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10 Questions for a registered independent

By "Milbarge" and "Fitz-Hume"

For those of you who don't know, Mrs. Haff is actually a registered Independent. Up until the conventions this year, she was on the fence as to who she would vote for in the election. Since the conventions, the Palin pick for VP, and following the race more closely as the day draws near, she has swung firmly into the McCain camp. So Milbarge and I thought it would be an intersting exercise to ask some questions about how she sees the election. I'm starting out with the initial questions. Milbarge, if he's so inclined, will probly use the initial questions and answers to craft his own set of questions. And here we go.

1. You loved the Sarah Palin pick by McCain. What is it about her that got you so excited? Has anything in the weeks following the pick changed your thoughts about her?

Is it not obvious? She's a former beauty queen with guns! To be completely honest, I like her general philosophy. While I don't agree with 100% of her views on personal issues, such as abortion, I do agree with her and really like her fiscal approach. She also doesn't strike me as the type to be bullied and I think she can hold her own. I have a lot of respct for her.

2. Aside from the Palin pick, what was it that you saw/heard at the conventions that made up your mind?

Less Government. I like less government. Revising the welfare system, the tax breaks. Yes, I said TAX BREAKS! McCain would bumb up the childcare credit from 3,000 to 7,000 per child. That's AWESOME. Above all, you can't doubt or question McCain's love for Country. He is an American through and through and will stand up for this Country and keep it safe. I don't think you can say the same for Obama. At least I can't say that about him and I credit that to my ability to filter through the media, I actually read and do my homework.

3. As a causual follower of the election (at least until recently), what is your view on the medias treatment of the candidates? Balanced? Mildly skewed? Overtly biased?

Can you say threat? If Palin were the next Dan Quale, the media woudln't be all over her trying to pick her apart. It's almost like watching a clique in High School. The media supports and is primarily Deomcratic and make no apologies for interjecting their point of view at every opportunity. The media is by far from neutral and exercise no objectiveity. Obama is going to be elected and the thanks goes to our "objective' media. And when he is, you will hear a nation crying for a Red Congress. The next two years though...hold on to your ankles baby.

4. What do you think are each candidates best qualities? What worries you about them?

Best qualities: McCain, it's obvious, love of Country. I truly believe he has nothing but the best intentions and hope for the American people. He has YEARS of experience. He's qualified for the job. What worries me about him is his age and I don't agree with his social views (e.g. gay marriage) Obama: That man has some charisma. He knows exactly what to tell you and how he's going to fight for you, but he never really says HOW. What scares me about him, I don't think he has American's or America's best interest at heart. I don't think he is who he says he is. The interview with George S.,"my muslim faith", I've never said in my life my muslim faith, by accident of course.

5. What issues are most important to you in this election? Economy. National Security. Abortion. Gun Rights. Candidate character. Gay Marriage. Health Care costs/reform. Etc. Of your top issues, which candidate do you think would be best on each of them?

The Economy is my biggest concern. Obama has a hand in our current crisis and the fact that gets NO play pisses me off. National Security, Gun Rights and Candidate character are also big on my list. I am certainly against health care. Obama is promises tax releif, hello, health insurance for all. Reality check, your taxes aren't going to go down. I couldn't disagree more with the bailout. I think it's BS and should have played out in the market, like Enron in 2003. National Security is a big one, and keeping my guns. The President's job should be so much more than if I'm allowed to keep my guns. I really think Abortion and Gay Marriage have no place in politics. Who am I to tell my neighbor, you can't get an abortion? It's not my body, it's hers. I know I don't want people making decisions about my body for me. And I also don't think I have any right to tell two people who love each other they can't get married. these are things that I feel strongly shouldn't waste the tax payers money being argued. Much like baseball investigations, etc.

6. Is there anything that could be reported by the media in these last few weeks that would make you change your vote? Either positive about Obama/Biden or negative about McCain/Palin.

No. I know enough about Obama to know I'm not voting for him, period.

7. Every election, people inevitablly say it's the most important election in our lifetime. Do you believe that about this election?

Yes I do believe it. This time we actually have a candidate that I don't hold in the highest regard concerning character. It's one thing to be a criminal, it's different when the president elect that may be the devil is desguise.

8. Not considering the current situation and slate of candidates, what do you consider to be the ideal make-up of government. Democratic Congress - Democratic President? Republican Congress - Republican President? Democratic Congress - Republican President? Republican Congress - Democratic President?

I think it's always good to have a mix of both. That way you don't get too much of one side. Keeps it balanced. In this case though, with Obama in office, I would want a Red congress.

9. Stealing a question from Milbarge's post below, do you think that given the economic situation that the next President will face that it would be better for McCain to not win the election? If he does lose, do you expect Palin to run in 2012?

They will either be plagued with the nightmare that is our financial situation or casted as hero's who managed to guide us through the storm. The polls obviously say that Obama is in the lead. Given all his "programs" there is no way we will get out of this mess while also funding those. So I think this will end up being Obama's albatross and he'll go down with the ship. Especially if in 2 years people aren't feeling the releif. American's aren't so forgiving when it comes to their pocket book. That's change they can see and feel.

10. Much has been made of experience in this election. Given the complexity of issues that the President faces today, do you believe that it is still possible to have a "citizen President"? Can someone with little-to-no government/world experience but having good character and judgement successfully handle everything the job of the President has come to encompass?

You don't hear a word about Obama's experience. 143 days at Congress doesn't sound like a lot of experience to me. You also have people screaming that Palin doesn't have any experience. To that you can at least say she's a governor. And for those democrats who say that isn't enough, being a community leader isn't enough and Governor was good enough to get your boy Bill elected. So I really think it's a wash on the experience issues. I would love to see a "citizen President" but that citizen would need to have some global experience. I don't think good Character and Judgement are enough.

BONUS ROUND!
What do you think about the bailout? Which candidate (if either) do you think has a good plan for managing the current situation?

Not Obama. I'm so against this bailout...so against it. Fannie Mae is a government sponsored entity regulated by Congress. They buy mortgages from other companies, and the tax payers cover there losses, and they get to keep their profits. In 1998 banks begine to loosen the requirements thanks to Clinton. Executives at Fannie get HUGE benefits if they meet their loan targets. Clinton appointed two guys from his administration to run Fannie, Franklin Raines and Jamie Garelick. In 2003 Bush supported an oversight committee to clean up Fannie, but it was derailed by the democrats. REP Melvyn Watt (D-NC) Committee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit said, "I don't see much other than weaking the bargaining power poorer families to get affordable housing"

From 1994 - 2004 Raines earns $100 MILLION in bonuses. Garelick earns $75 MILLION in bonuses. In 2005 Fannie pays out MILLIONS to members of both parties. However, who go the most out of that payout? Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Barrack Obama.

In 2005 McCain would like to sponsor the Federal Housing Ent. Regularity Reform Act and it also gets derailed. Here is a quote from McCain in 2005 "If congress does not act, American Taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie and Freddie pose to the housing market, the overall financial system and the econony as a whole"

Given that, I don't trust Obama to navigate us out of this mess he helped to create.

Full post as published by Begging the Question on October 10, 2008 (boomark / email).