McCain or Obama? What's your take and why?

[debranator]

Senator McCain has opposed all effort to expand health care. If he is elected there is no chance
of anything remotely resembling universal coverage or even affordable coverage. This is a huge
issue for adults with disabilities living on their paltry SSI payment.

I thought that if you get SSI, you automatically get Medicaid.
I know that my DH did.
It is very hard to get on Medicaid as it is the only government program that will pay for a nursing home,
but once he got SSI
he was automatically enrolled.

[mama22qts]

Actually, I have no idea to what you are referring to with the "oops gun-clinging message...." Could you provide a source?

Has to be the one about people being bitter and clinging to their guns.

[austinmomto2]

I like that McCain wants to drill for oil instead of pander to the environmentalists

AND I LOVE the fact that he isn't a European Socialist.

For me, oil drilling is an archaic source of energy. Researching and using more efficient, renewable energy resources that have minimal effect on our future generations is most important to me.

Because I have 2 children, I want a clean and healthy environment for them to prosper. I stated this in the other threads, but without a healthy/clean environment, our future generations will not exist. If they do not exist, neither will the issues of government control, pro-choice/pro-life, universal health care, increased taxes, etc etc.

So "pandering to the environmentalists" IS something I look for in candidate!

I also am very intrigued by his European socialism! It is important for me that ALL people have health care, not just the ones who can afford to pay for insurance coverage and outrageous co-pays. While I may not be an avid church-goer, I believe in taking care of our fellow citizens. If this makes me a socialist, then so be it. But, I feel it is the ethical/moral thing to do. I do not define my existence in terms of being a Socialist, Communist, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc-these are all just identities/labels not an authentic self.

[collectorofbells]

is there a none of the above option? LOL

or how bout Mickey Mouse?

since there's now way in hello I could possibly vote for McCain....I guess it's Obama

[mama22qts]

I am for all other forms of energy exploration and implementation as well. However, we have a ready source of energy here, and we need a bridge of sorts to get us through until the new technology is online and ready to go. Both candidates support alternative forms of energy and getting us off our oil addiction, but we need time to get there.

[TheyCallMeMom]

I will vote for the person who can prove to me they have my best interest at heart..

Obama is a socialist at best.. I could go as far to say he would make a good fascist.

McCain, while I admire some of his policies, I just dont see him as the guy to say look, you both ( Dems and Repubs) are wrong..

I think each and every American needs to re read the constitution and recognize what the actual role of the federal government is

[elizabethm]

I am for all other forms of energy exploration and implementation as well. However, we have a ready source of energy here, and we need a bridge of sorts to get us through until the new technology is online and ready to go. Both candidates support alternative forms of energy and getting us off our oil addiction, but we need time to get there.

Exactly.

It would have been nice to have more nuclear plants around. I pay over $.12 per kwh for electricity and I have oil heat. Nuclear is like $.05 per kwh - I'd toss my a/c unit so fast and replace it with a heat pump if my electric was $.05. No pollution. All's good as long as there's no meltdown - minor sticking point

I'm very intrigued by the PacWind turbines: Pacwind - home They're not the big outdated, bird killing ones. This is something I'll look into in about 3 years for our house.

[CTCMC]

Has to be the one about people being bitter and clinging to their guns.

Ummm...wasn't that: clinging to their guns and religion?

[chantal12002]

I also am very intrigued by his European socialism! It is important for me that ALL people have health care, not just the ones who can afford to pay for insurance coverage and outrageous co-pays. While I may not be an avid church-goer, I believe in taking care of our fellow citizens. If this makes me a socialist, then so be it. But, I feel it is the ethical/moral thing to do. I do not define my existence in terms of being a Socialist, Communist, Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, etc-these are all just identities/labels not an authentic self.

I agree with you! I was born and lived most of my life in Canada...so I guess it makes me a socialist too!!
Universal healthcare might have it's downfalls but you don't have to ruin yourself and your family to get better. My dad has been in and out of hospitals back home for years now and thanks God everyday that he is not at the mercy of an American-like system. He also had a stroke 9 years ago while vacationing in the USA so he had a taste of how much it costs to be sick here. It would have cost him over $60,000 if it weren't for travel insurance!

I live in NC now and my best friend just went through breat cancer treatment. Granted that she did not wait a few month before surgery and treatments and that her hospital was probably newer than the ones back in Canada BUT she had to pay a lot of copays and other fees to get to where she is now. She is struggling to pay all the bills.

Not only that but when they reconstructed her breasts they only had silicone implants on hand. Apparently they sometimes do not last more than five years. It is a gamble and her insurance company might/might not pay for new implants if she needs them. So now she has to plan on saving enough money on a teacher salary might I add to pay for maybe a future surgery of about $30,000!!!! What really gets me is that she still supports a healthcare that is NOT universal. She would not struggle so much if she had help from her governement!

[elizabethm]

I agree with you! I was born and lived most of my life in Canada...so I guess it makes me a socialist too!!
Universal healthcare might have it's downfalls but you don't have to ruin yourself and your family to get better. My dad has been in and out of hospitals back home for years now and thanks God everyday that he is not at the mercy of an American-like system. He also had a stroke 9 years ago while vacationing in the USA so he had a taste of how much it costs to be sick here. It would have cost him over $60,000 if it weren't for travel insurance!

I live in NC now and my best friend just went through breat cancer treatment. Granted that she did not wait a few month before surgery and treatments and that her hospital was probably newer than the ones back in Canada BUT she had to pay a lot of copays and other fees to get to where she is now. She is struggling to pay all the bills.

Not only that but when they reconstructed her breasts they only had silicone implants on hand. Apparently they sometimes do not last more than five years. It is a gamble and her insurance company might/might not pay for new implants if she needs them. So now she has to plan on saving enough money on a teacher salary might I add to pay for maybe a future surgery of about $30,000!!!! What really gets me is that she still supports a healthcare that is NOT universal. She would not struggle so much if she had help from her governement!

I understand that our system is not perfect. But I'm very disturbed by your comment, "granted that she did not wait a few month before surgery and treatments and that her hospital was probably newer than the ones back in Canada BUT she had to pay a lot of copays and other fees to get to where she is now...." Cancer can metastasize rather quickly and go from being in the breast to being in the lymph nodes and bone, going from operable to terminal. That is what disturbs me - that I would have to wait to be treated.

Your co-worker is alive and healthy. She sounds like she's a typical American (me included) where she didn't have a good emergency fund in place for when Murphy came calling. I'd rather work a second job to get out of debt than die when I could have been saved.