(Thanks B.H.!  It seems that you have the long lost soul of journalists who has integrity and class)

KickChick wrote: Personally I dislike the discussion of politics (especially on a martial art site )

Why oh why do you say such things? 

The bottom line here is people running for office will say and do the things necessary to get them elected.  Then, they will try to do things that will keep them elected. 

I don't like either side of this race.  My issue is w/ a Congress that wants to blame things on the President.  Doesn't matter which President (Republican or Democrat) is in office it is Congress that writes the legislation and votes on it.  The President can veto and The Congress can override.  The President can submit ideas and The Congress can act or not act.  It is Congress that sucks.  It is Congress that never misses a chance to give themselves a raise while the economy Is the bomb and people are getting riffed and furlowed.  It is Congress that spends money hand over fist or approves the spending. 

I take voting seriously.  I pay close attentinon to local races because local politics affect me immediately.  State represantatiion is the next important thing to me.  I want someone as State Rep that works for the people and not Washington D.C.  (I lived around those people for most of my life!).  A President does not run our country any more then the Queen of England runs the U.K.  Make no mistake folks, it's whose casting votes in Congress that counts...

Taking sound bites, I can make anyone appear to be saying anything.  And anti-candidate vids are done with the intent of presenting the subject in the worst possible light in order to sway public opinion.  I hate commercials (I don't watch television because I hate them that much), and thats what these are.  And that's why I don't form my opinions of candidates based upon them. 

Regarding inconsistency in interviews, McCain a politician.  So is Obama.  He does the same thing.  I don't pay much attention to what they say in interviews, particularly during a campaign season.  I look at how they vote, as most politicians' records are generally consistent.  Usually, when a candiate votes in an uncharacteristic way, it is due to wording or riders that alter the intent of the bill.  Generally, the politician's voting record tells the truth or falacy of claimed positions on issues. 

Voting records are carved in stone.  Soundbites and video clips don't change them.  They don't go away.  They just get longer, and when the candidate dies or retires from office, his or her voting record is enshrined in the archives.  They are the one thing that a politician has that he or she really can't change, backtrack on, or easily get around. 

Please note: I'm not standing up for McCain.  Nor for Obama.  The only thing that I will say is that whichever party controls congress, I vote the other direction for the presidency.  I don't want any one party having that much control, especially since practically, we only have two to choose from, and neither has impressed me to any degree since I was old enough to know what was going on.  Thats a long time, considering that I remember when Vietnam was still going on.

Daniel

Exactly!  I am a very staunch believer in term limits.  Most, if not all of congress is completely out of touch with the American people and, apparently, with reality.  They're all in bed with one another anyway. 

Daniel

Thanks sarge, you make me blush

LOL@ narcsarge... you know why! There is nothing worse than trying to moderate a political discussion and and a religious discussion!!!

Yep Season that's call "flip-flopping" and let me tell you, Obama has flip flopped on more than one ocassion.

I've noticed in listening to his speeches that he tailors his position to whichever audience he's addressing at the moment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxa5n0U10HM&feature=related

Remember we are voting for a "politician" as president

Well lets look at this from more of a martial arts twist, we have a women who likes weapons (good) teamed with a person who use to fly a big weapon and shoot stuff (cool) against a person who would probably be good at xma because he flips real well (untested in the ring though) teamed with a person who must feel real confident about his self defense skills because he always has that sinister grin...... makes it real tough for me to choose!!