Who should win the election: Obama vs Romney

[Finn the Human]

Who should win. For now I am neutral, but after hearing some discussion, that might change.

[Shiny Vulpix]

Well,is it really time for a new president???Barack Obama.DON'T BE AN IDIOT,VOTE NOW!

[-Ryan]

Heard Romney is a jerk.

Obama hasnt been doing too good of a job, and now that he doesnt have to worry about re-election, I fear he'll go all out on the government spending.

America is screwed.

[SidtheSnail]

MMM, I think Obama is getting blamed for a lot of things catching up to America. Debt roof being raised? Not his fault, YEARS of government spending led up to it.

 

 

And then there is the whole Romney against basic human rights. Why should he get to choose who gets to marry, how someone takes care of a baby. If he is so against abortion, why doesn't he take all the babies people can't afford to support a baby.

 

Also:

 

it's almost a shame I'm NOT American

[Mouseykins]

I don't live in the states, but if I did I would vote for Obama in a heartbeat. I have been following the election details on TV and the things I've heard from Romney, especially about women's rights and abortions, I find to be absolutely offensive to women everywhere.

 

Sure the US is facing difficulties right now, but Obama honestly seems to be the better candidate.

[hrtbrk]

I don't mean to be offensive but I'm not sure how a person could be neutral between the two of them.

 

You think rapists should be paid child support?

You think women shouldn't be able to decide what to do with their bodies (ie: abortion)?

You think women shouldn't be paid as much as men, despite them doing the exact same job?

You think rich people should pay less taxes than poorer people?

You think the auto industry should have just gone bankrupt?

You think the US should get rid of Planned Parenthood?

You think health care should only be available to rich people who can afford it?

You think there really is a 47% of the country (read: Democrats) that just "expects" to be handed things to them?

You think the Government should limit or cut federal funding to schools who don't have the best academic accolades?

You think gay people should not be able to marry?

You think the environment isn't that important?

You think birth control should not be readily accessible?

You think Medicare should be majorly reformed or rid of completely?

You think national parks/forest shouldn't be protected / preserved by the Government?

You think children of illegal immigrants born in the USA should not be considered American and therefore not have access to equal rights (even though the Constitution/US Code says otherwise)?

You think it's snobby for Obama to want all Americans to have a chance to have access to health care/an education?

You think companies should continue to outsource their product, leaving less jobs for Americans?

You think Americans should pay out banks that go into debt?

 

If you agree with majority of those, you should be voting for Mitt Romney. If you think a lot of those are utterly ridiculous, then you should be voting for Obama.

 

I'm not even American and just hearing about some of the stuff spewed out by one of the candidates makes me adamantly in favor of the other. Again, not sure how aware the "neutral" people are because if there was minor education, they would have an surefire answer IMO... Hope this helps you :)

[Emily]

I'm Canadian, so I can't vote, but If I could, it would be Obama/Biden.

 

I do follow politics, as I like to know what's going on in the world, and from what I've seen, I would vote Democrat. From all I've read/watched over the last couple years and especially in the last 8 months or so, I would not trust Romney. His "platform" keeps changing. Two examples I can think of off the top of my head are his stance on taxes and financial assistance for post-secondary (University and College) students.

 

Regarding better interest rates for student loans, when Romney first began to address this issue, he stated, and this is more or less a direct quote, that students shouldn't rely on government/bank loans and should "borrow from their parents." Yup, because my family has an extra 60-80k sitting around for me to go to school. School is cheaper here in Canada, sometimes less than half the cost of a 4-year college degree, depending on your school and program and still, without our government student loans, I would not be able to attend school. After enough people called him out for being completely unrealistic, he cut that remark. Then came the "shop around" remark. So what if you're a genius? Don't have money? No Ivy League for you. Scholarships do help a handful of extraordinarily gifted students, but what about the one's who fall through the cracks? What about those who can't afford ANY school, no matter how inexpensive it is (and by "inexpensive," you're still looking at multiple-tens of thousands of dollars). His most current stance was mentioned during the October 17th debate:

 

With half of college kids graduating this year without a college — or excuse me, without a job and without a college-level job, that’s just unacceptable.And likewise, you got more and more debt on your back. So more debt and less jobs. I’m going to change that.

 

Ok, so he wants to reduce student debt now. But wait. Looking at the changes he's proposed to legislation when elected, we see that he not only wants to repeal the student loan reform acts passed by President Obama, but also supports cutting Pell Grants to students. So you're going to reduce student debt by providing them with less options for financial assistance? So far as I know, No money-money=/= less debt.

 

Moving onto the issue about taxes. Let's go back to 2011. Quoting Romney, "I don’t want to waste time trying to get tax cuts for wealthy people because frankly, wealthy people are doing just fine." Ok. That was an issue all to itself. Next comes the fun part. Romney proposed his plan to cut taxes by $6.6 trillion. How would this be done? With the eradication of estate tax, of course! What's an estate tax? An estate tax is imposed when the value of an estate of a dead person is transferred. Problem is, the tax is only imposed on estates valued at over 5 million dollars. I think it’s safe to say, if you own an estate valued at over $5 million, you can consider yourself wealthy. Romney might not be granting INCOME tax cuts, but there are plenty of other taxes people are subject to. Property tax, sales tax, etc, etc. Then there’s the whole idea of eliminating capital gains for the middle-class (oh yeah, if you make as much as $200,000/year, you’re considered middle class) and cutting corporate tax rates. Who owns the corporations? Not the average American.

 

These are just two of the issues that Romney has been unable to reconcile during his campaign, and it’s disconcerting.

 

Moving onto Ryan, it honestly seems like he’s either ignorant or seriously lacking in some sort of realistic perceptions. Remember when he was discussing abortion laws? According to Ryan, “Rape is a legitimate form of conception.” Yup. Rape is a completely ok way to get pregnant. To me, this is just one step away from Todd Akin’s (another Republican) statement on “legitimate rape.” Here’s that one if you missed it:

 

From what I understand from doctors, that’s [getting pregnant from rape] really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down

 

What!? My ovaries know when I’m being raped and can choose not to get pregnant? THAT’S AMAZING! Amazing and completely biologically false.

 

Personally, I would not want people like this running my country.

[Ali Cat]

I don't even want to touch on Romney's social policies and his trickle-down economics; way too much to say there, and Emily and Linds managed to cover a good portion of it (my body's reproductive system will shut down if I'm being raped? Oh, I didn't know that, thanks for telling me. So explain to me again the biology of that?) What really gets me is that during the second Presidential debate, he flat-out insulted China. It's bad enough to insult any country, but China of all places? They're our best trading buddies, don't get them mad. Here's what a Chinese newspaper said about his remarks in the second debate:

 

However, by branding China as a country that "cheats" to compete in global trade, Romney has crudely insulted many millions of Chinese migrant workers. These honest and hard-working people, who can be found toiling away in the factories in the coastal regions or on construction sites in both big and small cities, have made a significant contribution to turning their country from a backward agriculture economy into a global industrial powerhouse over the past three decades.

 

Foreign policy is a little important; let's not insult people, especially valuable trading partners, ok?

[gingerew]

Hahaha I must say that that video of Joss Whedon on Romney's campaign made my entire day! :) Also, as a woman, how could I possibly even consider voting for Romney? For all the valid reasons that you lovely people have mentioned above, I would vote Obama!

[lindorie]

I think everyone here has said my personal opinion on this topic, so I will just say this I'm all in on Obama I was last election and will be this time, plus Romney is just super obnoxious to me.

[Rebecca~]

I would just be echoing everyone else, but yes. Obama is definitely the way to go. Romney and Ryan are just terrifying. D:

[~Xandria]

Uhm, so I'm assuming no one here is for Romney? Which is insane actually, considering my FB newsfeed gets blown up with political rants about Obama's wrong doings on a daily basis. That being said, I agree with everyone else. I agree with Obama's stance on social issues, foreign policy, etc.

 

I'll chime in on the vice president though since no one has yet. Paul Ryan reminds me of a younger version of Bush IMO. He keeps trying to preach the whole "weapons of mass destruction" crap that got us into this mess in the first place. Most of us have completely forgotten why we went to war in the first place! I have been behind Obama all the way in getting our troops out of there. Mitt and Paul would love you to believe we are in grave danger. It's an easy way to scare the masses into playing there game and going to war.

Another unfunded war might I add. Where will that money come from? The middle class. Not only that education and science funding will be cut. Medicaid and medicare as we know it will be gone. That is the ONLY thing America has to keep the young and old healthy and they want it gone?!! Not even Bush wanted to do that. It's so inhumane and so utterly immoral it astounds me.

 

The right wing party is basing ALL of there decisions on there religious views. How is that fair in the slightest?

Obama sums it up best - "We are a NOT just a Christian nation anymore. We are a nation of muslims, hebrews, pagans, agnostics and none-believers. It's about time things were fair for EVERYONE.

[Kiriface]

Romney is EVIL. He literally wants to take away peoples' basic rights especially women/non-rich (not just the poor!). Obama has not been doing a terrible job as president, I honestly don't know how anyone comes to that assumption unless they truly expected him to be some miracle worker in the first place. More things get done during the second term for a president anyways, because they don't have to base every decision around the premise of being reelected. I'm definitely rooting for Obama.

[vyvren]

Oh, Sid beat me to it :P

 

I think Joss Whedon got it right. Now, I'm usually all for zombies and I've been prepping for a zompoc ever since I read my first zombie book, but I have to say that finding something that I agree with Romney on, is very hard.

 

I'm pro Obama.

[karmacow]

I don't have enough likes for this thread!

I'm pro Obama all the way. Romney appears thoroughly untrustworthy and well, I don't think I agree with him about anything. I agree with pretty much everything that has been said in this thread so far. But also, I don't like that he's allied with the Mormon church. Nothing against Mormons as such, but politics shouldn't be fuelled by religion. You've got to do what's best for your country (and the world, when applicable), not what some ancient book may or may not have said is right, at the very least not without some critical thinking.

[Finn the Human]

I did not vote yet. President wise Obama has been doing okay, but we should look for someone who is doing better. (not saying Romney is better)

And can we trust any person before they run for president?

Did we see what Bush was going to do was coming?

The thing that I don't like Romney for is that he wants women to shut down abortion.

I was thinking that the president who was better for the economy would be a president.

USA has been falling into trillions of dollars of dept yearly.

I am not saying that Romney is "the good guy".

If we don't know the candidate please don't bash him/her (in the future)

[Haliaetus]

I usually stay far far far away from politic discussions, because they tend to never end well, but I want to put my own two cents in (because this is actually the first year I'll be able to vote, so I've really been paying attention to this election). I am fully, 100% for Obama. Romney disgusts me with what he stands for. Take Planned Parenthood for example. There are people in this country who really depend on Planned Parenthood to be able to obtain contraceptives, STD tests, etc. And a lot of those people are the younger population of the country. It's no surprise that teenagers are sexually active, but how is eliminating some of these kids only way to get birth control going to prevent unplanned pregnancies and stop them from being sexually active? It isn't. Then there's the women's rights issues. I could go on for days on end about this, but all in all, I just don't agree with Romney's stances on it. When it comes down to it, I'm all for giving Obama another term. People sit here and complain, "Oh, America is screwed either way, so who even cares who gets elected?" Which, yes, maybe these two people both aren't either of the best people to have running our country for the next four years. But they're the only options we have. I really, very highly, doubt that if Obama gets reelected again, he's going to suddenly turn his back on the country and screw us all over and send the country into mayhem. So, yes, I will be voting for Obama in this election. I have hope that he'll be able to achieve some of the things in his second term that he was unable to achieve in his first.

[-Ryan]

Romney is mormon, yes?

Nothing against mormon people specifically, but I very much don't agree with a lot of their veiws and things they do or dont beleive in.

And it seems like some of those will become laws if he is the president.

 

I mean, the birth-control thing is ridiculous. :/

[Finn the Human]

I guess the balance has been tipped and I want Obama to win.

[The Bandit]

Some very interesting points here.

 

I'm not American, but I would definitely vote Obama if I was.

 

Of snwflk's questions, the only one where I'm with Romney is the abortion one. (I don't think a woman has a right to kill her child, but that's another debate!)

 

Fascinating that the votes for Obama / Romney are currently 16:1. Are Republicans not computer-literate or something? Or do they not play computer games?

 

America is such a different place to Britain. Here, there isn't that much difference between Conservatives and Labour (although they pretend there is). In the USA, the two parties seem poles apart.

[Welcome Back Apathy]

There's a quote circulating around the internet:

I wish my moderate Republican friends would simply be honest.They all say they’re voting for Romney because of his economic policies (tenuous and ill-formed as they are), and that they disagree with him on gay rights. Fine. Then look me in the eye, speak with a level clear voice, and say, My taxes and take-home pay mean more than your fundamental civil rights, the sanctity of your marriage, your right to visit an ailing spouse in the hospital, your dignity as a citizen of this country, your healthcare, your right to inherit, the mental welfare and emotional well-being of your youth, and your very personhood. It’s like voting for George Wallace during the Civil Rights movements, and apologizing for his racism. You’re still complicit. You’re still perpetuating anti-gay legislation and cultural homophobia. You don’t get to walk away clean, because you say you ‘disagree’ with your candidate on these issues.” ~ Pulitzer and Tony winning playwright Doug Wright

 

 

Honestly? I *would* disagree with this quote if I thought that Romney's economic policy ideas would save more lives, would save more people from being homeless and dependent, than his social policy ideas would destroy lives.

 

Unfortunately, Romney loses on both counts. His social beliefs are lacking both in humanity AND in economics. Yes, social beliefs can affect the economy!

*Even if you don't believe gay marriage is a human right, it would have a positive influence on the economy. (Weddings keep money moving; accepting homosexuality not as the norm but as acceptable would lead to fewer people having to fake straight, leading to fewer unwanted births that inevitably people can't afford.)

*I can definitely understand being against abortion; it's easier to see it as actually harmful to someone. But being against abortion is harmful to many women's health. Even if you make an exception for saving a woman's life, a woman still has to jump through a lot of hoops to get doctors to sign off on that form to allow an abortion. By that time, the fetus is more able to feel pain, and the woman's life is already in danger. Plus...do I really need to say how being against abortions is harmful to the economy? There are very, very many studies about it.

 

If I really thought his economic policies would help the people at the bottom, people who could die if they don't get this help, I'd still consider voting for him even with the bitter taste it would leave in my mouth. Unfortunately, he is only about helping people at the top. He believes in trickle-down economics. I would be cool with trickle-down economics if it worked, but it doesn't. It has been proven not to work. We have been proving it over the years. Obama at least wants to think about the people on the bottom.

 

 

I hate to vote against someone rather than for someone, but I am voting against Romney. Obama at least tries. In fact, he'd do a better job of fixing the economy if the Republicans didn't block every move. But I'd rather vote for someone whose moves are blocked than for someone who will go out of their way to make things much, much worse. And that is what Romney is doing.

 

 

 

Fascinating that the votes for Obama / Romney are currently 16:1. Are Republicans not computer-literate or something? Or do they not play computer games?

Republicans tend to be older. That's really why.

[Emily]

Thought this site would be an interesting addition here.

 

Warning, there is some cursing on some parts of the page, so if you're offended, don't click.

[~Xandria]

Since someone mentioned Abortion I'd just like to chime in. Whether you are for or against abortion it is a personal matter. It doesn't mean you should be supporting Romney though. His idea to completely abolish abortion is insane. That would lead to women killing themselves and/or going overseas to have abortions, dying of infections... you get the idea.

 

I don't think it's right at all for any politician to have any say whatsoever on a women's body. (Considering the fact that they are all men)

[-Ryan]

I thought Republicans beleived the government should interfere LESS in personal business.

Hes trying to stick his nose in errybody's business.

[Haliaetus]

Since someone mentioned Abortion I'd just like to chime in. Whether you are for or against abortion it is a personal matter. It doesn't mean you should be supporting Romney though. His idea to completely abolish abortion is insane. That would lead to women killing themselves and/or going overseas to have abortions, dying of infections... you get the idea.

 

I don't think it's right at all for any politician to have any say whatsoever on a women's body. (Considering the fact that they are all men)

I agree with you so so much on this. Just because it's illegal to have an abortion performed by a doctor doesn't mean women aren't going to try and find other ways to get an abortion. For all we know they could try to perform them on themselves, and like you said, leave the country in order to find what they want in order to get an abortion. I don't see how at any point in time abolishing abortion is going to do any women any good.