Patch Poll: What Issue Will Most Influence Your Vote this Election?
Sometimes, candidates' platforms force us to choose which of the many issues is most important to us.
Can you be pro-life, yet support a candidate who is cutting programs that affect the health and well-being of the poor? Can you be in favor of gay marriage when your faith says it's wrong?
Can you be anti-Obamacare knowing your relative has coverage only because of the Affordable Care Act and will have no insurance if it's repealed? Can you be a hunter and own a gun for sport, yet favor gun control to keep weapons off the street?
Sorting through the conflicts between values, morals and beliefs is particularly difficult this election. The same people who give to food banks might still support tax cuts that target programs that feed the hungry. Or those with a relative who is gay might oppose gay marriage for moral or religious reasons, yet still love their cousin.
In the end, whether Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative—or an independent or member of another political party—choosing between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama might challenge some of our basic beliefs. The strong opinions expressed by voters this election have already, in some cases, broken friendships and strained family relationships.
Google Politics and Election created an infographic that examines what's been been the most talked about in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 election cycles, including social, economic, trending and foreign policy issues. Based on that, this week's poll is asking you what is the most important issue when it comes down to casting your vote in November.
And if you have a conflict such as those mentioned above, tell us in the comments below how you are dealing with making the choice on Election Day.
scott Stilwell
8:26 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
Foreign policy is what influenced me the most. I've decided to cast my vote for Gary Johnson
N/A
9:30 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
I am leaning that way as well for the same reasons but am not yet decided.
James Dale Barrington
8:50 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
Good thread Zandy. There are a lot of gray areas, no question. All of these issues are important to us, but I look at the candidates with another set of glasses. Are they consistent with their values? Is 'truth-telling' a red flag issue itself? Do they have backbone to follow their convictions to its end whether they win or not. Are they transparent in what they say and do. Do they have a kind disposition, and really seek the office to serve the whole country or not? Could they share a beer/coffee/tea with you and hear your story for why you voted for or against them? Can you trust them? -- All of this is wishful thinking, I know. But only.....
LeonA
9:06 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
True what you say JDB, this surprising news greeted me online this morning.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2012/10/12/did-ryan-steal-cobain-s-anecdote.html
http://www.nme.com/news/kurt-cobain/66617
Sara
6:09 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
Interesting!
cc
4:02 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
How your baby's growing:
New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-8-weeks_1097.bc
This has been written in many books on Pregnancy and Corbain isn't the only one that has said this.
Sara
6:08 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
Middle class and healthcare.
For Obama, of course.
Sara
cc
7:50 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
what middle class, obama has destroyed the middle class of people. There are more people on welfare under him being president then any other President of the United States.
Aloofnd
6:56 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
Of course?
The economy is the lifeblood of the nation. It fuels healthcare, national defense, the essential infrastructure of roads, bridges, airports and utilities. It funds everything. And Obama couldn't be more wrong on every aspect of the economy. From excessive and manipulative regulation, to confiscatory taxation, to tax dollars to cronies, and "investment" aka stealing bondholders rights and handing them to union thugs. Add in doing everything possible to increase the cost of gasoline - a huge tax in and of itself.
What about completely and utterly failing to be the "most transparent administration ever"? Instead, being one of the most detached, out of touch and distant administrations ever.
What about trying to rig the election, from failing to prosecute the blatant coercion by black panthers at Philadelphia voting stations to attacking attempts by the states to ensure accurate voting, to encouraging Acorn and it's descendants to stuff the ballot box - in favor of the incumbent. Of course. A very activist justice department with this administration. Even running some insane gun scam into Mexico. And then stone-walling congress as it tries to figure out what went on.
Jason Bahr
8:38 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
You hit the nail right on the head - what more can be said!! Thank you!
Aloofnd
7:07 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
What about fleeing Iraq without a status-of-forces agreement? What about telegraphing our withdrawal plans to the taliban/AlQaeda in Afghanistan? What about very nearly failing to green-light the operation to get Osama? But then pre-maturely bragging about the mission (and in a highly unprofessional and unseemly manner) - effectively negating an intelligence collected. What about failing to have a budget - thus incurring automatic regressive cuts largely to the Pentagon. But then manipulatively bullying defense contractors to NOT notify workers AS REQUIRED BY LAW of their impending loss of work - because it could negatively affect the chances of re-election?
What about forcing through Obamacare - without allowing the peoples representatives to read the bill before voting on it? Insisting it wasn't a tax ... but the the Supreme Court allows it ... only because it IS a tax?
Obama/Biden had a democratic senate and house of representatives for their first two years. And accomplished very little. Which they blamed on George W. Bush. Now, they sometimes blame the house republicans - whenever they are not still blaming George W. Bush.
The Obama/Biden administration has been the least competent, more irresponsible administration since Carter. Possibly even worse than Carter. A notable achievement.
If you are not completely disgusted with the unjustified arrogance of President Obama and the immense damage he is doing to this nation, you are not paying attention.
Roger
7:25 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
The biggest issue isn't in the list: character/leadership
The 2001 election (in Fall 2000) was a battle of issues. The list was not unlike the one above, with some changes in the list. Then 9/11 happened. The value of debates over the list suddenly was put in the trash can. At that point, it was character, leadership became more important than a SS lockbox, global warming, or gun control.
Also, the campaigns have focused so much on particular issues, without regard to what will happen in the makeup in Congress. If the House and Senate both go Dem, and Obama wins, the money will flow out of DC like water through the turbines at Hoover dam. If H/S both go Dem, and Romney wins, or if H/S go GOP and Obama wins, all these "issue" topics will be like stale bread.
All "I am gonna ..." statements depend upon factors other than campaign rhetoric. Just as 9/11 changed the face of the US, so too will another similar event. The question: How will the President handle?
NE12Ukid
9:32 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
What will most influence how many vote will be party affiliation. Not always the wisest way to vote, but still it's what many actually do.
Ernie
7:16 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
I am voting to fire the current Administration, their Economic Team and their Foreign Policy Team.
With all the political rhetoric that flies around regularly, no one has yet to post anything that shows that those two teams of individuals have the ability to do the jobs they NEED to do in America.
You may want to cloud that basic issue, but the facts and data available do not support any position except that those teams have failed rather dramatically, and they should be fired.
Sandra
8:53 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
I am for the more fiscally conservative party. I believe people should live within their means and work to contribute to society. Yes, people can fall on hard times and need help, but it shouldn't be a lifestyle. It kills me to go to work everyday while someone who sits at home collecting can spend more on groceries than I can. My conflict...I have several gay friends and I honestly don't see how gay marriage would hurt society. If you claim the argument of "family values", I don't buy it. Look at how many divorces, cheaters, and sham marriages there are. Look at Kim K's wedding/divorce for example.
cc
7:55 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sandra I have to agree with you about supporting people who don't want to work and make a lifestyle of living off welfare and having the best of everything. I also live within my means. Not sure what Kim K's wedding was a joke as all she wanted to be was on TV and make money.
Robert
10:46 am on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Please don't vote for Democrats. They are blindly following the Marxist Obama and his Marxist cretins. This is no longer the party of JFK and Truman. It has been commandeered by radical leftists and marxists. You can vote for Tyranny with the marxist president that we have, or you can choose liberty and vote Republican. Make no mistake, if you vote Democrat we will be going down a path never intended by our founders. A path of complete government invasion into our lives. The path that their motto "Forward" invokes. You don't have to become a republican to vote against their socialist agenda,. You can choose to stay Democrat or Independent. But we need you in this fight to save our country and to preserve our liberties for this and other generations. Help us send this message and follow your hearts.
Want more proof that Obama is a Marxist? Just look at his campaign slogan: Forward!
Classic code language used by these and every Marxist since Marx and Engels. Look it up in Wikipedia. You will find it. It has its own section for "Forward " Do you think that it is just an accident or coincidence that they chose Forward? Or is it because it is ingrained in every fiber of their Marxist indoctrinated bodies? Vote for Liberty Not Tyranny!! God Bless the USA!
N/A
12:04 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
That wikipedia article has been the victim of an online editing war for some time now. I would not use it as a source.
http://dailycaller.com/2012/05/03/obama-forward-campaign-slogan-inspires-wikipedia-editing-war/
The term "Forward" is a generic political slogan.
I don't know that I would have referred to "forward" as being "code language." As far as I know there was no attempt to hide that a publication was from the communist party with the word "forward." I could be wrong.
Marx himself believed that capitalism would inevitably fail. He did not seek to take it down. As far as how people translated this message...well...
You mention liberty. I encourage you to pick up some Marx and Engels literature, or literature by a marxist thinker like Louis Althusser. They spoke out against this "state apparatus" or "repressive state apparatus" v "ideological state apparatus" indoctrinating citizens. Well, they identified that it was happening. they were opposed to state control and felt that it permeated every institution's individual ideologies, even into the private sector.
A lot of the modern libertarian and liberty friendly ideologies come from Marxist thought.
NE12Ukid
2:03 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
<<<Robert
Please don't vote for Democrats. They are blindly following the Marxist Obama and his Marxist cretins. This is no longer the party of JFK and Truman.>>>
Guess what, Robert, the Republicans are no longer the party of Jefferson and Abe Lincoln either! Tea, anyone?
cc
8:02 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I agree obama is a communist and Marxist and American's can't afford another 4 years of him being in office.
bob balmer
6:57 am on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
WOW, I had no clue! Thank you so much Robert for opening my eyes. I will never vote for democrats again.
NE12Ukid
7:46 am on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
LOL, thanks for the smile, bob
Chris
3:14 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Ne12Ukid - Soooo true!
NE12Ukid
7:51 am on Wednesday, October 17, 2012
We've been Spammed, my friends.
"Robert" has copied and posted this same rant about Marxist just about everywhere from here to Largo, FL (his home?)
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loyalbaldwinfan
6:04 pm on Sunday, November 4, 2012
What's the big deal? Nothing wrong with someone expressing their thoughts and personal feelings across different states. If you do not agree then move on.....no need to seek Robert out to see where else he posted. Kinda creepy.