are an Obama supporter it will confirm that you are voting for the right guy, if you are a Conservative it will probably confirm your vote, If you are an independent or undecided it might give you something to think about.