Top 5 Reasons to Vote for the candidates

I originally wished to make this two different posts, but due to time constraints, I had to consolidate...

Only 4 percent of the electorate in the United States has faced the ultimate voting dilemma-who in the world am I voting for? Indeed, this is a dilemma, for the reason that the candidates have shown their policies, their strategies, their views, their goals, and their biographies, to the best of their ability-and then comes the question aforementioned! In fact, as the New York Times reports, some undecideds have considered the use of a coin flip to decide their vote. Rather than using coin flipping, plucking petals from a flower, or using the ultimate decider- “Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe”-here’s some reasons to vote in either direction:

The Top 5 Reasons to Vote for Barack Obama (in ascending order):

5. He has voted judiciously: Sure, the National Review said that Obama was the 4th-most liberal member of the Senate. But why, then, would William F. Buckley endorse Obama? Because this report is a farce. Obama has crossed party lines in terms of CAFE miles-per-gallon standards, on foreign policy with Richard Lugar (R-IN), and even confirming John Roberts as Chief Justice. However, he voted against funding in Iraq because they didn’t have timetables, and was against ultra-right justice Samuel Alito.

4. He’s served in the community: Maybe this isn’t especially important in the grand scheme of things, but being a community organizer, he did have responsibilities-to help citizens get what was needed on a small scale. And he’s fought for this ever since.

3. If you’d like the environment to be changed: Obama is for putting more funding into alternative fuels, while still having clean coal resources and offshore drilling involved; however, the latter is more a spoke rather than a hub of the project. Indeed, Obama’s policy is not unlike the Pickens Plan, which I support.

2. If you want to end the war, he’s your guy: Sen. Obama has proposed a 16-month withdrawal from Iraq, with all troops eventually leaving the country. Instead of focusing on Iraq in the “War on Terror”, he will instead focus on Pakistan and Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden probably is.

1. He’ll fight for the common worker: Being a site that advocates neo-populism-a return to Populist politics, fighting for the common worker-I believe it is important to view the economy by the common worker’s stance, and solving it using that standpoint. And the Obama campaign will do that-by giving a tax cut to those making under $200,000, and having those making 200-250 thousand not having a tax increase. The increase only comes to those making over a quarter-million dollars a year. Also, he’ll strive to increase jobs, especially in terms of infrastructure and “green-collar” jobs.

Top 5 Reasons to Support John McCain:
5. If you don’t have healthcare and you can get a policy really, really cheap: McCain will give a tax credit of $5,000 to families that do not have healthcare-but will tax all benefits given by employers. So, if you get a good plan, you’ll be taxed-and the net wouldn’t be good, as your taxes would, in reality, increase. But, if you have absolutely nothing, and you’ve got a friend in the healthcare industry, you’re in pretty good straits under McCain’s plan.

4. You’re pro-life: McCain is against Roe v. Wade, and would appoint pro-life justices, but would want it decided by the state. McCain is for choice in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother-but not the health of the mother. Gov. Palin, on the other hand, is against all types of abortion.

3. You work in the oil or nuclear industry: McCain’s energy plan is centered around two things: offshore drilling, and building forty nuclear plants within four years. Ultimately, McCain’s plan is merely a ploy to gain the funding to the oil and nuclear lobbies (just as Obama is for gaining the funding of the clean coal and oil lobbies, I’ll admit), but the rest is fairly solid: giving a prize to those who find new ways to lower emissions and further increasing CAFE standards, for example, are good policies from where I’m standing. Just one question to ask Sen. McCain: Where the hell are you going to put the nuclear reactors?

2. If you are a soldier in Iraq who supports the war: McCain supports seeing what is going on in Iraq in January, and going from there. Of course, based on his “100 years” idea, he might be insinuating opening up permanent bases in Iraq to keep the peace. It looks like the tide is turning militarily, but is it turning politically?

1. If you make a lot of money: McCain supports giving tax cuts-good. McCain also supports giving the largest tax cuts to the rich-good if you’re rich.

I do care who you vote for, yes. But I also care about how you vote. Thus, tomorrow’s post includes voting: “On the Importance of Service to Our Nation”. Remember to vote, and then read Tuesday night’s live blog, beginning at approximately 6:30 PM right here. Expect some regular “issues” posts, along with a Thanksgiving post, “The Paddys”, and much more as the months rage on.