Originally Posted by O'Sullivan Bere

Nonsense. I just wrote a post the other day chuckling about Obama's lame excuse for his taking the private funding. It's obvious why he did it. I used to have the biggest scraps with Sheriff over his partisan posts when I asked him early about when Obama was going to get past his 'hope and change' rhetoric and explain his actual positions. I've written plenty of objections/concerns I have with his positions (capital gains, concealed carry, etc). And I've defended McCain where I felt it necessary too from smears and/or where I felt he has a good idea. I've written plenty on policy discussion about who he ought to pick as VP, etc.

And as for voting, I just got finished last week meeting with my local US Congressman, a Republican, who barring a calamitous development is surely going to get my vote as a result of adequately doing his job. And that, LS, is what I am concerned with.

I've split my ticket for as long as I can remember. I take the Gordon Gekko approach to politicians--you either get it right, or you get eliminated. I really don't care about any party labels. Both have sent me candidates ready willing and able to help or set back me and/or this nation. I have no family history with parties here and my views are mixed enough that I have enough to like and dislike about any candidate in either of the parties.

Where you are coming from is my recent posts with you over these smears. I think they are horrible on several fronts and will say my piece on them.

First, if successful, they will set back race relations.

Second, they fuel the pointy head and Archie Bunkers who need to disappear into history rather than revive themselves.

Third, I think it is terrible policy for the GOP because it typecasts them as pointy heads and Bunkers even against the innocent who aren't such.

Fourth, it encourages the GOP to skip real policy discussions and win races on the cheap with bigotry and keep it alive for political expediency.

Fifth, it makes our nation look backward and evil and injures its image and leadership ability.

Sixth, it allows the very kinds of bigoted morons to get their way because the GOP will need to cater to their ways to keep them on board.

The reason you may see me write more on this stuff is because lately I'm sick and tired of the stupid threads and posts on Obama and so few genuine policy threads on him. I prefer a truly competitive campaign of ideas, and not a stunt.

The last election was won largely on bashing gays and I got stuck with Bush who has violated GOP principles--never mind everyone else's--across the board along with general incompetence. He got into office from the git-go by knocking out McCain with racist push polls defaming him as having had an illegitimate daughter with a black woman (he adopted an Philippino girl) to get out the bigot vote. I'll be damned to see McCain, who I defended then, in reverse slink by now with racist shit of anti-Obama people without affirming to me that he is competent. I'm not saying he authorises it, but he shouldn't win on bigotry anymore than he should have previously lost on that.

Many things I do like about Obama--it was about time he started discussing his views in more detail. Had he done that earlier, he may have gotten my primary vote. The way I see it, he didn't have to do it because he was winning anyway. Politically that was smart, but I can't reward that. I want to know what a politician intends to do and examine it.

The same holds true with McCain. What I am not seeing--but am waiting for--is more from McCain to give me a reason to vote for him instead. If he can make his case for me, and I'm waiting for it, he has the same kind of chance to get my vote. He's wasted incredible opportunities to do so. In the vacuum, I'm seeing alot of ugly stuff, like these smears. And just like I held it against Obama earlier, I will hold it against McCain for being so quiet on his real policies (and not concerning fake ones like "I am now for the tax cuts when I was against them earlier (but knowing full well they are going to expire anyway *wink-wink*)" or making them so confusing that I can't tell exactly where he stands.

It's a long time until November for everyone to make their case. If you want a better discussion, elevate it. Stay away from the smear trash and let's discuss real issues.